DPI-triggered application-aware dormancy timer adjustment for mobile data bearers

• US 8,289,864 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2008
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Dolganow, Andrew, Morin, Steven Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): GREY, CHRISTOPHER P
• Application Number:
  US12/200,772
• Publication Number:
  US 20100054231A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,510 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/329, 370/341, 370/389, 370/400, 370/401, 370/437, 455/450, 455/451, 455/452.1, 455/452.2
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/38 triggered by timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/14 between access point controllers and backbone network device

Abstract

Based on application information received from a Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) device, a Radio Network Controller (RNC) or similar device may select a dormancy timer value to optimize the use of network resources. In particular, the RNC may set an additional dormancy timer based on a default value or a rough determination of the application by examining port numbers. After the DPI device has received a sufficient number of packets to identify the underlying application, the DPI device may then propagate the application information to the RNC. Based on this application information, the RNC may determine the most efficient dormancy timer and modify the value of the default timer based on this determination.

Claims

1. A device for managing selection of dormancy timers in a mobile network, the device comprising:

a receiver that receives a request for establishment of a new radio channel, the radio channel used for transmission of data packets associated with a flow;

a channel establishment block that establishes the radio channel and sets a value of a corresponding dormancy timer to a default dormancy timer value for a requested channel type;

a mapping function that provides a correspondence between applications and optimal dormancy timer values; and

a dormancy timer controller that;

identifies an estimated application associated with the flow;

determines the default dormancy timer value for the requested channel type based on the estimated application;

receives application information from a Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) device, the application information specifying an application associated with the flow,

determines a modified dormancy timer value by querying the mapping function using the application information received from the DPI device, and

changes the value of the dormancy timer to the modified dormancy timer value.

2. The device for managing selection of dormancy timers in a mobile network according to claim 1, wherein the default dormancy timer value is a fixed value specified by a service provider.

3. The device for managing selection of dormancy timers in a mobile network according to claim 1, wherein in identifying an estimated application associated with the flow, the dormancy timer controller:

identifies the application associated with the flow by examining packet header information in Layers 2 through 4 of a first data packet belonging to the flow, and

in determining the default dormancy timer value for the requested channel type based on the estimated application, the dormancy timer controller;

obtains the default dormancy timer value by querying the mapping function using the identified application.

4. The device for managing selection of dormancy timers in a mobile network according to claim 3, wherein the dormancy timer controller identifies the application by querying, using the packet header information, application information provided by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority for TCP/UDP port number-based applications.

5. The device for managing selection of dormancy timers in a mobile network according to claim 1, wherein the DPI device sends the application information to the dormancy timer controller by inserting information into a data packet associated with the flow.

6. The device for managing selection of dormancy timers in a mobile network according to claim 1, wherein the DPI device sends the application information to the dormancy timer controller using an inband or out-of-band message separate from data packets associated with the flow.

7. The device for managing selection of dormancy timers in a mobile network according to claim 1, wherein the device is a radio network controller (RNC) in a 3G network.

8. The device for managing selection of dormancy timers in a mobile network according to claim 1, wherein the device is a mobile management entity (MME), or a Serving Gateway or PDN Gateway in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network.

9. A method for efficient selection of dormancy timers in a mobile network, the method comprising:

receiving a request for establishment of a new radio channel for transmission of packets associated with a flow;

identifying an estimated application associated with the flow;

determining a default dormancy timer value to be associated with the radio channel based on the estimated application;

establishing the radio channel and setting a value of the corresponding dormancy timer to the default dormancy timer value;

receiving application information from a Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) device, the application information specifying an application associated with the flow;

determining a modified dormancy timer value based on the application information received from the DPI device; and

changing the value of the dormancy timer to the modified dormancy time value.

10. The method for efficient selection of dormancy timers in a mobile network according to claim 9, wherein the default dormancy timer value is a fixed value specified by a service provider.

11. The method for efficient selection of dormancy timers in a mobile network according to claim 9, wherein the step of identifying an estimated application associated with the flow comprises:

identifying the application associated with the flow by examining packet header information in Layers 2 through 4 of a first data packet belonging to the flow, and

the step of determining a default dormancy timer value to be associated with the radio channel based on the estimated application comprises;

determining the default dormancy timer value based on the identified application.

12. The method for efficient selection of dormancy timers in a mobile network according to claim 9, wherein the application is identified by querying, using the packet header information, application information provided by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority for TCP/UDP port number-based applications.

13. The method for efficient selection of dormancy timers in a mobile network according to claim 9, wherein the DPI device sends the application information by inserting information into a data packet associated with the flow.

14. The method for efficient selection of dormancy timers in a mobile network according to claim 9, wherein the DPI device sends the application information using an in-band or out-of-band message separate from data packets associated with the flow.

15. A mobile network configured for efficient selection of dormancy timers, the mobile network comprising:

a user node that receives and transmits data packets;

a deep packet inspection (DPI) device that examines information contained in Layers 2 through 7 of data packets in a flow initiated by the user node, the DPI device determining an application associated with the flow; and

a device that manages allocation of bandwidth in the mobile network, the device comprising;

a receiver that receives a request for establishment of a new radio channel for transmission of data packets associated with the flow,

a channel establishment block that establishes the radio channel and sets a value of a corresponding dormancy timer to a default dormancy timer value,

a dormancy timer controller that identifies an estimated application associated with the flow, determines the default dormancy timer value based on the estimated application, receives application information from the DPI device, determines a modified dormancy timer value using the application information, and changes the value of the dormancy timer to the modified dormancy timer value.

16. The mobile network configured for efficient selection of dormancy timers according to claim 15, wherein the DPI device sends the application information to the dormancy timer controller by inserting information into a data packet associated with the flow.

17. The mobile network configured for efficient selection of dormancy timers according to claim 15, wherein the DPI device sends the application information to the dormancy timer controller using an in-band or out-of-band message separate from data packets associated with the flow.

18. The mobile network configured for efficient selection of dormancy timers according to claim 15, wherein the device that manages allocation of bandwidth further comprises a mapping function that specifies a correspondence between applications and optimal dormancy timers.

19. The mobile network configured for efficient selection of dormancy timers according to claim 15, where the device that manages allocation of bandwidth is a radio network controller in a 3G network.

20. The mobile network configured for efficient selection of dormancy timers according to claim 15, where the device that manages allocation of bandwidth is a mobile management entity (MME) in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network.