GATEWAY ARRANGEMENTS FOR WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS

• US 20150117408A1
• Filed: 10/13/2014
• Published: 04/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc., Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation, Intel IP Corporation (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: VENKATACHALAM, MUTHAIAH, KEDALAGUDDE, MEGHASHREE, FENG, WU-CHI, JAIN, PUNEET
• Granted Patent: US 9,596,628 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/64 using an overlay routing layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0027 for a plurality of data sessions of end-to-end connections, e.g. multi-call or multi-bearer end-to-end data connections
• 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 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Embodiments related to gateway arrangements for wireless communication networks are disclosed herein. For example, in some embodiments, a network controller computing system may include serving gateway (SGW) control plane circuitry to virtualize control plane functions of an SGW, packet data network gateway (PGW) control plane circuitry to virtualize control plane functions of a PGW, first communication circuitry to establish a first secure communication link between the SGW control plane circuitry and an SGW user plane computing system that is to perform user plane functions of an SGW, and second communication circuitry to establish a second secure communication link between the PGW control plane circuitry and a PGW user plane computing system that is to perform user plane functions of a PGW. Other embodiments may be disclosed and/or claimed.

Claims

1. A network controller computing system, comprising:

serving gateway (SGW) control plane circuitry to virtualize control plane functions of an SGW in a wireless communication network;

packet data network gateway (PGW) control plane circuitry to virtualize control plane functions of a PGW in the wireless communication network;

first communication circuitry to establish a first secure communication link between the SGW control plane circuitry and an SGW user plane computing system that is to perform user plane functions of an SGW, wherein the SGW user plane computing system is different from the network controller computing system; and

second communication circuitry to establish a second secure communication link between the PGW control plane circuitry and a PGW user plane computing system that is to perform user plane functions of a PGW, wherein the PGW user plane computing system is different from the network controller computing system.

2. The network controller computing system of claim 1, wherein the network controller computing system is an evolved packet core controller.

3. The network controller computing system of claim 1, wherein communication between a mobility management entity of the wireless communication network and the SGW user plane computing system is via the SGW control plane circuitry of the network controller computing system.

4. The network controller computing system of claim 1, wherein the PGW user plane computing system is a first PGW user plane computing system, and further comprising a third secure communication link between the PGW control plane circuitry and a second PGW user plane computing system that is to perform user plane functions of a PGW, wherein the second PGW user plane computing system is different from the network controller computing system and from the first PGW user plane computing system.

5. The network controller computing system of claim 1, wherein the first communication circuitry is to establish a general packet radio service tunneling protocol (GTP) tunnel between the SGW control plane circuitry and the PGW control plane circuitry.

6. The network controller computing system of claim 1, further comprising a display device.

7. One or more non-transitory computer readable media having instructions thereon that, in response to execution by one or more processing devices of a network controller, cause the network controller to:

virtualize control plane functions of a serving gateway (SGW) in a wireless communication network or control plane functions of a packet data network gateway (PGW) in the wireless communication network;

establish a first secure communication link between the network controller and an SGW user plane computing system that is to perform user plane functions of a SGW, wherein the SGW user plane computing system is different from the network controller; and

establish a second secure communication link between the network controller and a PGW user plane computing system that is to perform user plane functions of a PGW, wherein the PGW user plane computing system is different from the network controller.

8. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 7, further having instructions thereon that, in response to execution by the one or more processing devices of the network controller, cause the network controller to:

generate a tunnel endpoint identifier (TEID) for the SGW user plane computing system; and

provide the TEID for transmission to the SGW user plane computing system.

9. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 7, further having instructions thereon that, in response to execution by the one or more processing devices of the network controller, cause the network controller to:

receive a tunnel endpoint identifier (TEID) for the PGW user plane computing system generated by the PGW user plane computing system; and

provide the TEID for the PGW user plane computing system for transmission to the SGW user plane computing system.

10. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 7, further having instructions thereon that, in response to execution by the one or more processing devices of the network controller, cause the network controller to:

provide a tunnel endpoint identifier for the SGW user plane computing system to an eNB as part of an attach procedure for a user equipment (UE) in communication with the eNB.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 7, wherein the SGW user plane computing system is a first SGW user plane computing system, and further having instructions thereon that, in response to execution by the one or more processing devices of the network controller, cause the network controller to:

during a handover of a UE, establish a third secure communication link between the network controller and a second SGW user plane computing system that is to perform user plane functions of an SGW, wherein the second SGW user plane computing system is different from the network controller and different from the first SGW user plane computing system.

12. A gateway user plane computing system, comprising:

user plane circuitry to perform serving gateway (SGW) user plane functions or packet data network gateway (PGW) user plane functions in a wireless communication network; and

communication circuitry to establish a secure communication link between the user plane circuitry and a network controller different from the gateway user plane computing system, wherein the network controller includes SGW control plane circuitry that is to perform control plane functions of an SGW or PGW control plane circuitry that is to perform control plane functions of a PGW, and wherein the secure communication link is for exchange of control messages with the SGW control plane circuitry or with the PGW control plane circuitry.

13. The gateway user plane computing system of claim 12, wherein the network controller includes SGW control plane circuitry, and the SGW control plane circuitry virtualizes the SGW control plane functions.

14. The gateway user plane computing system of claim 12, wherein the network controller includes PGW control plane circuitry, and the PGW control plane circuitry virtualizes the PGW control plane functions.

15. The gateway user plane computing system of claim 12, wherein the secure communication link is for the receipt of data from a mobility management entity in the wireless communication network via the network controller.

16. The gateway user plane computing system of claim 12, wherein the communication circuitry includes a network interface card.

17. The gateway user plane computing system of claim 12, wherein the communication circuitry is to establish a general packet radio service tunneling protocol (GTP) tunnel between the gateway user plane computing system and a second gateway user plane computing system.

18. The gateway user plane computing system of claim 17, wherein the user plane circuitry is to perform SGW user plane functions and the second gateway user plane computing system includes user plane circuitry to perform PGW user plane functions in the wireless communication network.

19. The gateway user plane computing system of claim 17, wherein the user plane circuitry is to perform PGW user plane functions and the second gateway user plane computing system includes user plane circuitry to perform SGW user plane functions in the wireless communication network.

20. One or more non-transitory computer readable media having instructions thereon that, in response to execution by one or more processing devices of a gateway user plane computing system, cause the gateway user plane computing system to:

perform serving gateway (SGW) user plane functions or packet data network gateway (PGW) user plane functions in a wireless communication network; and

establish a secure communication link with a network controller different from the gateway user plane computing system, wherein the network controller includes SGW control plane circuitry that is to perform control plane functions of an SGW or PGW control plane circuitry that is to perform control plane functions of a PGW, and wherein the secure communication link is for exchange of control messages with the SGW control plane circuitry or with the PGW control plane circuitry.

21. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 20, further having instructions thereon that, in response to execution by the one or more processing devices of the gateway user plane computing system, cause the gateway user plane computing system to:

receive, via the secure communication link, a tunnel endpoint identifier (TEID) for the a second gateway user plane computing system different from the gateway user plane computing system.

22. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 21, further having instructions thereon that, in response to execution by the one or more processing devices of the gateway user plane computing system, cause the gateway user plane computing system to:

establish, using the TEID, a general packet radio service tunneling protocol (GTP) tunnel between the gateway user plane computing system and the second gateway user plane computing system.

23. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 20, further having instructions thereon that, in response to execution by the one or more processing devices of the gateway user plane computing system, cause the gateway user plane computing system to:

virtualize the SGW user plane functions or PGW user plane functions in one or more computing systems.

24. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 20, having instructions thereon that, in response to execution by the one or more processing devices of the gateway user plane computing system, cause the gateway user plane computing system to:

perform SGW user plane functions.

25. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 20, having instructions thereon that, in response to execution by the one or more processing devices of the gateway user plane computing system, cause the gateway user plane computing system to:

perform PGW user plane functions.