SOFTWARE DEFINED NETWORKING DISTRIBUTED AND DYNAMIC MOBILITY MANAGEMENT

• US 20160150448A1
• Filed: 07/17/2014
• Published: 05/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: PERRAS, Michelle, ZUNIGA, Juan Carlos, JIN, Hao, REZNIK, Alexander, BERNARDOS, Carlos Jesus
• Granted Patent: US 9,998,967 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/12 Reselecting a serving backbone network switching or routing node
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/17 Selecting a data network PoA [Point of Attachment]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/12 Access point controller devices

Abstract

A method and apparatus are described for supporting advanced distributed and dynamic mobility management (DMM) features with multiple flows anchored at different gateways. A software defined networking (SDN) controller may support the attachment of a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) to a network. The SDN controller may receive initial attachment signaling from a point of attachment (PoA) indicating that the WTRU initially attached to the network. The anchor node may be a distributed gateway (D-GW). The SDN controller may select an anchor node to serve the WTRU Internet protocol (IP) flow traffic. Initial attachment signaling, intra-anchor node handover, inter-anchor node handover, new anchor node allocation and inter-domain mobility across virtualized operators are also described.

Claims

1. A method for use in a software defined network (SDN) controller of a network, comprising:

receiving an initial attachment signaling from a first point of attachment (PoA) node indicating that a wireless transmit receive unit (WTRU) is attached to the network;

determining if the WTRU is currently attached to the network by checking a database;

selecting a first anchor node to provide connectivity to the WTRU, wherein the selecting the first anchor node is based on at least one of the following criteria;

expected mobility patterns of the WTRU, known mobility patterns of the WTRU, speed of the WTRU, status of the network, load of the network, or capabilities of the network;

configuring a forwarding data plan plane to allow signaling to reach the first anchor node; and

configuring the forwarding data plane between the first anchor node and the WTRU to allow data packets to be forwarded between the WTRU and the first anchor node.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

updating the database with an identifier of the selected first anchor node.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the database is a home subscriber server (HSS).

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first anchor node is a distributed gateway (D-GW).

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting a second anchor node to provide connectivity to the WTRU, wherein the selecting the second anchor node is based on at least one of the following criteria;

expected mobility patterns of the WTRU, known mobility patterns of the WTRU, speed of the WTRU, status of the network, load of the network, or capabilities of the network;

configuring a forwarding data plan plane to allow signaling to reach the second anchor node; and

configuring the forwarding plane between the second anchor node and the WTRU to allow data packets to be forwarded between the WTRU and the second anchor node.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising discontinuing the forwarding data plane between the first anchor node and the WTRU.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving signaling from a second PoA node indicating that the WTRU is attached to the network.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising reconfiguring the forwarding data plane between the first anchor node and the WTRU to allow data packets to be forwarded between the WTRU and the first anchor node based upon a determination that the first anchor node is to continue providing connectivity to the WTRU.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein based on a condition that the first anchor node is to discontinue providing connectivity to the WTRU, the method further comprising:

selecting a second anchor node to provide connectivity to the WTRU, wherein the selecting the second anchor node is based on at least one of the following criteria;

expected mobility patterns of the WTRU, known mobility patterns of the WTRU, speed of the WTRU, status of the network, load of the network, or capabilities of the network;

configuring a forwarding data plane to allow signaling to reach the second anchor node; and

configuring the forwarding data plane between the second anchor node and the WTRU to allow data packets to be forwarded between the WTRU and the second anchor node.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising computing a network address translation (NAT).

11. A software defined network (SDN) controller, comprising:

a processor and a transceiver configured to receive an initial attachment signal from a first point of attachment (PoA) node indicating that a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) is attached to the network;

the processor and the transceiver configured to determine if the WTRU is currently attached to the network by checking a database;

the processor and the transceiver configured to select a first anchor node to provide connectivity to the WTRU, wherein the processor and the transceiver are configured to select the first anchor node based on at least one of the following criteria;

expected mobility patterns of the WTRU, known mobility patterns of the WTRU, speed of the WTRU, status of the network, load of the network, or capabilities of the network;

the processor and the transceiver configured to determine a forwarding data plan plane to allow signaling to reach the first anchor node; and

the processor and the transceiver configured to determine the forwarding data plan plane between the first anchor node and the WTRU to allow data packets to be forwarded between the WTRU and the first anchor node.

12. The SDN controller of claim 11, wherein:

the processor and the transceiver are further configured to select a second anchor node to provide connectivity to the WTRU, wherein the processor and the transceiver are configured to select the second anchor node based on at least one of the following criteria;

expected mobility patterns of the WTRU, known mobility patterns of the WTRU, speed of the WTRU, status of the network, load of the network, or capabilities of the network;

the processor and the transceiver are further configured to determine a forwarding data plane to allow signaling to reach the second anchor node; and

the processor and the transceiver are further configured to determine a forwarding data plane between the second anchor node and the WTRU to allow data packets to be forwarded between the WTRU and the second anchor node.

13. The SDN controller of claim 12, wherein:

the processor and the transceiver are further configured to discontinue the forwarding data plane between the first anchor node and the WTRU.

14. The SDN controller of claim 11, wherein:

the processor and the transceiver are further configured to receive a signal from a second PoA node indicating that the WTRU is attached to the network.

15. The SDN controller of claim 14, wherein:

the processor and the transceiver are further configured to redetermine the forwarding data plane between the first anchor node and the WTRU to allow data packets to be forwarded between the WTRU and the first anchor node based upon a determination that the first anchor node is to continue providing connectivity to the WTRU.

16. The SDN controller of claim 14, wherein based on a condition that the first anchor node is to discontinue providing connectivity to the WTRU:

the processor and the transceiver are further configured to select a second anchor node to provide connectivity to the WTRU, wherein the processor and the transceiver are configured to select the second anchor node based on at least one of the following criteria;

expected mobility patterns of the WTRU, known mobility patterns of the WTRU, speed of the WTRU, status of the network, load of the network, or capabilities of the network;

the processor and the transceiver are further configured to determine a forwarding data plane to allow signaling to reach the second anchor node; and

the processor and the transceiver are further configured to determine a forwarding data plane between the second anchor node and the WTRU to allow data packets to be forwarded between the WTRU and the second anchor node.

17. The SDN controller of claim 11, wherein:

the processor and the transceiver are further configured to compute a network address translation (NAT).