Methods and apparatus for network initiated data services

• US 20050169249A1
• Filed: 09/23/2004
• Published: 08/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Shirota, Masakazu, Wang, Jun, Hsu, Raymond Tah-Sheng, Nasielski, Jack Wallace
• Granted Patent: US 7,324,474 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/30 Connection release
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/085 involving hierarchical organized mobility servers, e.g. hierarchical mobile IP [HMIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

Techniques are provided for conserving network resources in a network that initiates data services by communicating push data to a dormant terminal. Selected network resources associated with the dormant terminal are released, and maintained information for reaching the dormant terminal is updated when the point of network attachment of the dormant terminal changes.

Claims

1. A network that provides a push service while conserving network resources including a PPP state and an A10 connection, comprising:

a wireless terminal having an IP address associated therewith;

a first packet data serving node that, responsive to wireless terminal profile information, creates reachability information for the wireless terminal; and

a first radio access network that generates a dormant indication upon detecting that the wireless terminal is dormant, and

wherein, upon receiving the dormant indication, the first packet data serving node removes the PPP state and requests that the first radio access network release the A10 connection.

2. The network of claim 1, wherein the first packet data serving node maintains the reachability information for the wireless terminal.

3. The network of claim 1, further comprising:

an Access Network Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) server, wherein the first packet data serving node receives wireless terminal profile information from the Access Network Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) server if the wireless terminal is authenticated.

4. The network of claim 1, wherein the first radio access network that initially has an A10 connection with the first packet data serving node, and wherein the first radio access network detects that the wireless terminal is dormant, and sends a dormant indication to the first packet data serving node via A11 signaling.

5. The network of claim 4, wherein the wireless terminal ID and the PCF address are provided to the packet data serving node via A11 signaling for the A10 connection setup.

6. The network of claim 1, wherein the first packet data serving node creates the reachability information for the wireless terminal if the wireless terminal profile indicates NIDS, and wherein the reachability information comprises a mapping between the wireless terminal Network Access Identifier, wireless terminal IP address, PCF address, Access Network ID (ANID), and wireless terminal ID.

7. The network of claim 3, further comprising:

a PCF, and

wherein if the access-network Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol authentication is successful, the Access Network AAA server assigns a temporary IMSI and conveys the temporary IMSI to the PCF via RADIUS Access-Accept such that the PCF can include the IMSI in A11 signaling to the packet data serving node.

8. The network of claim 7, further comprising:

a Domain Name Server (DNS), and when the wireless terminal profile indicates IRS, the AAA server updates the DNS server about the wireless terminal IP address and maintains a mapping between the wireless terminal Network Access Identifier, wireless terminal IP address, and Network Access Identifier IP address.

9. The network of claim 1, further comprising:

a second radio access network,

when the dormant wireless terminal moves to the second radio access network, the second radio access network establishes an A10 connection with the first packet data serving node via A11 signaling that also includes Previous Access Network ID, Current Access Network ID, wireless terminal ID, and wireless terminal dormancy indication.

10. The network of claim 9, wherein the first packet data serving node determines that it has reachability information for the wireless terminal based on the wireless terminal ID.

11. The network of claim 10, wherein based on the Previous Access Network ID, the first packet data serving node determines an intra-PDSN handoff is occurring, updates the Access Network ID in the reachability information with the Current Access Network ID, and requests that the second radio access network remove the A10 connection for the wireless terminal.

12. The network of claim 1, further comprising:

a third radio access network; and

a second packet data serving node,

when the dormant wireless terminal moves to the third radio access network, the third radio access network selects the second packet data serving node and establishes an A10 connection to the second packet data serving node via A11 signaling comprising the Previous Access Network ID, Current Access Network ID, wireless terminal ID, and wireless terminal dormancy indication.

13. The network of claim 12, when the AAA server notices that the wireless terminal IP address has changed, the AAA server removes the reachability information for the wireless terminal and releases the wireless terminal IP address for future allocation.

14. The network of claim 1, further comprising:

a content server for pushing data to the wireless terminal,

wherein the content server obtains the wireless terminal IP address and routes packets addressed to the wireless terminal to the second packet data serving node that administers the IP address of the wireless terminal,

wherein the second packet data serving node obtains the wireless terminal ID and PCF address from the reachability information based on the destination IP address of the packets.

15. The network of claim 14, further comprising:

a third radio access network,

wherein the second packet data serving node requests, via A11 signaling, that the third radio access network establish an A10 connection for the wireless terminal, and

after A10 is established, the second packet data serving node initiates a PPP negotiation with the wireless terminal, and the second packet data serving node assigns the same wireless terminal IP address from the reachability information.

16. The network of claim 15, wherein the second packet data serving node delivers the packets to the wireless terminal via the third radio access network, and

when the wireless terminal becomes dormant, the third radio access network notifies the second packet data serving node, and wherein the second packet data serving node releases the A10 connection and the PPP state, and maintains the reachability information for the wireless terminal.

17. The network of claim 4, further comprising:

a home agent,

wherein the first packet data serving node sends Mobile IP Agent Advertisements to the wireless terminal, and the wireless terminal performs Mobile IP registration, and

if the Foreign Agent Challenge authentication is successful, the AAA server conveys wireless terminal profile information to the first packet data serving node, and

if the registration is successful, the home agent conveys a home address of the wireless terminal in a Mobile IP Registration Reply.

18. The network of claim 1, wherein the first packet data serving node creates the reachability information for the wireless terminal because the wireless terminal profile indicates NIDS, and wherein the reachability information comprises a mapping between the wireless terminal Network Access Identifier, wireless terminal home address, PCF address, Access Network ID (ANID), and wireless terminal ID.

19. The network of claim 2, wherein the first packet data serving node maintains the reachability information and a visitor list entry for the wireless terminal.

20. The network of claim 14, further comprising:

a content server; and

a home agent,

when the home agent notices that the wireless terminal has changed PDSN/FA, the home agent sends a Mobile IP Revocation to the first packet data serving node to remove the visitor list entry and reachability information for the wireless terminal, and

wherein the content server obtains the wireless terminal IP address and routes packets addressed to the wireless terminal to the second packet data serving node via the home agent.

21. The network of claim 16, when the wireless terminal becomes dormant, the third radio access network notifies the second packet data serving node, and wherein the second packet data serving node releases the A10 connection and the PPP state, and maintains the reachability information and a visitor entry list for the wireless terminal.

22. The network of claim 1, further comprising:

a home agent, wherein the wireless terminal performs registration with the home agent by sending a binding update to the home agent comprising a new care-of-address that comprises an IPv6 address prefix and a wireless terminal interface ID.

23. The network of claim 22, further comprising:

a content server that routes packets addressed to the wireless terminal to the home agent and then to the second packet data serving node that administers the IP address of the wireless terminal.

24. A method for providing a push data service to a dormant terminal while conserving network resources in a network, comprising:

releasing selected network resources associated with the dormant terminal;

maintaining terminal profile information for reaching the dormant terminal; and

updating the terminal profile information for reaching the dormant terminal when the point of network attachment of the dormant terminal changes.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein releasing selected network resources associated with the dormant terminal, comprises:

removing a PPP state; and

releasing an A10 connection upon receiving a dormant indication indicating that the terminal is dormant.

26. A method according to claim 24, wherein the terminal profile information comprises NIDS Reachability Information (NRI) for the terminal that comprises an Access Network ID (ANID), and wherein updating the terminal profile information for reaching the dormant terminal when the point of network attachment of the dormant terminal changes, comprises:

updating the Access Network ID in the NRI with a Current Access Network ID and requesting release of the A10 connection for the terminal upon undergoing an intra-PDSN handoff.

27. A method according to claim 26, wherein maintaining terminal profile information for reaching the dormant terminal, comprises:

maintaining NRI for reaching the dormant terminal.

28. A method according to claim 24, wherein the terminal profile information for reaching the dormant terminal comprises a mapping between at least two of a terminal Network Access Identifier, a terminal IP address, a PCF address, an Access Network ID (ANID), and a terminal ID.

29. A method according to claim 24, wherein the terminal profile information for reaching the dormant terminal comprises a mapping between at least two of a terminal Network Access Identifier, a terminal IP address, a PCF address, an Access Network ID (ANID), and a terminal ID.

30. A method according to claim 26, wherein the terminal profile information for reaching the dormant terminal further comprises a mapping between the ANID and a terminal IP address.

31. A method according to claim 30, wherein the terminal profile information for reaching the dormant terminal further comprises a mapping between the ANID, the terminal IP address, and a terminal Network Access Identifier.

32. A method according to claim 31, wherein the terminal profile information for reaching the dormant terminal further comprises a mapping between the ANID, the terminal IP address, the terminal Network Access Identifier, and a terminal ID.

33. A method according to claim 24, further comprising:

pushing data to the terminal,

wherein the push data comprises at least one of a terminal IP address and a terminal mobility binding.

34. A method according to claim 24, wherein the push data comprises a terminal IP address and a terminal mobility binding.

35. A method according to claim 24, wherein the dormant terminal is initially attached to the network at a first point of attachment that changes.

36. A method according to claim 24, further comprising:

establishing an A10 connection when the terminal powers on;

authenticating the terminal, and if the authentication is successful, conveying terminal profile information; and

assigning an IP address to the terminal.

37. A method according to claim 36, further comprising:

creating terminal profile information for reaching the dormant terminal responsive to an indication from the terminal that a packet data session is being initiated by the network.

38. A method according to claim 37, wherein the terminal profile information comprises NIDS Reachability Information (NRI) for the terminal that comprises a mapping between a terminal Network Access Identifier, a terminal IP address, a PCF address, an Access Network ID (ANID), and a terminal ID, and further comprising:

sending a message comprising the terminal Network Access Identifier, terminal IP address, PCF address, Access Network ID (ANID), and terminal ID;

updating the terminal IP address; and

maintaining a mapping between the terminal Network Access Identifier, terminal IP address, and Network Access Identifier IP address.

39. A method according to claim 25, wherein removing a PPP state comprises:

removing a PPP state without sending Terminate-Request to the terminal.

40. A method according to claim 26, wherein maintaining NRI for reaching the dormant terminal, comprises:

maintaining NRI at a packet data serving node for reaching the dormant terminal to deliver the push data to the dormant terminal.

41. A method according to claim 26, when the terminal undergoes an intra-PDSN handoff, further comprising:

detecting a change when the dormant terminal moves to a different radio access network;

establishing an A10 connection via A11 signaling that comprises a Previous Access Network ID, a Current Access Network ID, a terminal ID, and a terminal dormancy indication;

determining, based on the terminal ID, that NRI for the terminal is present; and

determining, based on the received Previous Access Network ID, that intra-PDSN handoff is occurring.

42. A method according to claim 41, when the terminal undergoes an inter-PDSN handoff, further comprising:

detecting a change when the dormant terminal moves to another radio access network.

43. A method according to claim 42, further comprising:

establishing an A10 connection via A11 signaling that also includes Previous Access Network ID, Current Access Network ID, terminal ID, and terminal dormancy indication.

44. A method according to claim 43, further comprising:

when the terminal IP address has changed, removing the NRI for the dormant terminal and releasing the terminal IP address for future allocation.

45. A method according to claim 44, wherein pushing data to the terminal further comprises:

obtaining the terminal IP address and sending packets addressed to the terminal;

routing the packets addressed to the terminal to a node that administers the terminal IP address;

buffering the packets;

obtaining, based on the destination IP address of the packets, the terminal ID and PCF address from the NRI;

requesting, via A11 signaling, establishment of an A10 connection for the terminal, and after the A10 connection is established, initiating PPP negotiation with the terminal;

during Internet Protocol Control Protocol, assigning the same terminal IP address from the NRI;

delivering packets to the dormant terminal via the another radio access network;

releasing the A10 connection and PPP states; and

maintaining NRI for the terminal.

46. A method according to claim 37, further comprising:

after PPP is established, sending Mobile IP Agent Advertisements to the terminal; and

performing Mobile IP registration, wherein if authentication is successful, conveying NRI.

47. A method according to claim 46, further comprising:

if the registration is successful, conveying the terminal home address in a Mobile IP Registration Reply.

48. A method according to claim 27, wherein maintaining NRI for reaching the terminal, comprises:

maintaining the NRI and a visitor list entry for reaching the terminal.

49. A method according to claim 40, wherein maintaining the NRI for reaching the terminal, comprises:

maintaining the NRI and visitor list entry for reaching the terminal.

50. A method according to claim 40, when the terminal undergoes an inter-PDSN handoff, further comprises:

sending a Mobile IP Revocation to remove the visitor list entry and NRI for the terminal.

51. A method according to claim 36, further comprising:

performing a Mobile IP registration by sending a binding update.