DATA OFFLOADING WITH DISTRIBUTED IP MANAGEMENT AND ROUTING

• US 20120020260A1
• Filed: 07/23/2010
• Published: 01/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Chen, Xuming, Yang, Jin
• Granted Patent: US 8,824,433 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/310
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A method performed by a wireless node includes receiving policies for data offloading; identifying a user associated with a data flow to which a user device is attached; determining whether data offloading is permitted for the user based on the policies; and performing data offloading when it is determined that data offloading is permitted for the user, wherein data offloading includes routing the data flow away from at least one of a higher layer traffic aggregation device relative to the wireless node or a higher hierarchical controlling device relative to the wireless node.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a wireless node, policies for data offloading;

identifying, by the wireless node, a user associated with a data flow to which a user device is attached;

determining, by the wireless node, whether data offloading is permitted for the user based on the policies; and

performing, by the wireless node, data offloading when it is determined that data offloading is permitted for the user, wherein data offloading includes routing the data flow away from at least one of a higher layer traffic aggregation device relative to the wireless node or a higher hierarchical controlling device relative to the wireless node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data offloading includes routing the data flow via the wireless node or a peer wireless node relative to the wireless node.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying an access point name associated with the data flow; and

determining whether data offloading is permitted based on the access point name.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a destination address associated with the data flow;

identifying an access point name associated with the data flow;

identifying a neighbor wireless node address associated with the data flow; and

determining whether data offloading is permitted based on the destination address, the access point name, and the neighbor wireless node address.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless node comprises one of an evolved Node-B, a Node-B, a base station, a user device gateway, a serving gateway, or a radio node to which the user device is attached.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a protocol associated with the data flow;

identifying in-ports and out-ports associated with the data flow; and

determining whether data offloading is permitted based on the protocol and the in-ports and out-ports.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a level of quality of service associated with the data flow; and

performing the data offloading in accordance with the level of quality of service.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

routing the data flow toward the least one of the higher layer traffic aggregation device or the higher hierarchical controlling device when it is determined that data offloading is not permitted.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein when the wireless node comprises an evolved node B, the method further comprises:

routing the data flow to a serving gateway when it is determined that data offloading is not permitted; and

wherein when the wireless node comprises the serving gateway, the method further comprises;

routing the data flow to a packet data network gateway when it is determined that data offloading is not permitted.

10. A wireless node comprising:

one or more memories to store instructions; and

one or more processors to execute the instructions in the one or more memories to;

receive policies for data offloading;

identify a user associated with a data flow to which a user device is attached;

determine whether data offloading is permitted for the user based on the policies; and

perform data offloading when it is determined that data offloading is permitted for the user, wherein data offloading includes routing the data flow so that the data flow does not traverse at least one of a higher layer traffic aggregation device relative to the wireless node or a higher hierarchical controlling device relative to the wireless node.

11. The wireless node of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are to execute instructions to:

identify an access point name associated with the data flow; and

determine whether data offloading is permitted based on the access point name.

12. The wireless node of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are to execute instructions to:

identify a destination address associated with the data flow;

identify an access point name associated with the data flow;

identify a neighbor wireless node address associated with the data flow; and

determine whether data offloading is permitted based on the destination address, the access point name, and the neighbor wireless node address.

13. The wireless node of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are to execute instructions to:

identify a protocol associated with the data flow;

identify in-ports and out-ports associated with the data flow; and

determine whether data offloading is permitted based on the protocol and the in-ports and out-ports.

14. The wireless node of claim 10, wherein the wireless node comprises one of a home evolved Node-B (home eNB), a user device gateway, a serving gateway, an eNB, a Node-B, a base station, or a radio node.

15. The wireless node of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are to execute instructions to:

route the data flow to the least one of the higher layer traffic aggregation device or the higher hierarchical controlling device when it is determined that data offloading is not permitted.

16. The wireless node of claim 10, wherein when performing data offloading, the one or more processors are to execute instructions to:

route the data flow via the wireless node or a peer wireless node relative to the wireless node.

17. The wireless node of claim 10, wherein when identifying the user, the one or more processors are to execute instructions to:

identify an identifier associated with the user, wherein the identifier corresponds to an International Mobile Subscriber Identity.

18. The wireless node of claim 10, wherein the one or more components are further configured to:

identify a level of quality of service associated with the data flow; and

perform the data offloading in accordance with the level of quality of service.

19. A computer-readable medium containing instructions executable by at least one processor, the computer-readable medium storing instructions for:

receiving policies for data offloading;

identifying a user associated with a data flow to which a user device is attached;

determining whether data offloading is permitted for the user based on the policies; and

performing data offloading when it is determined that data offloading is permitted for the user, wherein data offloading includes routing the data flow so that the data flow does not traverse at least one of a higher layer traffic aggregation device relative to the wireless node or a higher hierarchical controlling device relative to the wireless node.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising one or more instructions for:

identifying an access point name associated with the data flow; and

determining whether data offloading is permitted based on the access point name.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising one or more instructions for:

identifying a destination address associated with the data flow;

identifying an access point name associated with the data flow;

identifying a neighbor wireless node address associated with the data flow; and

determining whether data offloading is permitted based on the destination address, the access point name, and the neighbor wireless node address.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising one or more instructions for:

routing the data flow via a wireless node in which the computer-readable medium resides or a peer wireless node relative to the wireless node when it is determined that data offloading is to be performed.