Method for handling of messages between a terminal and a data network

• US 20040259532A1
• Filed: 04/27/2004
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LF Capital Partners, LLC
• Original Assignee: Spyder Navigations LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hurtta, Tuija, Haumont, Serge, Isomaki, Markus
• Granted Patent: US 7,406,057 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/30 Routing of multiclass traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/302 Route determination based on requested QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/3065 for real time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2408 for supporting different services, e.g. a differentiated services [DiffServ] type of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2441 relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for handling of messages between a terminal and a data network, wherein message of a specific protocol are handled using a correspondingly defined specific contexts for messages of said protocol, and wherein messages based on the same specific protocol relate to different service categories, said method comprising the steps of: receiving a message at said network, analyzing said service category of said received message, and assigning a different specific context to said messages dependent on the analyzed service category. The present invention also relates to a network control entity, an access node and a network comprising the same.

Claims

1-20. -20. (Cancelled).

21. A method for handling of messages between a terminal and a data network,

wherein messages of a specific protocol are handled using defined specific contexts for messages of said protocol, and

wherein messages based on the same specific protocol relate to different service categories,

said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a message at said network,

analyzing said service category of said received message, and

assigning a specific context to said message dependent on the analyzed service category,

characterized in that

contexts for messages of a specific protocol rely on a same context address defined between the terminal and the data network.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein

said assigning comprises the further step of

marking said message dependent on the analyzed service category, and

setting a routing indicator dependent on said marking, said routing indicator being adapted to selectively assign said specific context to said message.

23. A method according to claim 22, wherein

said marking is effected by setting header information in said message to a value corresponding to the service category.

24. A method according to claim 23, wherein

said marking is effected by setting Differentiated Service CodePoints using the Differentiated Service bit field in the message header.

25. A method according to claim 22, wherein

said marking is effected by setting transport protocol port numbers to a value corresponding to the service category.

26. A method according to claim 22, wherein

said routing indicator to which said marking is mapped is a traffic flow template TFT.

27. A method according to claim 21, wherein

said different service categories (RT, NRT) are

indicated by a service type identifier (SIP SIGNALING, SIP PUSH) included in the message, and

said analyzing is based on said service type identifier.

28. A method according to claim 21, wherein at a network node receiving said message there is defined a profile for each message type adapted to allocate a service category to each received message, and

said analyzing is based on said profile.

37. A method according to claim 21, wherein

defining said specific contexts for messages of said protocol comprises the steps of:

configuring (S11;

S21;

S31;

S14;

S26;

S34) part of mapping information (TFT-DS) allocating marking information to corresponding routing indicator information in response to a context activation request (S10;

S20;

S30;

S13;

S25;

S33) from said terminal (UE) to an access node (GGSN) of said data network.

38. A method according to claim 37, wherein

said context activation request (S10) is detected at said access node (GGSN) as a first context activation request and configuring (S11) is effected based on the fact that a first request is a request for a predetermined context.

39. A method according to claim 37, wherein

said context activation request (S20;

S30;

S33) indicates the requested context and configuring (S21;

S31;

S34) is effected based on the detected requested context.

40. A method according to claim 37, further comprising the steps of

returning marking information (S12;

S24) used for marking packets from said data network to said terminal in response to a previous request (S10;

S23) from said terminal to said data network,

subsequently requesting (S13;

S25), from said terminal to said data network, the activation of a context using the marking information returned to said terminal in said returning step, and

configuring (S14;

S26) part of mapping information using the returned marking information.

29. A data network control entity (CSCF) for use in a data network,

wherein messages of a specific protocol are handled using defined specific contexts for messages of said protocol, and

wherein messages based on the same specific protocol relate to different service categories,

said entity comprising

a transmission means adapted to receive a message at said network entity,

an analyzing means adapted to analyze said service category of said received message,

a marking means adapted to mark packets based on a result of said analysis by said analyzing means, wherein

said transmission means is further adapted to forward said marked packets to a data network access node (GGSN), and

characterized in that

contexts for messages of a specific protocol rely on a same context address defined between the terminal and the data network access node.

30. An entity according to claim 29, wherein

said marking means is further adapted to mark said message dependent on the analyzed service category.

31. An entity according to claim 30, wherein

said marking is effected by setting header information in said message to a value corresponding to the service category.

32. A method according to claim 31, wherein

said marking is effected by setting Differentiated Service CodePoints using the Differentiated Service bit field in the message header.

33. A method according to claim 30, wherein

said marking is effected by setting transport protocol port numbers to a value corresponding to the service category.

36. A data network comprising at least a data network control entity according to claim 29, further comprising a data network access node for use in a data network,

wherein messages of a specific protocol are handled using defined specific contexts for messages of said protocol, and

wherein messages based on the same specific protocol relate to different service categories,

said node comprising

a transmission means adapted to receive marked packets from a data network control entity (CSCF),

a mapping means adapted to map a marking of a received packet to a routing indicator, and

an assigning means adapted to assign a specific context to said message dependent on the mapped routing indicator, and

characterized in that

contexts for messages of a specific protocol rely on a same context address defined between the terminal and the data network.

34. A data network access node (GGSN) for use in a data network,

wherein messages of a specific protocol are handled using defined specific contexts for messages of said protocol, and

wherein messages based on the same specific protocol relate to different service categories,

said node comprising

a transmission means adapted to receive marked packets from a data network control entity (CSCF),

a mapping means adapted to map a marking of a received packet to a routing indicator, and

an assigning means adapted to assign a specific context to said message dependent on the mapped routing indicator, and

characterized in that

contexts for messages of a specific protocol rely on a same context address defined between the terminal and the data network.

35. An access node according to claim 34, wherein

said routing indicator to which said marking is mapped is a traffic flow template TFT.