Policy control for encapsulated data flows

• US 9,043,862 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2009
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Ahmavaara, Kalle I., Giaretta, Gerardo, Casaccia, Lorenzo, Tsirtsis, Georgios
• Primary Examiner(s): PYZOCHA, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US12/365,592
• Publication Number:
  US 20090199268A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,302 Days
• Field of Search: 726/1, 709/232
• US Class Current: 726/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate communicating encapsulation information for a related mobility protocol type utilized in communicating over a data flow with reduced specific implementation on the policy server to support different mobility protocol types. In this regard, encapsulation information can be transmitted to the policy server from a network gateway such that the policy server can forward the encapsulation information to a serving gateway along with policy rules related to a data flow type. The serving gateway can utilize the encapsulation information to detect and interpret the encapsulated data flow according to the policy rules. In this regard, the serving gateway can provide support (e.g., quality of service support) for the flow. The encapsulation information can relate to a mobility protocol type, an encapsulation header, an indication that encapsulation is required, parameters regarding locating an encapsulation header in a message, and/or the like.

Claims

1. A method for handling policy rules in wireless networks, comprising:

receiving encapsulation information related to data flow communication from a core network gateway, the encapsulation information including a mobility protocol type;

generating one or more policy rules related to the data flow communication based on the encapsulation information; and

transmitting the policy rules to an access network gateway for use in traversing the data flow communication between a network device and the core network gateway, wherein the data flow communication comprises encapsulated data and wherein the access network gateway uses the mobility protocol type to detect the encapsulated data flow in traversing the data flow communication between the network device and the core network gateway.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the received encapsulation information to the access network gateway.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the one or more policy rules includes indicating the received encapsulation information in the one or more policy rules.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the encapsulation information includes an encapsulation header related to a mobility protocol type.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the encapsulation information includes an offset introduced by an encapsulation header into a data flow.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the encapsulation information includes a mobility protocol type utilized for the data flow by the core network gateway.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining an encapsulation header based at least in part on the mobility protocol type.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising transmitting the encapsulation header to the access network gateway.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an internet protocol-connectivity access network (IP-CAN) type related to the data flow communication.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein generating the one or more policy rules is based at least in part on the IP-CAN type.

11. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

receive encapsulation information related to a mobility protocol type

utilized in a data flow between a network gateway and a network device;

define one or more policy rules based at least in part on a type of the data flow; and

transmit the encapsulation information and the one or more policy rules to an access network gateway for use in traversing the data flow communication between the network device and the network gateway, wherein the data flow communication comprises encapsulated data, and wherein the access network gateway uses the mobility protocol type to detect the encapsulated data flow in traversing the data flow communication between the network device and the core network gateway; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

12. A wireless communications apparatus that facilitates

transmitting policy rules in a wireless network, comprising:

means for receiving encapsulation information from a core network gateway for subsequent communication, the encapsulation information including a mobility protocol type;

means for creating one or more policy rules related to accepted communication parameters based on the encapsulation information; and

means for transmitting the encapsulation information and the one or more policy rules to an access network gateway for use in traversing the data flow communication between a network device and the core network gateway, wherein the data flow communication comprises encapsulated data and wherein the access network gateway uses the mobility protocol type to detect the encapsulated data flow in traversing the data flow communication between the network device and the core network gateway.

13. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising;

code for causing at least one computer to receive encapsulation information related to data flow communication from a core network gateway, the encapsulation information including a mobility protocol type;

code for causing the at least one computer to generate one or more policy rules based at least in part on a type related to the data flow communication; and

code for causing the at least one computer to transmit the encapsulation information and the one or more policy rules to an access network gateway for use in traversing the data flow communication between a network device and the core network gateway, wherein the data flow communication comprises encapsulated data and wherein the access network gateway uses the mobility protocol type to detect the encapsulated data flow in traversing the data flow communication between the network device and the core network gateway.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

an encapsulation information receiver that obtains encapsulation information from a core network gateway related to data flow communication with a device, the encapsulation information including a mobility protocol type;

a policy rule specifier, comprising a processor and memory coupled to the processor, that creates one or more policy rules based at least in part on a type of the data flow communication and transmits the one or more policy rules to an access network gateway for use in traversing the data flow communication between the device and the core network gateway, wherein the data flow communication comprises encapsulated data and wherein the access network gateway uses the mobility protocol type to detect the encapsulated data flow in traversing the data flow communication between the network device and the core network gateway.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the policy rule specifier includes the encapsulation information in the one or more policy rules.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising an encapsulation information forwarder that transmits the encapsulation information to the access network gateway.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the encapsulation information is an encapsulation header.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the encapsulation information comprises one or more positions within a subsequent message over data flow communication that demarcates an encapsulation header.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the encapsulation information receiver determines an encapsulation header related to the mobility protocol type.

20. A method that facilitates indicating encapsulation information for subsequent communication thereof, comprising:

selecting a mobility protocol type related to data flow communication with a mobile device;

generating encapsulation information for communicating over the data flow based at least in part on the mobility protocol type;

transmitting the encapsulation information to a policy server; and

transmitting data flow communication comprising encapsulated data corresponding to the encapsulated information to an access network gateway for communication between the mobile device and a core network gateway and wherein the access network gateway uses the mobility protocol type to detect the encapsulated data flow in traversing the data flow communication between the network device and the core network gateway.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein transmitting the encapsulation information includes providing an encapsulation header related to the mobility protocol type.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein transmitting the encapsulation information includes indicating an offset in a subsequent data flow communication that corresponds to the end of an encapsulation header in the data flow communication.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein transmitting the encapsulation information includes indicating a start and end position of an encapsulation header within a subsequent data flow communication.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein transmitting the encapsulation information includes transmitting the mobility protocol type to the policy server.

25. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

determine a mobility protocol type for communicating with a device over an established data flow;

generate encapsulation information related to the mobility protocol type;

transmit the encapsulation information to a policy server for subsequent communication to an access network gateway; and

transmit data flow communication comprising encapsulated data corresponding to the encapsulated information to an access network gateway for communication between the device and a core network gateway, wherein the access network gateway uses the mobility protocol type to detect the encapsulated data flow in traversing the data flow communication between the network device and the core network gateway; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

26. A wireless communications apparatus that indicates encapsulation information for communicating with a serving gateway, comprising:

means for selecting a mobility protocol type for communicating over a data flow;

means for determining encapsulation information related to the mobility protocol type; and

means for transmitting the encapsulation information to a policy server and transmitting data flow communication comprising encapsulated data corresponding to the encapsulated information to an access network gateway for communication between a mobile device and a core network gateway, wherein the access network gateway uses the mobility protocol type to detect the encapsulated data flow in traversing the data flow communication between the network device and the core network gateway.

27. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising;

code for causing at least one computer to select a mobility protocol type related to data flow communication with a mobile device;

code for causing the at least one computer to determine encapsulation information for communicating with the serving gateway based at least in part on the mobility protocol type;

code for causing the at least one computer to transmit the encapsulation information to a policy server; and

code for causing the at least one computer to transmit data flow communication comprising encapsulated data corresponding to the encapsulated information to an access network gateway for communication between the mobile device and a core network gateway, wherein the access network gateway uses the mobility protocol type to detect the encapsulated data flow in traversing the data flow communication between the network device and the core network gateway.

28. An apparatus, comprising:

a data flow requestor that establishes a data flow with a device and selects a mobility protocol type for communicating over the data flow;

an encapsulation information generator, comprising a processor and memory coupled to the processor, that creates encapsulation information based at least in part on the mobility protocol type; and

an encapsulation information specifier that transmits the encapsulation information to a policy server; and

a transmitter that transmits data flow communication comprising encapsulated data corresponding to the encapsulated information to an access network gateway for communication between a mobile device and a core network gateway, wherein the access network gateway uses the mobility protocol type to detect the encapsulated data flow in traversing the data flow communication between the network device and the core network gateway.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the encapsulation information includes an encapsulation header.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the encapsulation information comprises an offset within a subsequent communication over the data flow that corresponds to the end of an encapsulation header.

31. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the encapsulation information includes a start and end position of an encapsulation header within a subsequent communication over the data flow.