Localized media offload

• US 9,021,072 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2010
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Atreya, Praveen, Bogineni, Kalyani, Yang, Jin
• Primary Examiner(s): Bengzon, Greg C
• Application Number:
  US12/695,208
• Publication Number:
  US 20110185049A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,916 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/222
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/088 using filters or firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/082 for traffic bypassing of mobility servers, e.g. location registers, home PLMNs or home agents
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/10 adapted for application session management, e.g. SIP [Session Initiation Protocol] connection management H04W76/00; arrangements for session management H04L67/14

Abstract

A method includes receiving, by an Internet Protocol (IP) anchor point, a session request to a network originating from a user equipment (UE); assigning an IP address to the UE; determining whether a reverse IP address registration is permitted to a first network device, wherein the reverse IP address registration permits a media flow associated with the IP address and the UE to omit traversing the IP anchor point; and assigning an ownership of the IP address to the first network device when reverse IP address registration is permitted.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by an Internet Protocol (IP) anchor point, a session request to a network originating from a user equipment (UE);

assigning, by the IP anchor point, an IP address to the UE;

determining, by the IP anchor point, whether a reverse IP address registration is permitted to a first network device that is in closer proximity to the UE than the IP anchor point, wherein the reverse IP address registration permits a media flow associated with the IP address and the UE to traverse the first network device and omit traversing the IP anchor point; and

assigning, by the IP anchor point, an ownership of the IP address to the first network device when the reverse IP address registration is permitted.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network device comprises a serving gateway (S-GW) and the IP anchor point comprises a packet data network gateway (PGW).

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining comprises:

determining whether the S-GW supports the reverse IP address registration; and

assigning the ownership of the IP address to the S-GW when the S-GW supports the reverse IP address registration.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving, by the S-GW, the media flow;

determining whether the IP address associated with the media flow is reverse IP address registered; and

omitting to pass the media flow to the PGW when the IP address is reverse IP address registered with the S-GW.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the IP address corresponds to at least one of a source IP address or a destination IP address associated with the media flow.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining, by the S-GW, whether reverse IP address registration is permitted to an evolved node B (eNB); and

assigning an ownership of the IP address to the eNB when reverse IP address registration is permitted.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, by the eNB, the media flow;

determining whether the IP address associated with the media flow is reverse IP address registered; and

omitting to pass the media flow to the S-GW when the IP address is reverse IP address registered with the eNB.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

revoking, by the PGW, the ownership of the IP address when a lawful intercept request is received.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

exchanging the ownership of the IP address between the S-GW and another S-GW based on mobility of the UE.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining comprises:

determining a type of media flow associated with the session request; and

assigning the ownership of the IP address to the S-GW when the type of media flow is authorized for the reverse IP address registration.

11. A network device comprising:

one or more memories to store instructions; and

one or more processors to execute the instructions in the one or more memories to;

receive a session request to access a network from a user equipment (UE);

assign an Internet Protocol (IP) address to the UE;

determine whether a reverse IP address registration is permitted to a first network device that is in closer proximity to the UE than the network device, wherein the reverse IP address registration permits a media flow associated with the IP address and the UE to traverse the first network device and omit traversing the network device; and

assign an ownership of the IP address to the first network device when the reverse IP address registration is permitted.

12. The network device of claim 11, wherein the network device comprises an IP anchor point and the first network device comprises a layer two termination point.

13. The network device of claim 11, wherein, when determining, the one or more processors are to execute the instructions to:

determine, on a user level or a user per media flow level, whether the reverse IP address registration is authorized on a user level or a user per media flow level.

14. A network system comprising:

a Long Term Evolution (LTE)-based packet data network gateway (PGW) comprising;

one or more first communication interfaces;

one or more first memories to store instructions; and

one or more first processors to execute the instructions in the one or more first memories; and

an LTE-based serving gateway (S-GW) comprising;

one or more second communication interfaces;

one or more second memories to store instructions; and

one or more second processors to execute the instructions in the one or more second memories, wherein the one or more first processors of the PGW execute the instructions to;

receive, via one of the one or more first communication interfaces, a session request to access the network system from a user equipment (UE);

assign an Internet Protocol (IP) address to the UE;

determine whether a reverse IP address registration is permitted to the S-GW, wherein the reverse IP address registration permits a media flow associated with the IP address and the UE to traverse the S-GW and omit traversing the PGW; and

assign an ownership of the IP address to the S-GW when the reverse IP address registration is permitted.

15. The network system of claim 14, wherein the one or more second processors of the S-GW execute the instructions to:

generate a reverse IP address registration table and include an entry indicating the ownership of the IP address;

receive, via one of the one or more second communication interfaces, the media flow originating from the UE;

consult the reverse IP address registration table to determine whether the IP address associated with the media flow is reverse IP address registered; and

omit to pass the media flow to the PGW when the entry indicates the ownership of the IP address.

16. The network system of claim 15, wherein the one or more second processors of the S-GW execute the instructions to:

perform packet inspection associated with the media flow to determine whether at least one of a source IP address or a destination IP address of the media flow is found in the reverse IP address registration table; and

wherein if both the source IP address and the destination IP address are found in the reverse IP address registration table, the media flow is passed to an evolved node B (eNB) to which a destination UE is attached.

17. The network system of claim 14, wherein the one or more second processors of the S-GW execute the instructions to:

determine whether an evolved node B (eNB) supports reverse IP address registration; and

assign the ownership of the IP address to the eNB when the eNB supports the reverse IP address registration.

18. The network system of claim 17, further comprising the eNB, the eNB comprising:

one or more third communication interfaces;

one or more third memories to store instructions; and

one or more third processors to execute the instructions in the one or more third memories, wherein the one or more third processors of the eNB execute the instructions to;

receive, via one of the one or more third communication interfaces, the media flow;

determine whether the IP address associated with the media flow is reverse IP address registered; and

omit to pass the media flow to the S-GW when the IP address is reverse IP address registered with the eNB.

19. The network system of claim 18, wherein the one or more third processors of the eNB execute the instructions to:

determine whether a home eNB supports reverse IP address registration; and

assign the ownership of the IP address to the home eNB when the home eNB supports the reverse IP address registration.

20. The network system of claim 18, wherein the one or more third processors of the eNB execute the instructions to:

store a reverse IP address registration table that includes one or more entries associated with one or more IP addresses that are reverse IP address registered; and

exchange one of the one or more entries and ownership of the IP address with another eNB based on mobility of the UE associated with a user.