Adaptive intelligent routing in a communication system

• US 10,693,789 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2018
• Issued: 06/23/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dahod, Ashraf M., Schoener, Anthony, Chowdhury, Kuntal, Schwartz, Leonard, Harper, Matthew H., Virgile, Kenneth E., Gibbs, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Jr., Michael J
• Application Number:
  US16/023,131
• Publication Number:
  US 20180309681A1
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/308 Route determination based on user's profile, e.g. premium users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/122 by diverting traffic away from congested entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/148 Migration or transfer of sessions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a system and method for routing data packets adaptively in a communication system. As the proliferation of data rich content and increasingly more capable mobile devices has continued, the amount of data communicated over mobile operator'"'"'s networks can continue to exponentially increase. One way to accommodate increased data traffic and provide high quality data communication services to end users is by utilizing network resources efficiently. This disclosure provides systems and methods for efficiently utilizing network resources by providing adaptive intelligence to data packet routing systems.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of adaptive routing in a communication system, the computer-implemented method comprising:

determining, by a controller, a device policy to implement on a client executing on a mobile device, wherein operation of the client on the mobile device is transparent to one or more other applications executing on the mobile device, wherein the client is configured to communicate with a router residing within a radio access network, the radio access network coupled between a core network and a base station configured to communicate wirelessly with the client, the device policy pertaining to communication between the mobile device and the one or more packet data networks;

transmitting the device policy to the client, whereupon the client implements the device policy in order to regulate communication between the mobile device and the one or more packet data networks, wherein the mobile device is configured to initiate a plurality of connections according to the device policy, the plurality of connections including a first connection anchored at the controller and a second connection anchored at the router, wherein the router is configured to maintain a session for the second connection; and

determining, by operation of one or more computer processors, a router policy to implement on the router, after which the router policy is transmitted to the router, whereupon the router implements the router policy by monitoring the mobile device according to the router policy in order to determine whether the mobile device is communicating with the one or more packet data networks in compliance with the device policy, wherein the router is configured to notify the controller of any non-compliant communication between the mobile device and the one or more packet data networks.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the client comprises a first client, wherein the session comprises a first session, wherein the mobile device comprises a first mobile device, wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises:

upon detecting a connection request between the first client and a second client having a second session with the router, the second client executing on a second mobile device, causing the first and second clients to be bridged locally in order to reduce data connection latency and data transfer overhead between the first and second clients, whereafter the router delivers packets from the first session to the second session.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of connections comprises a respective packet data network connection, wherein the client is configured to communicate control plane transactions through a network access server in order to initiate communication with the one or more packet data networks, wherein the control plane transactions include communicating protocols and mechanisms for establishing and maintaining data communication with the one or more packet data networks;

wherein the client is configured to communicate with the network access server, which comprises a gateway that couples the core network to the one or more packet data networks, wherein the gateway comprises, in respective instances, a packet data network gateway and a gateway general packet radio service (GPRS) support node, wherein the network access server is configured to communicate with a policy server, wherein the computer-implemented method is performed by the controller, wherein the controller is co-located with, in respective instances, the network access server and the policy server.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, further comprising:

providing an adaptive-routing framework, the adaptive-routing framework including a plurality of components including an adaptive-routing controller, an adaptive-routing client comprising the client, and an adaptive router comprising the router;

wherein the device policy is determined based on;

end-user-subscription type, network type, access-point-name type, lawful-intercept status, cost structure, quality of experience, service level agreement, and mobile device type.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the router policy is determined based on:

whether to charge the client for a network service, granularity of a charging plan for the network service, analytics type, lawful-intercept status, video streaming rule, and video caching rule;

wherein the router is further configured to;

establish a communication channel with the network access server, wherein the router policy is transmitted via the communication channel;

monitor call events and data flow events associated with the mobile device in order to generate analytics data; and

transmit the analytics data to the network access server over the communication channel.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the device policy comprises a first device policy received over one of the plurality of connections using an Open Mobile Alliance-Device Management (OMA-DM) protocol, wherein the first device policy is implemented for communicating a first type of data, wherein a second device policy is implemented for communicating a second type of data, the first and second types of data being distinct;

wherein the network access server is further configured to establish a general packet radio service (GPRS) tunneling protocol-user (GTP-U) bearer plane context for the first connection using a GPRS tunneling protocol-control (GTP-C) signaling with a mobile backhaul;

wherein the router is further configured to establish a GTP-U bearer plane context for the second connection using a GTP-C signaling with the mobile backhaul.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the first client communicates with the network access server and the router via a WiFi access point and an interworking gateway, wherein the first client is implemented as a firmware of the mobile device, wherein the first client is updated during a network update, wherein the device policy includes instructions to coordinate and adjust network resources for the mobile device.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the non-compliant communication includes the client using, in respective instances, an invalid source Internet Protocol (IP) address and an invalid access technology type;

wherein when a seamless mobility between a cellular network and a wireless local area network (WLAN) is desired, the first client operates a mobile IP protocol over a WLAN connection in order to attach to the router;

wherein the first connection is associated with voice data, wherein the second connection is associated with video data.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the analytics data includes a call detail record (CDR), a usage detail record (UDR), an event detail record (EDR), and one or more data flow events including detection of:

a communication inconsistency, a cached data packet, and a service disruption record;

wherein the router is further configured to provide communication between the first mobile device and the one or more packet data networks while bypassing the network access server, wherein the router is co-located with a broadband network gateway (BNG).

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the client comprises a first client, wherein the session comprises a first session, wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises:

upon detecting a connection request between the first client and a second client having a second session with the router, causing the first and second clients to be bridged locally in order to reduce data connection latency and data transfer overhead between the first and second clients, whereafter the router delivers packets from the first session to the second session.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of connections comprises a respective packet data network connection, wherein the client is configured to communicate control plane transactions through a network access server in order to initiate communication with the one or more packet data networks.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the device policy is determined based on at least one of end-user-subscription type, network type, access-point-name type, lawful-intercept status, cost structure, quality of experience, service level agreement, and mobile device type;

wherein the router policy is determined based on;

whether to charge the client for a network service, granularity of a charging plan for the network service, analytics type, lawful-intercept status, video streaming rule, and video caching rule.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program executable to perform an operation for adaptive routing in a communication system, the operation comprising:

determining, by a controller, a device policy to implement on a client executing on a mobile device, wherein operation of the client on the mobile device is transparent to one or more other applications executing on the mobile device, wherein the client is configured to communicate with a router residing within a radio access network, the radio access network coupled between a core network and a base station configured to communicate wirelessly with the client, the device policy pertaining to communication between the mobile device and the one or more packet data networks;

transmitting the device policy to the client, whereupon the client implements the device policy in order to regulate communication between the mobile device and the one or more packet data networks, wherein the mobile device is configured to initiate a plurality of connections according to the device policy, the plurality of connections including a first connection anchored at the controller and a second connection anchored at the router, wherein the router is configured to maintain a session for the second connection; and

determining, by operation of one or more computer processors when executing the program, a router policy to implement on the router, after which the router policy is transmitted to the router, whereupon the router implements the router policy by monitoring the mobile device according to the router policy in order to determine whether the mobile device is communicating with the one or more packet data networks in compliance with the device policy, wherein the router is configured to notify the controller of any non-compliant communication between the mobile device and the one or more packet data networks.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the client comprises a first client, wherein the session comprises a first session, wherein the operation further comprises:

upon detecting a connection request between the first client and a second client having a second session with the router, causing the first and second clients to be bridged locally in order to reduce data connection latency and data transfer overhead between the first and second clients, whereafter the router delivers packets from the first session to the second session.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of connections comprises a respective packet data network connection, wherein the client is configured to communicate control plane transactions through a network access server in order to initiate communication with the one or more packet data networks.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the device policy is determined based on at least one of end-user-subscription type, network type, access-point-name type, lawful-intercept status, cost structure, quality of experience, service level agreement, and mobile device type;

wherein the router policy is determined based on;

whether to charge the client for a network service, granularity of a charging plan for the network service, analytics type, lawful-intercept status, video streaming rule, and video caching rule.

17. A system for adaptive routing in a communication system, the system comprising a controller that includes:

one or more computer processors; and

a memory containing a program executable by the one or more computer processors to perform an operation comprising;

determining, by the controller, a device policy to implement on a client executing on a mobile device, wherein operation of the client on the mobile device is transparent to one or more other applications executing on the mobile device, wherein the client is configured to communicate with a router residing within a radio access network, the radio access network coupled between a core network and a base station configured to communicate wirelessly with the client, the device policy pertaining to communication between the mobile device and the one or more packet data networks;

transmitting the device policy to the client, whereupon the client implements the device policy in order to regulate communication between the mobile device and the one or more packet data networks, wherein the mobile device is configured to initiate a plurality of connections according to the device policy, the plurality of connections including a first connection anchored at the controller and a second connection anchored at the router, wherein the router is configured to maintain a session for the second connection; and

determining a router policy to implement on the router, after which the router policy is transmitted to the router, whereupon the router implements the router policy by monitoring the mobile device according to the router policy in order to determine whether the mobile device is communicating with the one or more packet data networks in compliance with the device policy, wherein the router is configured to notify the controller of any non-compliant communication between the mobile device and the one or more packet data networks.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the client comprises a first client, wherein the session comprises a first session, wherein the operation further comprises:

upon detecting a connection request between the first client and a second client having a second session with the router, causing the first and second clients to be bridged locally in order to reduce data connection latency and data transfer overhead between the first and second clients, whereafter the router delivers packets from the first session to the second session.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein each of the plurality of connections comprises a respective packet data network connection, wherein the client is configured to communicate control plane transactions through a network access server in order to initiate communication with the one or more packet data networks.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the device policy is determined based on at least one of end-user-subscription type, network type, access-point-name type, lawful-intercept status, cost structure, quality of experience, service level agreement, and mobile device type;

wherein the router policy is determined based on;

whether to charge the client for a network service, granularity of a charging plan for the network service, analytics type, lawful-intercept status, video streaming rule, and video caching rule.