METHOD, APPARATUS AND SYSTEM FOR ESTABLISHING A CONNECTION

• US 20090234956A1
• Filed: 05/26/2009
• Published: 09/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2007
• 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: WANG, Shanshan, HU, Ying
• Granted Patent: US 8,838,814 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/048 mobile agents
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/18 Protocol analysers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/17 Selecting a data network PoA [Point of Attachment]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/045 involving different protocol versions, e.g. MIPv4 and MIPv6

Abstract

A method for establishing a connection includes the following steps: A mobility management entity generates a create bearer context request message and sends the message to a selected serving gateway. The create bearer context request message at least includes address information of at least one packet data network gateway and corresponding indication information of the protocol type of connection establishment. The serving gateway receives and analyzes the create bearer context request message, and determines the protocol type of the connection according to the indication information of the protocol type of connection establishment. The serving gateway processes the create bearer context request message with the determined protocol type of connection. Further provided are a mobility management entity, a serving gateway, and a network system which are able to reduce time delay when connection is established.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a connection, comprising:

generating a create bearer context request message;

sending the create bearer context request message to a selected serving gateway, wherein the create bearer context request message comprises address information of at least one packet data network gateway and corresponding indication information of the protocol type of connection establishment.

2. The method according to the claim 1, further comprising obtaining the address information of the packet data network gateway and the corresponding indication information of the protocol type of connection establishment.

3. The method according to the claim 2, wherein the process of obtaining the address information of the packet data network gateway and the corresponding indication information of the protocol type of connection establishment comprises:

obtaining the address information of the packet data network gateway and the corresponding indication information of the protocol type of connection establishment from a storage unit located in at least one of a Home Subscriber Server (HSS), a Domain Name Service (DNS) Server, and a Mobility Management Entity, wherein the indication information indicates a protocol type of connection establishment supported by the packet data network gateway, and the protocol type of connection establishment is selected from a group of a General Packet Radio Service Tunneling Protocol (GTP), a Proxy Mobile IP Protocol (PMIP), and a Client Mobile IP Protocol (CMIP).

4. A method for establishing a connection, comprising:

receiving and parsing a create bearer context request message, and obtaining the address information of a packet data network gateway and corresponding indication information of a protocol type of connection establishment;

determining a protocol type of connection for establishing a connection with the packet data network gateway according to the analyzed indication information of the protocol type of connection establishment; and

processing the create bearer context request message according to the determined protocol type of connection.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the process of determining the protocol type of connection for establishing a connection with the packet data network gateway according to the analyzed indication information indicating the protocol type of connection establishment comprises:

determining whether the protocol type of connection in the indication information is supported by a serving gateway;

selecting the protocol type of connection supported by the serving gateway for the serving gateway to use, wherein the protocol type of connection comprises at least one of a GTP, a PMIP, and a CMIP.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the process of processing the create bearer context request message according to the determined protocol type of connection comprises:

forwarding the create bearer context request information to the packet data network gateway if the determined protocol type of connection is a GTP;

sending, by the serving gateway, a corresponding PMIP-binding update message to the packet data network gateway if the determined protocol type of connection is a PMIP and establishing a PMIP tunnel between the serving gateway and the packet data network gateway;

assigning and sending a care-of address to the user terminal to perform a CMIP registration if the determined protocol type of connection is a CMIP.

7. A method for establishing a connection, implemented in a system comprising at least a mobility management entity, a serving gateway, and a packet data network gateway, comprising:

generating, by the mobility management entity, a create bearer context request message and sending the request message to a selected serving gateway, wherein the create bearer context request message comprises address information of at least one packet data network gateway and corresponding indication information of a protocol type of connection establishment;

parsing, by the serving gateway, the create bearer context request message, and determining a protocol type of connection for establishing a connection with the packet data network gateway according to the indication information indicating the protocol type of connection establishment; and

processing, by the serving gateway, the create bearer context request message correspondingly according to the determined protocol type of connection.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the process of determining the protocol type of connection for establishing a connection with the packet data network gateway according to the indication information comprises:

determining whether the protocol type of connection in the indication information is supported by the serving gateway; and

selecting the protocol type of connection supported by the serving gateway for the serving gateway to use.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the process of processing the create bearer context request message correspondingly according to the determined protocol type of connection comprises:

forwarding the create bearer context request information to the packet data network gateway if the determined protocol type of connection is a GTP;

sending, by the serving gateway, a corresponding PMIP-binding update message to the packet data network gateway and establishing a PMIP tunnel between the serving gateway and the packet data network gateway if the determined protocol type of connection is a PMIP; and

assigning and sending a care-of address to the user terminal for the user terminal to perform CMIP registration if the determined protocol type of connection is a CMIP.

10. A mobility management entity, comprising:

a packet data network gateway information acquisition unit, adapted to obtain address information of the packet data network gateway and corresponding indication information of the protocol type of connection establishment; and

a bearer establishment initiation unit, adapted to generate a create bearer context request message and send the message to a selected serving gateway, wherein the create bearer context request message comprises address information of at least one packet data network gateway and the indication information.

11. The mobility management entity according to claim 10, wherein the indication information is adapted to indicate the protocol type of connection establishment supported by the packet data network gateway, and the protocol type of connection establishment is selected from a group of a GTP, a PMIP, and a CMIP.

12. The mobility management entity according to claim 10, further comprising:

a storage unit, adapted to store address information of at least one packet data network gateway and corresponding indication information of the protocol type of connection establishment.

13. The mobility management entity according to claim 10, wherein the packet data network gateway information acquisition unit further comprises a query unit, adapted to send a query request to a Domain Name Service (DNS) Server, and obtain the address information of the packet data network gateway and the indication information.

14. A serving gateway, comprising:

a reception and analysis unit, adapted to receive and analyze a create bearer context request message, and obtain address information of a packet data network gateway and corresponding indication information of a protocol type of connection establishment;

a protocol type determination unit, adapted to determine a protocol type of connection for establishing the connection with the packet data network gateway according to an analyzed result of the reception and analysis unit; and

a bearer establishment process unit, adapted to process the create bearer context request message according to the protocol type of connection determined by the protocol type determination unit.

15. The serving gateway according to claim 14, wherein the protocol type determination unit further comprises:

a determination unit, adapted to determine whether the protocol type of connection in the indication information is supported by the serving gateway; and

a selection unit, adapted to select one protocol type of connection supported by the serving gateway for the serving gateway to use, wherein the selected protocol type of connection is one of a GTP, a PMIP, and a CMIP.

16. The serving gateway according to claim 15, wherein:

the bearer-establishment process unit forwards the create bearer context request information to the packet data network gateway and establishes a connection with the packet data network gateway, if the protocol type of connection determined by the protocol type determination unit is the GTP;

the bearer-establishment process unit sends a corresponding PMIP-binding update message to the packet data network gateway and establishes a PMIP tunnel between the serving gateway and the packet data network gateway, if the protocol type of connection determined by the protocol type determination unit is the PMIP; and

the bearer-establishment process unit assigns and sends a care-of address to the user terminal for the user terminal to perform CMIP registration, if the protocol type of connection determined by the protocol type determination unit is the CMIP.

17. A network system, comprising at least a mobility management entity, a serving gateway, and a packet data network gateway, wherein:

the mobility management entity is adapted to generates a create bearer context request message and send the message to a selected serving gateway, wherein the create bearer context request message comprises at least address information of the packet data network gateway and corresponding indication information of the protocol type of connection establishment; and

the serving gateway is adapted to analyze the create bearer context request message from the mobility management entity, determine the protocol type of connection for establishing a connection with the packet data network gateway according to the indication information, and process the create bearer context request message according to the determined protocol type of connection.

18. The network system according to claim 17, wherein the serving gateway further comprises:

a determination unit, adapted to determine whether the protocol type of connection in the indication information is supported by the serving gateway; and

a selection unit, adapted to select one protocol type of connection supported by the serving gateway for the serving gateway to use.

19. The network system according to claim 17, further comprising at least one of:

a Home Subscriber Server HSS, adapted to store at least one address of the packet data network gateway and corresponding indication information of the protocol type of connection establishment; and

a Domain Name Service Server, DNS server, adapted to store at least one address of the packet data network gateway and corresponding indication information of the protocol type of connection establishment;

wherein, the mobility management entity comprises a packet data network gateway information acquisition unit, adapted to obtain address information of the packet data network gateway and corresponding indication information of the protocol type of connection establishment from one of the HSS and the DNS server, wherein the indication information is adapted to indicate the protocol type of connection supported by the packet data network gateway.

20. The network system according to claim 18, further comprising at least one of:

a Home Subscriber Server HSS, adapted to store at least one address of the packet data network gateway and corresponding indication information of the protocol type of connection establishment; and

a Domain Name Service (DNS) server, adapted to store at least one address of the packet data network gateway and corresponding indication information of the protocol type of connection establishment;

wherein, the mobility management entity comprises a packet data network gateway information acquisition unit, adapted to obtain address information of the packet data network gateway and corresponding indication information of the protocol type of connection establishment from one of the HSS and the DNS server, wherein the indication information is adapted to indicate the protocol type of connection supported by the packet data network gateway.