Methods and apparatus for Network Initiated Data Services

• US 7,324,474 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2004
• Issued: 01/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Nasielski, Jack Wallace, Wang, Jun, Shirota, Masakazu, Hsu, Raymond Tah-Sheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phan; Tri H.
• Application Number:
  US10/949,011
• Publication Number:
  US 20050169249A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,223 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/331, 370/338, 370/389, 370/392, 370/395.2, 370/395.3, 370/400, 370/395.52, 455432-4522
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/30 Connection release
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/085 involving hierarchical organized mobility servers, e.g. hierarchical mobile IP [HMIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

Techniques are provided for conserving network resources in a network that initiates data services by communicating push data to a dormant terminal. Selected network resources associated with the dormant terminal are released, and maintained information for reaching the dormant terminal is updated when the point of network attachment of the dormant terminal changes.

Claims

1. A network that provides a push service while conserving network resources including a PPP state and an A10 connection, comprising:

a wireless terminal having an IP address associated therewith;

a first packet data serving node that, responsive to wireless terminal profile information, creates reachability information for the wireless terminal;

a first radio access network that generates a dormant indication upon detecting that the wireless terminal is dormant,

an Access Network Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) server, wherein the first packet data serving node receives wireless terminal profile information from the Access Network Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) server if the wireless terminal is authenticated;

a PCF, and

wherein if a access-network Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol authentication is successful, the Access Network AAA server assigns a temporary IMSI and conveys the temporary IMSI to the PCF via RADIUS Access-Accept such that the PCF can include the IMSI in A11 signaling to the packet data serving node; and

wherein, upon receiving the dormant indication, the first packet data serving node removes the PPP state and requests that the first radio access network release the A10 connection.

2. The network of claim 1, further comprising:

a Domain Name Sewer (DNS), and when the wireless terminal profile indicates IRS, the AAA sewer updates the DNS server about the wireless terminal IP address and maintains a mapping between a wireless terminal Network Access Identifier, wireless terminal IP address, and Network Access Identifier IP address.

3. A network that provides a push service while conserving network resources including a PPP state and an A11 connection, comprising:

a wireless terminal having an IP address associated therewith;

a first packet data serving node that, responsive to wireless terminal profile information, creates reachability information for the wireless terminal;

a first radio access network that generates a dormant indication upon detecting that the wireless terminal is dormant;

wherein, upon receiving the dormant indication, the first packet data serving node removes the PPP state and requests that the first radio access network release the A10 connection;

a third radio access network;

a second packet data serving node; and

when the dormant wireless terminal moves to the third radio access network, the third radio access network selects the second packet data serving node and establishes and A10 connection to the second packet data sewing node via A11 signaling comprising a Previous Access Network ID, Current Access Network ID, wireless terminal ID, and wireless terminal dormancy indication; and

when an AAA server notices that the wireless terminal IP address has changed, the AAA server removes the reachability information for the wireless terminal and releases the wireless terminal IP address for future allocation.

4. A network that provides a push service while conserving network resources including a PPP state and an A10 connection, comprising:

a wireless terminal having an IP address associated therewith

a first packet data serving node that, responsive to wireless terminal profile information, creates reachability information for the wireless terminal;

a first radio access network that generates a dormant indication upon detecting that the wireless terminal is dormant, and wherein, upon receiving the dormant indication, the first packet data serving node removes the PPP state and requests that the first radio access network release the A10 connection; and

wherein the first radio access network that initially has an A10 connection with the first packet data serving node, and further wherein the first radio access network detects that the wireless terminal is dormant, and sends a dormant indication to the first packet data serving node via A11 signaling;

a home agent,

wherein the first packet data serving node sends Mobile IP Agent Advertisements to the wireless terminal, and the wireless terminal performs Mobile IP registration, and

if a Foreign Agent Challenge authentication is successful, an AAA server conveys wireless terminal profile information to the first packet data serving node, and

if the registration is successfUl, the home agent conveys a home address of the wireless terminal in a Mobile IP Registration Reply.

5. A method for providing a push data service to a dormant terminal while conserving network resources in a network, comprising:

releasing selected network resources associated with the dormant terminal;

maintaining terminal profile information for reaching the dormant terminal;

updating the terminal profile when a point of network attachment of the dormant terminal changes;

wherein the terminal profile information comprises NIDS Reachability Information (NRI) for the terminal that comprises an Access Network ID (ANID), and wherein updating the terminal profile information for reaching the dormant terminal when the point of network attachment of the dormant terminal changes, comprises updating the Access Network ID in the NRI with a Current Access Network ID and requesting release of the A10 connection for the terminal undergoing an intra-PDSN handoff, further comprising;

detecting a change when the dormant terminal moves to a different radio access network;

establishing an A10 connection via A11 signaling that comprises a Previous Access Network ID, a Current Access Network ID, a terminal ID, and a terminal dormancy indication;

determining, based on the terminal ID, that NRI for the terminal is present;

determining, based on the received Previous Access Network ID, that intra-PDSN handoff is occurring;

detecting a change when the dormant terminal moves to another radio access network;

establishing an A10 connection via A11 signaling that also includes Previous Access Network ID, Current Access Network ID, terminal ID, and terminal dormancy indication;

when the terminal IP address has changed, removing the NRI fro the dormant terminal and releasing the terminal IP address for future allocation;

obtaining the terminal IP address and sending packets addressed to the terminal;

routing the packets addressed to the terminal to a node that administers the terminal IP address;

buffering the packets;

obtaining, based on the destination IP address of the packets, the terminal ID and PCF address from the NRI;

requesting, via A11 signaling, establishment of an A10 connection for the terminal, and after the A10 connection is established, initiating PPP negotiation with the terminal;

during Internet Protocol Control Protocol, assigning the same terminal IP address from the NRI;

delivering packets to the dormant terminal via the another radio access network;

releasing the A10 connection and PPP states; and

maintaining NRI for the terminal.

6. A method for providing a push data service to a dormant terminal while conserving network resources in a network, comprising:

releasing selected network resources associated with the dormant terminal;

maintaining terminal profile information for reaching the dormant terminal;

updating the terminal profile when a point of network attachment of the dormant terminal changes;

wherein the terminal profile information comprises NIDS Reachability Information (NRI) for the terminal that comprises an Access Network ID (ANID) and wherein updating the terminal profile information for reaching the dormant terminal when the point of network attachment of the dormant terminal comprises updating the Access Network IF in the NRI with a Current Access Network ID and requesting release of the A10 connection for the terminal upon undergoing an intra-PDSN handoff, and further wherein maintaining terminal profile information for reaching the dormant terminal comprises maintaining NRI for reaching the dormant terminal; and

wherein maintaining NRI for reaching the terminal, comprises;

maintaining the NRI and a visitor list entry for reaching the terminal.

7. A method for providing a push data service to a dormant terminal while conserving network resources in a network, comprising:

releasing selected network resources associated with the dormant terminal;

maintaining terminal profile information for reaching the dormant terminal;

updating the terminal profile when a point of network attachment of the dormant terminal changes;

wherein the terminal profile information comprises NIDS Reachability Information (NRI) for the terminal that comprises an Access Network ID (ANID), and wherein updating the terminal profile information for reaching the dormant terminal when the point of network attachment of the dormant terminal comprises updating the Access Network IF in the NRI with a Current Access Network ID and requesting release of the A10 connection for the terminal upon undergoing an intra-PDSN handoff,

maintaining NRI at a packet data serving node for reaching the dormant terminal to deliver the push data to the dormant terminal; and

wherein maintaining the NRI for reaching the terminal, comprises;

maintaining the NRI and visitor list entry for reaching the terminal.