Removing GTP-U path management in UGAN

• US 20080165725A1
• Filed: 01/03/2008
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conversant Wireless Licensing S.à.r.l. (f/k/a Core Wireless Licensing S.a.r.l.) (MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management))
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Huomo, Miika, Grahn, Tom
• Granted Patent: US 8,730,906 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• 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 28/16 Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/005 Data network PoA devices

Abstract

An apparatus and method are provided to identify an endpoint as a general packet radio service tunneling protocol endpoint, and configure a radio access bearer to skip a path management procedure. The apparatus and method also transmit the radio access bearer to a universal generic access network controller to prevent activation of the path management procedure to the general packet radio service tunneling protocol endpoint.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an identifier configured to identify an endpoint as a general packet radio service tunneling protocol endpoint;

a processor configured to control a radio access bearer to skip a path management procedure; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the radio access bearer to a universal generic access network controller to prevent activation of the path management procedure to the general packet radio service tunneling protocol endpoint.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the identifier is configured to identify the general packet radio service tunneling protocol endpoint through the universal generic access network controller to prevent activation of the path management procedure for the general packet radio service tunneling protocol endpoint.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit radio access bearer assignments to the universal generic access network controller providing the general packet radio service tunneling endpoint.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein the identifier is configured to identify the universal generic access network controller when a radio network controller is added.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein the universal generic access network controller identifies itself in a reset phase or by sending a new message or utilizing an existing message.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the general packet radio service tunneling protocol endpoint includes an associated access type in a general packet radio service attach and a radio area update.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the identifier is configured to identify the general packet radio service tunneling protocol endpoint based on a radio network controller identifier or routing area identification/location area identity.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the identifier is configured to identify internet protocol endpoints or ranges as general packet radio service tunneling protocol endpoints.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the path management procedure comprises a general packet radio service tunneling protocol path management.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to set an internet protocol address of the universal generic access network controller to an internet protocol address of a core network, and set a tunnel endpoint identifier of the universal generic access network controller to a tunnel endpoint identifier assigned to the core network to receive general packet radio service tunneling protocol messages directly from the endpoint.

11. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to set an internet protocol address of a radio access network to an internet protocol address of the endpoint using a universal generic access network controller, and set a tunnel endpoint identifier of the radio access network to a tunnel endpoint identifier assigned to the endpoint by the universal generic access network controller to send general packet radio service tunneling protocol messages directly to the endpoint.

12. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein after the identifier identifies the endpoint as a general packet radio service tunneling protocol endpoint, the processor is configured to define a radio access bearer as a universal generic access network controller radio access bearer to skip the path management procedure.

13. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit a universal generic access network indication to a packet data protocol context activation to notify a gateway support node that path management is to be skipped.

14. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit an updated universal generic access network indication to a packet data protocol context activation to notify a gateway support node that path management is to be skipped when the general packet radio service tunneling protocol endpoint has re-located under a universal generic access network or the universal generic access network access information is unavailable in the packet data protocol context activation phase.

15. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a serving general packet radio service support node.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor configured to skip path management when a generic routing encapsulation protocol is included in a general packet radio service tunneling protocol endpoint and configured to deactivate echo request/response and version unsupported messages for the general packet radio service tunneling protocol endpoint.

17. The apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to define a generic routing encapsulation tunnel between the endpoint and a gateway node or between the endpoint and a generic access network and a universal generic access network to the gateway node.

18. An apparatus, comprising:

identifier means for identifying an endpoint as a general packet radio service tunneling protocol endpoint;

processing means for controlling a radio access bearer to skip a path management procedure; and

transmitting means for transmitting the radio access bearer to a universal generic access network controller to prevent activation of the path management procedure to the general packet radio service tunneling protocol endpoint.

19. A system, comprising:

an endpoint;

a universal generic access network controller; and

a serving node configured to identify the endpoint as a general packet radio service tunneling protocol endpoint, configured to control a radio access bearer to skip a path management procedure, and configured to transmit the radio access bearer to the universal generic access network controller to prevent activation of the path management procedure to the general packet radio service tunneling protocol endpoint.

20. The system as recited in claim 19, further comprising:

a gateway node configured to receive an indication in a packet data protocol context activation from the serving node to skip the path management procedure.

21. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein the serving node is configured to determine, from the radio access bearer, a general packet radio service tunneling protocol endpoint address to identify the endpoint.

22. A method, comprising:

identifying an endpoint as a general packet radio service tunneling protocol endpoint;

configuring a radio access bearer to skip a path management procedure; and

transmitting the radio access bearer to a universal generic access network controller to prevent activation of the path management procedure to the general packet radio service tunneling protocol endpoint.

23. The method as recited in claim 22, further comprising:

performing the identifying of the general packet radio service tunneling protocol endpoint through the universal generic access network controller to prevent activation of the path management procedure for the general packet radio service tunneling protocol endpoint.

24. The method as recited in claim 22, further comprising:

transmitting radio access bearer assignments to the universal generic access network controller providing the general packet radio service tunneling endpoint.

25. The method as recited in claim 24, further comprising:

identifying the universal generic access network controller when a radio network controller is added.

26. The method as recited in claim 24, further comprising:

configuring the universal generic access network controller to identify itself in a reset phase or by sending a new message or utilizing an existing message.

27. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the identifying of the universal generic access network controller comprises

configuring the general packet radio service tunneling protocol endpoint to include an associated access type in a general packet radio service attach and a radio area update.

28. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the identifying of the universal generic access network controller comprises:

identifying the general packet radio service tunneling protocol endpoint based on a radio network controller identifier or routing area identification/location area identity.

29. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein the identifying comprises:

configuring internet protocol endpoints or ranges as general packet radio service tunneling protocol endpoints.

30. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein the path management procedure comprises a general packet radio service tunneling protocol path management.

31. The method as recited in claim 22, further comprising:

setting an internet protocol address of the universal generic access network controller to an internet protocol address of a core network; and

setting a tunnel endpoint identifier of the universal generic access network controller to a tunnel endpoint identifier assigned to the core network to receive general packet radio service tunneling protocol messages directly from the endpoint.

32. The method as recited in claim 22, further comprising:

setting an internet protocol address of a radio access network to an internet protocol address of the endpoint using a universal generic access network controller; and

setting a tunnel endpoint identifier of the radio access network to a tunnel endpoint identifier assigned to the endpoint by the universal generic access network controller to send general packet radio service tunneling protocol messages directly to the endpoint.

33. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein after identifying the endpoint as a general packet radio service tunneling protocol endpoint, further comprising:

configuring a radio access bearer as a universal generic access network controller radio access bearer to skip the path management procedure.

34. The method as recited in claim 22, further comprising:

providing a universal generic access network indication to a packet data protocol context activation to notify a gateway support node that path management is to be skipped.

35. The method as recited in claim 22, further comprising:

providing an updated universal generic access network indication to a packet data protocol context activation to notify a gateway support node that path management is to be skipped when the general packet radio service tunneling protocol endpoint has re-located under a universal generic access network or the universal generic access network access information is unavailable in the packet data protocol context activation phase.

36. The method as recited in claim 22, further comprising:

selectively configuring specific general packet radio service tunneling protocol endpoints to skip the path management.

37. The method as recited in claim 22, further comprising:

hiding the general packet radio service tunneling protocol endpoint behind a universal generic access network to answer echo requests sent by a core network.

38. The method as recited in claim 22, further comprising:

disabling echo request/response and version unsupported messages for the general packet radio service tunneling protocol endpoint.

39. A method, comprising:

skipping path management when a generic routing encapsulation protocol is included in a general packet radio service tunneling protocol endpoint; and

deactivating echo request/response and version unsupported messages for the general packet radio service tunneling protocol endpoint.

40. The method as recited in claim 39, further comprising:

configuring a generic routing encapsulation tunnel between the endpoint and a gateway node or between the endpoint and a generic access network and a universal generic access network to the gateway node.

41. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium, the computer program being configured to control a processor to perform:

identifying an endpoint as a general packet radio service tunneling protocol endpoint;

configuring a radio access bearer to skip a path management procedure; and

transmitting the radio access bearer to a universal generic access network controller to prevent activation of the path management procedure to the general packet radio service tunneling protocol endpoint.

42. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium, the computer program being configured to control a processor to perform:

skipping path management when a generic routing encapsulation protocol is included in a general packet radio service tunneling protocol endpoint; and

deactivating echo request/response and version unsupported messages for the general packet radio service tunneling protocol endpoint.