Handling traffic flows in a mobile communications network

• US 8,488,462 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2002
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Hurtta, Tuija, Pikkusaari, Antti, Olah, Zoltan
• Primary Examiner(s): SEFCHECK, GREGORY B
• Application Number:
  US10/331,941
• Publication Number:
  US 20040125748A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,850 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2441 relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/10 Flow control between communication endpoints
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

A method and system of handling traffic flows across a network is disclosed. The method includes issuing a request for establishing a first communication pathway end to end over the network, the communications pathway including the radio communication channel and the packet communication channel, the request identifying multiple traffic flows with their associated attributes. The method further includes identifying any of the traffic flows which require a different flow treatment across the network, and establishing the first communication pathway, and at least one second communication pathway end to end over the network, the second communication pathway providing a different flow treatment.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, from a user terminal, at a node of a network, a request to establish a communication pathway over the network;

establishing the communication pathway in the network, the communication pathway includes a radio communication channel and a packet communication channel, and the request associates with at least one traffic flow, wherein the at least one traffic flow is associated with at least one flow treatment attribute determining the flow treatment requirement for the at least one traffic flow;

identifying at least another traffic flow of the at least one traffic flow associated with the request which requires a different flow treatment across the network from other traffic flows; and

initiating another request, by at least one packet network node rather than the user terminal, to establish at least another communication pathway over the network, the another request identifying flow attributes of the at least another traffic flow associated with the request that requires the different flow treatment, and establishing the at least another communication pathway in the network, the at least another communication pathway providing the different flow treatment to the at least another traffic flow associated with the request that requires the different flow treatment, wherein the request comprises a bearer request, and the another request comprises a secondary bearer activation.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the packet network node is a gateway node of a mobile communication system, the gateway node initiates the another request to establish a network requested secondary bearer activation, wherein the at least one packet network node initiates the another request without intervention by the user terminal.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the identifying the at least another traffic flow associated with the request which requires a different flow treatment is implemented at the at least one packet network node.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the identifying the at least another traffic flow associated with the request which requires a different flow treatment is implemented at a policy decision function node of the network.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the radio communication channel established between the at least one user terminal and the at least one radio network node comprises at least one radio bearer, wherein the establishing the communication pathway and the another communication pathway includes the establishing multiple radio bearers providing different flow treatments.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one packet network node comprises a gateway general packet radio service serving node, and the network further comprises a serving general packet radio service support node, wherein each communication pathway comprises a radio access bearer between the user terminal and the serving general packet radio service support node, wherein the establishing the communication pathway and the another communication pathway comprises establishing multiple radio access bearers with different flow treatments.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one flow treatment attribute comprises a quality of service policy.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one flow treatment attribute comprises a charging policy.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the identifying the at least another traffic flow associated with the request is based on its associated attributes.

10. The method according claim 1, wherein the at least one packet network node is configured to activate the another communication pathway by sending a bearer activation message to the at least one user terminal in response to the request.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user terminal goes through the bearer establishment process again to establish the another communication pathway.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein the establishing of the communication pathway and the another communication pathway is implemented by establishing a bearer over the network.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the bearer request comprises a packet data protocol context request and the secondary bearer activation comprises a packet data protocol context activation.

14. A system, comprising:

at least one user terminal;

at least one radio network node comprising an establishing unit configured to establish a radio communication channel between the at least one user terminal and the at least one radio network node;

at least one packet network node comprising an establishing unit configured to establish a packet communication channel, wherein at least one traffic flow is associated with at least one flow treatment attribute determining the flow treatment requirement for the at least one traffic flow, and the user terminal or the packet network node is configured to issue a request to establish a communication pathway over the network, the communication pathway including the radio communication channel and the packet communication channel, the request identifies the at least one traffic flow;

an identifier configured to identify at least another traffic flow associated with the request which requires a different flow treatment across the network from the other traffic flows;

an initiating unit configured to initiate another request, by at least one packet network node rather than the at least one user terminal, to establish at least another communication pathway over the network, the another request comprising a bearer activation and identifying flow attributes of the at least another traffic flow associated with the request that requires the different flow treatment; and

an establishing unit configured to establish the communication pathway, and the at least another communication pathway over the network, the at least another communication pathway providing the different flow treatment to the at least another traffic flow associated with the request.

15. A system according to claim 14, wherein the identifier is located at the at least one packet network node.

16. A system according to claim 14, further comprising a policy decision function network node at which the identifier is located.

17. A system according to claim 14, wherein the establishing unit is configured to establish a bearer across the network.

18. A system according to claim 14, wherein the establishing unit is configured to establish multiple radio bearers in the radio communication channel.

19. A system according to claim 14, wherein the establishing unit is configured to establish multiple radio access bearers in the radio communication channel.

20. A system according to claim 14, wherein

the at least one packet network node comprises a gateway general packet radio service serving node configured to initiate the request to establish the another communication pathway by sending an initiate bearer activation message to a serving general packet radio service support node,

the serving general packet radio service support node is configured to initiate a request to activate the another communication pathway by sending a bearer activation message to the at least one user terminal, and

the at least one user terminal goes through the bearer establishment process again.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the bearer activation comprises a packet data protocol context activation.

22. A system comprising:

at least one user terminal;

at least one radio network node comprising an establishing unit configured to establish a radio communication channel between the at least one user terminal and the at least one radio network node;

at least one packet network node comprising another establishing unit configured to establish a packet communication channel, wherein at least one traffic flow is associated with at least one flow treatment attribute determining the flow treatment requirement for the at least one traffic flow, and the at least one user terminal or the at least one packet network node is configured to issue a request to establish a communication pathway over the network, the communication pathway including the radio communication channel and the packet communication channel, wherein the request identifies the at least one traffic flow;

an identifier configured to identify at least another traffic flow associated with the request which requires a different flow treatment across the network from other traffic flows;

an initiating unit configured to initiate another request, by the at least one packet network node rather than by the at least one user terminal, to establish at least another communication pathway over the network, the another request comprising a bearer activation and identifying flow attributes of the at least another traffic flow associated with the request that requires the different flow treatment; and

a further establishing unit configured to establish the communication pathway, and the at least another communication pathway over the network, the another communication pathway providing the different flow treatment to the at least another traffic flow associated with the request.

23. An apparatus, comprising:

an establishing unit configured to establish a packet communication channel in a network,

wherein at least one traffic flow in the network is associated with at least one flow treatment attribute determining the flow treatment requirement for the at least one traffic flow, and

wherein the apparatus is configured to establish a communication pathway over the network, the communication pathway including a radio communication channel and the packet communication channel; and

an identifier configured to identify at least another traffic flow associated with the request which requires a different flow treatment across the network from other traffic flows, wherein the apparatus is further configured to initiate, at a packet network node, a secondary request comprising a bearer activation to establish at least another communication pathway over the network, the secondary request identifying flow attributes of the at least another traffic flow associated with the request that requires the different flow treatment, and to establish the at least another communication pathway in the network, the another communication pathway providing the different flow treatment to the at least another traffic flow associated with the request.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the establishing of the communication pathway and the another communication pathway is implemented by establishing a bearer over the network.

25. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the identifying the at least another traffic flow associated with the request which requires a different flow treatment is implemented at a policy decision function node of the network.

26. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the radio communication channel comprises at least one radio bearer, wherein the establishing the communication pathway and the another communication pathway includes the establishing multiple radio bearers providing different flow treatments.

27. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the at least one packet network node comprises a gateway general packet radio service serving node, and the network further comprises a serving general packet radio service support node, wherein each communication pathway comprises a radio access bearer between a user terminal and the serving general packet radio service support node, wherein the establishing the communication pathway and the another communication pathway comprises establishing multiple radio access bearers with different flow treatments.

28. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the at least one flow treatment attribute comprises a quality of service policy.

29. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the at least one flow treatment attribute comprises a charging policy.

30. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the identifier is configured to identify the at least another traffic flow associated with the request based on its associated attributes.

31. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the request to establish at least one second communication pathway is a bearer activation.

32. An apparatus, comprising:

a transmitter configured to send a bearer request to a network node to establish a communication pathway, the request associates with at least one traffic flow wherein the at least one traffic flow is associated with at least one flow treatment attribute determining the flow treatment requirement for the at least one traffic flow;

a receiver configured to receive a bearer response from the network node;

an acceptance message transmitter configured to transmit the bearer acceptance message to a user equipment; and

an initiator configured to initiate another request to activate a another communication pathway by sending a bearer activation message to the user equipment, the another request comprising a bearer activation and identifying flow attributes of at least another traffic flow associated with the request that requires a different flow treatment from other traffic flows, the initiator further being configured to establish the another communication pathway that provides the different flow treatment to the at least another traffic flow associated with the request.

33. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the apparatus is configured to establish multiple radio access bearers when establishing multiple communication pathways.

34. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the bearer activation comprises a packet data protocol context activation.

35. An apparatus, comprising:

a requester configured to issue a request to establish a communication pathway over a network, the communication pathway including a radio communication channel and a packet communication channel;

a receiver configured to receive a response indicating acceptance of the request to establish a communication pathway;

an initiator configured to initiate a procedure to establish the communication pathway; and

a communication requester, at one or more packet network nodes, configured to make another request to establish a another communication pathway when an active message is received from the network, the another request comprising a bearer activation and identifying flow attributes of at least one traffic flow of the communication pathway that requires a different flow treatment from other traffic flows of the communication pathway, the communication requester further being configured to establish the another communication pathway that provides the different flow treatment to the at least one traffic flow.

36. A method, comprising:

establishing a packet communication channel in a network, wherein at least one traffic flow in the network is associated with at least one flow treatment attribute determining the flow treatment requirement for the at least one traffic flow;

establishing a communication pathway over the network, the communication pathway including a radio communication channel and the packet communication channel;

identifying at least another traffic flow associated with the request which requires a different flow treatment across the network from other traffic flows;

initiating, at a packet network node rather than a user terminal, another request to establish at least another communication pathway over the network, the secondary request comprising a bearer activation and identifying flow attributes of the at least another traffic flow associated with the request that requires the different flow treatment; and

establishing the another communication pathway in the network, the another communication pathway providing the different flow treatment to the at least another traffic flow associated with the request.

37. A non-transitory computer readable medium on which a computer program is embodied, and when the computer program is executed, a processor provides operations comprising:

receiving, at a node of a network, a request to establish a communication pathway over the network and establishing the communication pathway in the network, the communications pathway includes a radio communication channel and a packet communication channel, and the request associates with at least one traffic flow, wherein the at least one traffic flow is associated with at least one flow treatment attribute determining the flow treatment requirement for the at least one traffic flow;

identifying at least another traffic flow associated with the request which requires a different flow treatment across the network from the at least one traffic flow; and

initiating, by at least one packet network node rather than a user terminal, another request to establish at least another communication pathway over the network, the another request comprising a bearer activation, identifying flow attributes of the at least another traffic flow associated with the request that requires the different flow treatment, and establishing the at least another communication pathway in the network, the at least another communication pathway providing the different flow treatment to the at least another traffic flow associated with the request, wherein the first request comprises a bearer request.

38. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium on which a computer program is embodied, and when the computer program is executed, a processor provides operations comprising:

establishing a packet communication channel in a network, wherein at least one traffic flow in the network is associated with at least one flow treatment attribute determining the flow treatment requirement for the at least one traffic flow;

establishing a communication pathway over the network, the communication pathway including a radio communication channel and the packet communication channel;

identifying at least another traffic flow associated with the request which requires a different flow treatment across the network from other traffic flows;

initiating, at a packet network node rather than a user terminal, a another request to establish at least another communication pathway over the network, the request comprising a bearer activation and identifying flow attributes of the at least another traffic flow associated with the request that requires the different flow treatment; and

establishing the at least another communication pathway in the network, the another communication pathway providing the different flow treatment to the at least another traffic flow associated with the request, wherein the secondary request comprises another bearer request.