Method and system providing local data breakout within mobility networks

• US 10,327,148 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2018
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shaw, Venson, Dowlatkhah, Sangar
• Primary Examiner(s): Zewdu, Meless N
• Application Number:
  US16/042,470
• Publication Number:
  US 20180332476A1
• Time in Patent Office: 330 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/668 Internet protocol [IP] address subnets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/125 involving different types of service backbones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/082 for traffic bypassing of mobility servers, e.g. location registers, home PLMNs or home agents
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, distinguishing between offload and non-offload traffic associated with a mobile device in communication with a small-cell access point using a managed cellular frequency spectrum. The access point is located at a subscriber premises and in further communication with a network core. Offload traffic is associated with a first IP address of the mobile device and includes a signaling portion and a user data portion. User data messages of the user data portion are exchanged between the mobile device and the equipment at the subscriber premises without being exchanged between the network core and one of the mobile device, the equipment at the subscriber premises or both. The mobile device is associated with a first access point name identifier based on the first IP address and a second access point name identifier based on a second IP address. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a processing system including a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising;

distinguishing between offload traffic and non-offload traffic associated with a mobile device in communication with a small-cell access point via managed cellular frequency spectrum, wherein the small-cell access point is located at a subscriber premises and in further communication with a network core of a mobile cellular network that services network traffic, wherein the offload traffic and the non-offload traffic are exchanged between the mobile device and equipment at the subscriber premises using the managed cellular frequency spectrum; and

associating the offload traffic with a first IP address of the mobile device, wherein the offload traffic comprises a signaling portion and a user data portion, wherein user data messages of the user data portion are exchanged between the mobile device and the equipment at the subscriber premises without the user data messages being exchanged between one of the mobile device, the equipment at the subscriber premises or both and the network core,

wherein the mobile device is associated with a first access point name identifier based on the first IP address and a second access point name identifier based on a second IP address.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the second IP address comprises a global IP address, and wherein the first IP address comprises a local IP address.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise detecting a request for mobile network communications initiated by the mobile device, wherein the distinguishing between offload traffic and non-offload traffic associated with the mobile device is responsive to the detecting of the request.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the offload traffic comprises user data exchanged between the mobile device and a device local to the subscriber premises.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the offload traffic comprises user data exchanged between the mobile device and an Internet access local to the subscriber premises.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining a state of the mobile cellular network, wherein the associating of the offload traffic with the first IP address is based on the state of the mobile cellular network.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the network core exchanges signaling messages of the signaling portion with the mobile device.

8. A method, comprising:

distinguishing, by a processing system including a processor, between offload traffic and non-offload traffic associated with a device in wireless communication with a small-cell access point via managed cellular frequency spectrum, wherein the small-cell access point is located at a subscriber premises and in further communication with a network core of a mobile cellular network that services network traffic, wherein the offload traffic and the non-offload traffic are exchanged wireless between the device and equipment at the subscriber premises using the managed cellular frequency spectrum; and

associating, by the processing system, the offload traffic with a first IP address of the device, wherein the offload traffic comprises a signaling portion and a user data portion, wherein user data messages of the user data portion are exchanged between the device and the equipment at the subscriber premises without the user data messages being exchanged between one of the device, the equipment at the subscriber premises or both and the network core,

wherein the device is associated with a first access point name identifier based on the first IP address and a second access point name identifier based on a second IP address.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first IP address comprises a local IP address and wherein the second IP address comprises a global IP address.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising detecting, by the processing system, a request for mobile network communications initiated by the device, wherein the offload traffic is identified responsive to the detecting of the request.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the offload traffic comprises the user data messages exchanged between the device and a device local to the subscriber premises.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the offload traffic comprises the user data messages exchanged between the device and an Internet access local to the subscriber premises.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining, by the processing system, a state of the mobile cellular network, wherein the associating of the offload traffic with the first IP address is based on the state of the mobile cellular network.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the network core exchanges signaling messages with the device, wherein the signaling messages facilitate establishment of the offload traffic that comprises the user data messages.

15. A non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:

determining network messages associated with a wireless communications device that can be steered based on a wireless communications device address, wherein the network messages are exchanged between the wireless communications device and a small-cell access point at a subscriber premises using a managed cellular frequency spectrum, wherein the small-cell access point is in further communication with a network core of a mobile cellular network that services network traffic; and

associating the network messages with a first IP address of the wireless communications device, wherein user data are exchanged between the wireless communications device and other equipment at the subscriber premises by way of the network messages, without the user data being exchanged between one of the wireless communications device, the small-cell access point or both and the network core,

wherein the wireless communications device is associated with a first access point name based on the first IP address and a second access point name based on a second IP address.

16. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the first IP address comprises a local IP address and wherein the second IP address comprises a global IP address.

17. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise detecting a request for mobile network communications initiated by the wireless communications device, wherein the determining of the network messages associated with the wireless communications device is responsive to the detecting of the request.

18. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the network messages comprise user data exchanged between the wireless communications device and a device local to the subscriber premises.

19. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the network messages comprise user data exchanged between the wireless communications device and an Internet access local to the subscriber premises.

20. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the network core exchanges signaling messages with the wireless communications device to facilitate establishment of an exchange of the network messages.