Combining differing transport technologies in a telecommunications system

• US 20010053145A1
• Filed: 04/26/2001
• Published: 12/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Willars, Per, Comstock, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,072,329 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4604 LAN interconnection over a backbone network, e.g. Internet, Frame Relay
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4608 LAN interconnection over ATM networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/563 Signalling, e.g. protocols, reference model
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5656 using the AAL2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/169 Special adaptations of TCP, UDP or IP for interworking of IP based networks with other networks protocols for interworking, protocol conversion H04L69/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/326 in the transport layer [OSI layer 4] H04L69/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections

Abstract

In a multi-layer telecommunications system which includes an application layer and a transport layer, differing transport technologies are interworked without terminating the application layer signaling or without involving a technology interworking in the control plane of the application layer (e.g., without interworking in the application signaling). In various illustrated embodiments, the application layer is a radio network layer of a wireless telecommunications system. In at least some embodiments of the present invention a transport layer interworking function is situated on an interface between two nodes of the radio access network (RAN). The interworking function can be located in a separate node which may be a node having both ATM and internet protocol (IP) interfaces. There are numerous modes of implementing the interworking of the present invention, regardless of which interface is affected (e.g., an Iur interface, an Iu interface, or an Iub interface). A first interworking mode involves interworking with q.aal2 signaling. There are various ways or options of implementing the interworking with q.aal2 signaling. A first such example option is to use an IP specific signaling protocol over the IP network. A second example option is to use q.aal2 signaling over the IP network to/from the IP node. In one of its aspects, the present invention also provides an optimization feature in the event that nodes on both side of the interface (Iu interface, Iur interface, or Iub interface) are IP-connected nodes. Another interworking mode involves obtaining address and binding identifier parameters to be included in application signaling messages by consulting a transport layer interworking gateway. Yet another mode of implementing interworking for the present invention involves tunneling.

Claims

1. A telecommunications system having an application layer and a transport layer, the system comprising:

a first node which utilizes a first transport technology;

a second node which utilizes a second transport technology;

wherein the first transport technology and the second transport technology are interworked for facilitating establishment of a transport bearer between the first node and the second node without terminating or interworking with application control signaling in the application layer.

2. The system of

claim 1

, wherein the application layer executes a radio network layer procedure to initiate the transport bearer in a radio access network of a wireless telecommunications system.

3. The system of

claim 1

, further comprising a transport layer interworking gateway connected between the first node and the second node.

4. The system of

claim 3

, wherein the interworking gateway receives an establish request message carried by the first transport technology and converts an address of the second node borne by the establish request message to an address usable by the second transport technology, and wherein the interworking gateway employs the address usable by the second transport technology to send a bearer signaling message to the second node.

5. The system of

claim 4

, wherein the first technology is ATM and the second technology is internet protocol (IP).

6. The system of

claim 5

, wherein the bearer signaling message is in an IP bearer control protocol and includes a binding identifier obtained from the second node.

7. The system of

claim 6

, wherein after receipt of the bearer signaling message the second node sends an IP response message to the interworking gateway, the IP response message including information enabling establishment of a unidirectional connection from the interworking gateway to the second node.

8. The system of

claim 7

, wherein after receipt of the IP response message, the interworking gateway sends an establish confirmation message to the first node.

9. The system of

claim 3

, wherein the first node uses an address of the second node to determine an address for the interworking gateway, and wherein the first node sends a bearer signaling message to the interworking gateway.

10. The system of

claim 9

, wherein the bearer signaling message is in an IP bearer control protocol and includes an address of the second node, a binding identifier obtained from the second node, and IP connection information necessary for the interworking gateway to establish a unidirectional connection to the first node.

11. The system of

claim 10

, wherein upon receiving the bearer signaling message, the interworking gateway sends an establish request message towards the second node, and wherein upon receipt of the establish request message the second node sends an establish confirmation message toward the interworking gateway.

12. The system of

claim 11

, wherein the establish request message and the establish confirmation message are q.aal2 messages.

13. The system of

claim 11

, wherein upon receipt of the establish confirmation message the interworking gateway sends an IP response message to the first node, the IP response message including IP connection information necessary for the first node to establish a unidirectional connection to the interworking gateway.

14. The system of

claim 1

, wherein an interworking function interworks the first technology and the second technology at one of the first node and the second node.

15. The system of

claim 1

, wherein an interworking function interworks the first technology and the second technology at a node distinct from the first node and the second node.

16. The system of

claim 1

, wherein an interworking function interworks the first technology and the second technology using q.aal2 signaling.

17. The system of

claim 16

, wherein one of the transport technologies is an internet protocol (IP), and wherein the interworking function involves using internet protocol (IP) specific signaling over an internet protocol (IP) network.

18. The system of

claim 16

, wherein one of the first and the second node is an internet protocol (IP) node, and wherein the interworking function involves using q.aal2 signaling over an internet protocol (IP) network to/from the internet protocol (IP) node.

19. The system of

claim 1

, wherein the first node is an IP-connected node which attempts to establish the transport bearer using application level signaling, but when unsuccessful invokes an interworking function for establishing the transport bearer.

20. The system of

claim 1

, wherein the first node is an IP-connected node which includes its IP address and IP endpoint identifier for uplink traffic in an IP transport bearer container sent to the second node in an initiating application control message, wherein if an IP transport bearer container is received from the second node in an application control response message, the transport bearer is considered as being established, and otherwise the interworking function is invoked by the first node.

21. The system of

claim 1

, wherein an IP-connected node obtains address parameters of a transport layer interworking gateway from the transport layer interworking gateway for inclusion in application layer signaling to the first node.

22. The system of

claim 21

, wherein the first node is not an IP-connected node but the second node is an IP-connected node, wherein upon receipt of an initiating application message from the first node, the second node obtains from the transport level interworking gateway a network address of the interworking gateway and a binding identifier of the interworking gateway to send back to the first node, wherein the second node establishes a bidirectional IP connection with the interworking gateway;

and wherein the first node uses the network address of the interworking gateway and the binding identifier of the interworking gateway to establish a connection with the interworking gateway.

23. The system of

claim 1

, wherein a tunneling mechanism is utilized to interwork the first technology and the second technology.

24. For use in a telecommunications system having an application layer and a transport layer, the system comprising a first node which utilizes a first transport technology and a second node which utilizes a second transport technology, a method comprising interworking the first transport technology and the second transport technology to facilitate establishment of a transport bearer between the first node and the second node without terminating or interworking with application control signaling in the application layer.

25. The method of

claim 24

, further comprising executing at the application layer a radio network layer procedure to establish the transport bearer in a radio access network (RAN) of a wireless telecommunications method.

26. The method of

claim 24

, further comprising a transport layer interworking gateway connected between the first node and the second node.

27. The method of

claim 26

, further comprising:

receiving at the interworking gateway an establish request message carried by the first transport technology;

converting an address of the second node borne by the establish request message to an address usable by the second transport technology;

the interworking gateway employing the address usable by the second transport technology to send a bearer signaling message to the second node.

28. The method of

claim 27

, wherein the first technology is ATM and the second technology is an internet protocol (IP).

29. The method of

claim 28

, wherein the bearer signaling message is in an IP bearer control protocol and includes a binding identifier obtained from the second node.

30. The method of

claim 29

, further comprising, after receipt of the bearer signaling message, the second node sending an IP response message to the interworking gateway, the IP response message including information enabling establishment of a unidirectional connection from the interworking gateway to the second node.

31. The method of

claim 30

, further comprising, after receipt of the IP response message, the interworking gateway sending an establish confirmation message to the first node.

32. The method of

claim 26

, further comprising:

the first node using an address of the second node to determine an address for the interworking gateway; and

the first node sending a bearer signaling message to the interworking gateway.

33. The method of

claim 32

, wherein the bearer signaling message is in an IP bearer control protocol, and wherein the method comprises including in the IP bearer signaling message an address of the second node, a binding identifier obtained from the second node, and IP connection information necessary for the interworking gateway to establish a unidirectional connection to the first node.

34. The method of

claim 33

, further comprising:

upon receiving the bearer signaling message, the interworking gateway sending an establish request message towards the second node; and

upon receipt of the establish request message the second node sending an establish confirmation message toward the interworking gateway.

35. The method of

claim 34

, wherein the establish request message and the establish confirmation message are q.aal2 messages.

36. The method of

claim 34

, further comprising upon receipt of the establish confirmation message the interworking gateway sending an IP response message to the first node, the IP response message including IP connection information necessary for the first node to establish a unidirectional connection to the interworking gateway.

37. The method of

claim 24

, further comprising using an interworking function to interwork the first technology and the second technology at one of the first node and the second node.

38. The method of

claim 24

, further comprising using an interworking function to interwork the first technology and the second technology at a node distinct from the first node and the second node.

39. The method of

claim 24

, further comprising using q.aal2 signaling to interwork the first technology and the second technology.

40. The method of

claim 39

, wherein one of the transport technologies is an internet protocol (IP), and further comprising performing interworking using internet protocol (IP) specific signaling over an internet protocol (IP) network.

41. The method of

claim 39

, wherein one of the first and the second node is an internet protocol (IP) node, and further comprising performing interworking using q.aal2 signaling over an internet protocol (IP) network to/from the internet protocol (IP) node.

42. The method of

claim 24

, wherein the first node is an IP-connected node, and further comprising:

the first node attempting to establish the transport bearer using application level signaling, but when unsuccessful the first node invoking an interworking function for establishing the transport bearer.

43. The method of

claim 24

, wherein the first node is an IP-connected node, and wherein the method further comprises:

the first node including its IP address and IP endpoint identifier for uplink traffic in an IP transport bearer container sent to the second node in an initiating application control message;

wherein if an IP transport bearer container is received from the second node in an application control response message, considering the transport bearer to be established, and otherwise invoking interworking by the first node.

44. The method of

claim 24

, wherein the second node is an IP-connected node, the method further comprising:

obtaining address s parameters of a transport layer interworking gateway from the transport layer interworking gateway for inclusion in application layer signaling to the first node.

45. The method of

claim 44

, wherein the first node is not an IP-connected node but the second node is an IP-connected node, the method further comprising:

upon receipt of an initiating application message from the first node, the second node obtaining from the transport level interworking gateway a network address of the interworking gateway and a binding identifier of the interworking gateway to send back to the first node;

the second node establishing a bidirectional IP connection with the interworking gateway; and

the first node using the network address of the interworking gateway and the binding identifier of the interworking gateway to establish a connection with the interworking gateway.

46. The method of

claim 24

, further comprising using a tunneling mechanism to interwork the first technology and the second technology.

47. A telecommunications system having an application layer and a transport layer, the application layer being a radio network layer, the system comprising:

a first node which is connected to use Internet Protocol;

a second node;

wherein the first node attempts to establish a transport bearer between the first node and the second node using application level signaling, but when unsuccessful invokes an interworking function in the transport layer for establishing the transport bearer.

48. The system of

claim 47

, wherein the first node includes its IP address and IP endpoint identifier for uplink traffic in an IP transport bearer container sent to the second node in an initiating application control message, and wherein if an IP transport bearer container is received from the second node in an application control response message, the transport bearer is considered as being established, and otherwise the interworking function is invoked by the first node.

49. The system of

claim 47

, further comprising a transport layer interworking gateway connected between the first node and the second node.

50. The system of

claim 49

, wherein the interworking gateway receives an establish request message carried by the first transport technology and converts an address of the second node borne by the establish request message to an address usable by the second transport technology, and wherein the interworking gateway employs the address usable by the second transport technology to send a bearer signaling message to the second node.

51. The system of

claim 50

, wherein the first technology is ATM and the second technology is an internet protocol (IP).

52. The system of

claim 51

, wherein the bearer signaling message is in an IP bearer control protocol and includes a binding identifier obtained from the second node.

53. The system of

claim 52

, wherein after receipt of the bearer signaling message the second node sends an IP response message to the interworking gateway, the IP response message including information enabling establishment of a unidirectional connection from the interworking gateway to the second node.

54. The system of

claim 53

, wherein after receipt of the IP response message, the interworking gateway sends an establish confirmation message to the first node.

55. The system of

claim 47

, wherein the first node uses an address of the second node to determine an address for the interworking gateway, and wherein the first node sends a bearer signaling message to the interworking gateway.

56. For use in a telecommunications system having an application layer and a transport layer, the application layer being a radio network layer, the system comprising a first node which is connected to use Internet Protocol and a second node, a method comprising attempting to establish a transport bearer between the first node and the second node using application level signaling, but when unsuccessful invoking an interworking function in the transport layer for establishing the transport bearer.

57. The method of

claim 56

, further comprising:

the first node including its IP address and IP endpoint identifier for uplink traffic in an IP transport bearer container sent to the second node in an initiating application control message;

upon receiving an IP transport bearer container from the second node in an application control response message, considering the transport bearer as being established, but

otherwise invoking the interworking function.

58. The method of

claim 56

, further invoking the interworking function involves accessing a transport layer interworking gateway connected between the first node and the second node.

59. The method of

claim 58

, further comprising:

upon receiving at the interworking gateway an establish request message carried by the first transport technology, converting an address of the second node borne by the establish request message to an address usable by the second transport technology; and

employing the address usable by the second transport technology to send a bearer signaling message to the second node.

60. The method of

claim 59

, wherein the first technology is ATM and the second technology is an internet protocol (IP).

61. The method of

claim 60

, further comprising forming the bearer signaling message in an IP bearer control protocol and including in the bearing signaling message a binding identifier obtained from the second node.

62. The method of

claim 61

, further comprising after receipt of the bearer signaling message, the second node sending an IP response message to the interworking gateway, the IP response message including information enabling establishment of a unidirectional connection from the interworking gateway to the second node.

63. The method of

claim 62

, further comprising, after receipt of the IP response message, the interworking gateway sending an establish confirmation message to the first node.

64. The method of

claim 63

, further comprising:

the first node using an address of the second node to determine an address for the interworking gateway; and

the first node sending a bearer signaling message to the interworking gateway.

65. A telecommunications system having an application layer and a transport layer, the application layer being a radio network layer, the system comprising:

a first node;

a second node which is connected to use Internet Protocol;

a transport layer interworking gateway;

wherein the second node obtains address parameters of the transport layer interworking gateway from the transport layer interworking gateway for inclusion in application layer signaling to the first node in order to enable the first node to use the transport layer interworking gateway for the purpose of establishing a transport bearer between the first node and the second node.

66. The system of

claim 65

, wherein the first node is not an IP-connected node but the second node is an IP-connected node, wherein upon receipt of an initiating application message from the first node, the second node obtains from the transport level interworking gateway a network address of the interworking gateway and a s binding identifier of the interworking gateway to send back to the first node, wherein the second node establishes a bidirectional IP connection with the interworking gateway;

and wherein the first node uses the network address of the interworking gateway and the binding identifier of the interworking gateway to establish a connection with the interworking gateway.

67. For use in a telecommunications system having an application layer and a transport layer, the application layer being a radio network layer;

the system comprising a first node, a second node which is connected to use Internet Protocol; and

a transport layer interworking gateway;

a method comprising;

the second node obtaining address parameters of the transport layer interworking gateway for inclusion in application layer signaling to the first node, thereby enabling

the first node using the transport layer interworking gateway for the purpose of establishing a transport bearer between the first node and the second node.

68. The method of

claim 67

, wherein the first node is not an IP-connected node but the second node is an IP-connected node, further comprising:

upon receipt of an initiating application message from the first node, the second node obtaining from the transport level interworking gateway a network address of the interworking gateway and a binding identifier of the interworking gateway for the second node to send back to the first node;

the second node establishing a bidirectional IP connection with the interworking gateway;

the first node using the network address of the interworking gateway and the binding identifier of the interworking gateway to establish a connection with the interworking gateway.