REPORTING OF AGGREGATED RAN CONGESTION INFORMATION

• US 20160073282A1
• Filed: 09/05/2014
• Published: 03/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: SPEICHER, Sebastian, SALOT, Nirav, VAIDYA, Maulik, DODD-NOBLE, Aeneas, GHADGE, Amit, RAMAMOORTHY, Veena
• Granted Patent: US 9,560,549 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/41 by acting on aggregated flows or links
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0284 detecting congestion or overload during communication monitoring arrangements H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/12 using signalling between network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/16 Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service]

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed at systems, methods and media for relieving RAN congestion in a core network. In some embodiments, RAN congestion information is reported from user equipment to a packet data gateway (PGW) through an eNodeB and a software gateway. The PGW can aggregate the RAN congestion information and periodically notify other network nodes, for example, a PCRF, about the aggregate congestion in a network. By aggregating RAN congestion information, the PGW can substantially reduce the signaling required to report RAN congestion in the core network.

Claims

1. A network apparatus in a core network, comprising:

one or more interfaces configured to communicate with user equipments (UEs) via a wireless network and to communicate with a policy charging rules function (PCRF) node; and

a processor in communication with the interface;

the network apparatus configured to

receive a first indication of congestion information related to a first user equipment (UE) during a time period;

receive a second indication of congestion information relating to a second UE during that same time period;

generate a message aggregating the congestion information comprising at least the first and second indications of congestion information; and

send the message comprising the aggregated congestion information to the PCRF node over one of the interfaces.

2. The network apparatus of claim 1, further comprising the PCRF node, wherein the PCRF node further sends the message to an Application Function (AF) node.

3. The network apparatus of claim 1, further comprising the PCRF node, wherein the PCRF node further sends the message to a Traffic Detection Function (TDF) node.

4. The network apparatus of claim 1, wherein the message comprises a Node-Info-Push message.

5. The network apparatus of claim 1, wherein the network apparatus is a packet data network gateway (PGW) and the first and second indications are received from one or more radio access networks.

6. The network apparatus of claim 5, wherein the network apparatus collects congestion information for multiple UEs over a time period t.

7. The network apparatus of claim 5, wherein the apparatus is configured to negotiate whether or not the network apparatus will aggregate the message prior to use.

8. The network apparatus of claim 5, wherein the aggregated congestion information is piggybacked onto an existing message.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising sending the message from the PCRF node to an Application Function (AF) node.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising sending the message from the PCRF node to a Traffic Detection Function (TDF) node.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the message comprises a Node-Info-Push message.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the network apparatus includes a packet data network gateway (PGW), and receives information generated by RANs.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the network apparatus collects congestion information for multiple UEs over a time period t.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining whether the network apparatus will aggregate the congestion information or provide separate messages for the first and second congestion information.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising piggybacking the aggregated congestion information onto an existing another message.

9. A method for providing congestion information in a network system, comprising:

a network apparatus in communication with multiple user equipments (UEs) via radio access networks (RANs) receiving a first indication of congestion information relating to a first UE;

receiving a second indication of congestion information relating to a second UE;

generating a message indicating aggregated congestion information including at least the first and second indications of congestion information; and

sending the aggregated congestion information message to a policy charging rules function (PCRF) node.

17. A method for relieving congestion in a network system, comprising:

receiving at a Policy Rules Charging Function (PCRF) node, from a Packet Data Network (PDN) gateway, a first message comprising congestion information, wherein the message comprises aggregated congestion information including at least a first indication of congestion information and a second indication of congestion information relating to first and a second user equipment (UE);

generating a policy enforcement decision to relieve congestion in the network; and

sending a second message to the PGW, wherein the second message comprises control message for relieving congestion in the network.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the PCRF forwards the message to an Application Function (AF) node.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the PCRF forwards the message to a Traffic Detection Function (TDF) node.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising determining whether to receive congestion information relating to multiple UEs in aggregate form.