Communication management in mobile networks having split control planes and user planes

• US 20020089949A1
• Filed: 11/28/2001
• Published: 07/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Terrill, Stephen, Ibanez, Juan-Antonio, Bjelland, Frode
• Granted Patent: US 6,973,054 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition

Abstract

A method in a communication system of transferring control of a user-plane entity from a first control-plane entity to a second control-plane entity is provided. The user-plane entity sends a set of identifying parameters to the first control-plane entity, which subsequently sends the set of identifying parameters to the second control-plane entity. The second control-plane entity determines if it can control the user-plane entity. If the second control-plane entity can control the user-plane entity, then the second control-plane entity sends an indication to the user-plane entity that a change in control-plane entities has occurred and that at least some resources of the user-plane entity that were controlled by the first control-plane entity are to be controlled by the second control-plane entity. The resources may be allocated to a mobile terminal and the change in control entity may be the result of a change in location of the mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A method in a communication system of transferring control of a user-plane entity from a first control-plane entity to a second control-plane entity, comprising the steps of:

sending, by the user-plane entity to the first control-plane entity, a set of identifying parameters;

sending, by the first control-plane entity to the second control-plane entity, the set of identifying parameters;

determining, in the second control-plane entity, whether the user-plane entity can be controlled by the second control-plane entity; and

if the user-plane entity can be controlled by the second control-plane entity, then sending, by the second control-plane entity to the user-plane entity, an indication that a change in control-plane entities has occurred and that at least some resources of the user-plane entity that were controlled by the first control-plane entity are to be controlled by the second control-plane entity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first control-plane entity sends the set of identifying parameters to the second control-plane entity based on a location of a remote terminal in communication with the user-plane entity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first control-plane entity sends the set of identifying parameters to the second control-plane entity based on a status of the first control-plane entity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first control-plane entity sends the set of identifying parameters to the second control-plane entity based on relative loads in the first and second control-plane entities.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication system is a GPRS network and the set of identifying parameters are sent in a Forward Relocation Request message from the first control-plane entity to the second control-plane entity.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of sending, by the user-plane entity to the first control-plane entity, a set of identifying parameters is executed in response to receiving, by the user-plane entity, an indication that a change of control-plane entity is required.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the indication that a change of control-plane entity is required is sent based on a location of a remote terminal in communication with the user-plane entity.