System and method for managing an access network re-selection

• US 8,787,318 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2012
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V., Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V., Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Pampu, Cornel, Corici, Marius, Diez, Alberto, Magedanz, Thomas, Vingarzan, Dragos, Qing, Zhou
• Primary Examiner(s): HAN, CLEMENCE S
• Application Number:
  US13/566,628
• Publication Number:
  US 20130064221A1
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0033 with transfer of context information

Abstract

A system and method is provided for managing an access network re-selection. The system includes computing hardware configured to provide a first indication indicating a target access network to be re-selected in case of a handover event and a second indication for establishing a certain context on a target access network. Further, computing hardware may be configured to establish the certain context on the target access network dependent on the provided second indication, said established context including a first part of the access network re-selection. And computing hardware may be configured to execute a second part of the access network re-selection due to the provided first indication and a received trigger for the handover event.

Claims

1. A system for managing an access network re-selection, the system comprising:

providing means for providing a first indication indicating a target access network to be re-selected in case of a handover event of a user entity from a current access network to the target access network, and for providing a second indication for establishing a certain context on the target access network,

establishing means for establishing the certain context on the target access network dependent on the provided second indication, said established context containing a first part of the access network re-selection, and

executing means for executing a second part of the access network re-selection due to the provided first indication and a received trigger for the handover.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first indication is embodied as a network decision indication including network re-selection policies to be executed by the execution means in case of the handover event of the user entity from the current access network to the target access network, wherein said certain context is embodied as a volatile-shallow context, said volatile-shallow context including information on identification of the user entity, in particular a user equipment or a mobile device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said certain context is embodied as a volatile-shallow context including information on the target access network for enabling a fast authentication of the user entity, in particular a user equipment or a mobile device, after reception of the trigger for the handover event.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said certain context is embodied as a volatile-shallow context, said volatile-shallow context including information on active dataflows or possible active dataflows after reception of the trigger for the handover event of the user entity, in particular a user equipment or a mobile device, for enabling a faster policy-based resource reservation for the user entity after reception of the trigger for the handover event.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first indication is embodied as a network decision indication including network re-selection policies that the execution means have to execute in case of the handover event of the user entity from the current access network to the target access network, wherein said certain context is embodied as a volatile-shallow context, said volatile-shallow context including information on a physical layer, a link layer or a network layer for a following communication with the user entity.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the certain context is embodied as a volatile-shallow context, said volatile-shallow context including information on a mobility model to be used after reception of said trigger for the handover event.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said establishing means are configured to initiate pre-authentication procedures dependent on the second indication provided by said providing means.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said establishing means are configured to initiate procedures for establishing a communication path through the target access network at least dependent on the second indication provided by said providing means.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said establishing means are configured to initiate mobility protocol-related procedures for exchanging mobility-related information to certain other network entities, wherein said establishing means are particularly configured to initiate the mobility protocol-related procedures for preparing a new communication path on the target access network.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said certain context is embodied as a volatile-shallow context, wherein, during an establishment of the volatile-shallow context, said establishing means are configured to initiate policy and charging rules for providing information on Quality of Service (QoS), rules to be provided by said establishing means.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said establishing means are configured to reserve Quality of Service (QoS), reservations correspondent for said certain context depending on a probability of a handover event to the target access network.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said first part of the access network re-selection executed by said established context on said target access network is executable without communicating with the executing means.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the first indication is embodied as a network decision indication including network re-selection policies to be executed by the execution means in case of the handover event of the user entity from the current access network to the target access network, wherein said certain context is embodied as a volatile-shallow context, wherein said volatile-shallow context is activated by means of a first upload packet of the user entity or by means of a definite mechanism including an authentication procedure executed between the user entity and the target access network.

14. A method for managing an access network re-selection, the method comprising:

providing a first indication indicating a target access network to be re-selected in case of a handover event of a user entity from a current access network to the target access network and a second indication for establishing a certain context on the target access network,

establishing the certain context on the target access network dependent on the provided second indication, said established context containing a first part of the access network re-selection, and

executing a second part of the access network re-selection due to the provided first indication and a received trigger for the handover event.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer program comprising a program code for executing the method of claim 14 when run on a computer.