METHOD AND APPARATUS CONFIGURED TO PROVIDE LOCAL BREAKOUT SERVICES WITH A SINGLE APN

• US 20120057463A1
• Filed: 05/10/2010
• Published: 03/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Schramm, Mirko, Hurtta, Tuija Helena
• Granted Patent: US 9,078,161 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/236
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0846 between network providers, e.g. operators selecting a network or a communication service H04W40/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers

Abstract

A method, apparatus, computer program, and system is provided that includes handling traffic management in a communication network system. One example may include activating a communication link, obtaining traffic management rules to handle the traffic flow on the communication link, and transferring the traffic management rules to at least one network element configured to implement the traffic management rules. The traffic management rules are configured to perform traffic management by transferring at least a portion of the network traffic to a different communication network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

activating a communication link;

obtaining traffic management rules to handle traffic flow on the communication link;

transmitting the traffic management rules to at least one network element configured to implement the traffic management rules; and

transferring at least a portion of the network traffic to a different communication network based on the traffic management rules.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the communication link comprises setting up of a packet data protocol (PDP) context or default bearer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the traffic management rules determine the traffic to be subjected to local breakout operation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the traffic management is performed via filters to determine the traffic that is subject to local breakout operation.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the filters are traffic flow template (TFT) filters.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprises contacting a further network element to obtain the traffic management rules.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the further network element is a policy and charging rules function (PCRF).

22. A computer program product comprising code means adapted to produce steps of claim 1 when loaded into the memory of a computer.

8. A method comprising:

determining a network element responsible for traffic management; and

sending to the network element information containing access point name.

9. The method in claim 8 further comprises sending a further information to the network element, said further information containing the address of a further network element.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprises contacting the further network element to obtain traffic management rules.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the further network element is a policy charging and rules function.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein contacting the further network element is through Gx interface.

13. A method comprising:

storing information about at least one access point name;

determining if an access point name is subject to local breakout;

receiving traffic management rules from a network element.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to activate a communication link and obtain traffic management rules to handle the traffic flow on the communication link; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the traffic management rules to at least one network element configured to implement the traffic management rules;

wherein the traffic management rules are configured to perform traffic management by transferring at least a portion of the network traffic to a different communication network.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor activates the communication link by setting up a packet data protocol (PDP) context or default bearer.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the transferring of at least a portion of the network traffic is based on a local breakout operation.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the traffic management is performed via filters to determine the traffic that is subject to a local breakout operation.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the filters are traffic flow template (TFT) filters.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to determine at least one network element responsible for traffic management; and

a transmitter configured to transmit information containing access point name;

wherein the traffic management rules are configured to perform traffic management by transferring at least a portion of the network traffic to a different communication network.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit address of a further network element responsible for traffic management rules.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a storage for storing information about at least one access point name;

a processor configured to determine if an access point name is subject to local breakout; and

a receiver configured to receive traffic management rules from a network element;

wherein the traffic management rules are configured to perform traffic management by transferring at least a portion of the network traffic to a different communication network.