Apparatus, and associated method, for facilitating QoS and bearer setup in an IP-based communication system

• US 8,769,123 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2011
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IoT Innovations LLC (Empire IP LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Zheng, Haihong
• Primary Examiner(s): HIGA, BRENDAN Y
• Application Number:
  US13/178,024
• Publication Number:
  US 20110270958A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• Field of Search: 709220-222, 709227-229, 709230-244, 370/349, 370/389, 370/352
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/00 Local resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

Apparatus, and an associated method, for generating a bearer setup request in a mobile, or other, communication system. An application-level bearer setup request generator is positioned at the application level of the communication system. A request is forwarded to a transport level. And a bearer setup request signal generator, located at the transport level, generates a transport-level bearer setup request that is routed to the bearer manager. Bearer setup is performed by the bearer manager and a response is provided through the transport layer to the application level, and back to a communication node when the bearer setup is performed.

Claims

1. An apparatus for facilitating bearer setup initiated by a network, the apparatus comprising:

a bearer setup request generator, comprising hardware, associated with at least one application-level entity, said bearer setup request generator configured to;

generate an application-level bearer setup request to induce a selected bearer manager to create a bearer between a first node and a second node, wherein the application-level bearer setup request is free of network address identifiers for the selected bearer manager; and

provide the application-level bearer setup request to at least one first transport-level entity;

wherein, upon receiving the application-level bearer setup request, the at least one first transport-level entity is configured to send a transport-level bearer setup request to at least one second-transport level entity; and

wherein the at least one first transport-level entity is associated with a home network of the first node, and wherein the second transport-level entity is associated with a visited network of the first node.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one application-level entity is associated with the home network.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a receiving component to receive the application-level request from a mobile node.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bearer setup request generator is further configured to generate the application-level bearer setup request in response to reception of an application-level request from a mobile node.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the application-level request comprises one or more quality of service parameters.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bearer setup request generator is a component of an application server.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bearer comprises a radio link connection between the first node and the second node.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bearer is based on at least a requested data transmission rate threshold, a requested delay threshold, and a requested bit error ratio threshold.

9. An apparatus for facilitating bearer setup initiated by a network, the apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor; and

computer-executable instructions stored in the memory, which when executed by the processor, cause performance of operations comprising;

generating in at least one application-level entity an application-level bearer setup request to induce a selected bearer manager to create a bearer between a first node and a second node, wherein the application-level bearer setup request is free of network address identifiers for the selected bearer manager; and

providing the application-level bearer setup request to at least one first transport-level entity;

wherein, upon receiving the application-level bearer setup request, the at least one first transport-level entity is configured to send a transport-level bearer setup request to at least one second-transport level entity; and

wherein the at least one first transport-level entity is associated with a home network of the first node, and wherein the at least one second transport-level entity is associated with a visited network of the first node.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein, the application-level entity is associated with the home network.

11. A method for facilitating bearer setup of a network, the method comprising:

generating, at an application server, an application-level bearer setup request to induce a selected bearer manager to create a bearer between a first node and a second node, wherein the application-level bearer setup request is free of network address identifiers for the selected bearer manager; and

providing, by the application server, the application-level bearer setup request to at least one first transport-level entity, wherein, upon receiving the application-level bearer setup request, the at least one first transport-level entity is configured to send the bearer setup request to at least one second-transport level entity;

wherein the at least one first transport-level entity is associated with a home network of the first node, and wherein the at least one second transport-level entity is associated with a visited network of the first node.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the application server is associated with the home network.

13. An apparatus for facilitating bearer setup of a network, the apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor; and

computer-executable instructions stored in the memory, which when executed by the processor, cause performance of operations comprising;

generating an application-level bearer setup request to induce a selected bearer manager to create a bearer between a first node and a second node; and

providing the application-level bearer setup request to at least one first transport level entity;

wherein, upon receiving the application-level bearer setup request, the at least one first transport-level entity is configured to send a transport-level bearer setup request to at least one second-transport level entity; and

wherein the at least one first transport-level entity is associated with a home network of the first node, and wherein the at least one second transport-level entity is associated with a visited network of the first node.