Method, system, and device for network handoff

• US 8,532,046 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2011
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hu, Shuhui, Zhao, Jie, Zhong, Xin
• Primary Examiner(s): PARK, JUNG H
• Application Number:
  US13/096,832
• Publication Number:
  US 20110200010A1
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: 370/230, 370/235, 370/328, 370/329, 370/331, 370/338, 370/401
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0019 adapted for mobile IP [MIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/144 over a different radio air interface technology

Abstract

A method, a system, and a device for network handoff is disclosed. A first evolved Access Network (eAN) sends a session transfer request to the target eAN that corresponds to the network handoff request. The first eAN receives a session transfer response from the target eAN. The first eAN sends a Traffic Channel Assignment (TCA) message to a User Equipment (UE) based on the session transfer response, so that the UE can switch from a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network to an evolved High Rate Packet Data (eHRPD) network based on the TCA message.

Claims

1. A method for network handoff, the method comprising:

sending, by a first evolved Access Network (eAN), a session transfer request to a target eAN that corresponds to a network handoff request, wherein the session transfer request contains session information of the UE, a Packet Data Network Gateway (PDN-GW) address, and a Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE) key of an uplink tunnel between a Serving Gateway (S-GW) and the PDN-GW;

receiving, by the first eAN, a session transfer response from the target eAN; and

sending, by the first eAN, a Traffic Channel Assignment (TCA) message to a User Equipment (UE) based on the session transfer response, so as to enable the UE to switch from a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network to an evolved High Rate Packet Data (eHRPD) network based on the TCA message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first eAN is an eAN that corresponds to a SectorID or an eAN that stores session information of the UE.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein sending the session transfer request comprises:

sending the session transfer request to the target eAN from the eAN that corresponds to the SectorID if the eAN that corresponds to the SectorID is the eAN that stores the session information of the UE.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein sending the session transfer request comprises:

if the eAN that corresponds to the SectorID is not the eAN that stores the session information of the UE, forwarding, by the eAN that corresponds to the SectorID, the network handoff request to the eAN that stores the session information of the UE to trigger the eAN that stores the session information of the UE to send the session transfer request to the target eAN.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein sending the session transfer request comprises:

if the eAN that corresponds to the SectorID is not the eAN that stores the session information of the UE, sending, by the eAN that corresponds to the SectorID, a response to a Mobility Management Entity (MME), so as to enable the MME to send the network handoff request to the eAN that stores the session information of the UE to trigger the eAN that stores the session information of the UE to send the session transfer request to the target eAN.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein sending the session transfer request comprises:

if the eAN that corresponds to the SectorID is not the eAN that stores the session information of the UE, obtaining, by the eAN that corresponds to the SectorID, the session information of the UE from the eAN that stores the session information of the UE, and sending the session transfer request to the target eAN.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein, after sending the target eAN the session transfer request, the method further comprises:

receiving the session transfer request at the target eAN;

storing the session information of the UE by the target eAN;

sending a registration request from the target eAN to a High Rate Packet Data Serving Gateway (HSGW), the registration request containing the PDN-GW address and the GRE key of the uplink tunnel based on the session transfer request, so as to enable the HSGW to send uplink data to the PDN-GW by using the PDN-GW address and the GRE key of the uplink tunnel;

receiving a registration response from the HSGW at the target eAN, the registration response containing an HSGW address and a GRE key of a uni-directional tunnel from the S-GW to the HSGW;

allocating, by the target eAN, an air interface resource for the UE; and

sending, by the target eAN, the first eAN a session transfer response containing information about the air interface resource, the HSGW address, and the GRE key of the uni-directional tunnel.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

setting, by the target eAN, a reverse initial power used by the UE to access the eHRPD network; and

sending, by the target eAN, the first eAN a session transfer response containing the information about the air interface resource, the HSGW address, the GRE key of the uni-directional tunnel, and the reverse initial access power.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

allocating, by the target eAN, a new Unicast Access Terminal Identifier (UATI) for the UE; and

sending, by the target eAN, the first eAN a session transfer response containing the information about the air interface resource, the HSGW address, the GRE key of the uni-directional tunnel, and the new UATI.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a session transfer response from the target eAN comprises:

receiving a session transfer response containing information about an air interface resource, a High Rate Packet Data Serving Gateway (HSGW) address, and a Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE) key of a uni-directional tunnel;

or

receiving a session transfer response containing the information about the air interface resource, the HSGW address, the GRE key of the uni-directional tunnel, and a reverse initial power;

or

receiving a session transfer response containing the information about the air interface resource, the HSGW address, the GRE key of the uni-directional tunnel, and a new Unicast Access Terminal Identifier (UATI);

or

receiving a session transfer response containing the information about the air interface resource, the HSGW address, the GRE key of the uni-directional tunnel, the reverse initial power, and the new UATI.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein sending a Traffic Channel Assignment (TCA) message comprises:

sending a TCA message containing information about an air interface resource to the UE based on the session transfer response, so as to enable the UE to switch to the eHRPD network based on the information about the air interface resource carried in the TCA message;

or

sending a TCA message containing the information about the air interface resource and a reverse initial power to the UE based on the session transfer response, so as to enable the UE to switch to the eHRPD network based on the information about the air interface resource and the reverse initial power carried in the TCA message;

or

sending a TCA message containing the information about the air interface resource and a new Unicast Access Terminal Identifier (UATI) to the UE based on the session transfer response, so as to enable the UE to switch to the eHRPD network based on the information about the air interface resource and a long code mask of a traffic channel that corresponds to the new UATI carried in the TCA message;

or

sending a TCA message containing the information about the air interface resource, the reverse initial power, and the new UATI to the UE based on the session transfer response, so as to enable the UE to switch to the eHRPD network based on the information about the air interface resource, the reverse initial power, and the long code mask of the traffic channel that corresponds to the new UATI carried in the TCA message.

12. An evolved Access Network (eAN), comprising:

a session transfer request processing unit, configured to send a network handoff request to a target eAN that corresponds to a network handoff request, wherein the session transfer request processing unit is specifically configured to send the target eAN a session transfer request containing session information of the UE, a Packet Data Network Gateway (PDN-GW) address, and a Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE) key of an uplink tunnel between a Serving Gateway (S-GW) and the PDN-GW;

a session transfer response receiving unit, configured to receive a session transfer response from the target eAN; and

a Traffic Channel Assignment (TCA) sending unit, configured to send a TCA message to a User Equipment (UE) based on the session transfer response received by the session transfer response receiving unit, so as to enable the UE to switch from a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network to an evolved High Rate Packet Data (eHRPD) network based on the TCA message.

13. The eAN of claim 12, wherein the eAN is an eAN that corresponds to a SectorID carried in the network handoff request, and wherein the session transfer request processing unit comprises:

a first processing subunit, configured to send the session transfer request to the target eAN if the eAN is also an eAN that stores session information of the UE;

or

a second processing subunit, configured to obtain the session information of the UE from the eAN that stores the session information of the UE and to send the session transfer request to the target eAN.

14. The eAN of claim 12, wherein the eAN is an eAN that stores session information of the UE, and wherein the session transfer request processing unit comprises:

a third processing subunit, configured to receive a network handoff request from an eAN that corresponds to a SectorID carried in the network handoff request and to send the session transfer request to the target eAN based on the network handoff request;

or

a fourth processing subunit, configured to receive a network handoff request from a Mobility Management Entity (MME) and to send the session transfer request to the target eAN based on the network handoff request.

15. The eAN of claim 12, wherein the session transfer response receiving unit is specifically configured to:

receive, from the target eAN, a session transfer response containing information about an air interface resource, a High Rate Packet Data Serving Gateway (HSGW) address, and the GRE key of a uni-directional tunnel;

or

receive, from the target eAN, a session transfer response containing the information about the air interface resource, the HSGW address, the GRE key of the uni-directional tunnel, and a reverse initial power;

or

receive, from the target eAN, a session transfer response containing the information about the air interface resource, the HSGW address, the GRE key of the uni-directional tunnel, and a new Unicast Access Terminal Identifier (UATI);

or

receive, from the target eAN, a session transfer response containing the information about the air interface resource, the HSGW address, the GRE key of the uni-directional tunnel, the reverse initial power, and the new UATI.

16. The eAN of claim 12, wherein the TCA sending unit is specifically configured to:

send a TCA message containing information about an air interface resource to the UE based on the session transfer response;

or

send a TCA message containing the information about the air interface resource and a reverse initial power to the UE based on the session transfer response;

or

send a TCA message containing the information about the air interface resource and a new Unicast Access Terminal Identifier (UATI) to the UE based on the session transfer response;

or

send a TCA message containing the information about the air interface resource, the reverse initial power, and the new UATI to the UE based on the session transfer response.

17. An evolved Access Network (eAN), comprising:

a transfer request receiving unit, configured to receive a session transfer request containing session information of a User Equipment (UE), a Packet Data Network Gateway (PDN-GW) address, and a Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE) key of an uplink tunnel between a Serving Gateway (S-GW) and the PDN-GW;

a session information processing unit, configured to store the session information received by the transfer request receiving unit;

a registration request sending unit, configured to send a High Rate Packet Data Serving Gateway (HSGW) a registration request containing the PDN-GW address and the GRE key of the uplink tunnel received by the transfer response receiving unit, so as to enable the HSGW to send uplink data to the PDN-GW by using the PDN-GW address and the GRE key of the uplink tunnel;

a registration response receiving unit, configured to receive, from the HSGW, a registration response containing an HSGW address and a GRE key of a uni-directional tunnel from the S-GW to the HSGW;

an air interface resource allocating unit, configured to allocate an air interface resource for the UE; and

a transfer response sending unit, configured to send a session transfer response containing information about the air interface resource, the HSGW address, and the GRE key of the uni-directional tunnel.

18. The eAN of claim 17, further comprising:

an initial power setting unit, configured to set a reverse initial power used by the UE to access an evolved High Rate Packet Data (eHRPD) network;

wherein the transfer response sending unit is configured to send a session transfer response containing the information about the air interface resource, the HSGW address, the GRE key of the uni-directional tunnel, and the reverse initial power.

19. The eAN of claim 17, further comprising:

a Unicast Access Terminal Identifier (UATI) allocating unit, configured to allocate a new UATI for the UE;

wherein the transfer response sending unit is configured to send a session transfer response containing the information about the air interface resource, the HSGW address, the GRE key of the uni-directional tunnel, and the new UATI.

20. A method for network handoff, the method comprising:

receiving a session transfer request containing session information of a User Equipment (UE), a Packet Data Network Gateway (PDN-GW) address, and a Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE) key of an uplink tunnel between a Serving Gateway (S-GW) and the PDN-GW;

storing the session information;

sending a High Rate Packet Data Serving Gateway (HSGW) a registration request containing the PDN-GW address and the GRE key of the uplink tunnel, so as to enable the HSGW to send uplink data to the PDN-GW by using the PDN-GW address and the GRE key of the uplink tunnel;

receiving, from the HSGW, a registration response containing an HSGW address and a GRE key of a uni-directional tunnel from the S-GW to the HSGW;

allocating an air interface resource for the UE; and

sending a session transfer response containing information about the air interface resource, the HSGW address, and the GRE key of the uni-directional tunnel.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the session transfer response further comprises a reverse initial power.