Service awareness and seamless switchover between client based WiFi access and mobile data network access

• US 9,071,959 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2013
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cai, Yan, Cillis, Canio, Ding, Ting, Leschke, Ekkart, Long, Biao
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHAU, PETER P
• Application Number:
  US13/772,443
• Publication Number:
  US 20140233400A1
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1407 Policy-and-charging control [PCC] architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1467 involving prepayment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/028 by filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/66 Policy and charging system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8055 Selecting cheaper transport technology for a given service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0247 based on conditions of the access network or the infrastructure network central resource management H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0846 between network providers, e.g. operators selecting a network or a communication service H04W40/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A system and method provides seamless switchover of a user device (UE) between a mobile data network and a wireless network while providing policy and charging control (PCC) of the data session in the mobile data network. A mobile core network component is made ASF aware to process user data traffic related to an auto switching function (ASF) server from a UE client located on the UE using a special access point name (APN). The mobile core network component then uses a dedicated deep packet inspection (ASF DPI) for all data transfers to the special APN. The core network component is then able to process the UE data traffic seamlessly as the traffic is toggled between the ASF tunnel the WiFi tunnel. By monitoring the data traffic on the ASF tunnel, the core component (GGSN/PGW) is able to provide PCC for the data session.

Claims

1. A method for providing service awareness to auto switching function (ASF) data traffic in a mobile data network, the method comprising steps of:

providing an ASF server connected to a core network component of a core network of the mobile data network, wherein the ASF server is also connected to a wireless access point that receives wireless communications with a user equipment (UE) and the wireless access point communicates ASF data traffic from the UE on a wireless tunnel;

providing an ASF client in the UE that communicates with the ASF server through the core network component using a special ASF access point name (APN) on an ASF tunnel;

the core network component detecting the special ASF APN and routing corresponding data traffic to the ASF server;

the core network component applying a dedicated deep packet inspection to the ASF tunnel to identify all data traffic having the special ASF APN on the ASF tunnel;

and in response to applying the dedicated deep packet inspection to the ASF tunnel, the core network component applying policy and charging control to all data traffic identified as having the special ASF APN.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of the ASF server switching ASF data traffic from the wireless tunnel to the ASF tunnel.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the core network component is a gateway GPRS (general packet radio service) support node (GGSN).

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the core network component is a packet data network gateway (PGW) in a long term evolution (LTE) mobile data network.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of the ASF server and the ASF client together determining whether to use the ASF tunnel or the wireless tunnel to send data from the UE to the ASF server.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of the ASF client processing data traffic to the ASF server seamlessly with service awareness as the data traffic is toggled between the ASF tunnel and the wireless tunnel.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of the ASF sever storing ASF context information including an ASF virtual internet protocol (IP) address to enforce one or more policies.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the ASF server further stores information comprising UE internet protocol address, subscriber data (an International Mobile Subscriber Identifier (IMSI)), and a Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number (MSISDN), Radio Access Type (RAT) and location area code (LAC) of the ASF client on the UE.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the ASF tunnel is a general packet radio service (GPRS) tunneling protocol user plane (GTP-U) tunnel carrying ASF server data traffic.

10. A method for providing service awareness to ASF data traffic a mobile data network, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an auto switching function (ASF) server connected to a wireless gateway general packet radio service support node (WiFi GGSN) of a core network of the mobile data network, wherein the ASF server is also connected to a wireless access point that receives wireless communications with a user equipment (UE) and the wireless access point communicates ASF data traffic from the UE on a wireless tunnel;

providing an ASF client in the UE that communicates with the ASF server through the WiFi GGSN using a special ASF access point name (APN) on an ASF tunnel;

the WiFi GGSN detecting the special ASF APN and routing corresponding data traffic to the ASF server;

the ASF server switching ASF data traffic from the wireless tunnel to the ASF tunnel;

the WiFi GGSN applying a dedicated deep packet inspection to the ASF tunnel to identify all data traffic having the special ASF APN on the ASF tunnel;

in response to applying the dedicated deep packet inspection to the ASF tunnel, the WiFi GGSN applying policy and charging control to all data traffic identified as having the special ASF APN; and

the ASF sever storing ASF context information including an ASF virtual internet protocol (IP) address to enforce one or more policies.