Patent Application
20120278416
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to mobile communications and more particularly to network devices and methods in communications networks. Moreover, the invention relates to a communication system, to a computer program product and to a computer-readable medium.
The modern communications era has brought about a tremendous expansion of wireline and wireless networks. Various types of networking technologies have been developed resulting in unprecedented expansion of computer networks, television networks, telephony networks, and the like, fueled by consumer demand. Wireless and mobile networking technologies have addressed related consumer demands, while providing more flexibility and immediacy of information transfer.
Current and future networking technologies continue to facilitate ease of information transfer and convenience to users by expanding the capabilities of mobile electronic devices and other computing devices. The functionality of mobile communications devices continues to expand and, as a result, mobile communications devices have become ubiquitous in both business and personal settings. As the functionally of mobile communications devices and the ease of information transfer continues to increase, users continue to demand more functionality that allows the users to quickly find and interact with more data in unique ways.
Some users expect mobile communication devices to be as powerful as conventional computing systems and offer the same types and levels of network connectivity in a wireless package. Many users desire streamlined connections with both local area networks (LANs) and other networks, such as the Internet, that area available via through a communications core network for mobile communications.
Operators of communication networks may observe that user data traffic increases significantly e.g. due to HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) whereas revenues for operating the network may not increase in the same phase, e.g. due to flat rate charging. Operators may be interested in potential solutions to offload at least some of the increased traffic or user data traffic without carrying that data through the core network in order to save operating costs and to save network capacities.
There may be a need to provide a solution for reducing traffic within a communication network.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention a method may be provided, which method may comprise receiving a first message comprising a bearer management information for a session of a user, selecting a first network device, wherein the selected first network device may be located in a down-stream direction towards the user and sending a second message comprising the bearer management information of the user to the selected network device.
An operator of a communication network may provide a service for a user or user equipment. Information such as UE information, bearer management information and/or location information may be utilized in order to select the first network device, which network device may provide or prepare a traffic offload function. A down-stream direction may be a direction towards the user. Traffic or messages may flow in a down-stream direction towards the user. Thus, the selected first network device may be located towards the user and an attached core network may operate in an up-stream direction in relation to the user and in relation to the selected first network device. Therefore a traffic offload may take place at the location of the selected first network device, which may be located between the user and the core network. Thus, less traffic may be transported through the core network. The offloaded traffic may take another traffic path and avoiding a path through the core network, i.e. directly to a server or the internet from which the service is provided for the user. For this service, local IP access (LIPA) or selected IP traffic offload (SIPTO) may be applied for the user or user equipment. Thus, the selection of the first network device may be a selection of a break-out gateway (BOGW) or a traffic offload function (TOF) or a local gateway (L-GW). This break-out gateway or traffic offload function or local gateway may provide a decision in relation to traffic provided for a session of the user or user equipment. Thus, the BOGW or TOF or L-GW may decide or may enforce decisions from an external function such as the policy an charging rules function (PCRF) whether an offload may be suitable for providing a service for the user without utilizing a traffic path through the core network. Sending the second message in a down-stream direction may provide bearer management information from the core network to a selected first network device outside the core network or at the entrance or border of the core network. In the second message the BOGW or the TOF or the L-GW may receive relevant information for deciding whether an offload may be suitable. Therefore the offloaded traffic may take a traffic path outside the core network, which may reduce the traffic in the core network.
A RNC of an access network may receive from the core network radio access information, i.e. QoS information. However, the bearer management information sent to the first network device may comprise more information than radio access information. The bearer management information may comprise information for supporting a traffic offload or comprising information for preparing a decision for offloading. It may be possible that the first network device may comprise an offload function.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the method may further comprise sending a third message comprising the bearer management information of the user to a second network device, wherein the second network device may be located in an up-stream direction of the user.
An up-stream direction of the user may be understood as a flow direction of messages or signals from the direction of the user or user equipment towards a further network device, for example a network device located in the core network. The third message may provide bearer management information from a network device located outside the core network to a network device located inside the core network. Thus, the third message may provide bearer management information into the core network. It may also be foreseen that the third message may provide bearer management information from a network device located within the core network to another network device located within the core network. Thus, it may be foreseen that the third message may be signalled within the core network.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the bearer management information may be at least one information of the group of information consisting of bearer creation information, bearer modification information, bearer deletion information, UE/user information and accounting information. For example at bearer creation, the bearer management information may comprise bearer creation information such as APN, Bearer Type and/or QoS Profile and/or UE/user information such as IMSI and/or MSISDN and accounting information such as Charging Characteristics and/or Charging Gateway/Server Addresses.
It may be foreseen that a request message may comprise bearer management information. Moreover, it may be possible, that a response message may comprise bearer management information.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the method may further comprise providing a selection information for selecting a network device.
A selection information may be for example an RNC Id (Radio Network Controller Identity) or eNB Id (Base Station Identity) or RAI (Routing Area Identity) or TAI (Tracking Area Identity) or SAI (Service Area Identity) or CGI (Cell Global Identity).
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the method may comprise receiving the bearer management information from a network device located in a down-stream direction towards the user.
The network device located in a down-stream direction towards the user may be for example a gateway or functionality co-located with RAN elements such as the RNC or eNB or Home (e)NB GW. The network device located in a down-stream direction may be operating in an access network.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the first message may be at least one message of the group of messages consisting of an update message, a modification message, a setup message, an activation message, a deactivation message, a delete message and a relocation message.
The first message may provide bearer management information, e.g. in case a bearer is created or modified or deleted for a user, in case a user enters into a network, in case a user leaves the network, in case the user requests a further service, in case the user moves, etc. Thus, the first message may provide information in order to serve the user or in order to adapt the service for the user.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention the second message may comprise a GTP signaling or a Radius signaling or a Diameter signaling.
A GTP signaling (GTP=GPRS Tunneling Protocol) may be utilized to create or modify or delete bearers in order to transport packets in GPRS. Diameter signaling or Radius signaling may be utilized for authentication, authorization and/or accounting. Diameter signaling or Radius signaling may also be utilized to inform a server on bearer related events such as bearer creation, modification or deletion.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the second message may comprise an address of the selected network device.
The address of the selected network device may be utilized for a direct signaling. A direct signaling may provide information directed towards a preselected network device. Thus, there may be no need for interception for that network device in order to receive information. A direct signaling may provide a precise and safe information transmission from a source of information towards a receiver of information.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a method may be provided comprising receiving a first message comprising a bearer management information for a session of a user, sending a second message to a network device located in an up-stream direction and routing traffic utilizing the received bearer management information.
The second message may comprise a response to the received bearer management information of a session of a user. For routing traffic it may be foreseen analyzing a plurality of packets received via a bearer service, forwarding packets to a gateway via the bearer service and offloading and routing, from the bearer service, packets to a separate network. The second message may be a create PDP context request message, an update PDP context request message or a delete PDP context request message. Packets from a source may be forwarded to two directions, for example to a first direction towards a gateway and to a second direction towards a separate network, such as the internet.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the second message may comprise at least one information of the group of information consisting of a bearer creation information, a bearer modification information, a bearer deletion information, a UE/user information and an accounting information.
A bearer creation information may be e.g. APN, Bearer Type and/or QoS Profile. A bearer modification information may be e.g. QoS Profile. A bearer deletion information may be e.g. one or more identities of the bearer(s) to be deleted. An accounting information may be e.g. Charging Characteristics and/or Charging Gateway/Server Addresses.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a network device may be provided comprising a receiving unit for receiving a first message comprising a bearer management information for a session of a user and a sending unit for sending a second message to a first network device located in a down-stream direction.
The network device may comprise a first interface for receiving the first message and may comprise a second interface for sending the second message. It may also be foreseen that the receiving unit and the sending unit may utilize one single interface and may be combined into one single receiving/sending unit. The first message may flow in a down-stream direction or in an up-stream direction. The first message may be received by a support node, such as a SGSN or a GGSN. The second message may flow in a down-stream direction to the first network device. The first network device may be a BOGW or TOF or L-GW which may be located in a down-stream direction, i.e. in a direction from the core network towards the BOGW or TOF or L-GW, wherein the BOGW or TOF or L-GW may be located between the user and the core network.
According to an exemplary embodiment, the network device may be a support node.
A support node may be an SGSN or MME. Moreover a support node may be a gateway, for example a GGSN, a SGW, a PGW or a SGW/PGW. A support node may be a network node, an eNodeB, a HeNodeB, an eNB/L-GW or a HeNB/L-GW.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the network device may be located in a core network.
A core network device may be installed in a core network, especially in a communication core network. A core network may comprise a plurality of network devices, i.e. one or a plurality of SGSN and/or one or a plurality of GGSN. A core network may transport traffic from and to an access network of a user. A core network may transport traffic from the core network towards and back from service providers serving a user session of the user. A GGSN may serve as a gateway forwarding user data traffic.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a network device may be provided comprising a receiving unit for receiving a first message comprising a bearer management information for a session of a user, a sending unit for sending a second message comprising a response to the received first message to a network device located in an up-stream direction and a routing unit for routing traffic utilizing the received bearer management information.
The network device may be located between an access network and a core network.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the network device may comprise a traffic offload function.
A traffic offload function or a traffic break-out function may be provided by a break-out gateway (BOGW) or a TOF. The network device may be a BOGW or a TOF. Moreover, the network device may send a traffic offload information to the up-stream located network device. A routing of traffic may provide an offload within a core network and may therefore reduce traffic. It may be foreseen that the break-out function or a traffic offload function may be at least one of the group of functions consisting of routing of packets, routing of uplink packets, collecting of UL statistics, collecting of DL statistics, gateway bridging, downlink packet buffering, ECM-IDLE mode downlink packet buffering, initiating of network triggered service request procedure, assisting in UE IP-address allocation for accessing a home based network, DHCPv4-functions, DHCPv6 functions, providing server functionalities, providing relay functionalities, providing client functionalities, providing local IP address signaling in control messages, providing local IP address signaling in control messages, such as GTP and NAS and providing downlink local packets in a tunnel, especially providing an inclusion of downlink local packets in a GTP tunnel at an S1-U interface.
A break-out gateway (BOGW) or a TOF may be adapted to support a breakout service or a traffic offload service based on a received information, which information may be at least one of the group of information consisting of a UE Requested PDN Connectivity, a UE Triggered Service Request, a UE Requested Bearer Resource Modification, a Dedicated Bearer Activation, a Bearer Modification, a Network Triggered Service Request, a S1 Release procedure, a UE-initiated Detach procedure for E-UTRAN, a MME Initiated Dedicated Bearer Deactivation, a UE Requested PDN disconnection and a Create/Update (Default) Bearer Request.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a communication system may be provided, wherein the communication system may comprise a first network device according to the present invention and a second network device according to the present invention.
The communication system may comprise a BOGW and a SGSN. Moreover, the communication system may comprise a BOGW and a GGSN. It may also be possible that the communication system comprises a first network device according to the present invention, a second network device according to the present invention and a third network device according to the present invention. Therefore, the communication system may comprise for example a BOGW, a SGSN and a GGSN.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a computer program product may be provided comprising code portions for causing a network device, on which the computer program may be executed to carry out a method according to the present invention.
The exemplary embodiments of the present invention in relation to network devices may comprise a processor, which processor may be adapted to carry out the methods according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention. This processor may utilize the computer program product in order to perform the methods according to the present invention.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the computer-readable medium may be provided embodying the computer program product according to the present invention.
Embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, wherein:
Example embodiments of the present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. The terms “data,” “content,” “information”, “message”, “parameter” and similar terms may be used interchangeably, according to some example embodiments of the present invention, to refer to data capable of being transmitted, received, operated on, and/or stored.
The illustration of the drawings is schematic. In different drawings, similar or identical elements are provided with the same reference numerals.
Various example embodiments of the present invention support communications traffic offload from a bearer service. According to various example embodiments, a bearer service may be a type of virtual point-to-point connection or transport service between two or more network entities or end points. For example, the bearer service may be a packet data protocol (PDP) context and/or a enhanced packet system (EPS) bearer. As such, the bearer service may support generic packet radio service (GPRS) and/or long-term evolution (LTE) based communications techniques. Moreover, the bearer service may support CDMA access or any other access technology. The end points of the bearer service may be a client device, such as, for example, user equipment (UE) in the form of a mobile terminal, and a gateway, such as, for example, a packet data network gateway (PDN-GW) and/or a general packet radio service (GPRS) gateway support node (GGSN). In some example embodiments, a bearer service is a transport service with specific and defined quality of service (QoS) attributes. In addition, not only GPRS or LTE techniques may be utilized in this context. Offload situations may also happen in other networks or accesses, e.g. in CDMA access. In this context, the term “user”, “client”, “client device”, “user equipment”, “UE” or similar terms may be utilized interchangeably.
According to various example embodiments of the present invention, a client device or a user equipment may maintain a bearer service to a gateway or a server that may provide access in a core network of a wireless communications system. Having established the bearer service with the gateway, communications traffic may selectively be offloaded from the bearer service to a second network in order to avoid carrying that communications traffic through the core network. Offloading communications traffic may be done in an intermediate middlebox, also called Breakout Gateway (BOGW) or the Traffic Offload Function (TOF) or in a Local Gateway (L-GW). The client device or user equipment may also wish to communicate, i.e. more locally, with a second, separate network, such as a local area network (LAN). To conduct communications with this second network, the client device may be configured to transmit packets intended for the second network through the bearer service to an intermediate middlebox or BOGW or a local breakout gateway (L-GW).
The middlebox or BOGW may be configured to forward packets intended for the core network towards the gateway, and offload and route packets intended to the second network to the second network. Rules for packet forwarding may be either pre-configured to the middlebox or BOGW or may be sent to the middlebox or BOGW from an external server e.g. from the PCRF. Since the packets intended for the second network may be intercepted by the middlebox or BOGW, the gateway and the core network may be unaware of the packets offloaded and routed to the second network. In this manner, simultaneous support for both core network communications and local area network communications may be achieved through multiple interfaces via a single bearer service. Example embodiments therefore may support local IP access (LIPA), without visibility, or with limited visibility, to the core network.
A bearer service for the client device or user equipment may provide bearer management information for one or a plurality of network devices. Bearer management information may be sent to a network device as a direct signaling whereas other network devices may intercept the bearer management information without being directly addressed. In the following embodiments a direct signaling of bearer information is illustrated. The term “direct” in this context means that the relevant information may be sent directly to a certain network device without sniffing the information. A direct signaling may comprise a selection of a certain network device and addressing the message comprising the bearer management information message to this network device explicitly. This may be indicated in the illustrated message flow diagrams by arrows ending at the respective network device comprising a destination address for the management bearer information. In the following it may be illustrated how a network device, i.e. the BOGW may be provided with bearer management information, which bearer management information is provided by a network device of a core network. The core network may comprise several network support nodes which may be located in an up-stream direction in relation to the user or user equipment and also in an up-stream direction in relation to the BOGW. Thus, the BOGW may be located between the user equipment and the core network. From the view point of the BOGW the user equipment may be located in a down-stream direction and the network devices of the core network are located in an up-stream direction in relation to the BOGW and also in relation to the user equipment.
In general, the client 10, 110 may be configured to provide communications traffic via the bearer service. The BOGW 30 may be configured to analyze packets, especially IP packets, to determine whether the packets are forwarded to the core network or to the second network. Thus, the BOGW 30 may provide a selection information for routing packets to multiple networks.
The network devices 30, 40, 50, 210, 220, 230, 240, 260, 270, 280 of the network 100 and the internet 250 may be interconnected to each other via interfaces, in example interfaces Uu, Iub, Iu, Iuh, Ga, Gn, and Gi. It may be understood, that further interfaces may be present but not shown in the figures.
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In both exemplary embodiments, according to
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Exemplary embodiments have been described for 3GPP technology. Similar solutions may be utilized in LTE technology, wherein a MME may signal to the BOGW instead of the SGSN and wherein a PGW may signal to the BOGW instead of the GGSN. In LTE, the RAN element Id may be the eNB Id.
It may also be foreseen that the network device 1000 of
Any functions, methods and operations described above may of course be implemented by way of software and/or hardware.
In general, it is to be noted that respective functional elements according to above-described aspects can be implemented by any known means, either in hardware and/or software, respectively, if it is only adapted to perform the described functions of the respective parts. The mentioned method steps can be realized in individual functional blocks or by individual devices, or one or more of the method steps can be realized in a single functional block or by a single device.
Furthermore, method steps and functions likely to be implemented as software code portions and being run using a processor at one of the entities are software code independent and can be specified using any known or future developed programming language such as e.g. Java, C++, C, and Assembler. Method steps and/or devices or means likely to be implemented as hardware components at one of the entities are hardware independent and can be implemented using any known or future developed hardware technology or any hybrids of these, such as MOS, CMOS, BiCMOS, ECL, TTL, etc, using for example ASIC components or DSP components, as an example. Generally, any method step is suitable to be implemented as software or by hardware without changing the idea of the present invention. Devices and means can be implemented as individual devices, but this does not exclude that they are implemented in a distributed fashion throughout the system, as long as the functionality of the device is preserved. Such and similar principles are to be considered as known to those skilled in the art.
The network devices or network elements and their functions described herein may be implemented by software, e.g. by a computer program product for a computer, or by hardware. In any case, for executing their respective functions, correspondingly used devices, such as an interworking node or network control element, like an MGCF of an IMS network comprise several means and components (not shown) which are required for control, processing and communication/signaling functionality. Such means may comprise, for example, a processor unit for executing instructions, programs and for processing data, memory means for storing instructions, programs and data, for serving as a work area of the processor and the like (e.g. ROM, RAM, EEPROM, and the like), input means for inputting data and instructions by software (e.g. floppy diskette, CD-ROM, EEPROM, and the like), user interface means for providing monitor and manipulation possibilities to a user (e.g. a screen, a keyboard and the like), interface means for establishing links and/or connections under the control of the processor unit (e.g. wired and wireless interface means, an antenna, etc.) and the like.
For the purpose of the present invention as described herein above, it should be noted that:
an access technology via which signaling is transferred to and from a network element or node may be any technology by means of which a node can access an access network (e.g. via a base station or generally an access node). Any present or future technology, such as WLAN (Wireless Local Access Network), WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access), BlueTooth, Infrared, and the like may be used; although the above technologies are mostly wireless access technologies, e.g. in different radio spectra, access technology in the sense of the present invention implies also wirebound technologies, e.g. IP based access technologies like cable networks or fixed lines but also circuit switched access technologies; access technologies may be distinguishable in at least two categories or access domains such as packet switched and circuit switched, but the existence of more than two access domains does not impede the invention being applied thereto,
usable access networks may be any device, apparatus, unit or means by which a station, entity or other user equipment may connect to and/or utilize services offered by the access network; such services include, among others, data and/or (audio-) visual communication, data download etc.;
a user equipment may be any device, apparatus, unit or means by which a system user or subscriber may experience services from an access network, such as a mobile phone, personal digital assistant PDA, or computer;
method steps likely to be implemented as software code portions and being run using a processor at a network element or terminal (as examples of devices, apparatuses and/or modules thereof, or as examples of entities including apparatuses and/or modules therefore), are software code independent and can be specified using any known or future developed programming language as long as the functionality defined by the method steps is preserved;
generally, any method step is suitable to be implemented as software or by hardware without changing the idea of the invention in terms of the functionality implemented;
method steps and/or devices, apparatuses, units or means likely to be implemented as hardware components at a terminal or network element, or any module(s) thereof, are hardware independent and can be implemented using any known or future developed hardware technology or any hybrids of these, such as MOS (Metal Oxide Semiconductor), CMOS (Complementary MOS), BiMOS (Bipolar MOS), BiCMOS (Bipolar CMOS), ECL (Emitter Coupled Logic), TTL (Transistor-Transistor Logic), etc., using for example ASIC (Application Specific IC (Integrated Circuit)) components, FPGA (Field-programmable Gate Arrays) components, CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device) components or DSP (Digital Signal Processor) components; in addition, any method steps and/or devices, units or means likely to be implemented as software components may for example be based on any security architecture capable e.g. of authentication, authorization, keying and/or traffic protection;
devices, apparatuses, units or means can be implemented as individual devices, apparatuses, units or means, but this does not exclude that they are implemented in a distributed fashion throughout the system, as long as the functionality of the device, apparatus, unit or means is preserved,
an apparatus may be represented by a semiconductor chip, a chipset, or a (hardware) module comprising such chip or chipset; this, however, does not exclude the possibility that a functionality of an apparatus or module, instead of being hardware implemented, be implemented as software in a (software) module such as a computer program or a computer program product comprising executable software code portions for execution/being run on a processor;
a device may be regarded as an apparatus or as an assembly of more than one apparatus, whether functionally in cooperation with each other or functionally independently of each other but in a same device housing, for example.
Although described above mainly with respect to methods, procedures, an apparatus and modules thereof, it is to be understood that the present invention also covers a computer program products for implementing such methods or procedures and/or for operating such apparatuses or modules, as well as computer-readable (storage) media for storing such computer program products. The present invention also covers any conceivable combination of method steps and operations described above, and any conceivable combination of nodes, apparatuses and modules described above, as long as the above-described concepts of methodology and structural arrangement are applicable.
Furthermore, the network devices or network elements and their functions described herein may be implemented by software, e.g. by a computer program product for a computer, or by hardware. In any case, for executing their respective functions, correspondingly used devices, such as an interworking node or network control element, like an MGCF of an IMS network comprise several means and components (not shown) which are required for control, processing and communication/signaling functionality. Such means may comprise, for example, a processor unit for executing instructions, programs and for processing data, memory means for storing instructions, programs and data, for serving as a work area of the processor and the like (e.g. ROM, RAM, EEPROM, and the like), input means for inputting data and instructions by software (e.g. floppy diskette, CD-ROM, EEPROM, and the like), user interface means for providing monitor and manipulation possibilities to a user (e.g. a screen, a keyboard and the like), interface means for establishing links and/or connections under the control of the processor unit (e.g. wired and wireless interface means, an antenna, etc.) and the like.
Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, although the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings describe example embodiments in the context of certain example combinations of elements and/or functions, it should be appreciated that different combinations of elements and/or functions may be provided by alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In this regard, for example, different combinations of elements and/or functions other than those explicitly described above are also contemplated as may be set forth in some of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.
In this context, “first”, “second”, “third”, etc. in relation to messages or network devices may not be understood as hierarchy, it should be understood only to distinguish different messages or different devices from each other. It should be noted, that arrows of messages in the figures may indicate the direction of message flow, for example indicating receiving or sending a message for a respective device.
The terms “data”, “content”, “information”, “parameter”, “message” and similar terms may be used interchangeably, according to some example embodiments of the present invention, to refer to data capable of being transmitted, received, operated on, and/or stored.
It should be noted that the term “comprising” does not exclude other elements or steps and the “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality. Also elements described in association with different embodiments may be combined.
It should be noted, that reference signs in the claims shall not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2009/068044 | 12/31/2009 | WO | 00 | 6/29/2012 |
