Access terminal for communicating packets using a home anchored bearer path or a visited anchored bearer path

• US 7,929,966 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2007
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Oswal, Anand K., Leung, Kent K., Iyer, Jayaraman R., Stammers, Timothy P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost; Dwayne D
• Assistant Examiner(s): DESIR, PIERRE LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US11/715,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20070206557A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,505 Days
• Field of Search: 455/338, 455/331, 455/435.2, 455/436, 370/328, 370/331, 370/335, 370/338, 370/342, 709/209, 709/238
• US Class Current: 455/435.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• 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 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5029 Service quality level-based billing, e.g. dependent on measured service level customer is charged more or less
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5061 characterised by the interaction between service providers and their network customers, e.g. customer relationship management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/50 using label swapping, e.g. multi-protocol label switch [MPLS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/15 in relation to multipoint traffic arrangements for broadcast or multicast in data networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/724 at intermediate nodes, e.g. resource reservation protocol [RSVP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/805 QOS or priority aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/824 Applicable to portable or mobile terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/162 at the data link layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 : Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 : Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 : Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 : Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 : Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 : Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0033 : with transfer of context information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/12 : Reselecting a serving backbone network switching or routing node
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 : Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 : using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 : Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 : Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• 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 80/10 : adapted for application session management, e.g. SIP [Session Initiation Protocol] connection management H04W76/00; arrangements for session management H04L67/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 : Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

Communicating packets along a bearer path includes receiving a home network address and a visited network address at an access terminal. The home network address corresponds to a home anchored bearer path anchored at a home network of the access terminal. The visited network address corresponds to a visited anchored bearer path anchored at a visited network. The access terminal determines whether to use the home anchored bearer path or the visited anchored bearer path, and communicates packets using the home network address or the visited network address in accordance with the determination.

Claims

1. A method for communicating a plurality of packets along a bearer path, comprising:

wirelessly receiving a home network address at an access terminal while the access terminal is in a home network, the home network address corresponding to a home anchored bearer path anchored at the home network of the access terminal;

wirelessly receiving a visited network address at the access terminal while the access terminal is in a visited network, the visited network address corresponding to a visited anchored bearer path anchored at the visited network;

notifying, by the access terminal in the visited network, the home network of the visited network address, the home anchored bearer path comprising a bearer manager of the visited network in response to the notification of the visited network address;

receiving, by the access terminal, a home network policy from the visited network in response to notifying the home network of the visited network address;

determining, by the access terminal, to communicate a first set of packets on the home anchored bearer path and a second set of packets on the visited anchored bearer path in response to receiving the home network policy; and

communicating, at the access terminal, in a session while the access terminal is in the visited network utilizing both the home network address and the visited network address, the first set of packets communicated on the home anchored bearer path and the second set of packets communicated on the visited anchored bearer path during the session.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the visited network address at the access terminal further comprises:

receiving the visited network address in a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) response.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the visited network address at the access terminal further comprises:

receiving the visited network address during initiation of a Packet Data Protocol (PDP) context.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating in a session utilizing both the home network address and the visited network address further comprises:

using the visited network address for transmitting media information according to an instruction stored at the access terminal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating in a session utilizing both the home network address and the visited network address further comprises:

using the home network address for transmitting signaling information.

6. An access terminal for communicating a plurality of packets along a bearer path, comprising:

at least one memory operable to;

store a home network address wirelessly received at the access terminal while the access terminal is in a home network, the home network address corresponding to a home anchored bearer path anchored at the home network of the access terminal; and

store a visited network address wirelessly received at the access terminal while the access terminal is in a visited network, the visited network address corresponding to a visited anchored bearer path anchored at the visited network; and

a processor coupled to the memory and operable to;

notify, by the access terminal in the visited network, the home network of the visited network address, the home anchored bearer path comprising a bearer manager of the visited network in response to the notification of the visited network address;

receive, by the access terminal, a home network policy from the visited network in response to notifying the home network of the visited network address;

determine, by the access terminal, to communicate a first set of packets on the home anchored bearer path and a second set of packets on the visited anchored bearer path in response to receiving the home network policy; and

communicate, at the access terminal, in a session while the access terminal is in the visited network utilizing both the home network address and the visited network address, the first set of packets communicated on the home anchored bearer path and the second set of packets communicated on the visited anchored bearer path during the session.

7. The access terminal of claim 6, wherein the visited network address is received in a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) response.

8. The access terminal of claim 6, wherein the visited network address is received during initiation of a Packet Data Protocol (PDP) context.

9. The access terminal of claim 6, wherein communicating in a session utilizing both the home network address and the visited network address further comprises:

using the visited network address for transmitting media information according to an instruction stored at the access terminal.

10. The access terminal of claim 6, wherein communicating in a session utilizing both the home network address and the visited network address further comprises:

using the home network address for transmitting signaling information.

11. Logic for communicating a plurality of packets along a bearer path, the logic embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and operable to:

wirelessly receive a home network address at an access terminal while the access terminal is in a home network, the home network address corresponding to a home anchored bearer path anchored at the home network of the access terminal;

wirelessly receive a visited network address at the access terminal while the access terminal is in a visited network, the visited network address corresponding to a visited anchored bearer path anchored at the visited network;

notify, by the access terminal in the visited network, the home network of the visited network address, the home anchored bearer path comprising a bearer manager of the visited network in response to the notification of the visited network address;

receive, by the access terminal, a home network policy from the visited network in response to notifying the home network of the visited network address;

determine, by the access terminal, to communicate a first set of packets on the home anchored bearer path and a second set of packets on the visited anchored bearer path in response to receiving the home network policy; and

communicate, at the access terminal, in a session while the access terminal is in the visited network utilizing both the home network address and the visited network address, the first set of packets communicated on the home anchored bearer path and the second set of packets communicated on the visited anchored bearer path during the session.

12. The logic of claim 11, further operable to receive the visited network address at the access terminal by:

receiving the visited network address in a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) response.

13. The logic of claim 11, further operable to receive the visited network address at the access terminal by:

receiving the visited network address during initiation of a Packet Data Protocol (PDP) context.

14. The logic of claim 11, wherein communicating in a session utilizing both the home network address and the visited network address further comprises:

using the visited network address for transmitting media information according to an instruction stored at the access terminal.

15. The logic of claim 11, wherein communicating in a session utilizing both the home network address and the visited network address further comprises:

using the home network address for transmitting signaling information.

16. A system for communicating a plurality of packets along a bearer path, comprising:

means for wirelessly receiving a home network address at an access terminal while the access terminal is in a home network, the home network address corresponding to a home anchored bearer path anchored at the home network of the access terminal;

means for wirelessly receiving a visited network address at the access terminal while the access terminal is in a visited network, the visited network address corresponding to a visited anchored bearer path anchored at the visited network;

means for notifying, by the access terminal in the visited network, the home network of the visited network address, the home anchored bearer path comprising a bearer manager of the visited network in response to the notification of the visited network address;

means for receiving, by the access terminal, a home network policy from the visited network in response to notifying the home network of the visited network address;

means for determining, by the access terminal, to communicate a first set of packets on the home anchored bearer path and a second set of packets on the visited anchored bearer path in response to receiving the home network policy; and

means for communicating, at the access terminal, in a session while the access terminal is in the visited network utilizing both the home network address and the visited network address, the first set of packets communicated on the home anchored bearer path and the second set of packets communicated on the visited anchored bearer path during the session.

17. A method for communicating a plurality of packets along a bearer path, comprising:

wirelessly receiving a home network address at an access terminal while the access terminal is in a home network, the home network address corresponding to a home anchored bearer path anchored at the home network of the access terminal;

wirelessly receiving a visited network address at the access terminal while the access terminal is in a visited network, the visited network address corresponding to a visited anchored bearer path anchored at the visited network, receiving the visited network address further comprising;

receiving the visited network address in a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) response;

or

receiving the visited network address during initiation of a Packet Data Protocol (PDP) context;

notifying, by the access terminal in the visited network, the home network of the visited network address, the home anchored bearer path comprising a bearer manager of the visited network in response to the notification of the visited network address;

determining whether to use the home anchored bearer path, the visited anchored bearer path, or both by;

receiving, by the access terminal, a home network policy from the visited network in response to notifying the home network of the visited network address;

determining, by the access terminal, to communicate a first set of packets on the home anchored bearer path and a second set of packets on the visited anchored bearer path in response to receiving the home network policy; and

communicating, at the access terminal, in a session while the access terminal is in the visited network utilizing both the home network address and the visited network address, the first set of packets communicated on the home anchored bearer path and the second set of packets communicated on the visited anchored bearer path during the session.