Server for control plane at mobile communication network and method for controlling SIPTO based session

• US 9,204,340 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2013
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Taehyeon, Kim, Laeyoung, Kim, Hyunsook, Stojanovski, Saso
• Primary Examiner(s): Chery, Dady
• Application Number:
  US13/936,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20130294413A1
• Time in Patent Office: 876 Days
• Field of Search: 370/241, 370/254, 370/328, 370/331, 455/410, 455/436, 455/438, 455/404.1, 455/456.1, 455/525, 709/203
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/306 Route determination based on the nature of the carried application
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/308 Route determination based on user's profile, e.g. premium users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0011 for data sessions of end-to-end connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0022 for transferring data sessions between adjacent core network technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0033 with transfer of context information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/125 involving different types of service backbones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/22 for handling the traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/36 due to handover
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/22 Manipulation of transport tunnels

Abstract

Disclosed is a method of controlling a session in a serving server taking charge of the control plane within a mobile communication network. The control method may include receiving, by the serving server, a tracking area update (TAU) request message of a terminal from a target base station; retrieving, by the serving server, a previous server that has taken charge of the control plane for the terminal; receiving, by the serving server and from the retrieved previous server, a context response message comprising information indicating that a session for the terminal had been established to be passed through a path over the nodes within a fixed network different from a mobile communication network; deciding, by the serving server, whether gateway relocation is needed; releasing, by the serving server, the established session; transmitting, by the serving server, an accept message comprising information for the processing result to the terminal through the target base station; and establishing, by the serving server a session passing through a path over the nodes within a fixed network different from a mobile communication network based on the information.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a session in a mobile communication network, the method performed by server network entity that takes charge of a control plane and comprising:

receiving a tracking area update (TAU) request message of a terminal via a target base station;

obtaining subscription information of the terminal that includes Selected Internet Protocol Traffic Offload (SIPTO) parameter indicating whether the session is allowed for SIPTO per an access point name (APN);

determining whether gateway relocation is necessary for the session; and

if gateway relocation is determined to be necessary;

releasing at least one session associated with the APN among sessions in which the terminal is currently participating;

transmitting a TAU accept message to the terminal via the base station; and

establishing a SIPTO session with the terminal,

wherein SIPTO corresponds to offloading certain types of traffic at a network node within a proximity to a point of attachment of the terminal to the access network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining occurs when the SIPTO parameter corresponds with a configuration of the network entity for the terminal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the network entity is a mobility management entity (MME).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the TAU request message is a Non-Access Stratum (NAS)-based TAU request message.

5. A network entity for taking charge of control plane within a mobile communication network, the network entity comprising:

a radio frequency unit; and

a processor operatively connected to the radio frequency unit and configured to;

receiving a tracking area update (TAU) request message of a terminal via a base station;

obtaining subscription information of the terminal that includes a Selected Internet Protocol Traffic Offload (SIPTO) parameter indicating whether the session is allowed for SIPTO per an access point name (APN);

determining whether gateway relocation is necessary for the session; and

if gateway relocation is determined to be necessary;

releasing at least one session associated with the APN among sessions in which the terminal is currently participating;

transmitting a TAU accept message to the terminal via the target base station; and

establishing a SIPTO session with the terminal,

wherein SIPTO corresponds to offloading certain types of traffic at a network node within a proximity to a point of attachment of the terminal to the access network.

6. The network entity of claim 5, wherein the determining occurs when the SIPTO parameter corresponds with a configuration of the network entity for the terminal.

7. The network entity of claim 5, wherein the network entity is a mobility management entity (MME).

8. The network entity of claim 5, wherein the TAU request message is a Non-Access Stratum (NAS)-based TAU request message.