Deferred Address Allocation of IPV4 or IPV6 in Case of Interworking Between Non-3GPP Access and Evolved Packet Core

• US 20140341138A1
• Filed: 09/19/2012
• Published: 11/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Roeland, Dinand, Qiang, Zu
• Granted Patent: US 9,392,636 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/686 using dual-stack hosts, e.g. in Internet protocol version 4 [IPv4]/Internet protocol version 6 [IPv6] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/045 involving different protocol versions, e.g. MIPv4 and MIPv6

Abstract

The application relates to IP address allocation in the context of a user equipment UE connecting to the Evolved Packet Core as standardised by 3GPP, in particular over the S2a interface, where there is a GPRS Tunneling Protocol (GTP) or Proxy Mobile IP (PMIP) tunnel for each PDN connection between the BBF BNG and the 3GPP PGW(s). At the setup of the GTPv2/PMIPv6 tunnel to the PGW, the BNG indicates the PDN type: IPv4-only, IPv6 only, or IPv4v6. The UE is not able or willing to indicate the IP capability it has. Therefore the BNG has to assume either a single IP type PDN connection type (e.g. Pv4ony or Pv6ony) or a dual IP type PDN connection type (i.e. IPv4v6) at tunnel establishment. If there is a mismatch between the UE IP capability and the network assumption, extra resources may be allocated unnecessary. This problem is solved in that the non-3GPP gateway node, e.g. the BNG, sends a message ((b)-(A)) to the 3GPP gateway node, e.g. the PGW, including an indication that the PDN connection is to support the first and a second version of the Internet Protocol, e.g. PDN type “IPv4v6”, with allocation ((C)) initially by the 3GPP gateway node of an IP address for the PDN connection of the first version but not the second version. Following establishment of the PDN connection, when the non-3GPP gateway node receives a second trigger message ((e)) relating to the PDN to trigger allocation of an IP address for the PDN connection of the second version, the non-3GPP gateway node sends a message ((f)-(E)) to the 3GPP gateway node to request the allocation of an IP address for the PDN connection of the second version and, if necessary, the updating of the existing PDN connection. The non-3GPP gateway node receives from the 3GPP gateway node the second version IP address ((H)-(g)) allocated by the 3GPP gateway node for the PDN connection.

Claims

1-23. -23. (canceled)

24. A method of setting up a Packet Data Network (PDN) connection between a User Equipment (UE) and a PDN, with the UE connecting to the PDN via a non-3GPP access network and a 3GPP network, the method comprising at a non-3GPP gateway node in the non-3GPP access network:

a) receiving a message to trigger establishment, for the PDN connection, of a tunnel between the non-3GPP gateway node and a gateway node in the 3GPP network;

b) initiating a procedure to establish the tunnel;

c) sending a message to the 3GPP gateway node including an indication that the PDN connection is to support a first and a second version of Internet Protocol (IP), with allocation initially by the 3GPP gateway node of an IP address for the PDN connection of the first version but not the second version;

d) receiving, from the 3GPP gateway node, the first version IP address allocated by the 3GPP gateway node for the PDN connection;

e) following establishment of the PDN connection based on the allocated first version IP address, receiving a message relating to the PDN to trigger allocation of an IP address for the PDN connection of the second version;

f) sending a message to the 3GPP gateway node to request the allocation of an IP address for the PDN connection of the second version;

g) receiving, from the 3GPP gateway node, the second version IP address allocated by the 3GPP gateway node for the PDN connection.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the message sent in step (c) is sent as part of the procedure in step (b) to establish the tunnel.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the trigger message received in step (a) is associated with the first version of the IP.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the trigger message received in step (a) is received from the UE.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the trigger message received in step (a) is a message to trigger establishment of the PDN connection.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein the trigger message received in step (a) is received from an authentication node of the non-3GPP network following authentication of the UE with the 3GPP network.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein the indication in step (c) is produced without reference to any explicit request included within the trigger message received in step (a) that the PDN connection is to support the first and second versions of the IP and/or without reference to any explicit request included within the trigger message for allocation initially by the 3GPP gateway node of an IP address for the PDN connection of the first version but not the second version.

31. The method of claim 30:

wherein the trigger message received in step (a) is associated with the first version of the IP;

wherein the indication in step (c) is produced based on the association of the trigger message received in step (a) with the first version of the IP.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the trigger message received in step (a) comprises an explicit request that the PDN connection is to support the first and second versions of the IP, but no explicit request for allocation initially by the 3GPP gateway node of an IP address for the PDN connection of the first version but not the second version.

33. The method of claim 24, wherein the trigger message received in step (e) is associated with the second version of the IP, thereby triggering allocation of an IP address for the PDN connection of the second version.

34. The method of claim 24, wherein the trigger message received in step (e) is received from the UE.

35. The method of claim 24, wherein the non-3GPP access network is a BroadBand Forum (BBF) network.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the non-3GPP gateway node is a Border Network Gateway node of the BBF network.

37. The method of claim 24, wherein the non-3GPP access network is an access network defined by WiFi Alliance.

38. The method of claim 24, wherein the non-3GPP access network forms part of a 3GPP access network.

39. The method of claim 24, wherein the 3GPP gateway node is a PDN Gateway node of a 3GPP core network.

40. The method of claim 24, wherein the first version of the IP is one of IPv4 and IPv6 and the second version of the IP is the other of IPv4 and IPv6.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the IP address for the version corresponding to IPv6 is an IPv6 prefix.

42. A method of setting up a Packet Data Network (PDN) connection between a User Equipment (UE) and a PDN, with the UE connecting to the PDN via a non-3GPP access network and a 3GPP network, the method comprising at a 3GPP gateway node in the 3GPP network:

initiating establishment, for the PDN connection, of a tunnel between a gateway node in the non-3GPP network and the 3GPP gateway node;

receiving a message from the non-3GPP gateway node including an indication that the PDN connection is to support a first and a second version of Internet Protocol (IP), with allocation initially by the 3GPP gateway node of an IP address for the PDN connection of the first version but not the second version;

allocating an IP address of the first version for the PDN connection;

sending the first version IP address to the non-3GPP gateway node;

following establishment of the PDN connection based on the allocated first version IP address, receiving a message from the non-3GPP gateway node requesting the allocation of an IP address for the PDN connection of the second version;

allocating an IP address of the second version for the PDN connection;

sending the allocated second version IP address to the non-3GPP gateway node.

43. A non-3GPP gateway node for use in a non-3GPP access network for setting up a Packet Data Network (PDN) connection between a User Equipment (UE) and a PDN, with the UE connecting to the PDN via the non-3GPP access network and a 3GPP network, the non-3GPP gateway node comprising:

a receiver;

a controller circuit;

a transmitter;

wherein the receiver is configured to receive a message to trigger establishment, for the PDN connection, of a tunnel between the non-3GPP gateway node and a gateway node in the 3GPP network;

wherein the controller circuit is configured to initiate a procedure to establish the tunnel;

wherein the transmitter is configured to send a message to the 3GPP gateway node including an indication that the PDN connection is to support a first and a second version of Internet Protocol (IP), with allocation initially by the 3GPP gateway node of an IP address for the PDN connection of the first version but not the second version;

wherein the receiver is configured to receive, from the 3GPP gateway node, the first version IP address allocated by the 3GPP gateway node for the PDN connection;

wherein the receiver is configured to, following establishment of the PDN connection based on the allocated first version IP address, receive a message relating to the PDN to trigger allocation of an IP address for the PDN connection of the second version;

wherein the transmitter is configured to send a message to the 3GPP gateway node to request the allocation of an IP address for the PDN connection of the second version;

wherein the receiver is configured to receive, from the 3GPP gateway node, the second version IP address allocated by the 3GPP gateway node for the PDN connection.

44. A 3GPP gateway node for use in a 3GPP network for setting up a Packet Data Network (PDN) connection between a User Equipment (UE) and a PDN, with the UE connecting to the PDN via a non-3GPP access network and the 3GPP network, the gateway node comprising:

a receiver;

a controller circuit;

a transmitter;

wherein the controller circuit is configured to initiate establishment, for the PDN connection, of a tunnel between a gateway node in the non-3GPP network and the 3GPP gateway node;

wherein the receiver is configured to receive a message from the non-3GPP gateway node including an indication that the PDN connection is to support a first and a second version of Internet Protocol (IP), with allocation initially by the 3GPP gateway node of an IP address for the PDN connection of the first version but not the second version;

wherein the controller circuit is configured to allocate an IP address of the first version for the PDN connection;

wherein the transmitter is configured to send the first version IP address to the non-3GPP gateway node;

wherein the receiver is configured to, following establishment of the PDN connection based on the allocated first version IP address, receive a message from the non-3GPP gateway node requesting the allocation of an IP address for the PDN connection of the second version;

wherein the controller circuit is configured to allocate an IP address of the second version for the PDN connection;

wherein the transmitter is configured to send the allocated second version IP address to the non-3GPP gateway node.)

45. A computer program product stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium for setting up a Packet Data Network (PDN) connection between a User Equipment (UE) and a PDN, with the UE connecting to the PDN via a non-3GPP access network and a 3GPP network, the computer program product comprising software instructions which, when run on a non-3GPP gateway node in the non-3GPP access network, causes the non-3GPP gateway node to:

initiate a procedure to establish, for the PDN connection, a tunnel between the non-3GPP gateway node and a gateway node in the 3GPP network, in response to receiving a message to trigger establishment of the tunnel;

send a message to the 3GPP gateway node including an indication that the PDN connection is to support a first and a second version of Internet Protocol (IP), with allocation initially by the 3GPP gateway node of an IP address for the PDN connection of the first version but not the second version;

receive, from the 3GPP gateway node, the first version IP address allocated by the 3GPP gateway node for the PDN connection;

following establishment of the PDN connection based on the allocated first version IP address, receive a message relating to the PDN to trigger allocation of an IP address for the PDN connection of the second version;

send a message to the 3GPP gateway node to request the allocation of an IP address for the PDN connection of the second version;

receive, from the 3GPP gateway node, the second version IP address allocated by the 3GPP gateway node for the PDN connection.

46. A computer program product stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium for setting up a Packet Data Network (PDN) connection between a User Equipment (UE) and a PDN, with the UE connecting to the PDN via a non-3GPP access network and a 3GPP network, the computer program product comprising software instructions which, when run on a 3GPP gateway node in the 3GPP access network, causes the 3GPP gateway node to:

initiate establishment, for the PDN connection, of a tunnel between a gateway node in the non-3GPP network and the 3GPP gateway node;

receive a message from the non-3GPP gateway node including an indication that the PDN connection is to support a first and a second version of Internet Protocol (IP), with allocation initially by the 3GPP gateway node of an IP address for the PDN connection of the first version but not the second version;

allocate an IP address of the first version for the PDN connection;

send the first version IP address to the non-3GPP gateway node;

following establishment of the PDN connection based on the allocated first version IP address, receive a message from the non-3GPP gateway node requesting the allocation of an IP address for the PDN connection of the second version;

allocate an IP address of the second version for the PDN connection;

send the allocated second version IP address to the non-3GPP gateway node.