FLEXIBLE PARAMETER CACHE FOR MACHINE TYPE CONNECTIONS

• US 20120155480A1
• Filed: 12/29/2010
• Published: 06/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Stenfelt, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,493,878 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for improving parameter cache in a communication system, the system enabling Machine Type Communication, MTC, connection between at least one MTC device (10) and at least one MTC server (11), via a Packet Data Network, PDN, connection. The communication system for at least a first MTC connection performing the steps of:

• • a Gateway, GW (17), in the communication system establishing (23) a new Gx session with a Policy Control Node, PCN (15),
  • the PCN (15) performing (24) session binding with the GW (17),

The method is particularly characterized in that the communication system further performs the step of:

• • when the first MTC connection has been inactive for a certain time period, the GW (17) as part of a cache upload procedure sends (25) a first set of PDN connection parameters to the PCN (15) and releases memory resources associated with this first set of PDN connection parameters.

Claims

1. A method for improving parameter cache in a communication system, the system enabling Machine Type Communication, MTC, connection between at least one MTC device (10) and at least one MTC server (11), via a Packet Data Network, PDN, connection, the communication system for at least a first MTC connection performing the steps of:

a Gateway, GW (17), in the communication system establishing (23) a new Gx session with a Policy Control Node, PCN (15),

the PCN (15) performing (24) session binding with the GW (17),

characterized in that the communication system further performs the step of;

when the first MTC connection has been inactive for a certain time period, the GW (17) as part of a cache upload procedure sends (25) a first set of PDN connection parameters to the PCN (15) and releases memory resources associated with this first set of PDN connection parameters.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the first MTC connection is inactive when there is no user plane activity.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the MTC server (11) based on the extension of the time period sends a command to the PCN (15) to initiate the cache upload procedure.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein the PCN (15) initiates the cache upload procedure by sending a report to the GW (17) including an indication to the GW (17) to initiate the cache procedure.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein the GW (17) based on the extension of the time period initiates the cache upload procedure.

6. A method according to claim 1 the GW (17) remain and cache a second set of parameters for said PDN connection.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein the PCN (15) performs caching of said first set of PDN connection parameters.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein when there is a need for further communication via the first MTC connection, the GW (17) as part of a cache download procedure requests the PCN (15) to resend the first set of PDN connection parameters.

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein the MTC server (11) based on the need for further communication sends a command to the PCN (15) to initiate the cache download procedure.

10. A method according to claim 8 wherein the GW (17) based on signalling from the MTC device (10) initiates the cache download procedure.

11. A method according to claim 9 wherein the PCN (15) initiates the cache download procedure by sending a report to the GW (17) including information about said procedure.

12. A method according to claim 9 wherein the MTC server (11) establishes an Rx session directly with the PCN (15) or indirectly with the PCN (15) via an Application Function, AF.

15. A GW (17) according to claim 10 wherein the GW (17) is adapted to remain and cache a second set of parameters for said PDN connection.

13. A Gateway, GW (17);

in a communication system, the GW (17) being adapted to improve parameter cache in the communication system, the system being adapted to enable Machine Type Communication, MTC, connection between at least one MTC device (10) and at least one MTC server (11), via a Packet Data Network, PDN, connection, the GW (17) for at least a first MTC connection being adapted to establish (23) a Gx session with a Policy Control Node, PCN (15), in the system,

characterized in that

when the first MTC connection has been inactive for certain a time period, the GW (17) as part of a cache upload procedure is adapted to send (25) a first set of PDN connection parameters to the PCN (15) and release memory resources associated with this first set of PDN connection parameters.

14. A GW (17) according to claim 13 wherein the GW (17) based on the extension of the time period is adapted to initiate the cache upload procedure.

16. A GW (17) according to claim 13 wherein when there is a need for further communication via the first MTC connection, the GW (17) as part of a cache download procedure is adapted to requests the PCN (15) to resend the first set of PDN connection parameters

17. A GW (17) according to claim 16 wherein the GW (17) based on signalling from the MTC device (10) is adapted to initiate the cache download procedure.

19. A PCN (15) according to claim 16 wherein the PCN (15) is adapted to initiate the cache upload procedure by sending a report to the GW (17) including information about the said procedure.

20. A PCN (15) according to claim 16 wherein when there is a need for further communication via the first MTC connection, the PCN (15) is adapted to initiate the cache download procedure by sending a report to the GW (17) including information about said procedure.

18. A Policy Control Node, PCN (15), in a communication system, the PCN (15) being adapted to improve parameter cache in the communication system, the system being adapted to enable Machine Type Communication, MTC, connection between at least one MTC device (10) and at least one MTC server (11), via a Packet Data Network, PDN, connection, the PCN (15) for at least a first MTC connection being adapted to perform (24) session binding with a Gateway, GW (17), in the system,

characterized in that

when the first MTC connection has been inactive for certain a time period, the PCN (15) as part of a cache upload procedure is adapted to receive a first set of PDN connection parameters from the GW (17) and perform caching of these parameters.