Traffic flow splitting method and apparatus

• US 10,484,910 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2017
• Issued: 11/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Li, Huan, Jin, Weisheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Song, Rebecca E
• Application Number:
  US15/699,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20180014226A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/41 by acting on aggregated flows or links
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/082 among bearers or channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0861 between base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/16 Involving different core network technologies, e.g. a packet-switched [PS] bearer in combination with a circuit-switched [CS] bearer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a traffic flow splitting method and apparatus. In a process of accessing a 3GPP network by UE, an eNB in the 3GPP network sends a first multiflow aggregation instruction to the UE, to instruct the UE to establish a first multiflow aggregation channel between the UE and the eNB via a non-3GPP network. The UE establishes the first multiflow aggregation channel. The first multiflow aggregation channel is used for transmitting a part of data in a downlink traffic flow for the UE, where the part of data is offloaded to the non-3GPP network for transmission, and other data in the downlink traffic flow is offloaded to a 3GPP channel for transmission. In the method, different data packets in a same traffic flow can be simultaneously transmitted in the 3GPP network and the non-3GPP network.

Claims

1. A method of traffic flow splitting, comprising:

receiving, by user equipment (UE), a first multiflow aggregation instruction from an evolved NodeB (eNB) in a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) network, wherein the first multiflow aggregation instruction is used to instruct the UE to establish a first multiflow aggregation channel between the UE and the eNB via a non-3GPP network, the first multiflow aggregation channel is used for transmitting a part of data in a downlink traffic flow for the UE, wherein the part of data is offloaded to the non-3GPP network for transmission, and other data in the downlink traffic flow is offloaded to a 3GPP channel that is in the 3GPP network and that is between the UE and the eNB for transmission, the first multiflow aggregation channel comprises a first subchannel between the UE and a multiflow aggregation gateway and a second subchannel between the multiflow aggregation gateway and the eNB; and

establishing, by the UE, the first multiflow aggregation channel, comprising;

obtaining, by the UE, an IP address of the multiflow aggregation gateway; and

sending, by the UE, a first multiflow aggregation channel establishment request to the multiflow aggregation gateway according to the IP address of the multiflow aggregation gateway, wherein the first multiflow aggregation channel establishment request comprises a second multiflow aggregation instruction and a bearer identifier corresponding to the second subchannel, the second multiflow aggregation instruction is used to instruct the multiflow aggregation gateway to establish the first multiflow aggregation channel.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, by the UE, a first downlink data flow sent by the eNB by using the 3GPP channel;

receiving, by the UE, a second downlink data flow sent by the eNB by using the first multiflow aggregation channel; and

aggregating, by the UE, the first downlink data flow with the second downlink data flow to form one traffic flow.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the second downlink data flow comprises a bearer identifier corresponding to the downlink traffic flow.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein before the aggregating, by the UE, the first downlink data flow with the second downlink data flow to form one traffic flow, the method further comprises:

determining, by the UE according to information comprised in the second downlink data flow, a bearer corresponding to the second downlink data flow, wherein the information comprised in the second downlink data flow is the bearer identifier corresponding to the downlink traffic flow; and

determining, by the UE, that a bearer corresponding to the first downlink data flow and the bearer corresponding to the second downlink data flow are a same bearer.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein before the receiving, by UE, the first multiflow aggregation instruction sent by the eNB, the method further comprises:

sending, by the UE, multiflow aggregation capability information of the UE to the eNB, wherein the multiflow aggregation capability information is used to indicate that the UE supports a multiflow aggregation capability.

6. User equipment (UE), comprising:

a memory, configured to store a computer-executable instruction; and

a processor, configured to execute the computer-executable instruction to perform the operation comprising;

receiving a first multiflow aggregation instruction cent from an evolved NodeB (eNB) in a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) network, wherein the first multiflow aggregation instruction is used to instruct the UE to establish a first multiflow aggregation channel between the UE and the eNB via a non-3GPP network, the first multiflow aggregation channel is used for transmitting a part of data in a downlink traffic flow for the UE, wherein the part of data is offloaded to the non-3GPP network for transmission, and other data in the downlink traffic flow is offloaded to a 3GPP channel that is in the 3GPP network and that is between the UE and the eNB for transmission, the first multiflow aggregation channel comprises a first subchannel between the UE and a multiflow aggregation gateway and a second subchannel between the multiflow aggregation gateway and the eNB; and

establishing the first multiflow aggregation channel, comprising;

obtaining, by the UE, an IP address of the multiflow aggregation gateway; and

sending, by the UE, a first multiflow aggregation channel establishment request to the multiflow aggregation gateway according to the IP address of the multiflow aggregation gateway, wherein the first multiflow aggregation channel establishment request comprises a second multiflow aggregation instruction and a bearer identifier corresponding to the second subchannel, the second multiflow aggregation instruction is used to instruct the multiflow aggregation gateway to establish the first multiflow aggregation channel.

7. The UE according to claim 6, wherein the operation further comprises:

receiving a first downlink data flow sent from the eNB by using the 3GPP channel;

receiving a second downlink data flow sent from the eNB by using the first multiflow aggregation channel; and

aggregating the first downlink data flow with the second downlink data flow to form one traffic flow.

8. The UE according to claim 7, wherein the first multiflow aggregation channel comprises a bearer identifier corresponding to the downlink traffic flow.

9. The UE according to claim 8, wherein before the aggregating the first downlink data flow with the second downlink data flow to form one traffic flow, the operation further comprises:

determining, according to information comprised in the second downlink data flow, a bearer corresponding to the second downlink data flow, wherein the information comprised in the second downlink data flow is the bearer identifier corresponding to the downlink traffic flow; and

determining that a bearer corresponding to the first downlink data flow and the bearer corresponding to the second downlink data flow are a same bearer.

10. The UE according to claim 6, wherein before the receiving the first multiflow aggregation instruction sent from the eNB, the operation further comprises:

sending multiflow aggregation capability information of the UE to the eNB, wherein the multiflow aggregation capability information is used to indicate that the UE supports a multiflow aggregation capability.