Optimization of PDP context usage

Abstract

In a mechanism for controlling a communication connection with policy control, after the communication connection with policy control is established in a communication network between a user equipment and service providing network element via a network control element on the basis of an initial packet data protocol context, a modification of the initial packet data protocol context for the communication connection is requested or initiated at the network control element. When the modification is authorized, relevant resources for a modified packet data protocol context usable for signalling traffic and transmission of media stream data are set up.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a baseline architecture of a communication network in which the present invention is applicable.

FIG. 2 shows a simplified example of an evolved system based on the architecture shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a flow chart for illustrating the general communication connection control according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows a signalling diagram for illustrating a first embodiment of the communication connection control mechanism according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows a signalling diagram for illustrating a second embodiment of the communication connection control mechanism according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows a signalling diagram for illustrating a third embodiment of the communication connection control mechanism according to the present invention.

Claims

1. Method of controlling a communication connection with policy control, the method comprising steps of: establishing the communication connection with the policy control in a communication network between a user equipment and service providing network element via a network control element based on an initial packet data protocol context;requesting for a modification of the initial packet data protocol context for the communication connection at the network control element;checking whether or not the modification is authorized; andwhen the modification is authorized,setting up relevant resources for a modified packet data protocol context configured to signal traffic and transmission of media stream data, andresponding to the request for modification with an acknowledgement or with a set of communication connection parameters resulting from the step of setting up the relevant resources.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of checking the authorization of the modification is executed by requesting an authorization from a policy decision function and/or a policy and charging rules function.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the relevant resources to be set up comprises at least one of a Quality of Service class of the packet data protocol context, filters to be used for the communication connection and bandwidth settings to be reserved for the communication connection.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of responding to the request for modification comprises a transmission of information on Quality of Service parameters.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the initial packet data protocol context is a basic IP connectivity or general purpose packet data protocol context.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the step of requesting for the modification of the initial packet data protocol context for the communication connection comprises a step of sending a relevant IP connectivity/packet data protocol context modification request to a user plane entity associated with the network control element.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the step of requesting for the modification of the initial packet data protocol context for the communication connection comprises a step of sending a set of binding information in the modification request to the network control element.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of setting up relevant resources for the modified packet data protocol context configured to signal traffic and the transmission of media stream data comprises steps of: generating a filtered packet data protocol context by setting up signalling filters for the packet data protocol context; andsetting up packet classifier filters for a media stream to be transmitted via the communication connection;setting up a Quality of Service class of the packet data protocol context to a highest value required by any of the media streams and/or network elements using the packet data protocol context; andreserving traffic resources for the communication connection to an amount that the requirements for signalling traffic and media streams are fulfilled.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the step of setting up relevant resources for the modified packet data protocol context configured to signal traffic and the transmission of media stream data comprises steps of: generating a filtered packet data protocol context by setting up signalling filters for the packet data protocol context;setting up packet classifier filters for a media stream to be transmitted via the communication connection;setting up a Quality of Service class of the packet data protocol context to a highest value required by any of the media streams and/or network elements using the packet data protocol context; andreserving traffic resources for the communication connection to an amount that the requirements for signalling traffic and media streams are fulfilled.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the initial packet data protocol context is a signalling packet data protocol context.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of requesting for a modification of the initial packet data protocol context for the communication connection comprises a step of sending a set of binding information in the modification request to the network control element.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of setting up relevant resources for the modified packet data protocol context usable for signalling traffic and transmission of media stream data comprises steps of: setting up packet classifier filters for a media stream to be transmitted via the communication connection in parallel to signalling filters for the initial signalling packet data protocol context;setting up a Quality of Service class of the packet data protocol context to a highest value required by any of the media streams and/or network elements comprising a user equipment and an IMS server involved in the communication connection using the packet data protocol context; andreserving traffic resources for the communication connection to an amount that the requirements for signalling traffic and media streams are fulfilled.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step of setting up relevant resources for a modified packet data protocol context usable for signalling traffic and transmission of media stream data comprises steps of: setting up packet classifier filters for a media stream to be transmitted via the communication connection in parallel to signalling filters for the initial signalling packet data protocol context;setting up a Quality of Service class of the packet data protocol context to a highest value required by any of the media streams and/or network elements comprising a user equipment and an IMS server involved in the communication connection using the packet data protocol context; andreserving traffic resources for the communication connection to an amount that the requirements for signalling traffic and media streams are fulfilled.

14. The method according to claim 8, wherein the traffic resources comprises a bandwidth for the communication connection.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the network control element comprises a gateway general packet radio service support node.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the service providing network element is comprised in an IP Multimedia Subsystem environment.

17. System for controlling a communication connection with policy control, the system comprising a user equipment;a network control element; anda service providing network element;wherein the user equipment is configured to establish the communication connection with the service providing network element via the network control element based on an initial packet data protocol context;to request for a modification of the initial packet data protocol context for the communication connection at the network control element, wherein the network control element is configured to check whether or not the modification is authorized; andwhen the modification is authorized,to set up relevant resources for a modified packet data protocol context configured to signal traffic and transmission of media stream data, andto respond to the request for modification with an acknowledgement or with a set of communication connection parameters resulting from the set up of the relevant resources.

18. Network control element configured to control a communication connection with policy control in a communication network, the network control element being configured to control an establishment of the communication connection with the policy control between a user equipment and a service providing network element based on an initial packet data protocol context;to receive a request for a modification of the initial packet data protocol context for the communication connection from the user equipment;to check whether or not the modification is authorized; andwhen the modification is authorized,to set up relevant resources for a modified packet data protocol context configured to signal traffic and transmission of media stream data, andto respond to the request for modification with an acknowledgement or with a set of communication connection parameters resulting from the set up of the relevant resources.

19. The network control element according to claim 18, wherein the network control element is configured to check the authorization of the modification by requesting an authorization from a policy decision function and/or policy and charging rules function.

20. The network control element according to claim 18, wherein the relevant resources to be set up comprises at least one of a Quality of Service class of the packet data protocol context, filters to be used for the communication connection and bandwidth settings to be reserved for the communication connection.

21. The network control element according to claim 18, wherein the network control element is configured to respond to the request for modification by a transmission of information on Quality of Service parameters.

22. The network control element according to claim 18, wherein the initial packet data protocol context is a basic IP connectivity or general purpose packet data protocol context.

23. The network control element according to claim 22, wherein the network control element is associated with a user plane entity and is configured to receive a request for the modification of the initial packet data protocol context for the communication connection in a form of a relevant IP connectivity/packet data protocol context modification request to the user plane entity.

24. The network control element according to claim 22, wherein the network control element is configured to receive a request for the modification of the initial packet data protocol context for the communication connection comprising a set of binding information in the modification request to the network control element.

25. The network control element according to claim 23, wherein the user plane entity associated with the network control element is configured to set up relevant resources for the modified packet data protocol context configured to signal traffic and the transmission of media stream data by: generating a filtered packet data protocol context by setting up signalling filters for the packet data protocol context;setting up packet classifier filters for a media stream to be transmitted via the communication connection;setting up a Quality of Service class of the packet data protocol context to a highest value required by any of the media streams and/or network elements using the packet data protocol context; andreserving traffic resources for the communication connection to an amount that the requirements for signalling traffic and media streams are fulfilled.

26. The network control element according to claim 24, wherein the network control element is configured to set up relevant resources for the modified packet data protocol context configured to signal the traffic and the transmission of media stream data by: generating a filtered packet data protocol context by setting up signalling filters for the packet data protocol context;setting up packet classifier filters for a media stream to be transmitted via the communication connection;setting up a Quality of Service class of the packet data protocol context to a highest value required by any of the media streams and/or network elements using the packet data protocol context; andreserving traffic resources for the communication connection to an amount that the requirements for signalling traffic and media streams are fulfilled.

27. The network control element according to claim 18, wherein the initial packet data protocol context is a signalling packet data protocol context.

28. The network control element according to claim 27, wherein the network control element is configured to receive a request for the modification of the initial packet data protocol context for the communication connection comprising a set of binding information in the modification request to the network control element.

29. The network control element according to claim 27, wherein the network control element is configured to set up relevant resources for the modified packet data protocol context configured to signal traffic and transmission of media stream data by: setting up packet classifier filters for a media stream to be transmitted via the communication connection in parallel to signalling filters for the initial signalling packet data protocol context;setting up a Quality of Service class of the packet data protocol context to a highest value required by any of the media streams and/or network elements using the packet data protocol context; andreserving traffic resources for the communication connection to an amount that the requirements for signalling traffic and media streams are fulfilled.

30. The network control element according to claim 28, wherein the network control element is configured to set up relevant resources for a modified packet data protocol context usable for signalling traffic and transmission of media stream data by: setting up packet classifier filters for a media stream to be transmitted via the communication connection in parallel to signalling filters for the initial signalling packet data protocol context;setting up a Quality of Service class of the packet data protocol context to a highest value required by any of the media streams and/or network elements using the packet data protocol context; andreserving traffic resources for the communication connection to an amount that the requirements for signalling traffic and media streams are fulfilled.

31. The network control element according to claim 25, wherein the traffic resources comprises a bandwidth for the communication connection.

32. The network control element according to claim 18, wherein the network control element comprises a gateway general packet radio service support node.

33. The network control element according to claim 18, wherein the service providing network element is comprised in an IP Multimedia Subsystem environment.

34. User equipment for configured to establish a communication connection with policy control, the user equipment being configured to establish the communication connection with a service providing network element via a network control element based on an initial packet data protocol context;to request for a modification of the initial packet data protocol context for the communication connection at the network control element for a modified packet data protocol context configured to signal traffic and transmission of media stream data; andto receive, in response to the request for the modification, an acknowledgement or a set of communication connection parameters for the modified packet data protocol context configured to signal the traffic and the transmission of the media stream data, the set of communication connection parameters resulting from a set up of relevant resources executed due to the request for the modification.

35. The user equipment according to claim 34, wherein the relevant resources to be set up comprises at least one of a Quality of Service class of the packet data protocol context, filters to be used for the communication connection and bandwidth settings to be reserved for the communication connection.

36. The user equipment according to claim 34, wherein the user equipment is configured to receive information on Quality of Service parameters as a response to the request for modification.

37. The user equipment according to claim 34, wherein the initial packet data protocol context is a basic IP connectivity or general purpose packet data protocol context.

38. The user equipment according to claim 37, wherein the user equipment is configured to request for the modification of the initial packet data protocol context for the communication connection by sending a relevant IP connectivity/packet data protocol context modification request to a user plane entity associated with the network control element.

39. The user equipment according to claim 37, wherein the user equipment is configured to request for the modification of the initial packet data protocol context for the communication connection by sending a set of binding information in the modification request to the network control element.

40. The user equipment according to claim 34, wherein the initial packet data protocol context is a signalling packet data protocol context.

41. The user equipment according to claim 40, wherein the user equipment is configured to request for the modification of the initial packet data protocol context for the communication connection by sending a set of binding information in the modification request to the network control element.

42. The user equipment according to claim 34, wherein the network control element comprises a gateway general packet radio service support node.

43. The user equipment according to claim 34, wherein the service providing network element is comprised in an IP Multimedia Subsystem environment.

44. A computer program product for a computer, comprising software code portions for making, when said product is run on the computer, said computer to function as a control element usable for controlling a communication connection with policy control, wherein the computer program product is configured to execute steps of: controlling an establishment of the communication connection with the policy control in a communication network between a user equipment and service providing network element based on an initial packet data protocol context;receiving a request for a modification of the initial packet data protocol context for the communication connection;checking whether or not the modification is authorized; andwhen the modification is authorized,setting up relevant resources for a modified packet data protocol context usable for signalling traffic and transmission of media stream data, andresponding to the request for modification with an acknowledgement or with a set of communication connection parameters resulting from setting up the relevant resources.

45. Method of controlling a communication connection with policy control, the method comprising steps of: establishing the communication connection with the policy control in a communication network between a user equipment and service providing network element via a network control element based on an initial packet data protocol context;receiving a pushed authorization for a modification of the initial packet data protocol context for the communication connection at the network control element;initializing the modification of the initial packet data protocol context for the communication connection at the network control element;informing the user equipment about the modification by forwarding a request for modification of the initial packet data protocol context for the communication connection; andsetting up relevant resources for a modified packet data protocol context configured to signal traffic and transmission of media stream data.

46. Network control element usable for controlling a communication connection with policy control in a communication network, the network control element being configured to control an establishment of the communication connection with the policy control between a user equipment and a service providing network element based on an initial packet data protocol context;to receive a pushed authorization for a modification of the initial packet data protocol context for the communication connection at the network control element;to initialize the modification of the initial packet data protocol context for the communication connection at the network control element;to inform the user equipment about the modification by forwarding a request for modification of the initial packet data protocol context for the communication connection; andto set up relevant resources for a modified packet data protocol context configured to signal traffic and transmission of media stream data.