Patent ID: 8694001

Claim:
A method for obtaining an identity number of a user equipment at an evolved node B (eNodeB) in a long term evolution (LTE) network having a mobility management entity (MME), the method comprising: receiving, by the eNodeB, a first message from the user equipment; extracting, by the eNodeB, a first part of an identity number of the user equipment from the received first message; receiving, by the eNodeB, a second message from the MME; extracting, by the eNodeB, a second part of the identity number of the user equipment from the second message; and forming, by the eNodeB, the identity number of the user equipment by combining the extracted first part of the identity number with the extracted second part of the identity number, wherein: the first message comprises a radio resource control (RRC) connection setup request message transmitted from the user equipment; the first part of the identity number is included in an MME temporal mobile subscriber identity (M-TMSI) included in the RRC connection setup request message; the identity number comprises a mobile station identification number (MSIN) of an international mobile station identity (IMSI); and the first part of the identity number comprises an upper eight bits of the MSIN.