1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method utilized in a mobile communication system, and more particularly, to a method of subscription control of Machine-Type Communication (MTC) in a mobile communication system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Machine-type communication (MTC) is one type of data communication including one or more entities not requiring human interactions. That is, the MTC refers to the concept of communication based on a network such as the existing GERAN, UMTS, long-term evolution (LTE), or the like used by a machine device instead of a mobile station (MS) used by a user. The machine device used in the MTC can be called an MTC device. There are various MTC devices such as a vending machine, a machine of measuring a water level at a dam, etc. That is, the MTC is widely applicable in various fields. The MTC device has features different from that of a typical MS. Therefore, a service optimized to the MTC may differ from a service optimized to human-to-human communication. In comparison with a current mobile network communication service, the MTC can be characterized as a different market scenario, data communication, less costs and efforts, a potentially great number of MSs for communication, wide service areas, low traffic per MS, etc.
Meanwhile, the number of MTC devices is expected to be much greater than the number of legacy devices, and a probability of performing operations of the plurality of MTC devices simultaneously is high due to a feature of atypical machine-to-machine (M2M) service. M2M communication (also referred to as “machine-type communications” or “MTC”) may be used in a variety of areas. In the area of security, M2M communication may be used in surveillance systems, in backup of telephone landlines, in the control of physical accesses (e.g. to buildings), and in car/driver security. In the area of tracking and tracing, M2M communication may be used for fleet management, order management, Pay As You Drive (PAYD) applications, asset tracking, navigation, traffic information applications, road tolling, traffic optimization, and steering. In the area of payment systems, M2M communication may be used in point of sales, vending machines, customer loyalty applications, and gaming machines. In healthcare, M2M communication may be used for remotely monitoring vital signs, supporting the elderly or handicapped, in web access telemedicine points, and in remote diagnostics. In the area of remote maintenance/control, M2M communication may be used in programmable logic controllers (PLCs), sensors, lighting, pumps, valves, elevator control, vending machine control, and vehicle diagnostics. In the area of metering, M2M communication may be used in applications related to power, gas, water, heating, grid control, and industrial metering. Additionally, M2M communication based on machine type communication (MTC) technology may be used in areas such as customer service.
M2M communications may take advantage of deployed wireless networks based on Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) technologies such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-Advanced), and/or other technologies such as WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) or those developed by the Institute for Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and 3GPP2. M2M communications may use networks based on these technologies to deliver business solutions in a cost-effective manner. In a circumstance involving ubiquitous deployment of wireless networks, the availability of the wireless networks may facilitate and/or encourage the deployment and use of M2M devices. Additionally, further enhancements to these technologies may provide additional opportunities for the deployment of M2M-based solutions.
To receive services, e.g. evolved packet system (EPS) services, the UE needs to register with the network. During a registration procedure, e.g. attach procedure, the UE may first send an “ATTACH REQUEST” message to a network entity (e.g. MME). The “ATTACH REQUEST” message includes an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), which is stored in a subscriber identity module (SIM) card inside the mobile device, e.g. UE.
According to 3GPP TR 23.888, when an MTC server wants to provide a specific MTC service to an MTC device, the MTC server initiates a device trigger procedure to the MTC device by sending a trigger request message with MTC features which may include essential MTC features mandatorily supported by the network. After the MTC server successfully triggers the MTC device and clears the trigger event, the MTC device initiates a subscription control procedure with a serving mobility management entity (MME)/serving GPRS support node (SGSN) and a home subscriber server (HSS)/home location register (HLR).
However, in the device trigger procedure, the prior art faces some issues due to lack of subscription control for the required MTC features. First, the device trigger procedure lacks of subscription control in the HSS/HLR, which causes the MTC server trigger the target MTC device successfully but the MTC device be unable to start the service later on due to mismatched MTC features in the MTC subscription. Second, when the MTC server triggers the MTC device successfully and the MTC device requests for the triggered service to the serving MME/SGSN, the serving MME/SGSN may reject the requests due to lack of capability for required essential MTC features of the triggering service. Last, if the MTC subscription of the MTC device does not contain required MTC features for the triggering service, the MTC device would get rejection from the serving MME/SGSN and have to quit the triggering service. Such issues result in meaningless signaling overheads and wastes network and radio resources.