Network Stack Virtualization

• US 20150304892A1
• Filed: 10/30/2013
• Published: 10/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Perras, Michelle, Reznik, Alexander, Chitrapu, Prabhakar
• Granted Patent: US 9,736,733 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0005 Control or signalling for completing the hand-off
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

Embodiments contemplate network stack virtualization which may be virtualization of a portion of the communication stack, such as the protocol stack, in some embodiments, multiple functionally of independent copies of the protocol stack may be simultaneously running on the terminal and/or serving the needs of different applications. This may allow independent operation from the application point of view, including connectivity to different networks with different identities. Embodiments contemplate that any number of such virtual network stacks can be instantiated, perhaps in some embodiments depending on the characteristics of an active application. Embodiments also contemplate the presentation of multiple allocated internet protocol (IP) addresses that may have sufficient information to enable an intelligent source IP address selection on the WTRU. The WTRU may be able to select an optimum IP address, perhaps in some embodiments depending on which application may be started.

Claims

1. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), the WTRU in communication with a wireless communication network, the WTRU comprising:

a processor, configured, at least in part, to;

create a first virtual network stack (VNS);

obtain a first internet protocol (IP) address from a first node;

associate the first IP address with the first VNS;

associate a first interface with the first VNS;

initiate a first application on the first VNS;

initiate a first IP flow between the WTRU and the first node via a first connection corresponding to the first VNS, the first IP flow corresponding to the first application;

initiate a handover to a second node of the wireless communication network;

create a second VNS;

obtain a second IP address from the second node;

associate the second IP address with the second VNS; and

initiate a second IP flow between the WTRU and the second node via a second connection corresponding to the second VNS, the second IP flow corresponding to a second application using the second VNS, the first connection corresponding to the first VNS being revockable and managed under a first Quality of Service (QoS) and the second connection corresponding to the second VNS being revockable and managed under a second QoS, wherein the revocability of the first connection corresponding to the first VNS is independent from the revocability of the second connection corresponding to the second VNS.

3. The WTRU of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

initiate a handover to a third node;

create a third VNS;

obtain a third IP address from the third node;

associate the third IP address with the third VNS; and

initiate a third IP flow between the WTRU and the third node via the third VNS, the third IP flow corresponding to a third application using the third VNS.

4. The WTRU of claim 3, wherein at least of:

the first node, the second node, or the third node is an access gateway of the wireless communication network.

5. The WTRU of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

associate the first interface with the second VNS.

6. The WTRU of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

associate a second interface with the second VNS.

7. The WTRU of claim 3, wherein the first application, the second application, and the third application are the same application.

8. The WTRU of claim 3, wherein at least two of the first application, the second application, or the third application are different applications.

9. The WTRU of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to create the first VNS upon at least one of:

a determination that the first application requires the first VNS;

receipt of a request from the wireless communication network to create the first VNS;

or

a determination that a configured policy requires the first VNS.

10. The WTRU of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to associate one or more permissions with at least one of:

the first VNS, the second VNS, or the third VNS.

2. (canceled)

11. A method performed by a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), the WTRU in communication with a first node and a second node of a network, the method comprising:

creating a first virtual network stack (VNS) on the WTRU;

obtaining a first internet protocol (IP) address from the first node;

associating the first IP address with the first VNS;

establishing a first connection corresponding to the first VNS;

creating a second VNS on the WTRU;

obtaining a second internet protocol (IP) address from the second node;

associating the second IP address with the second VNS; and

establishing a second connection corresponding to the second VNS,

the first connection corresponding to the first VNS being revockable and managed under a first Quality of Service (QoS) and the second connection corresponding to the second VNS being revockable and managed under a second QoS, wherein the revocability of the first connection corresponding to the first VNS is independent from the revocability of the second connection corresponding to the second VNS.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

conducting a handover of the first VNS from the first node to the second node prior to creating the second VNS;

associating a first interface with the first VNS and the second VNS;

creating a tunnel between the first node and the second node; and

forwarding a first IP flow between the WTRU and the first node via at least one of;

the tunnel, the first interface, or the first VNS.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

associating a first interface with the first VNS;

associating a second interface with the second VNS;

creating a tunnel between the first node and the second node; and

redirecting a first IP flow between the first VNS and the network via at least one of;

the second VNS, the second node, or the first node.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

conducting a handover of the first VNS from the first node to the second node prior to creating the second VNS;

creating a tunnel between the first node and the second VNS; and

forwarding a first IP flow between the WTRU and the first node via at least one of;

the tunnel or the second VNS.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the network further includes a third node, the method further comprising:

associating a first interface with the first VNS;

associating a second interface with the second VNS;

creating a first tunnel between the first node and the third node;

creating a second tunnel between the second node and the third node;

directing a first IP flow between the first VNS and the network via at least one of;

the first interface, the first node, or the first tunnel; and

directing a second IP flow between the second VNS and the network via at least one of;

the second interface, the second node, or the second tunnel.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the first node is associated with a first radio access technology (RAT) and the second node is associated with a second RAT.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the first node is in communication with a first packet data network (PDN) and the second node is in communication with a second PDN, the method further comprising:

associating a first interface with the first VNS;

associating a second interface with the second VNS;

directing a first IP flow between the WTRU and the first PDN via at least one of;

the first interface, first VNS, or the first node; and

directing a second IP flow between the WTRU and the second PDN via at least one of;

the second interface, the second VNS, or the second node.

18. A wireless communication system, comprising:

a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), the WTRU comprising a first processor, the first processor configured, at least in part, to;

create a first virtual network stack (VNS) on the WTRU;

obtain a first internet protocol (IP) address from a first node;

associate the first IP address with the first VNS; and

establish a first connection corresponding to the first VNS, and

the first node, the first node comprising a second processor, the second processor configured, at least in part, to;

conduct a handover of the first VNS to a second node, the first processor being further configured to;

create a second VNS on the WTRU; and

obtain a second internet protocol (IP) address from the second node;

associate the second IP address with the second VNS; and

establish a second connection corresponding to the second VNS, and

the second node, the second node comprising a third processor, the third processor configured, at least in part, to;

initiate a first IP flow between the WTRU and the second node via the second VNS, the first connection corresponding to the first VNS being revockable and managed under a first Quality of Service (QoS) and the second connection corresponding to the second VNS being revockable and managed under a second QoS, wherein the revocability of the first connection corresponding to the first VNS is independent from the revocability of the second connection corresponding to the second VNS.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the first processor is further configured to:

associate a first interface with the first VNS and the second VNS, and the third processor is further configured to;

create a tunnel between the first node and the second node; and

forward a second IP flow between the WTRU and the first node via at least one of;

the tunnel, the first interface, or the first VNS.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the second processor is further configured to:

create a tunnel between the first node and the second VNS; and

forward a second IP flow between the WTRU and the first node via at least one of;

the tunnel or the second VNS.