Targeted service request for small data communication in a network environment

• US 9,692,567 B1
• Filed: 09/04/2013
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kamalaraj, Vinod K., Vaidya, Maulik, Gupta, Pavan
• Primary Examiner(s): Mesfin, Yemane
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen, Peter
• Application Number:
  US14/017,886
• Time in Patent Office: 1,392 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0037 Inter-user or inter-terminal allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

An example method for targeted service request for small data communication in a network environment is provided and includes receiving an extended service request indicating an evolved packet system (EPS) bearer identity for small data communication over a packet data network connection including one or more EPS bearers, where the one or more EPS bearers includes at least one small data bearer configured for small data communication, selectively activating the small data bearer, and facilitating the small data communication. In specific embodiments, the one or more EPS bearers includes a default EPS bearer and one or more dedicated EPS bearers, where the small data bearer is the default EPS bearer. In other embodiments, the one or more EPS bearers includes a default EPS bearer and one or more dedicated EPS bearers, where the small data bearer is one of the dedicated EPS bearers.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a mobility management entity (MME) in a wireless network, an extended service request from a user equipment (UE), wherein the extended service request includes an evolved packet system (EPS) bearer identity (EBI) of an EPS bearer configured for small data communication over a packet data network (PDN) connection comprising one or more EPS bearer, wherein the one or more EPS bearer includes at least one small data bearer configured for the small data communication, wherein the small data communication comprises communication of packets smaller than 1000 bytes in size per communication session or alternatively, packets of any size communicated infrequently for a short duration of time, wherein the EBI comprises a one-half octet component of an EPS header of the EPS bearer;

selectively activating only the small data bearer, comprising setting an EPS bearer context in a mobility management (MM) context of the small data bearer to active status, and setting the EPS bearer context in the MM context of other EPS bearers to inactive status;

facilitating the small data communication;

determining whether the small data communication is allowed;

enabling the small data communication on the PDN connection;

receiving a service request for non-small data communication; and

activating all EPS bearers;

wherein determining whether the small data communication is allowed comprises using subscription permission on a home subscriber server (HSS) database on a per-access point name (APN) basis and a per-International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) basis.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more EPS bearers includes a default EPS bearer and one or more dedicated EPS bearers, wherein the small data bearer is the default EPS bearer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more EPS bearers includes a default EPS bearer and one or more dedicated EPS bearers, wherein the small data bearer is one of the dedicated EPS bearers, wherein the method further comprises activating the default EPS bearer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the small data communication is allowed comprises using subscription permission in a local configuration of the MME.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving downlink data notification indicating the EBI; and

transmitting a paging message to an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) nodeB (eNB), wherein the paging message includes the EBI.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the selectively activating only the small data bearer comprises:

setting up the mobility management (MM) context for the EBI; and

modifying a bearer request to include only the small data bearer.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

enhancing the MM context to include an active or inactive status of the EBI.

8. One or more non-transitory tangible media encoding logic that includes instructions for execution and when executed by a processor of a mobility management entity (MME) in a wireless network, is operable to perform operations comprising:

receiving, at the MME, an extended service request from a user equipment (UE), wherein the extended service request includes an evolved packet system (EPS) bearer identity (EBI) of an EPS bearer configured for small data communication over a packet data network (PDN) connection comprising one or more EPS bearer, wherein the one or more EPS bearer includes at least one small data bearer configured for the small data communication, wherein the small data communication comprises communication of packets smaller than 1000 bytes in size per communication session or alternatively, packets of any size communicated infrequently for a short duration of time, wherein the EBI comprises a one-half octet component of an EPS header of the EPS bearer;

selectively activating only the small data bearer, comprising setting an EPS bearer context in a mobility management (MM) context of the small data bearer to active status, and setting the EPS bearer context in the MM context of other EPS bearers to inactive status;

facilitating the small data communication;

determining whether the small data communication is allowed;

enabling the small data communication on the PDN connection;

receiving a service request for non-small data communication; and

activating all EPS bearers;

wherein determining whether the small data communication is allowed comprises using subscription permission on a home subscriber server (HSS) database on a per-access point name (APN) basis and a per-International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) basis.

9. The media of claim 8, wherein the one or more EPS bearers includes a default EPS bearer and one or more dedicated EPS bearers, wherein the small data bearer is the default EPS bearer.

10. The media of claim 8, wherein the one or more EPS bearers includes a default EPS bearer and one or more dedicated EPS bearers, wherein the small data bearer is one of the dedicated EPS bearers, wherein the operations further comprise activating the default EPS bearer.

11. The media of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving downlink data notification indicating the EBI; and

transmitting a paging message to an eNB, wherein the paging message includes the EBI.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

a mobility management entity (MME) small data module;

a memory element for storing data; and

a processor that executes instructions associated with the data, wherein the processor and the memory element cooperate such that the apparatus is configured for;

receiving, at the MME small data module, an extended service request from a user equipment (UE), wherein the service request includes an evolved packet system (EPS) bearer identity (EBI) of an EPS bearer configured for small data communication over a packet data network (PDN) connection comprising one or more EPS bearers, wherein the one or more EPS bearers includes at least one small data bearer configured for the small data communication, wherein the small data communication comprises communication of packets smaller than 1000 bytes in size per communication session or alternatively, packets of any size communicated infrequently for a short duration of time, wherein the EBI comprises a one-half octet component of an EPS header of the EPS bearer;

selectively activating only the small data bearer, comprising setting an EPS bearer context in a mobility management (MM) context of the small data bearer to active status, and setting the EPS bearer context in the MM context of other EPS bearers to inactive status;

communicating the small data enablement to the UE;

facilitating the small data communication;

determining whether the small data communication is allowed;

enabling the small data communication on the PDN connection;

receiving a service request for non-small data communication; and

activating all EPS bearers;

wherein determining whether the small data communication is allowed comprises using subscription permission in a home subscriber server (HSS) database on a per-access point name (APN) basis and a per-International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) basis.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the one or more EPS bearers includes a default EPS bearer and one or more dedicated EPS bearers, wherein the small data bearer is the default EPS bearer.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the one or more EPS bearers includes a default EPS bearer and one or more dedicated EPS bearers, wherein the small data bearer is one of the dedicated EPS bearers, wherein the apparatus is further configured for activating the default EPS bearer.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, further configured for:

receiving downlink data notification indicating the EBI; and

transmitting a paging message to an eNB, wherein the paging message includes the EBI.