Patent ID: 9538438
Date: 2017-01-03
CPC Classifications: H04W

Claim:
1. A method for transferring a bearer in layered network deployment, the method comprising: determining, by a macro eNB, whether to allow a user equipment to access a Closed Subscriber Group, CSG, local eNB upon determining that a Data Radio Bearer, DRB, of the user equipment needs to be transferred to the CSG local eNB; and initiating, by the macro eNB, a bearer transfer procedure to the CSG local eNB upon determining that the user equipment is allowed to access the CSG local eNB; wherein determining whether to allow the user equipment to access the CSG local eNB comprises: determining, by the macro eNB, whether to allow the user equipment to access the CSG local eNB according to CSG membership status information carried in a measurement report made by the user equipment; wherein initiating the bearer transfer procedure to the CSG local eNB comprises: transmitting, by the macro eNB, a bearer transfer request carrying the CSG membership status information reported by the user equipment, to the CSG local eNB; wherein the method further comprises: transmitting, by the macro eNB, information about a CSG identifier, and an access mode, of the CSG local eNB to a Mobility Management Entity, MME, upon determining that the bearer has been transferred; receiving, by the macro eNB, information about whether to allow the user equipment to access the CSG local eNB, or the CSG membership status information of the user equipment, returned by the MME; and transmitting, by the macro eNB, the information returned by the MME to the CSG local eNB; or matching, by the macro eNB, the information returned by the MME with the CSG membership status information reported by the user equipment, and if they match successfully, then not transmitting the information returned by the MME to the CSG local eNB; otherwise, transmitting the information returned by the MME to the CSG local eNB.