SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING IP VERSION INTERWORKING FOR IMS ACCESS THROUGH EPC

• US 20160057788A1
• Filed: 08/21/2014
• Published: 02/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mavenir Systems Incorporated (Mavenir Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Mavenir Systems Incorporated (Mavenir Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sharma, Anish, Singh, Mandeep
• Granted Patent: US 9,756,681 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 12/1467 involving prepayment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/659 Internet protocol version 6 [IPv6] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5019 Ensuring fulfilment of SLA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5054 Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/741 Routing in networks with a plurality of addressing schemes, e.g. with both IPv4 and IPv6
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/251 between different IP versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2585 through application level gateway [ALG]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1033 Signalling gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/57 for integrated multimedia messaging subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/66 Policy and charging system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8214 Data or packet based
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/045 involving different protocol versions, e.g. MIPv4 and MIPv6
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/24 between backbone network devices

Abstract

A Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW) network node of an Evolved Packet Core (EPC) for interfacing with an IP Multimedia Core Network Subsystem (IMS) comprises an IP address assignment functionality module configured to assign both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses to a User Equipment (UE) requesting an IPv6 address, a Network Address Translation-Application Layer Gateway (NAT64-ALG) functionality module and PGW configured to translate between IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, a Gx interface toward a Policy Control and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) network node configured to transmit the UE'"'"'s IPv4 address to the PCRF, and an SGi interface toward an application node of the IMS configured the UE'"'"'s IPv4 address to the application node, and to transmit and receive IP media packets between the IMS and the UE after IPv4 and IPv6 address translation.

Claims

1. A Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW) network node of an Evolved Packet Core (EPC) for interfacing with an IP Multimedia Core Network Subsystem (IMS), comprising:

an IP address assignment functionality module configured to assign both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses to a User Equipment (UE) requesting an IPv6 address;

a Network Address Translation-Application Layer Gateway (NAT64-ALG) functionality module configured to translate between IPv4 and IPv6 addresses;

a Gx interface toward a Policy Control and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) network node configured to transmit the UE'"'"'s IPv4 address to the PCRF; and

an SGi interface toward an application node of the IMS configured the UE'"'"'s IPv4 address to the application node, and to transmit and receive IP media packets between the IMS and the UE after IPv4 and IPv6 address translation.

2. The PGW network node of claim 1, wherein the Gx interface is further configured to provision Policy and Charging Control (PCC) rules and Service Data Flow (SDF) filters from the PCRF to the PGW.

3. The PGW network node of claim 2, where the NAT64-ALG functionality module and the PGW are further configured to translate between IPv4 and IPv6 SDF filters.

4. The PGW network node of claim 1, further comprising a NAT64 Network Address and Port Translation (NAPT) table.

5. The PGW network node of claim 1, further comprising an S2b interface toward an Evolved Packet Data Gateway (ePDG) network node.

6. The PGW network node of claim 1, further comprising an S5/S8 interface toward a Serving Gateway (SGW) network node.

7. The PGW network node of claim 1, further comprising an Gn/Gp interface toward a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) network node.

8. The PGW network node of claim 1, wherein the application node of the IMS comprises an Application Function (AF).

9. A Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW) network node of an Evolved Packet Core (EPC) for connecting a User Equipment (UE) with an IP Multimedia Core Network Subsystem (IMS), comprising:

a Gx interface toward a Policy Control and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) network node configured to transmit the UE'"'"'s IPv4 address to the PCRF;

an SGi interface toward an application node of the IMS configured the UE'"'"'s IPv4 address to the application node, and to transmit and receive IP media packets between the IMS and the UE after IPv4 and IPv6 address translation; and

a processor including;

an IP address assignment function configured to assign both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses to the UE requesting an IPv6 address; and

a Network Address Translation-Application Layer Gateway (NAT64-ALG) function configured to translate between IPv4 and IPv6 addresses of the UE.

10. The PGW network node of claim 9, wherein the Gx interface is further configured to provision Policy and Charging Control (PCC) rules and Service Data Flow (SDF) filters from the PCRF to the PGW.

11. The PGW network node of claim 10, where the NAT64-ALG function is further configured to translate between IPv4 and IPv6 SDF filters.

12. The PGW network node of claim 9, further comprising a NAT64 Network Address and Port Translation (NAPT) table.

13. The PGW network node of claim 9, further comprising an S2b interface toward an Evolved Packet Data Gateway (ePDG) network node.

14. A computer-implemented method in a Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW) of an Evolved Packet Core (EPC) for interfacing with an IP Multimedia Core Network Subsystem (IMS), comprising:

assigning both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses to a User Equipment (UE) requesting an IPv6 address;

providing IPv4 and IPv6 address and Service Data Flow (SDF) filter translation;

providing a Gx interface toward a Policy Control and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) network node configured to transmit the UE'"'"'s IPv4 address to the PCRF; and

providing an SGi interface toward an application node of the IMS, providing the UE'"'"'s IPv4 address to the application node over the SGi interface, and transmitting and receiving IP media packets between the IMS and the UE after IPv4 and IPv6 address translation.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein providing the Gx interface further comprises provisioning Policy and Charging Control (PCC) rules and Service Data Flow (SDF) filters from the PCRF.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, further comprising accessing a NAT64 Network Address and Port Translation (NAPT) table for translating the IPv4 and IPv6 addresses.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, further comprising providing an S2b interface toward an Evolved Packet Data Gateway (ePDG) network node.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, further comprising providing an S5/S8 interface toward a Serving Gateway (SGW) network node.

19. computer-implemented method of claim 14, further comprising providing an Gn/Gp interface toward a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) network node.