Distributed core architecture for implementing wireless communication networks

• US 10,405,373 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2018
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Chai, Eugene, Khojastepour, Mohammad, Sundaresan, Karthikeyan, Rangarajan, Sampath, Moradi, Mehrdad
• Primary Examiner(s): Arevalo, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US16/037,473
• Publication Number:
  US 20190045580A1
• Time in Patent Office: 413 Days
• Field of Search: 455419, 4554141, 455418, 455407, 455405, 455566, 455406, 455552, 370329
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/20 for use as communications relays, e.g. high-altitude platforms
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18504 Aircraft used as relay or high altitude atmospheric platform
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/083 wherein at least one of the access points is a moving node
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/06 Airborne or Satellite Networks space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/22 with access to wired networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A system for implementing a distributed core architecture of a wireless communication network is provided. The system includes a plurality of devices configured to communicate with one or more UE devices to implement the wireless communication network. A given one of the plurality of devices includes at least one processor operatively coupled to a memory and a core agent implemented by the at least one processor. The core agent includes a controller for controlling functionality of the device, a switch operatively coupled to the controller, a precomputed policy data store for storing precomputed policies associated with at least security and service, mobility and policy applications, and a set of core applications including an inter-agent communication application for communicating with other core agents associated with other devices of the wireless communication network, and a control application for controlling the device.

Claims

1. A system for implementing a distributed core architecture of a wireless communication network, comprising:

a plurality of devices configured to communicate with one or more UE devices to implement the wireless communication network;

wherein a given one of the plurality of devices includes;

at least one processor operatively coupled to a memory; and

a core agent implemented by the at least one processor, the core agent including;

a controller for controlling functionality of the device;

a switch operatively coupled to the controller;

a precomputed policy data store for storing precomputed policies associated with at least security and service;

mobility and policy applications; and

a set of core applications including an inter-agent communication application for communicating with other core agents associated with other devices of the wireless communication network, and a control application for controlling the device;

wherein the core agent is further configured to send a plurality of broadcast update messages to build a consistent network-wide view of UE device states, the plurality of broadcast update messages including;

a security update to notify the other core agents that the core agent has used a pair of security vectors precomputed for a particular UE device and to request the other agents to invalidate the pair of security vectors;

a location update to notify the other agents that a particular UE device has attached to the core agent; and

a policy update to communicate local changes to at least one of the precomputed policies of a particular UE device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication network includes a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the mobility application implements mobile management entity (MME) functionality and the policy application implements Serving Gateway (SGW) and Packet Data Network (PDN) node Gateway (PGW) functionality.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller implements control plane functionality, and wherein the precomputed policy data store implements Home Subscriber Service (HSS) functionality and Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) functionality.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the precomputed policy data store is an in-memory data store within the controller.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the switch performs one or more of data rate enforcement, firewall operations, Quality of Service (QoS) control and tunneling protocol processing.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the core agent is a master agent configured to perform global optimization of the wireless communication network by reconfiguring placement and traffic routing rules of the devices of the wireless communication network based on information collected from the other core agents.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the information collected from the other agents is selected from the group consisting of:

loss rate on links between the other nearby agents, remaining battery information, an amount of traffic exchanged between the devices, and combinations thereof.

9. A system for implementing a distributed core architecture of a wireless communication network, comprising:

one or more user equipment (UE) devices located within an area; and

a plurality of devices configured to communicate with the one or more UE devices to implement the wireless communication network;

wherein a given one of the plurality of devices includes;

at least one processor operatively coupled to a memory; and

a core agent implemented by the at least one processor, the core agent including;

a controller for controlling functionality of the device;

a switch operatively coupled to the controller;

a precomputed policy data store for storing precomputed policies associated with at least security and service;

mobility and policy applications; and

a set of core applications including an inter-agent communication application for communicating with other core agents associated with other devices of the wireless communication network, and a control application for controlling the device;

wherein the core agent is further configured to send a plurality of broadcast update messages to build a consistent network-wide view of UE device states, the plurality of broadcast update messages including;

a security update to notify the other core agents that the core agent has used a pair of security vectors precomputed for a particular UE device and to request the other agents to invalidate the pair of security vectors;

a location update to notify the other agents that a particular UE device has attached to the core agent; and

a policy update to communicate local changes to at least one of the precomputed policies of a particular UE device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the wireless communication network includes a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the mobility application implements mobile management entity (MME) functionality and the policy application implements Serving Gateway (SGW) and Packet Data Network (PDN) node Gateway (PGW) functionality.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller implements control plane functionality, and wherein the precomputed policy data store implements Home Subscriber Service (HSS) functionality and Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) functionality.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the precomputed policy data store is an in-memory data store within the controller.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the switch performs one or more of data rate enforcement, firewall operations, Quality of Service (QoS) control and tunneling protocol processing.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the core agent is a master agent configured to perform global optimization of the wireless communication network by reconfiguring placement and traffic routing rules of the devices of the wireless communication network based on information collected from the other core agents.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the information collected from the other agents is selected from the group consisting of:

loss rate on links between the other nearby agents, remaining battery information, an amount of traffic exchanged between the devices, and combinations thereof.