FLOW BALANCING IN COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS

• US 20100091653A1
• Filed: 10/14/2009
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Starent Networks Corporation (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: KOODLI, Rajeev, CHOWDHURY, Kuntal
• Granted Patent: US 8,494,543 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0027 for a plurality of data sessions of end-to-end connections, e.g. multi-call or multi-bearer end-to-end data connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/005 Multiple registrations, e.g. multihoming

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed that provide flow balancing for multiple radio access technologies in a communication network. A mechanism is provided that enables the handover of one or more data flows when a mobile device is attached to more than one access technology at the same time. The handover can be initiated by the network or the subscriber and can be based on rules and/or policies known at the time. The mechanism can be implemented in a gateway device that provides communication between the packet core and the access network. The mechanism can also be used in providing handovers between access technologies such as a femtocell access network and an LTE access network.

Claims

1. A gateway that implements a local mobility anchor comprising:

a first network connection configured to send and receive data flows from a packet network;

a second network connection configured to send and receive data flows from a user equipment; and

a processor capable of creating a binding using identification information of the user equipment and maintaining an application profile that includes an identification of an access technology used in providing radio communication to the user equipment, wherein the processor is capable of detecting when the user equipment is connected to a plurality of different access technologies simultaneously by checking the bindings and corresponding application profiles and determining whether to handover a specific data flow from a first access technology to a second access technology when the user equipment is connected to a plurality of access technologies simultaneously.

2. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the first access technology is a long-term evolution based radio access technology and the second access technology is WiFi.

3. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to create a binding cache entry to forward a specific data flow to the UE through the second access technology.

4. The gateway of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to remove the binding cache entry when the UE roams out of coverage of the second access technology.

5. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to run logic to consider policies in determining if a data flow handed over to the second access technology.

6. A method of handing over a data flow comprising:

receiving at an anchor gateway a first binding registration including an identification of a user equipment (UE);

creating a binding at the anchor gateway using the identification for the UE and maintaining an application profile that includes information regarding a first access technology used in the connection;

sending from the anchor gateway a first data flow and a second data flow towards the UE, where the first access technology is used to communicate between the UE and the anchor gateway;

receiving at the anchor gateway a second binding registration for the UE;

creating a second binding at the anchor gateway using the identification for the UE and associating a corresponding application profile that includes a second access technology;

determining whether to handover a specific data flow from the first access technology to the second access technology; and

once a determination is made to handover the specific data flow, forwarding the first data flow to the UE over the second access technology while sending to the UE the second data flow over the first access technology.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising after the forwarding:

removing the forwarding of the first data flow over the second access technology; and

sending the first data flow over the first access technology.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the removing is a removal of a binding cache entry at the anchor gateway when the UE roams out of coverage of the second access technology.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the first access technology is a long-term evolution (LTE) based radio access technology and the second access technology is WiFi.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

comparing the application profile of the first access technology and the application profile of the second access technology; and

checking policies in determining if a data flow is handed over to the second access technology.

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving a request from the user equipment to handover the first data flow to the second access technology; and

initiating a handover from a first access technology to a second access technology of the first data flow based on the received request.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the binding is a proxy mobile internet protocol version 6 (PMIPv6) binding.

13. A method for a mobile device that can communicate with a plurality of radio access networks using a plurality of access technologies, the method comprising:

attaching to a first radio access network of a first access technology to cause the mobile device to transmit and receive a first data flow and a second data flow over the first access technology between the mobile device and the first radio access network; and

in response to roaming to an area serviced by a second radio access network of a second access technology in addition to the first access technology, attaching to the second radio access network such that the second data flow is provided over the second access technology between the mobile device and the second radio access network, while the first data flow continues to be over the first access technology.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein one of the different access technologies includes a macro cellular technology, including one of LTE, CDMA2000, and UMTS, and wherein another of the different access technologies includes one of WiFi and femtocell technology.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising initiating a handover of the second data flow to the second access technology by sending a notification to handover the second data flow.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising sending a preference regarding how data flows are transmitted to the mobile device when a plurality of access technologies are available at the same time.