SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OFFLOADING DATA IN A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20120082093A1
• Filed: 07/10/2011
• Published: 04/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Andreasen, Flemming S., Leung, Kent K., Khouderchah, Michel, Iyer, Jayaraman R., Stammers, Timothy P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,049,046 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/243 using M+N parallel active paths
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/26 Route discovery packet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0226 based on location or mobility handoff or reselection H04W36/00; mobile application services making use of the location of users or terminals H04W4/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information

Abstract

A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes communicating an in-band message packet from a first network element; receiving a response to the in-band message from a second network element, the response contains tunnel identification binding data that identifies a tunnel on a backhaul link on which traffic from a user equipment can flow; and receiving instructions from the second network element to offload a received data packet from the backhaul link. In particular instances, the in-band message is set to loopback when the in-band message is sent from the first network element. In other embodiments, the tunnel identification binding data is provided in the payload of the in-band message when the in-band message is sent from the first network element. In other examples, the method can include receiving an assigned Internet protocol (IP) address of the user equipment in the response to the in-band message.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

communicating an in-band message packet from a first network element;

receiving a response to the in-band message from a second network element, wherein the response contains tunnel identification binding data that identifies a tunnel on a backhaul link on which traffic from a user equipment can flow; and

receiving instructions from the second network element to offload a received data packet from the backhaul link.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the in-band message is set to loopback when the in-band message is sent from the first network element.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the tunnel identification binding data is provided in the payload of the in-band message when the in-band message is sent from the first network element.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an assigned Internet protocol (IP) address of the user equipment in the response to the in-band message.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

changing an endpoint of the in-band message at a servicing general packet radio service support node or a serving gateway; and

communicating the in-band message to a different network element.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second network element is a gateway general packet radio service support node or a packet data network gateway, and wherein the first network element is a mobile enabled router.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving identification data of the gateway general packet radio service support node in the response to the in-band message.

8. Logic encoded in one or more non-transitory media that includes code for execution and when executed by a processor is operable to perform operations comprising:

communicating an in-band message packet from a first network element;

receiving a response to the in-band message from a second network element, wherein the response contains tunnel identification binding data that identifies a tunnel on a backhaul link on which traffic from a user equipment can flow; and

receiving instructions from the second network element to offload a received data packet from the backhaul link.

9. The logic of claim 8, wherein the in-band message is set to loopback when the in-band message is sent from the first network element.

10. The logic of claim 8, wherein the tunnel identification binding data is provided in the payload of the in-band message when the in-band message is sent from the first network element.

11. The logic of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

receiving an assigned Internet protocol (IP) address of the user equipment in the response to the in-band message.

12. The logic of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

changing an endpoint of the in-band message at a servicing general packet radio service support node or a serving gateway; and

communicating the in-band message to a different network element.

13. The logic of claim 8, wherein the second network element is a gateway general packet radio service support node or a packet data network gateway, and wherein the first network element is a mobile enabled router.

14. The logic of claim 13, the operations further comprising:

receiving identification data of the gateway general packet radio service support node in the response to the in-band message.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory element configured to store data;

a processor operable to execute instructions associated with the data;

a traffic offload module configured to interface with the memory element and the processor, wherein the apparatus is configured for;

communicating an in-band message packet from a first network element;

receiving a response to the in-band message from a second network element, wherein the response contains tunnel identification binding data that identifies a tunnel on a backhaul link on which traffic from a user equipment can flow; and

receiving instructions from the second network element to offload a received data packet from the backhaul link.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the in-band message is set to loopback when the in-band message is sent from the first network element.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the tunnel identification binding data is provided in the payload of the in-band message when the in-band message is sent from the first network element.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, the apparatus further configured for:

receiving an assigned Internet protocol (IP) address of the user equipment in the response to the in-band message.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, the apparatus further configured for:

changing an endpoint of the in-band message at a servicing general packet radio service support node or a serving gateway; and

communicating the in-band message to a different network element.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, the apparatus further configured for:

receiving identification data of the gateway general packet radio service support node in the response to the in-band message.