Performing packet flow optimization with policy and charging control

• US 8,325,638 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2009
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Jin, Haipeng, Mahendran, Arungundram C., Ahmavaara, Kalle
• Primary Examiner(s): Levitan, Dmitry H
• Application Number:
  US12/631,534
• Publication Number:
  US 20100142373A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/328, 370/329, 370/400, 370/401, 370/431, 370/437, 709227-229, 709/249
• US Class Current: 370/310
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• 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 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2416 Real-time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2483 involving identification of individual flows
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/64 On-line charging system [OCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

Policy and charging control (PCC) is a framework within a Third or Fourth Generation (3G/4G) network that allows operators to authorize and enforce policy, Quality of Service (QoS), and charging control over communication sessions by mobile devices. PCC mechanism is used to determine the type QoS based on a request received from a User Equipment (UE) or network. PCC is one important element within System Architecture Evolution (SAE) architecture to allow the network to perform policy and charging control. A mechanism is provided so that PCC can allow packet flow optimization. Thereby, the network can detect Internet Protocol (IP) flows based on operator defined criteria and can perform policy and QoS control.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication, the method comprising:

transmitting, by a first network entity, a request from the first network entity to a second network entity to establish a policy and charging control session for a user equipment accessing the first network entity;

accessing, by the first network entity, a first plurality of policy and charging control rules that defines a criterion for detecting an encapsulated packet flow and an event trigger for reporting a detected flow;

detecting, by the first network entity, the encapsulated packet flow by performing a packet flow optimization application using the first plurality of policy and charging control rules;

transmitting an indication of the event trigger and a description of the encapsulated packet flow from the first network entity to the second network entity; and

receiving a second plurality of policy and charging control rules at the first network entity from the second network entity for the policy and charging control session based on the encapsulated packet flow.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an operator input defining the first plurality of policy and charging control rules.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network entity comprises a home agent serving the user equipment for a mobile Internet Protocol access and wherein the second network entity comprises a policy and charging rule control function for policy, charging and QoS control.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of policy and charging control rules defines a deep packet inspection for an IP communication session.

5. A computer program product for wireless communication, the computer program product comprising:

at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, implement components comprising;

a first set of codes for transmitting a request from a first network entity to a second network entity to establish a policy and charging control session for a user equipment accessing the first network entity;

a second set of codes for accessing, by the first network entity, a first plurality of policy and charging control rules that defines a criterion for detecting an encapsulated packet flow and an event trigger for reporting a detected flow;

a third set of codes for detecting, by the first network entity, the encapsulated packet flow by performing a packet flow optimization application using the first plurality of policy and charging control rules;

a fourth set of codes for transmitting an indication of the event trigger and a description of the encapsulated packet flow from the first network entity to the second network entity; and

a fifth set of codes for receiving a second plurality of policy and charging control rules at the first network entity from the second network entity for the policy and charging control session based on the encapsulated packet flow.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, further comprising a sixth set of codes for receiving an operator input defining the first plurality of policy and charging control rules.

7. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the first network entity comprises a home agent serving the user equipment for a mobile Internet Protocol access and wherein the second network entity comprises a policy and charging rule control function for policy, charging and QoS control.

8. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the first plurality of policy and charging control rules defines a deep packet inspection for an IP communication session.

9. An apparatus for wireless communication, the apparatus comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one computer readable storage medium storing computer executable instructions that, when executed by at the least one processor, implement components of a first network entity comprising;

means for transmitting a request from the first network entity to a second network entity to establish a policy and charging control session for a user equipment accessing the first network entity;

means for accessing a first plurality of policy and charging control rules that defines a criterion for detecting an encapsulated packet flow and an event trigger for packet detected flow;

means for detecting the encapsulated packet flow by performing a packet flow optimization application using the first plurality of policy and charging control rules;

means for transmitting an indication of the event trigger and a description of the encapsulated packet flow from the first network entity to the second network entity; and

means for receiving a second plurality of policy and charging control rules at the first network entity from the second network entity for the policy and charging control session based on the encapsulated packet flow.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising means for receiving an operator input defining the first plurality of policy and charging control rules.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first network entity comprises a home agent serving the user equipment for a mobile Internet Protocol access and wherein the second network entity comprises a policy and charging rule control function for policy, charging and QoS control.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first plurality of policy and charging control rules defines a deep packet inspection for an IP communication session.

13. A first network entity for wireless communication, the first network entity comprising:

a network interface for transmitting a request from the first network entity to a second network entity to establish a policy and charging control session for a user equipment accessing the first network entity;

a computing platform for accessing a first plurality of policy and charging control rules that defines a criterion for detecting an encapsulated packet flow and an event trigger for reporting a detected flow and for detecting the encapsulated packet flow by performing a packet flow optimization application using the first plurality of policy and charging control rules; and

the network interface further for transmitting an indication of the event trigger and a description of the encapsulated packet flow from the first network entity to the second network entity, and for receiving a second plurality of policy and charging control rules at the first network entity from the second network entity for the policy and charging control session based on the encapsulated packet flow.

14. The first network entity of claim 13, wherein the network interface is further for

receiving an operator input defining the first plurality of policy and charging control rules.

15. The first network entity of claim 13, wherein the first network entity comprises a home agent serving the user equipment for a mobile Internet Protocol access and wherein the second network entity comprises a policy and charging rule control function for policy, charging and QoS control.

16. The first network entity of claim 13, wherein the first plurality of policy and charging control rules defines a deep packet inspection for an IP communication session.

17. A method for wireless communication, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a first network entity at a second network entity to establish a policy and charging control session for a user equipment accessing the first network entity;

transmitting, by the second network entity, a first plurality of policy and charging control rules for detecting an encapsulated packet flow by performing deep packet inspection;

receiving, at the second network entity, an indication of a detection of the encapsulated packet flow by the first network entity;

deriving, by the second network entity, a second plurality of policy and charging control rules that is based upon the encapsulated packet flow; and

transmitting the second plurality of policy and charging control rules to the first network entity from the second network entity for the policy and charging control session.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising receiving an operator input defining the first plurality of policy and charging control rules.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the first network entity comprises a home agent serving the user equipment for a mobile Internet Protocol access and wherein the second network entity comprises a policy and charging rule control function for policy, charging and QoS control.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the first plurality of policy and charging control rules defines a deep packet inspection for an IP communication session.

21. A computer program product for wireless communication, the computer program product comprising:

at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, implement components comprising;

a first set of codes for receiving a request from a first network entity at a second network entity to establish a policy and charging control session for a user equipment accessing the first network entity;

a second set of codes for transmitting, by the second network entity, a first plurality of policy and charging control rules for detecting an encapsulated packet flow by performing deep packet inspection;

a third set of codes for receiving, at the second network entity, an indication of a detection of the encapsulated packet flow by the first network entity;

a fourth set of codes for deriving, by the second network entity, a second plurality of policy and charging control rules that is based upon the encapsulated packet flow; and

a fifth set of codes for transmitting the second plurality of policy and charging control rules to the first network entity from the second network entity for the policy and charging control session.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising a sixth set of codes for receiving an operator input defining the first plurality of policy and charging control rules.

23. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the first network entity comprises a home agent serving the user equipment for a mobile Internet Protocol access and wherein the second network entity comprises a policy and charging rule control function for policy, charging and QoS control.

24. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the first plurality of policy and charging control rules defines a deep packet inspection for an IP communication session.

25. An apparatus for wireless communication, the apparatus comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one computer readable storage medium storing computer executable instructions that, when executed by at the least one processor, implement components of a second network entity comprising;

means for receiving a request from a first network entity at the second network entity to establish a policy and charging control session for a user equipment accessing the first network entity;

means for transmitting, by the second network entity, a first plurality of policy and charging control rules for detecting an encapsulated packet flow by performing deep packet inspection;

means for receiving, at the second network entity, an indication of a detection of the encapsulated packet flow by the first network entity;

means for deriving, by the second network entity, a second plurality of policy and charging control rules that is based upon the encapsulated packet flow; and

means for transmitting the second plurality of policy and charging control rules to the first network entity from the second network entity for the policy and charging control session.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising means for receiving an operator input defining the first plurality of policy and charging control rules.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the first network entity comprises a home agent serving the user equipment for a mobile Internet Protocol access and wherein the second network entity comprises a policy and charging rule control function for policy, charging and QoS control.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the first plurality of policy and charging control rules defines a deep packet inspection for an IP communication session.

29. A second network entity for wireless communication, the second network entity comprising:

a network interface for receiving a request from a first network entity at the second network entity to establish a policy and charging control session for a user equipment accessing the first network entity, for transmitting a first plurality of policy and charging control rules for detecting an encapsulated packet flow by performing deep packet inspection, and for receiving an indication of a detection of the encapsulated packet flow by the first network entity;

a computing platform for deriving a second plurality of policy and charging control rules that is based upon the encapsulated packet flow; and

the network interface further for transmitting the second plurality of policy and charging control rules to the first network entity from the second network entity for the policy and charging control session.

30. The second network entity of claim 29, wherein the network interface is further for

receiving an operator input defining the first plurality of policy and charging control rules.

31. The second network entity of claim 29, wherein the first network entity comprises a

home agent serving the user equipment for a mobile Internet Protocol access and wherein the second network entity comprises a policy and charging rule control function for policy, charging and QoS control.

32. The second network entity of claim 29, wherein the first plurality of policy and

charging control rules defines a deep packet inspection for an IP communication session.