RADIO COMMUNICATION APPARATUS, NETWORK NODE, USER NODE, CORE NETWORK, AND METHODS IMPLEMENTED THEREIN

• US 20150117347A1
• Filed: 04/18/2013
• Published: 04/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Iwai, Takanori
• Granted Patent: US 9,955,490 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/24 Negotiating SLA [Service Level Agreement]; Negotiating QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/543 based on requested quality, e.g. QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/22 Manipulation of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A radio communication apparatus (11) provides a connection with an external network (17) through a core network (15) and a cellular radio access network (14) to at least one local device (12) that is connected to the radio communication apparatus by means of a personal or local area networking technology. The radio communication apparatus (11) transmits to the core network (15) an additional bearer generation request to request an additional bearer having a QoS parameter corresponding to a first QoS policy applied to a first device (12) in an application layer. The radio communication apparatus (11) uses an additional bearer, configured between the radio communication apparatus (11) and the core network (15) according to the additional bearer generation request, to transmit or receive data packets each containing data which is originated by or destined for the first device (12).

Claims

1. A radio communication apparatus that provides a connection with an external network through a core network and a cellular radio access network to at least one local device that is connected to the radio communication apparatus by means of a personal or local area networking technology, the radio communication apparatus comprising a controller, wherein

the controller operates to transmit to the core network an additional bearer generation request to request an additional bearer having a QoS parameter corresponding to a first QoS policy applied to a first device in an application layer, the first device is included in the at least one local device, and

the controller operates to use the additional bearer, configured between the radio communication apparatus and the core network according to the additional bearer generation request, to transmit or receive data packets each including data which is originated by or destined for the first device.

2. The radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller operates to transmit the additional bearer generation request when the first QoS policy is different than an existing QoS policy that has already been applied to the at least one local device.

3. The radio communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the additional bearer is configured in addition to an existing bearer that transfers data packets associated with the existing QoS policy, and is used to transfer data packets associated with the first QoS policy.

4. The radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller operates to transmit the additional bearer generation request in response to reception of a connection request from the first device.

5. The radio communication apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the controller operates to determine whether the additional bearer is required or not based on the first QoS policy in response to the reception of the connection request, and to transmit the additional bearer generation request in response to determination that the additional bearer is required.

6. The radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller operates to transmit the additional bearer generation request in response to reception of a QoS change request indicating a change of a QoS policy applied to the first device from a network node arranged in the external network or at a boundary between the external network and the core network.

7. The radio communication apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the controller operates to determine whether the additional bearer is required or not based on the first QoS policy in response to the reception of the QoS change request and to transmit the additional bearer generation request in response to determination that the additional bearer is required.

8. The radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller further operates to transmit, to a network node that is arranged in the external network or at the boundary between the external network and the core network, a notification including identifying information to identify data packets to be transferred through the additional bearer.

9. The radio communication apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the notification comprises an identifier of the first device.

10. The radio communication apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the identifying information indicates at least one of (i) a bearer identifier, (ii) a port number, (iii) a protocol number, (iv) a Type of Service (TOS) field, (v) a source address, and (vi) a destination address that are contained in a header of a data packet to be distributed to the additional bearer.

11. The radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller further operates to transmit a notification indicating an association of the additional bearer with the first device to the core network.

12. The radio communication apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the notification comprises an identifier of the additional bearer and an identifier of the first device.

13. The radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller further operates to manage a QoS policy applied to each of the at least one local device in an application layer.

14. The radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller further operates to select, according to a QoS policy applied to each of the at least one local device in the application layer, a bearer used to transmit or receive data packets each containing data which is originated by or destined for the each of the local devices.

15. The radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the additional bearer generation request comprises indication of the QoS parameter.

16. The radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the QoS parameter comprises at least one of a QoS class identifier (QCI), an allocation and retention priority (ARP), a guaranteed bit rate (GBR), and a maximum bit rate (MBR).

17. The radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the radio communication apparatus is a machine type communication (MTC) gateway device.

18. A network node that communicates with a radio communication apparatus through a core network and a cellular radio access network, the network node comprising a controller, wherein

the controller operates to transmit, in response to applying a first QoS policy in an application layer to a first device that is connected to the radio communication apparatus by means of a personal or local area networking technology, a first request indicating the first QoS policy to at least one of the radio communication apparatus and the core network, and

the first request triggers the at least one of the radio communication apparatus and the core network to configure an additional bearer to which a QoS parameter corresponding to the first QoS policy is allocated.

19. The network node according to claim 18, wherein the first request is transmitted to the core network and triggers the core network to configure the additional bearer.

20. The network node according to claim 18, wherein the first request comprises an identifier indicating the first device.

21. The network node according to claim 18, wherein the controller further operates to receive a first notification, the first notification is transmitted from the radio communication apparatus or the core network in response to the first request and includes identifying information to identify data packets to be transferred through the additional bearer.

22. The network node according to claim 21, wherein

the network node is configured to provide an interface for an external network including at least one application, and

the controller notifies the external network of the identifying information in response to receiving the first notification.

23. The network node according to claim 21, wherein the identifying information comprises at least one of (i) a bearer identifier, (ii) a port number, (iii) a protocol number, (iv) a Type of Service (TOS) field, (v) a source address, and (vi) a destination address that are contained in a header of a data packet to be distributed to the additional bearer.

24. The network node according to claim 18, wherein

the network node is configured to provide an interface for an external network including at least one application, and

the controller operates to transmit the first request in response to receiving from the external network a second request indicating a change in QoS policy applied for the first device.

25. The network node according to claim 18, wherein the radio communication apparatus is configured to determine whether the additional bearer is required or not based on the first QoS policy in response to the reception of the first request and to start a procedure for configuring the additional bearer in response to determination that the additional bearer is required.

26. The network node according to claim 18, wherein the controller further operates to manage a QoS policy applied to each of the at least one local device in an application layer.

27. The network node according to claim 18, wherein the radio communication apparatus is a machine type communication (MTC) gateway device.

28. The network node according to claim 22, wherein

the radio communication apparatus is a machine type communication (MTC) gateway device, and

the network node is a services capability server (SCS) which provides an interface for an external network including at least one MTC application.

29. A user node that communicates with a network node and also communicates with a radio communication apparatus through the network node, a core network, and a cellular radio access network, the user node comprising a controller, wherein

the controller operates to transmit, in response to applying a first QoS policy in an application layer to a first device that is connected to the radio communication apparatus by means of a personal or local area networking technology, a first request indicating the first QoS policy to at least one of the radio communication apparatus and the core network through the network node, and

the first request triggers the at least one of the radio communication apparatus and the core network to configure an additional bearer to which a QoS parameter corresponding to the first QoS policy is allocated.

30. The user node according to claim 29, wherein the first request is transmitted to the core network and triggers the core network to configure the additional bearer.

31. The user node according to claim 29, wherein the controller further operates to receive a first notification, the first notification is transmitted from the network node in response to the first request and includes identifying information to identify data packets to be transferred through the additional bearer.

32. The user node according to claim 31, wherein the identifying information comprises at least one of (i) a bearer identifier, (ii) a port number, (iii) a protocol number, (iv) a Type of Service (TOS) field, (v) a source address, and (vi) a destination address that are contained in a header of a data packet to be distributed to the additional bearer.

33. The user node according to claim 29, wherein

the radio communication apparatus is a machine type communication (MTC) gateway device,

the network node is a services capability server (SCS) which provides an interface for an external network including at least one MTC application, and

the user node is an MTC application user node in which an MTC application is implemented.

34. A core network comprising at least one core network node that communicates with a radio communication apparatus through a cellular radio access network, wherein

the at least one core network node operates to receive a first notification from the radio communication apparatus, the first notification indicates an association of an additional bearer with a first device, the additional bearer is configured between the radio communication apparatus and the core network according to an additional bearer generation request issued by the radio communication apparatus, the first device is included in at least one local device that is connected to the radio communication apparatus by means of a personal or local area networking technology.

35. The core network according to claim 34, wherein the at least one core network node further operates to transmit, to an external network or a network node that is associated with the radio communication apparatus, a second notification including identifying information to identify data packets to be transferred through the additional bearer, in response to the reception of the first notification.

36. The core network according to claim 35, wherein the second notification further comprises an identifier of the first device.

37. The core network according to claim 34, wherein the at least one core network node further operates to configure the additional bearer in response to receiving the additional bearer generation request.

38. The core network according to claim 34, wherein the radio communication apparatus is a machine type communication (MTC) gateway device.

39. A method implemented in a radio communication apparatus that provides a connection with an external network through a core network and a cellular radio access network to at least one local device that is connected to the radio communication apparatus by means of a personal or local area networking technology, the method comprising:

transmitting to the core network an additional bearer generation request to request an additional bearer having a QoS parameter corresponding to a first QoS policy applied to a first device in an application layer, the first device being included in the at least one local device; and

using an additional bearer, configured between the radio communication apparatus and the core network according to the additional bearer generation request, to transmit or receive data packets each containing data which is originated by or destined for the first device.

40. A method implemented in a network node that communicates with a radio communication apparatus through a core network and a cellular radio access network, the method comprising:

transmitting, in response to applying a first QoS policy in an application layer to a first device that is connected to the radio communication apparatus by means of a personal or local area networking technology, a first request indicating the first QoS policy to at least one of the radio communication apparatus and the core network, wherein

the first request triggers the at least one of the radio communication apparatus and the core network to configure an additional bearer to which a QoS parameter corresponding to the first QoS policy is allocated.

41. A method implemented in a user node that communicates with a network node and also communicates with a radio communication apparatus through the network node, a core network, and a cellular radio access network, the method comprising:

transmitting, in response to applying a first QoS policy in an application layer to a first device that is connected to the radio communication apparatus by means of a personal or local area networking technology, a first request indicating the first QoS policy to at least one of the radio communication apparatus and the core network through the network node, wherein

the first request triggers the at least one of the radio communication apparatus and the core network to configure an additional bearer to which a QoS parameter corresponding to the first QoS policy is allocated.

42. A method implemented in at least one core network node that communicates with a radio communication apparatus through a cellular radio access network, the method comprising:

receiving a first notification from the radio communication apparatus, wherein

the first notification indicates an association of an additional bearer with a first device, the additional bearer is configured between the radio communication apparatus and a core network according to an additional bearer generation request issued by the radio communication apparatus, the first device is included in at least one local device that is connected to the radio communication apparatus by means of a personal or local area networking technology.

43. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program for causing a computer to perform a method implemented in a radio communication apparatus that provides a connection with an external network through a core network and a cellular radio access network to at least one local device that is connected to the radio communication apparatus by means of a personal or local area networking technology, wherein

the method comprises:

transmitting to the core network an additional bearer generation request to request an additional bearer having a QoS parameter corresponding to a first QoS policy applied to a first device in an application layer, the first device being included in the at least one local device; and

using an additional bearer, configured between the radio communication apparatus and the core network according to the additional bearer generation request, to transmit or receive data packets each containing data which is originated by or destined for the first device.

44. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program for causing a computer to perform a method implemented in a network node that communicates with a radio communication apparatus through a core network and a cellular radio access network, wherein:

the method comprises transmitting, according to a change of a QoS policy applied to a first device that is connected to the radio communication apparatus by means of a personal or local area networking technology in an application layer, a first request indicating a first QoS policy after a change to at least one of the radio communication apparatus and the core network, and

the first request triggers the at least one of the radio communication apparatus and the core network to configure an additional bearer to which a QoS parameter corresponding to the first QoS policy is allocated.

45. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program for causing a computer to perform a method implemented in a user node that communicates with a network node and also communicates with a radio communication apparatus through the network node, a core network, and a cellular radio access network, wherein:

the method comprises transmitting, in response to applying a first QoS policy in an application layer to a first device that is connected to the radio communication apparatus by means of a personal or local area networking technology, a first request indicating the first QoS policy to at least one of the radio communication apparatus and the core network through the network node, and

the first request triggers the at least one of the radio communication apparatus and the core network to configure an additional bearer to which a QoS parameter corresponding to the first QoS policy is allocated.

46. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program for causing a computer to perform a method implemented in at least one core network node that communicates with a radio communication apparatus through a cellular radio access network, wherein:

the method comprises receiving a first notification from the radio communication apparatus, and

the first notification indicates an association of an additional bearer with a first device, the additional bearer is configured between the radio communication apparatus and a core network according to an additional bearer generation request issued by the radio communication apparatus, the first device is included in at least one local device that is connected to the radio communication apparatus by means of a personal or local area networking technology.