METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GATEWAY SESSION ESTABLISHMENT

• US 20120265888A1
• Filed: 11/30/2010
• Published: 10/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Nielsen, Johan, Pancorbo Marcos, Maria Belen, Turányi, Zoltán, Roeland, Dinand
• Granted Patent: US 9,398,470 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5054 Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/66 Policy and charging system
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

A method for deploying a policy from a 3GPP core network to a non-3GPP access network. The policy relates to a connection established from a mobile terminal to the 3GPP core network via the non-3GPP access network. A local IP address acquired by the mobile terminal during establishment of the connection is received at the 3GPP core network. At the 3GPP core network, establishment of a policy control session is initiated from the 3GPP core network to the non-3GPP access network. The received local IP address is used to determine the non-3GPP access network used for the connection with reference to shared IP addressing information. At the 3GPP core network, the policy is provided to the non-3GPP access network using the policy control session established as a result of the policy control session initiation step. The policy is for deployment in the non-3GPP access network in relation to the established connection.

Claims

1. A method of deploying a policy from a 3GPP core network to a non-3GPP access network, the policy relating to a connection established from a mobile terminal to the 3GPP core network via the non-3GPP access network, and the method comprising, at the 3GPP core network:

(a) receiving a local IP address, the local IP address having being acquired by the mobile terminal during establishment of the connection;

(b) initiating establishment of a policy control session from the 3GPP core network to the non-3GPP access network, using the local IP address received in step (a) to determine or to enable determination of the non-3GPP access network used for the connection with reference to shared IP addressing information, the shared IP addressing information setting out different respective ranges of local IP addresses assigned to a plurality of such non-3GPP access networks; and

(c) providing the policy to the non-3GPP access network using the policy control session established as a result of step (b), the policy being for deployment in the non-3GPP access network in relation to the established connection.

2. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the steps (a), (b) and (c) are performed by a policy server in the 3GPP core network, such as a policy and charging rules function.

3. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the shared IP addressing information is stored in a DNS database or another database maintained in the 3GPP core network, and wherein step (b) comprises performing a lookup operation in the database based on the local IP address to determine the non-3GPP access network used for the connection, or providing the local IP address to another node to enable that node to perform such a lookup operation based on the local IP address.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the other database is a DRA, and comprising providing the local IP address to the DRA to enable the DRA to determine the non-3GPP access network used for the connection.

5. A method as claimed in claim 3, when dependent on claim 2, wherein the other database is maintained in the policy server.

8. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the policy is or comprises a QoS policy.

9. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the mobile terminal comprises a UE.

10. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the 3GPP core network comprises an Evolved Packet Core network.

11. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the non-3GPP access network comprises a BBF network.

14. A program for controlling an apparatus to perform a method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11.

15. A storage medium containing a program as claimed in claim 14.

6. A method of deploying a policy in a non-3GPP access network from a 3GPP core network, the policy relating to a connection established from a mobile terminal to the 3GPP core network via the non-3GPP access network, and the method comprising, at the non-3GPP access network:

(a) assisting in the establishment of a policy control session to the non-3GPP access network from the 3GPP core network, establishment of the policy control session having been initiated by the 3GPP core network using a local IP address acquired by the mobile terminal during establishment of the connection, the local IP address being to determine or to enable determination of the non-3GPP access network used for the connection with reference to shared IP addressing information setting out different respective ranges of local IP addresses assigned to a plurality of such non-3GPP access networks;

(b) receiving the policy using the policy control session established as a result of step (a); and

(c) deploying or arranging for the deployment of the policy received in step (b) in relation to the established connection.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the steps (a), (b) and (c) are performed (i) by a gateway node, such as a border gateway node, in the non-3GPP access network;

or (ii) by a policy server, such as a policy control function, in the non-3GPP access network;

or as a cooperation between (i) and (ii).

12. An apparatus for use in a 3GPP core network for deploying a policy from the 3GPP core network to a non-3GPP access network, the policy relating to a connection established from a mobile terminal to the 3GPP core network via the non-3GPP access network, and the apparatus comprising:

(a) means for receiving a local IP address, the local IP address having being acquired by the mobile terminal during establishment of the connection;

(b) means for initiating establishment of a policy control session from the 3GPP core network to the non-3GPP access network, using the received local IP address to determine or to enable determination of the non-3GPP access network used for the connection with reference to shared IP addressing information, the shared IP addressing information setting out different respective ranges of local IP addresses assigned to a plurality of such non-3GPP access networks; and

(c) means for providing the policy to the non-3GPP access network using the established policy control session, the policy being for deployment in the non-3GPP access network in relation to the established connection.

13. An apparatus for use in a non-3GPP access network for deploying a policy in the non-3GPP access network from a 3GPP core network, the policy relating to a connection established from a mobile terminal to the 3GPP core network via the non-3GPP access network, and the apparatus comprising:

(a) means for assisting in the establishment of a policy control session to the non-3GPP access network from the 3GPP core network, establishment of the policy control session having been initiated by the 3GPP core network using a local IP address acquired by the mobile terminal during establishment of the connection, the local IP address being to determine or to enable determination of the non-3GPP access network used for the connection with reference to shared IP addressing information setting out different respective ranges of local IP addresses assigned to a plurality of such non-3GPP access networks;

(b) means for receiving the policy using the established policy control session; and

(c) means for deploying or arranging for the deployment of the received policy in relation to the established connection.