Priority Handling For Data Flow Transport in Communication Systems

• US 20170099672A1
• Filed: 04/01/2016
• Published: 04/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: TRNK, Magnus, PERSSON, Mikael
• Granted Patent: US 10,623,936 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1407 Policy-and-charging control [PCC] architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/24 Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2458 Modification of priorities while in transit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/66 Policy and charging system
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/56 based on priority criteria
• 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 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

A system, method, and network node for priority handling in a communications system are presented. The system comprises one or more data bearers and a priority handling module. Each of the one or more bearers is configured to transport one or more of the data flows. The priority handling module is configured to prioritize between data flows, and is further configured to: receive a request for priority configuration or re-configuration of a first data flow; obtain a priority sharing identifier of the first data flow; identify other data flows in the communication system having the priority sharing identifier of the first transport data flow; and update priority rules associated with the first data flow and also with any other identified data flows in the communication system having the priority sharing identifier of the first transport data flow to agree with a shared priority rule.

Claims

1. A system for priority handling of data flows in a communications system, the system comprising:

one or more data bearers, each of the one or more bearers being configured to transport one or more of the data flows; and

a priority handling module configured to prioritize between data flows, and further configured to;

receive a request for priority configuration or re-configuration of a first data flow;

obtain a priority sharing identifier of the first data flow;

identify other data flows in the communication system having the priority sharing identifier of the first transport data flow; and

update priority rules associated with the first data flow and also with any other identified data flows in the communication system having the priority sharing identifier of the first transport data flow to agree with a shared priority rule.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the shared priority rule corresponds to a highest priority value of the first and of the other identified data flows in the communication system having the priority sharing identifier of the first transport data flow.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the priority handling module is configured to update a priority rule of a data bearer associated with the first data flow to be associated with a priority rule in agreement with the shared priority rule.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said shared priority rule is set according to a pre-configured priority policy.

5. A method performed by a priority handling module in a communication network, the method comprising:

receiving a request for configuration or re-configuration of a priority rule associated with a data flow in the communications system, the request comprising a priority sharing identifier,

calculating priority parameters of the communication system based on the received request,

identifying other data flows in the communication system which are associated with the priority sharing identifier, and

determining a shared priority parameter based on the request for configuration or re-configuration and on an existing priority configuration of any identified other data flows in the communication system associated with said priority sharing identifier.

6. The method according to claim 5, comprising storing a current priority configuration relating to data flows in the communication system.

7. The method according to claim 5, comprising updating a priority configuration related to data flows in the communication system, based on the determined shared priority parameter.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the priority handling module comprises a Policy and Charging Rule Function (PCRF) of a 3GPP-defined communication system.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the receiving comprises receiving an Authentication and Authorization Request (AAR) related to a service data flow (SDF) having a priority sharing identifier given by a Group Communication Service (GCS) identifier.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the calculating comprises calculating Allocation and Retention Priority (ARP) and generating a Policy and Charging Control (PCC) rule for the received AAR.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the calculating comprises calculating Preemption capability (PCI) and/or Preemption Vulnerability (PVI).

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the identifying comprises identifying other SDFs in the communication system having the same priority sharing identifier.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the determining comprises calculating a common Allocation and Retention Priority, ARP, among identified SDFs having the same GCS-identifier.

14. The method according to claim 13, comprising updating PCC rules for identified SDFs by the calculated lowest priority value.

15. The method according to claim 14, comprising updating priority for the default bearer.

16. The method according to claim 8, further comprising storing a current PCC rule configuration of the communication system.

17. The method according to claim 5, wherein the priority handling module comprises a Policy and Charging Enforcement Function, PCEF, of a 3GPP-defined communication system.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the receiving comprises receiving a priority configuration or re-configuration message from a PCRF.

19. The method according to claim 18, comprising receiving priority sharing attribute associated with the configuration or re-configuration message.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the identifying comprises identifying other SDFs in the communication system having the priority sharing attribute.

21. The method according to claim 17, wherein the determining comprises determining a shared priority among the identified SDFs having the priority sharing attribute.

22. The method according to claim 21, comprising updating priority configuration for SDFs based on shared priority.

23. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing comprising computer program code which, when executed on one or more processors in a network node of a communication system, causes the communication system to execute a method according to claim 5.

24. A network node configured to perform priority handling in a communication network, the network node comprising:

a receiving module configured to receive a request for configuration or re-configuration of a priority rule associated with a data flows in the communications system, the request comprising a priority sharing identifier,

a calculating module configured to calculate priority parameters of the communication system based on the received request,

a data flow identifying module configured to identify other data flows in the communication system which are associated with the priority sharing identifier, and

a determining module configured to determine a shared priority parameter based on the request for configuration or re-configuration and on an existing priority configuration of any identified other data flows in the communication system associated with said priority sharing identifier.

25. The network node according to claim 24, wherein the network node is arranged to execute a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF).

26. The network node according to claim 25, wherein the network node is arranged to execute a Policy and Charging Enforcement Function (PCEF).

27. The network node according to claim 24, wherein the network node is configured to receive a modified Authentication/Authorization Request (AAR) message configured for shared priority handling of a number of Service Data Flows (SDF) in a communication system, the modified AAR message comprising a Group Communication Service Identifier (GCS-Identifier) wherein at least part of the GCS-identifier value range defines a priority sharing identifier or a priority sharing key.