Transfer of mobile subscriber context in cellular networks using extended routing protocol
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- receiving, with a first network device of a cellular network, a request to initiate a data session between a mobile device and a packet-based computer network, the mobile device in wireless communication with a first base station associated with the first network device;
processing, with the first network device, data communications associated with the data session in accordance with a subscriber context associated with the mobile device, wherein the subscriber context specifies subscriber-specific information defining one or more policies that are applied to the data communications; and
with the first network device, advertising a mobile subscriber (MS) virtual private network (VPN) route advertisement to other network devices in the cellular network using an extended routing protocol, wherein the MS VPN route advertisement encodes the subscriber context for the mobile device in accordance with the extended routing protocol to enable the other network devices to process the data communications associated with the data session in accordance with the subscriber context.
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Abstract
A new architecture provides network-based mobility in cellular networks that is built on Internet Protocol (IP)/Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) technologies, such as Virtual Private Local Area Network (LAN) Service (VPLS), the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) and BGP MPLS Layer 3 Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). The architecture consists of several building blocks that provide functionality for different aspects of cellular network mobility. One building block is network-based macro mobility in IP/MPLS networks. The macro mobility techniques described herein are built on extensions to a routing protocol such as BGP. Another building block relates to transferring subscriber context between network devices while preserving the IP address of the subscriber. The techniques described herein provide a subscriber context transfer mechanism for mobile subscriber management that is built on extensions to a routing protocol such as BGP. Another building block of the mobility architecture is network-based micro mobility based on VPLS.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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receiving, with a first network device of a cellular network, a request to initiate a data session between a mobile device and a packet-based computer network, the mobile device in wireless communication with a first base station associated with the first network device; processing, with the first network device, data communications associated with the data session in accordance with a subscriber context associated with the mobile device, wherein the subscriber context specifies subscriber-specific information defining one or more policies that are applied to the data communications; and with the first network device, advertising a mobile subscriber (MS) virtual private network (VPN) route advertisement to other network devices in the cellular network using an extended routing protocol, wherein the MS VPN route advertisement encodes the subscriber context for the mobile device in accordance with the extended routing protocol to enable the other network devices to process the data communications associated with the data session in accordance with the subscriber context. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 30)
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12. A network device of a cellular network comprising:
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an interface configured to receive a request to initiate a data session between a mobile device and a packet-based computer network, the mobile device in wireless communication with a first base station associated with the first network device; and a control unit configured to process data communications associated with the data session in accordance with a subscriber context associated with the mobile device, wherein the subscriber context specifies subscriber-specific information defining one or more policies that are applied to the data communications, wherein the control unit is configured to execute a routing protocol that has been extended to advertise a mobile subscriber (MS) virtual private network (VPN) route advertisement to other network devices in the cellular network, wherein the MS VPN route advertisement encodes the subscriber context for the mobile device in accordance with the extended routing protocol to enable the other network devices to process the data communications associated with the data session in accordance with the subscriber context. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 31)
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22. A system comprising:
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a first network device associated with a first base station; a second network device associated with a second base station; a mobile device in wireless communication with the first base station; and a third network device that stores a subscriber context associated with the mobile device, wherein the first network device comprises; an interface configured to receive a request from the mobile device to initiate a data session between the mobile device and a packet-based computer network; and a control unit configured to process data communications associated with the data session in accordance with the subscriber context associated with the mobile device, wherein the subscriber context specifies subscriber-specific information defining one or more policies that are applied to the data communications, wherein the control unit is configured to execute a routing protocol that has been extended to advertise a mobile subscriber (MS) virtual private network (VPN) route to the second network device, wherein the MS VPN route advertisement encodes the subscriber context for the mobile device in accordance with the extended routing protocol to enable the second network device to process the data communications associated with the data session in accordance with the subscriber context. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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23. A system comprising:
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a first network device associated with a first base station; a second network device associated with a second base station; a mobile device in wireless communication with the first base station; and a third network device that stores a subscriber context associated with the mobile device, wherein the first network device comprises; an interface configured to receive a request from the mobile device to initiate a data session between the mobile device and a packet-based computer network, wherein in response to receiving the request from the mobile device, the first network device accesses the subscriber context for the mobile device from the third network device based on the request, and wherein the first network device stores the subscriber context accessed from the third network device; and a control unit configured to process data communications associated with the data session in accordance with the subscriber context associated with the mobile device, wherein the subscriber context specifies subscriber-specific information defining one or more policies that are applied to the data communications, wherein the control unit is configured to execute a routing protocol that has been extended to advertise a mobile subscriber (MS) virtual private network (VPN) route to the second network device, wherein the MS VPN route advertisement encodes the subscriber context for the mobile device in accordance with the extended routing protocol to enable the second network device to process the data communications associated with the data session in accordance with the subscriber context.
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29. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions for causing a programmable processor of a first network device of a cellular network to:
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receive a request to initiate a data session between a mobile device and a packet-based computer network, the mobile device in wireless communication with a first base station associated with the first network device; process data communications associated with the data session in accordance with a subscriber context associated with the mobile device, wherein the subscriber context specifies subscriber-specific information defining one or more policies that are applied to the data communications; and advertise a mobile subscriber (MS) virtual private network (VPN) route advertisement to other network devices in the cellular network using an extended routing protocol, wherein the MS VPN route advertisement encodes the subscriber context for the mobile device in accordance with the extended routing protocol to enable the other network devices to process the data communications associated with the data session in accordance with the subscriber context.
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Specification