Transition between IP protocol versions

• US 20090232022A1
• Filed: 03/17/2008
• Published: 09/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Savolainen, Teemu Ilmari, Iisakkila, Kaisu Maria
• Granted Patent: US 7,940,697 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 1/42 Drive mechanisms, regulating or controlling devices, or balancing devices, specially adapted for screens
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 1/46 Constructional details of screens in general; Cleaning or heating of screens
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/167 Adaptation for transition between two IP versions, e.g. between IPv4 and IPv6 translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses H04L61/2503
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/045 involving different protocol versions, e.g. MIPv4 and MIPv6

Abstract

A method comprising: receiving, in a network element of a packet data core network, a network resource request from a user equipment, said request including indication on the user equipment'"'"'s Internet Protocol (IP) version capability; creating, in said network element, a set of parameters for guiding the user equipment in IP address allocation at least in one packet data network, said set of parameters including at least a recommended version of IP address type to be used; and signalling said set of parameters to the user equipment as a response to the network resource request.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, in a network element of a packet data core network, a network resource request from a user equipment, said request including an indication on the user equipment'"'"'s Internet Protocol (IP) version capability or a request for a particular PDP type;

creating, in said network element, a set of parameters for guiding the user equipment in IP address allocation at least in one packet data network, said set of parameters including at least a recommended version of IP address type to be used; and

signalling said set of parameters to the user equipment as a response to the network resource request.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the set of parameters further include information on at least one IP versions transition technology of the given type, which the user equipment should preferably use when accessed through said packet data network.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein

the set of parameters include a plurality of IP versions transition technologies in a form of a priority list recommending the user equipment to use the transition technology with the highest priority.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein

said transition technologies include at least one of the following:

6to4, ISATAP, Teredo, NAT-PT, MNAT-PT, L2TP, SNAT, NATv4v6v4.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein

said packet data core network is a core network of an Evolved Packet System (EPS) according to the 3GPP Release 8;

said user equipment is a terminal according to the 3GPP Release 8; and

said network resource request is involved with an initial attach procedure or a UE requested parallel PDN connectivity procedure according to the 3GPP Release 8.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein

said network element is a gateway for the packet data network, the method further comprising:

including said set of parameters as a part of Protocol Configuration Options (PCO) according to the 3GPP Release 8; and

signalling said set of parameters to the user equipment transparently from said gateway.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein

said network element is a gateway for the packet data network, the method further comprising:

including said set of parameters as a part of a response message to the network resource request;

sending the response message to a Mobility Management Entity (MME) of the EPS; and

signalling said set of parameters as a part of a response message to the user equipment from the MME.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein

said packet data core network is a core network of an Evolved Packet System (EPS) according to the 3GPP Release 8;

said user equipment is a terminal according to the 3GPP Release 8; and

the response to said network resource request is signalled after an attach procedure or a UE requested parallel PDN connectivity procedure or a primary PDP context activation procedure within IETF protocols such as DHCP.

9. A network element, comprising:

a receiver for receiving a network resource request from a user equipment, said request including an indication on the user equipment'"'"'s Internet Protocol (IP) version capability or a request for a particular PDP type;

a processing unit for creating a set of parameters for guiding the user equipment in IP address allocation at least in one packet data network, said set of parameters including at least a recommended version of IP address type to be used; and

a transmitter for signalling said set of parameters to the user equipment as a response to the network resource request.

10. The network element according to claim 9, wherein

the set of parameters further include information on at least one IP versions transition technology of the given type, which the user equipment is recommended use when accessed through said packet data network.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting a network resource request to a packet data core network, said request including an indication on the Internet Protocol (IP) version capability of the apparatus or a request for a particular PDP type;

a receiver for receiving signalling from said packet data core network as a response to the network resource request, said signalling including a set of parameters comprising at least a recommended version of IP address type to be used at least in one packet data network;

a memory for storing said set of parameters;

the apparatus being arranged to

request only the recommended version of IP address type and refrain from requesting another IP address type, when an application requiring said address type is initiated.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, the apparatus being further arranged to

receive information on at least one recommended IP versions transition technology of the given type in said the set of parameters to be used when the apparatus accesses through said packet data network.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, the apparatus further comprising

an internal priority list of supported IP versions transition technologies;

the apparatus being further arranged to

receive a plurality of IP versions transition technologies in a form of a priority list recommending the apparatus to use the transition technology with the highest priority; and

select a transition technology to be used from said priority lists.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, the apparatus being arranged to

prefer the priority list submitted by the packet data core network over the internal priority list of the apparatus, whereby the first transition technology in the priority list of the packet data core network, which is supported by the apparatus is selected as the transition technology to be used.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13, the apparatus being arranged to

prefer the internal priority list of the apparatus over the priority list submitted by the packet data core network, whereby the first transition technology in the internal priority list of the apparatus, which is also included in the priority list of the packet data core network is selected as the transition technology to be used.

16. The apparatus according to claim 13, the apparatus being arranged to

select the transition technology to be used as interaction of both the priority list submitted by the packet data core network and the internal priority list of the apparatus.

17. A computer program product, stored on a computer readable medium and executable in a data processing device, for selecting an IP address type to be used, the computer program product comprising:

a computer program code section for creating a network resource request to be transmitted to a packet data core network, said request including an indication on the Internet Protocol (IP) version capability of the data processing device or a request for a particular PDP type;

a computer program code section, responsive to receiving signalling from said packet data core network as a response to the network resource request, for storing a set of parameters received in said signalling in a memory, said set of parameters comprising at least a recommended version of IP address type to be used at least in one packet data network; and

a computer program code section for requesting only the recommended version of IP address type, when an application requiring said address type is initiated.