System and Method for a Federated Evolved Packet Core Service Bus

• US 20180019893A1
• Filed: 09/26/2017
• Published: 01/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: John, Kaippallimalil Mathew, Saboorian, Khosrow Tony
• Granted Patent: US 10,447,494 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40 Bus networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/403 with centralised control, e.g. polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A system and method of provides services including a federated service bus between distributed and evolved packet core (EPC) and a radio access network (RAN), wherein the federated service bus provides information based on a parent-child relationship between the EPC and RAN on a per-federated service basis. The information can include loading and location information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

subscribing, by a radio access network (RAN), with each of a plurality evolved packet cores (EPCs) for a service via a federation bus between the RAN and a corresponding EPC, the federation bus connecting a service bus of the RAN and a service bus of the corresponding EPC; and

receiving, by the RAN, information of a subscribed service from a corresponding EPC in the plurality of EPCs via the federation bus.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one service comprises providing location information of a user equipment (UE).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information of the subscribed service comprises load information of the corresponding EPC.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a packet data network (PDN) gateway (GW) in 3GPP S2a when there are equivalent PDN GWs in multiple sites based on load information provided via the federation bus.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting one of the plurality of EPCs based on load information provided via the federation bus.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising balancing traffic over at least two EPCs and the RAN based on load information received from the at least two EPCs over corresponding federation buses.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the information of the subscribed service comprises a location of a UE.

8. A method comprising:

subscribing, by an evolved packet core (EPC), with a first radio access network (RAN) for a first service via a first federation bus between the EPC and the first RAN, the first federation bus connecting a service bus of the EPC and a service bus of the first RAN; and

receiving, by the EPC, information of the first service from the first RAN via the first federation bus according to subscription of the EPC for the first service.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the information of the first service comprises cell congestion information.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first service comprises a cell congestion service that allows an application to obtain a congestion level of a cell.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the information of the first service is utilized by a content data network optimizer.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

subscribing, by the EPC, with a second RAN for a second service via a second federation bus between the EPC and the second RAN, the second federation bus connecting the service bus of the EPC and a service bus of the second RAN; and

receiving, by the EPC, information of the second service from the second RAN via the second federation bus according to subscription of the EPC for the second service.

13. A radio access network (RAN) comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the at least one processor, the programming including instructions to;

subscribe with each of a plurality evolved packet cores (EPCs) for a service via a federation bus between the RAN and a corresponding EPC, the federation bus connecting a service bus of the RAN and a service bus of the corresponding EPC; and

receive information of a subscribed service from a corresponding EPC in the plurality of EPCs via the federation bus.

14. The RAN of claim 13, wherein at least one service provides location information of a user equipment (UE), or load information of an EPC.

15. The RAN of claim 13, wherein the programming comprises further instructions to select a packet data network (PDN) gateway (GW) in 3GPP S2a when there are equivalent PDN GWs in multiple sites based on load information provided via the federation bus.

16. The RAN of claim 13, wherein the programming comprises further instructions to select one of the plurality of EPCs based on load information provided via the federation bus.

17. The RAN of claim 13, wherein the programming comprises further instructions to balance traffic over at least two EPCs in the plurality of EPCs and the RAN based on load information received from the at least two EPCs over corresponding federation buses.

18. An evolved packet core (EPC) comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the at least one processor, the programming including instructions to;

subscribe with a first radio access network (RAN) for a first service via a first federation bus between the EPC and the first RAN, the first federation bus connecting a service bus of the EPC and a service bus of the first RAN; and

receive information of the first service from the first RAN via the first federation bus according to subscription of the EPC for the first service.

19. The EPC of claim 18, wherein the first service comprises a cell congestion service that allows an application to obtain a congestion level of a cell.

20. The EPC of claim 18, wherein the programming comprises further instructions to:

subscribe with a second RAN for a second service via a second federation bus between the EPC and the second RAN, the second federation bus connecting the service bus of the EPC and a service bus of the second RAN; and

receive information of the second service from the second RAN via the second federation bus according to subscription of the EPC for the second service.