Patent ID: 8620317

Claim:
A method for communicating network features during a routing area update procedure, the method comprising: receiving a routing area update request message by a cellular network from a mobile device, wherein the routing area update request message includes information relating to a location of a mobile device for receiving communications from the cellular network; determining, by the cellular network, whether the routing area update message is a periodic message generated at least in part based on an elapsed time following a previous routing area update by the mobile device, in response to determining by the cellular network that the routing area update request message is a periodic message and that the network is required to send a network feature support information element due to a change in supported features, communicating from the cellular network with the mobile device to set up an integrity protection relationship; and transmitting, by the cellular network, a routing area update accept message to the mobile device in response to the routing area update request message, wherein the routing area update accept message includes the network feature support information element specifying one or more features associated with the cellular network, and wherein the routing area update accept message is sent via the integrity protection relationship.