Methods, systems and apparatus for managing and/or enforcing policies for managing internet protocol (“IP”) traffic among multiple accesses of a network

• US 9,894,556 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2016
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tomici, John L., Chitrapu, Prabhakar R., Reznik, Alexander, Lopez-Torres, Oscar, Ye, Chunxuan, Patel, Milan, Livet, Catherine M.
• Primary Examiner(s): KHAJURIA, SHRIPAL K
• Application Number:
  US15/239,059
• Publication Number:
  US 20160381594A1
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 709224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/123 Evaluation of link metrics techniques for monitoring network metrics H04L43/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/308 Route determination based on user's profile, e.g. premium users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/38 Flow based routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/66 Policy and charging system
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0268 using specific QoS parameters for wireless networks, e.g. QoS class identifier [QCI] or guaranteed bit rate [GBR] negotiating SLA or negotiating QoS H04W28/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0289 Congestion control load shedding arrangements in network planning H04W16/08; performing reselection for handling the traffic H04W36/22; wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/16 Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Methods, systems and apparatus for managing and/or enforcing one or more policies for managing internet protocol (“IP”) traffic among multiple accesses of a network in accordance with a policy for managing bandwidth among the multiple accesses are disclosed. Among the methods, systems and apparatus is a method that may include obtaining performance metrics associated with the multiple accesses. The method may also include adapting one or more rules of one or more the policies for managing IP traffic among the plurality of accesses based, at least in part, on the performance metrics and the policy for managing bandwidth among the plurality of accesses. The method may further include managing IP traffic associated with at least one wireless transmit and/or receive unit (“WTRU”) among the plurality of accesses responsive to the adapted rules.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining, at a policy and charging rules function (PCRF) element, user plane congestion information associated with a radio access network (RAN); and

adapting, at a network element, a bearer used for transporting internet protocol (IP) traffic associated with a wireless transmit and/or receive unit (WTRU) based, at least in part, on the user plane congestion information and a rule specified by the PCRF element for enforcing a Quality of Service (QoS) policy.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adapting, at the PCRF element, the rule for enforcing a QoS policy based, at least in part, on any of (i) precedence of the IP traffic, (ii) subscription information associated with one or more WTRUs, and (iii) whether the WTRU has connections to a plurality of accesses.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adapting, at the PCRF element, the rule for enforcing a QoS policy with any of a QoS parameter and a service data flow (SDF) filter to cause dynamic adaptation of the bearer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein adaptation of the bearer comprises any of establishment, modification and release of the bearer.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

managing a data flow of the IP traffic among first and second accesses, wherein the first access comprises the RAN.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

aggregating bandwidth from first and second accesses for transmission of the IP traffic, wherein the first access comprises the RAN.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

gating and/or traffic shaping at least a portion of the IP traffic at one or both of (i) a first access, and (ii) a second access,

wherein the first access comprises the RAN.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining user plane congestion information comprises:

receiving the user plane congestion information at the PCRF element from the information collection and reporting element.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to the user plane congestion information satisfying a threshold,

re-routing, to another RAN, any of (i) a packet of the IP traffic, and (ii) a packet of IP traffic associated with other WTRUs.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selectively gating and/or traffic shaping the IP traffic, at the network element, based, at least in part, on a rule specified by the PCRF element for enforcing a traffic management policy.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein selectively gating and/or traffic shaping the IP traffic comprises:

performing flow identification of a flow of the IP traffic;

performing flow filtering of the identified flow; and

dropping at least one packet of the filtered flow based, at least in part, on the rule specified by the PCRF element for enforcing a traffic management policy;

or

routing at least one packet of the filtered flow to an access selected from a plurality of accesses based, at least in part, on the rule specified by the PCRF element for enforcing a traffic management policy.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein adapting a bearer comprises:

releasing the bearer at the network element.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein adapting a bearer comprises:

modifying the bearer at the network element, and wherein modifying the bearer comprises;

adapting the bearer based on any of a precedence, QoS parameter and SDF filter specified by the rule for enforcing a QoS policy.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the user plane congestion information is obtained via a standardized reference point at the PCRF element.

14. A system comprising:

a policy and charging rules function (PCRF) element configured to obtain user plane congestion information associated with a radio access network (RAN); and

a network element configured to adapt a bearer used for transporting internet protocol (IP) traffic associated with a wireless transmit and/or receive unit (WTRU) based, at least in part, on the user plane congestion information and a rule specified by the PCRF element for enforcing a Quality of Service (QoS) policy.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the PCRF element is configured to adapt the rule for enforcing a QoS policy based, at least in part, on any of (i) precedence of the IP traffic, (ii) subscription information associated with one or more WTRUs, and (iii) whether the WTRU has connections to a plurality of accesses.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the PCRF element is configured to adapt the rule for enforcing a QoS policy with any of a QoS parameter and a service data flow (SDF) filter to cause dynamic adaptation of the bearer.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein adaptation of the bearer comprises any of establishment, modification and release of the bearer.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the network element is configured to manage a data flow of the IP traffic among first and second accesses, wherein the first access comprises the RAN.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the network element is configured to aggregate bandwidth from first and second accesses for transmission of the IP traffic, wherein the first access comprises the RAN.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the network element is configured to:

gate and/or traffic shape at least a portion of the IP traffic at one or both of (i) a first access, and (ii) a second access, wherein the first access comprises the RAN.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the PCRF element is configured to receive the user plane congestion information from an information collection and reporting element.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein the network element is configured to:

responsive to the user plane congestion information satisfying a threshold,

re-route, to another RAN, any of (i) a packet of the IP traffic, and (ii) a packet of IP traffic associated with other WTRUs.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein the network element is configured to selectively gate and/or traffic shape the IP traffic based, at least in part, on a rule specified by the PCRF element for enforcing a traffic management policy.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the network element is configured to:

perform flow identification of a flow of the IP traffic;

perform flow filtering of the identified flow; and

drop at least one packet of the filtered flow based, at least in part, on the rule specified by the PCRF element for enforcing a traffic management policy;

or

routing at least one packet of the filtered flow to an access selected from a plurality of accesses based, at least in part, on the rule specified by the PCRF element for enforcing a traffic management policy.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the network element is configured to release the bearer.

26. The system of claim 14, wherein the network element is configured to adapt the bearer based on any of a precedence, QoS parameter and SDF filter specified by the rule for enforcing a QoS policy.

28. The system of claim 14, wherein the user plane congestion information is obtained via a standardized reference point at the PCRF element.