METHOD OPERATING IN A FIXED ACCESS NETWORK AND UES

• US 20150200849A1
• Filed: 09/09/2013
• Published: 07/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Wen, Haibo, Liang, Zheng, Yang, Shuigen, Ling, Hui
• Granted Patent: US 9,722,923 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/586 of virtual routers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/74 Address processing for routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32

Abstract

In a CN access network with a virtual node for at least one third party, the virtual node being used for bearing and operating the function defined by the third party, the UE accesses from a fixed access network; and the access network provides the UE with the communication connection between the UE and the virtual node of the third network/service operator. According to the embodiment the access network accommodates the virtual node to operate the function related to the third party, and improves the function topology architecture of the network, to provide users with better user experience quality.

Claims

1. A method operating in a fixed access network, comprising the following steps:

i. providing in the access network a virtual node for at least one third party, the virtual node being used for bearing and operating the function defined by the third party;

iii. providing a communication connection between a UE and the virtual node, wherein, the UE accesses from the access network.

2. A method of claim 1, wherein, the step i further allocates an address for the virtual node to identify the virtual node;

and the method further comprises a step of;

ii. informing the address to the UE;

then, the step iii provides the communication connection between the UE and the virtual node according to the address.

3. A method of claim 2, wherein, the address is a media access control address, and the media access control address is specific for the virtual node;

and/or,

the access network is a physical access network, and the third party is a virtual access network or a service provision network independent of the physical access network.

4. A method of claim 3, wherein, the step iii comprises:

routing uplink data sent by a UE, with a destination address of the data link layer being the media access control address, to the virtual node;

transmitting downlink data generated by the virtual node to the UE by taking the media access control address as the source address of the data link layer.

5. A method of claim 2, wherein, the method further comprises the following steps:

maintaining corresponding relation between the third party and the address of the virtual node, and maintaining the position where the virtual node locates in the access network;

and the step ii further comprises the following steps;

x. receiving identifications of one or more third parties to which access is requested, transmitted by the UE, and receiving the current physical access position information of the UE, inserted by an access node to which the UE accesses;

y. searching for the address of the virtual node corresponding to the third party, according to the identification of the third party to which the UE requests to access and the physical access position information, for each third party respectively;

z. transmitting the address of the virtual node corresponding to each third party to the UE.

6. A method of claim 5, wherein, the step x comprises the following steps:

receiving in an access equipment an authentication request message from the UE, the authentication request message comprising the identification of the third party, and proof information of the UE;

the access equipment inserting the current physical access position information of the UE in the authentication request, and transmitting the obtained access request message to an authentication server;

the authentication server receiving the access request message, implementing the access authentication for the UE, and after the access authentication is successful, implementing the step y and the step z.

7. A method of claim 6, wherein, the access request is based on RADIUS protocol or DIAMETER protocol, and the step z comprises the following steps:

the authentication server transmitting the address to the access equipment in an access accepted message, wherein, any of the following is used for carrying the address;

a specific attribute value pair, which is specifically used for carrying the address of virtual nodes;

sub-option value pairs in the vendor-specific attribute value pair;

the access equipment receiving the access accepted message, extracting the address from the access accepted message, and transmitting to the UE the address and information about access allowance in an authentication success message.

8. A method of claim 1, wherein, the step i provides the virtual node attached or directly located in the network element of the access network, and the network element comprises any of the following:

a physical access node (A-SN);

an edge node (E-SN); and

a server in the access network;

and, the virtual node comprises any of the following implementation;

the virtual node based on software implementation;

a specific hardware function board based on hardware implementation.

9. A method of claim 8, wherein, when the virtual node is implemented via a specific hardware function board and is located in a network element, between the multiple hardware function boards and a line termination board (LT) there is:

a switch unit, connected with multiple line termination boards and the multiple hardware function boards, used for switching communication data between the corresponding UE and the virtual node between the line termination board and the hardware function board.

10. A method operating in a UE, comprising the following steps:

a. accessing from a fixed access network;

c. providing by the access network communication connection between the UE and a virtual node, in the access network, of the third party expected by the UE, wherein, space of the virtual node is used for bearing and operating the function defined by the third party.

11. A method of claim 10, further comprising the following steps:

b. receiving an address of the virtual node, provided by the access network;

and in the step c, using the address to communicate with the virtual node, thereby achieving the communication connection.

12. A method of claim 11, wherein, the address is a media access control address, and the media access control address is specific for the virtual node;

and,

the access network is a physical access network, the third party is a virtual access network or a service provision network independent of the physical access network.

13. A method of claim 11, wherein, the step b comprises the following steps:

transmitting, to the access network, identifications of one or more third parties to which the access is requested;

receiving, from the access network, the address of the virtual node corresponding to the third party.

14. A method of claim 13, wherein, the step b is further implemented with the following steps:

transmitting an authentication request message to the access network, the authentication request message comprising the identification of the third party and access proof information of the UE;

receiving an authentication success message from the access network, the authentication success message comprises the address and information about access allowance.

15. A method of claim 11, wherein, the step c comprises the following steps:

determining the third party corresponding to the upper application and protocol stack of the UE;

transmitting data frame of the upper application and the protocol stack to the access network by taking the address of the virtual node corresponding to the third party as the destination address;

and comprising the following steps;

receiving from the access network data frame with the address of the virtual node as the source address;

providing payload in the data frame to the protocol stack and the upper application corresponding to the third party to which the address of the virtual node corresponds.