Method for releasing a service tunnel in a wireless local area network

• US 20070019600A1
• Filed: 07/06/2006
• Published: 01/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Zhang, Wenlin
• Granted Patent: US 7,633,918 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/32 Release of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/38 triggered by timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method for releasing a service tunnel in WLAN. This method comprises: an originating end point that desires to release a service tunnel in a WLAN sending a release tunnel request to a corresponding end point of the service tunnel; the corresponding end point returning a release acknowledgement to the originating end point, and releasing resources of the service tunnel, a Packet Data Gateway (PDG) sends a tunnel disconnection report to a service authentication and authorization unit, and upon receiving the tunnel disconnection report, the service authentication and authorization unit updates self-stored information related to the released service tunnel. The method in accordance with the present invention makes it possible to implement the release of a designated service tunnel and release or update the related resources and information in time.

Claims

1. A method for releasing a service tunnel in a WLAN, comprising:

an originating end point which desires to release a service tunnel in the WLAN sending a release tunnel request to a corresponding end point of the service tunnel to be released;

the corresponding end point returning a release acknowledgement to the originating end point and releasing resources of the service tunnel.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

the originating end point releasing the resources of the service tunnel due to receiving the release acknowledgement from the corresponding end point or timeout of service tunnel connection.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

the originating end point detecting whether having received the release acknowledgement from the corresponding end point,

if the release acknowledgement has been received, releasing the resources of the service tunnel;

if the release acknowledgement has not been received until timeout of service tunnel connection, resending the release tunnel request to the corresponding end point.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

the originating end point detecting whether the release tunnel request has been sent for a preset number of times before resending the release tunnel request to the corresponding end point, if the request has been sent for the preset number of times, releasing the resources of the service tunnel;

otherwise, resending the release tunnel request to the corresponding end point.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said resources of the service tunnel comprise at least one of:

a tunnel ID of the service tunnel, an encryption key used by the service tunnel in communications and physical resources of the service tunnel.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

releasing associated control information of the service tunnel when releasing the resources of the service tunnel;

wherein the associated control information of the service tunnel comprises at least one of;

subscriber service authorization information related to the service tunnel and information for maintaining status of the service tunnel.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the originating end point is a UE and the corresponding end point is a PDG.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein during process of releasing the resources of the service tunnel, the PDG removes all stored authorization information related to the UE therefrom when the PDG detects that the service tunnel to be released is the last service tunnel between itself and a corresponding UE.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

the PDG sending a tunnel disconnection report to a service authentication and authorization unit;

upon receiving the tunnel disconnection report, the service authentication and authorization unit updating self-stored related service information and/or status of the subscriber.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the tunnel disconnection report is carried in an existing service terminating signaling and sent to the service authentication and authorization unit.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein said PDG sending a tunnel disconnection report to a service authentication and authorization unit comprises one of:

the PDG releasing the resources of the service tunnel and sending the tunnel disconnection report to the service authentication and authorization unit;

the PDG sending the tunnel disconnection report to the service authentication and authorization unit and releasing the resources of the service tunnel upon receiving an acknowledgement from the service authentication and authorization unit;

the PDG releasing the resources of the service tunnel except those for sending information to the service authorization and authentication unit, and releasing the remained resources for sending information to the service authentication and authorization unit upon confirming that the tunnel disconnection report has been successfully sent to the service authentication and authorization unit.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the step of a PDG sending a tunnel disconnection report to a service authentication and authorization unit comprises:

the PDG sending the tunnel disconnection report to the service authentication and authorization unit when sending the release acknowledgement to the UE.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the related service information comprises at least one of:

service/tunnel connection activation information, allocated IP address, status of the service tunnel, tunnel ID and tunnel security information.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein the service authentication and authorization unit is a 3GPP Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) Server.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the originating end point is a PDG and the corresponding end point is a UE.

16. A method for releasing a service tunnel in a WLAN, comprising:

a PDG which desires to release a service tunnel in the WLAN sending a release tunnel request to a UE corresponding to the service tunnel to be released;

the UE returning a release acknowledgement to the PDG and releasing resources of the service tunnel.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein during process of releasing the resources of the service tunnel, the PDG removes all stored authorization information related to the UE therefrom when the PDG detects that the service tunnel to be released is the last service tunnel between itself and a corresponding UE.

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

the PDG sending a tunnel disconnection report to a 3GPP AAA server;

upon receiving the tunnel disconnection report, the 3GPP AAA server updating self-stored related service information and/or status of subscriber.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the tunnel disconnection report is carried in an existing service terminating signaling and sent to the 3GPP AAA server.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein said PDG sending a tunnel disconnection report to a 3GPP AAA server comprises one of:

the PDG releasing the resources of the service tunnel and sending the tunnel disconnection report to the 3GPP AAA server;

the PDG sending the tunnel disconnection report to the 3GPP AAA server and releasing the resources of the service tunnel upon receiving an acknowledgement from the 3GPP AAA server;

the PDG releasing the resources of the service tunnel except those for sending information to the 3GPP AAA server, and releasing the remained resources for sending information to the 3GPP AAA server upon confirming that the tunnel disconnection report has been successfully sent to the 3GPP AAA server.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein the step of a PDG sending a tunnel disconnection report to a 3GPP AAA server comprises:

the PDG sending the tunnel disconnection report to the 3GPP AAA server upon receiving the release acknowledgement from the UE.

22. The method according to claim 18, wherein the related service information comprises at least one of:

service/tunnel connection activation information, allocated IP address, status of the service tunnel, tunnel ID and tunnel security information.