Methods and network nodes for network partition preservation at inter-access handovers

• US 10,117,137 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2016
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Rommer, Stefan, Basilier, Henrik, Cagenius, Torbjorn, Mildh, Gunnar, Nilsson, Gunnar, Norell, Lennart, Rune, Goran, Sander, Ann-Christine
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US15/564,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20180139660A1
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• Field of Search: 4554351, 455450, 455437, 455436
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0022 for transferring data sessions between adjacent core network technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/32 by location or mobility data, e.g. speed data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 using triggered events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

A method is performed in a network control entity that manages network connections for a network. The method includes receiving a network attachment request from a network access entity or a user equipment for connecting the user equipment to the network. The method further includes obtaining a network partition ID associated with the UE, the network partition ID identifying a network partition that includes a predetermined group of network entities included in the network. The method also includes transmitting, to a network storage entity, a notification containing the network partition ID.

Claims

1. A method performed in a network control entity that manages network connections for a network, the method comprising:

receiving a network attachment request from a network access entity or a user equipment (UE) for connecting the UE to the network;

obtaining a network partition identifier (ID) associated with the UE, the network partition ID identifying a network partition that includes a predetermined group of network entities included in the network; and

transmitting, to a network storage entity, a notification containing the network partition ID.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the network partition ID is included in the received attachment request, and wherein the step of obtaining the network partition ID further includes extracting the network partition ID from the received attachment request.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining the network partition ID further includes extracting the network partition ID from a message transmitted from the network access entity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the network partition ID is determined by the network control entity based on one or more of information received in the network attachment request and information received in a message transmitted from the network access entity.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the network storage entity is a home subscriber server (HSS).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the network control entity is a mobility management entity (MME) entity.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the network control entity is a Serving General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Support Node (SGSN).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the network access entity is an Evolved Node B (eNB).

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the network access entity is an evolved Packet Data Gateway (ePDG).

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the network access entity is a Trusted WLAN Access Gateway (TWAG) function.

11. A method performed in a network access entity operating in a first network access technology, the method comprising:

receiving, from a user equipment (UE), a request to connect to the network access entity, the request being part of a handover procedure from a second access technology to the first access technology;

transmitting, to a network storage entity in response to receiving the request to connect to the network access entity, a request for a network partition ID that identifies a network partition including a predetermined group of network entities, the request including at least an identity of the UE;

receiving, from the network storage entity, a response message including the network partition ID; and

selecting the network partition in accordance with the network partition ID.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the network access entity is a trusted wireless access gateway (TWAG).

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the network access entity is an untrusted wireless access gateway.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the network access entity is an Evolved Node B (eNB).

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the network access entity is a mobility management entity (MME).

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the first network access technology is a wireless local area network (WLAN) and the second network access technology is 3GPP.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the first network access technology is 3GPP and the second network access technology is a wireless local area network (WLAN).

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the network storage entity is a home subscriber server (HSS).

19. A network control entity that manages network connections for a network, the network control entity comprising:

one or more processors;

a non-transitory computer readable medium coupled to the one or more processors, said non-transitory computer readable medium containing instructions executable by the one or more processors, whereby the network control entity is operative to;

receive a network attachment request from a network access entity or a user equipment (UE) for connecting the UE to the network;

obtain a network partition ID associated with the UE, the network partition ID identifying a network partition that includes a predetermined group of network entities included in the network; and

transmit, to a network storage entity, a notification containing the network partition ID.

20. The network control entity of claim 19, wherein the network partition ID is included in the received attachment request, and wherein the network control entity is further configured to obtain the network partition ID by extracting the network partition ID from the received attachment request.

21. The network control entity of claim 19, wherein the network control entity is further configured to obtain the network partition ID by extracting the network partition ID from a message transmitted from the network access entity.

22. The network control entity according to claim 19, wherein the network partition ID is determined by the network control entity based on one or more of information received in the network attachment request and information received in a message transmitted from the network access entity.

23. The network control entity according to claim 19, wherein the network storage entity is a home subscriber server.

24. The network control entity according to claim 19, wherein the network control entity is a mobility management entity (MME) entity.

25. The network control according to claim 19, wherein the network control entity is a Serving General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Support Node (SGSN).

26. The network control entity according to claim 19, wherein the network access entity is an Evolved Node B (eNB).

27. The network control entity according to claim 19, wherein the network access entity is an evolved Packet Data Gateway (ePDG).

28. The network control entity according to claim 19, wherein the network access entity is a Trusted WLAN Access Gateway (TWAG) function.

29. A network access entity operating in a first network access technology, the network access entity comprising:

one or more processors;

a non-transitory computer readable medium coupled to the one or more processors, said non-transitory computer readable medium containing instructions executable by the one or more processors, whereby the network access entity is operative to;

receive, from a user equipment (UE), a request to connect to the network access entity, the request being part of a handover procedure from a second access technology to the first access technology;

transmit, to a network storage entity in response to receiving the request to connect to the network access entity, a request for a network partition ID that identifies a network partition including predetermined group of network entities, the request including at least an identity of the UE;

receive, from the network storage entity, a response message including the network partition ID; and

select the network partition in accordance with the network partition ID.

30. The network access entity of claim 29, wherein the network access entity is a trusted wireless access gateway (TWAG).

31. The network access entity of claim 29, wherein the network access entity is an untrusted wireless access gateway.

32. The network access entity of claim 29, wherein the network access entity is an Evolved Node B (eNB).

33. The network access entity of claim 29, wherein the network access entity is a mobility management entity (MME).

34. The network access entity according to claim 29, wherein the first network access technology is a wireless local area network (WLAN) and the second network access technology is 3GPP.

35. The network access entity according to claim 29, wherein the first network access technology is 3GPP and the second network access technology is a wireless local area network (WLAN).

36. The network access entity according to claim 29, wherein the network storage entity is a home subscriber server (HSS).