Managing session information in a wireless communications system

• US 8,412,188 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2010
• Issued: 04/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Song, Bongyong
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu, Jinsong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shen, Qun
• Application Number:
  US12/695,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20110183666A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432.1, 455/435.1, 455/435.2, 455/436, 455/440, 455/443
• US Class Current: 455/432.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/38 triggered by timers

Abstract

In an embodiment, a network communication entity (NCE) determines that an access terminal has re-entered a serving area of an access network, and also determines whether a given period of time, associated with a previous session of the access terminal in the serving area, has expired. If the NCE determines no expiration, the NCE re-activates session information associated with the previous session, including re-activation of an identifier that uniquely identifies the access terminal within the serving area. If the access terminal had a session in another serving area before re-entering the serving area, the NCE stores the session information for the access terminal in the other serving area in association with a period of time indicative of a duration during which the session information continues to be valid within the other serving area. The NCE may either correspond to the access terminal or a portion of the access network.

Claims

1. A method of managing session information within a wireless communication system, comprising:

establishing a first session in a first serving area of an access network, the first session associated with first session information including a first identifier that uniquely identifies an access terminal within the first serving area;

determining that the access terminal has exited the first serving area and entered a second serving area of the access network;

establishing a second session upon entry into the second serving area of the access network, the second session associated with second session information including a second identifier that uniquely identifies the access terminal within the second serving area;

storing, responsive to the establishment of the second session, the first session information in association with a given period of time, the given period of time indicating a duration during which the first session information continues to be valid within the first serving area, and

wherein the establishing the second session step corresponds to re-activating stored session information from a previous session in the second serving area if the access terminal previously visited the second serving area within a threshold period of time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishing the first session step corresponds to re-activating stored session information from a previous session in the first serving area if the access terminal previously visited the first serving area within a threshold period of time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second identifiers correspond to unicast access terminal identifiers (UATIs).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishing the first session, determining, establishing the second session and storing steps are each performed at the access terminal.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the establishing the second session step corresponds to re-activating stored session information from a previous session in the second serving area if the access terminal previously visited the second serving area within a threshold period of time.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

after the establishing the second session step, sending a location update to the access network in the second serving area.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the location update corresponds to a request for a unicast access terminal identifier (UATI) in the second serving area.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishing the first session, determining, establishing the second session and storing steps are each performed at the access network.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the establishing the first session and storing steps are performed at a portion of the access network controlling the first serving area, and the determining and establishing the second session steps are each performed at a portion of the access network controlling the second serving area.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining step corresponds to receiving a message from the access terminal at the access network in the second serving area.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the received message corresponds to a request for a unicast access terminal identifier (UATI) or data sent in accordance with session information from a previous session of the access terminal in the second serving area.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining step corresponds to receiving a message at the access network in the first serving area from the access network in the second serving area, the message configured to inform the access network in the first serving area that the access terminal has entered the second serving area.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the received message corresponds to an A13 signaling message between the access network in the first serving area and the access network in the second serving area.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second serving areas correspond to different subnets of the access network.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

removing the stored first session information from storage if the access terminal is determined not to have re-entered the first serving area within the given period of time.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second sessions correspond to Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) sessions.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the entry of the access terminal into the second serving area corresponds to a handoff of the access terminal from the first serving area to the second serving area.

18. A network communication entity configured to manage session information within a wireless communication system, comprising:

means for establishing a first session in a first serving area of an access network, the first session associated with first session information including a first identifier that uniquely identifies an access terminal within the first serving area;

means for determining that the access terminal has exited the first serving area and entered a second serving area of the access network;

means for establishing a second session upon entry into the second serving area of the access network, the second session associated with second session information including a second identifier that uniquely identifies the access terminal within the second serving area;

means for storing, responsive to the establishment of the second session, the first session information in association with a given period of time, the given period of time indicating a duration during which the first session information continues to be valid within the first serving area, and

wherein the establishing the second session step corresponds to re-activating stored session information from a previous session in the second serving area if the access terminal previously visited the second serving area within a threshold period of time.

19. The network communication entity of claim 18, wherein the network communication entity corresponds to either the access terminal or a given portion of the access network.

20. A network communication entity configured to manage session information within a wireless communication system, comprising:

logic configured to establish a first session in a first serving area of an access network, the first session associated with first session information including a first identifier that uniquely identifies an access terminal within the first serving area;

logic configured to determine that the access terminal has exited the first serving area and entered a second serving area of the access network;

logic configured to establish a second session upon entry into the second serving area of the access network, the second session associated with second session information including a second identifier that uniquely identifies the access terminal within the second serving area;

logic configured to store, responsive to the establishment of the second session, the first session information in association with a given period of time, the given period of time indicating a duration during which the first session information continues to be valid within the first serving area, and

wherein the establishing the second session step corresponds to re-activating stored session information from a previous session in the second serving area if the access terminal previously visited the second serving area within a threshold period of time.

21. The network communication entity of claim 20, wherein the network communication entity corresponds to either the access terminal or a given portion of the access network.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which, when executed by a network communication entity configured to manage session information within a wireless communication system, cause the network communication entity to perform operations, the instructions comprising:

program code to establish a first session in a first serving area of an access network, the first session associated with first session information including a first identifier that uniquely identifies an access terminal within the first serving area;

program code to determine that the access terminal has exited the first serving area and entered a second serving area of the access network;

program code to establish a second session upon entry into the second serving area of the access network, the second session associated with second session information including a second identifier that uniquely identifies the access terminal within the second serving area;

program code to store, responsive to the establishment of the second session, the first session information in association with a given period of time, the given period of time indicating a duration during which the first session information continues to be valid within the first serving area, and

wherein the establishing the second session step corresponds to re-activating stored session information from a previous session in the second serving area if the access terminal previously visited the second serving area within a threshold period of time.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the network communication entity corresponds to either the access terminal or a given portion of the access network.