MOBILE GATEWAY SELECTION USING A DIRECT CONNECTION BETWEEN A PCRF NODE AND A MOBILITY MANAGEMENT NODE

• US 20150382386A1
• Filed: 02/01/2013
• Published: 12/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: CASTRO CASTRO, Fabian, STENFELDT, John
• Granted Patent: US 10,492,237 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1407 Policy-and-charging control [PCC] architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/17 Selecting a data network PoA [Point of Attachment]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

There is provided mobile gateway selection performed by a PCRF node in communication with an MME node or an S4-SGSN. The mobile gateway selection is based on a direct MME/S4-SGSN-PCRF interface. A request message for a Packet Data Network Gateway Internet Protocol address to be used for establishing a session for a first user equipment is transmitted from the MME/S4-SGSN to a Policy and Charging Rules Function node through a direct MME/S4-SGSN-PCRF interface. The Policy and Charging Rules Function node determines a PDN GW IP address to be used for establishing the session based on policies for the first user equipment and transmits the PDN GW IP address through the direct MME/S4-SGSN-PCRF interface to the MME/S4-SGSN.

Claims

1. A method for mobile gateway, GW, selection, the method being performed by a Mobility Management Entity, MME, node or an S4 Serving General Packet Radio Service, GPRS, Support Node, S4-SGSN, comprising the steps of:

transmitting a request message for a Packet Data Network, PDN, Gateway, GW, Internet Protocol, IP, address to be used for establishing a session for a first user equipment, UE, to a Policy and Charging Rules Function, PCRF, node through a direct MME/S4-SGSN-PCRF interface; and

receiving a confirmation message comprising a PDN GW IP address to be used for establishing the session from the PCRF node through the direct MME/S4-SGSN-PCRF interface.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the PDN GW IP address provides the PDN with connectivity for an IP Connectivity Access Network, CAN, session established by the UE.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the request message comprises an initial PDN GW IP address for the session;

and wherein the PDN GW IP address to be used is by the PCRF node determined to be either identical to or different from the initial PDN GW IP address.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

receiving a session establishment request for the first UE prior to transmitting the request message and wherein the initial address is obtained from the session establishment request.

5. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

overwriting the initial PDN GW IP address in case the PDN GW IP address to be used is different from the initial PDN GW IP address.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

initiating a bearer establishment towards the GW identified by the PDN GW IP address to be used by the first UE.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the confirmation message is denoted an original confirmation message, the method further comprising:

receiving a further session establishment request for the first UE or from a further UE associated with the first UE after initiating said bearer establishment; and

transmitting a further request message for a PDN GW IP address to be used for establishing a further session for one of said first UE or said further UE, to the PCRF node through the direct MME/S4-SGSN-PCRF interface; and

receiving a further confirmation message comprising a PDN GW IP address identical to the PDN GW IP address of the original confirmation message to be used for establishing said further session from the PCRF node through the direct MME/S4-SGSN-PCRF interface.

8. A method for mobile gateway, GW, selection, the method being performed by a Policy and Charging Rules Function, PCRF, node, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request message for a Packet Data Network, PDN, Gateway, GW, Internet Protocol, IP, address to be used for establishing a session for a first user equipment, UE, from a Mobility Management Entity, MME, node or an S4 Serving General Packet Radio Service, GPRS, Support Node, S4-SGSN, through a direct MME/S4-SGSN-PCRF interface;

determining a PDN GW IP address to be used for establishing the session based on policies for the first UE; and

transmitting the PDN GW IP address to be used for establishing the session to said MME node or said S4-SGSN through the direct MME/S4-SGSN-PCRF interface.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the request message comprises a initial PDN GW IP address of the session;

and wherein the PDN GW IP address to be used is by the PCRF node determined to be either identical to or different from the initial PDN GW IP address.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein determining the PDN GW IP address to be used further comprises:

retrieving said policies from a Subscription Profile Repository, SPR.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the UE is associated with at least one user account, and wherein the policies comprise information relating to at least one of user subscription information of the user account, UE location, on-going sessions of the user account and/or UE, or of other user account and/or UE associated with the user account, and a maximum bandwidth allowed for the user account and/or UE.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein associations correspond to a group defined for the UE in the SPR.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the PDN GW IP address to be used is determined such that a common PDN GW IP address is to be used for a wireless local area network connectivity session and a cellular radio connectivity session for the UE.

14. A Mobility Management Entity, MME, node or an S4 Serving General Packet Radio Service, GPRS, Support Node, S4-SGSN, for mobile gateway, GW, selection, comprising:

an input/output, I/O, interface arranged to transmit a request message for a Packet Data Network, PDN, Gateway, GW, Internet Protocol, IP, address to be used for establishing a session for a first user equipment, UE, to a Policy and Charging Rules Function, PCRF, node through a direct MME/S4-SGSN-PCRF interface; and

the I/O interface further being arranged to receive a confirmation message comprising a PDN GW IP address to be used for establishing the session from the PCRF node through the direct MME/S4-SGSN-PCRF interface.

15. A Policy and Charging Rules Function, PCRF, node for mobile gateway, GW, selection, comprising:

an input/output, I/O, interface arranged to receive a request message for a Packet Data Network, PDN, Gateway, GW, Internet Protocol, IP, address to be used for establishing a session for a first user equipment, UE, from a Mobility Management Entity, MME, node or an S4 Serving General Packet Radio Service, GPRS, Support Node, S4-SGSN, through a direct MME/S4-SGSN-PCRF interface;

a processing unit arranged to determine a PDN GW IP address to be used for establishing the session based on policies for the first UE; and

the I/O interface further being arranged to transmit the PDN GW IP address to be used for establishing the session to said MME node or said S4-SGSN through the direct MME/S4-SGSN-PCRF interface.

16. A computer program for mobile gateway, GW, selection, the computer program comprising computer program code which, when run on a Mobility Management Entity, MME, node or an S4 Serving General Packet Radio Service, GPRS, Support Node, S4-SGSN, causes the MME node or S4-SGSN node to:

transmit a request message for a Packet Data Network, PDN, Gateway, GW, Internet Protocol, IP, address to be used for establishing a session for a first user equipment, UE, to a Policy and Charging Rules Function, PCRF, node through a direct MME/S4-SGSN-PCRF interface; and

receive a confirmation message comprising a PDN GW IP address to be used for establishing the session from the PCRF node through the direct MME/S4-SGSN-PCRF interface.

18. A computer program product comprising a computer program according to claim 16, and a non-transitory computer readable medium on which the at least one computer program is stored.

17. A computer program for mobile gateway, GW, selection, the computer program comprising computer program code which, when run on a Policy and Charging Rules Function, PCRF, node (2), causes the PCRF node to:

receive a request message for a Packet Data Network, PDN, Gateway, GW, Internet Protocol, IP, address to be used for establishing a session for a first user equipment, UE, from a Mobility Management Entity, MME, node or an S4 Serving General Packet Radio Service, GPRS, Support Node, S4-SGSN, through a direct MME/S4-SGSN-PCRF interface;

determining a PDN GW IP address to be used for establishing the session based on policies for the first UE; and

transmitting the PDN GW IP address to be used for establishing the session to said MME node or said S4-SGSN through the direct MME/S4-SGSN-PCRF interface.