Resource control method, relevant device, and system

• US 8,224,325 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2011
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: INVT SPE LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Zhang, Yanping, WU, Wenfu
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro, Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUA, QUAN M
• Application Number:
  US13/235,062
• Publication Number:
  US 20120064895A1
• Time in Patent Office: 305 Days
• Field of Search: 455/435.2, 455436-439, 455/450, 455/453, 455/455, 370/329, 370/338, 370/348
• US Class Current: 455/435.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/18 Management of setup rejection or failure
• 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

A resource control method, a relevant device, and a relevant system are disclosed in embodiments of the present invention. The resource control method includes: determining another network suitable for a User Equipment (UE) according to resource information requested by the UE when the UE accesses multiple networks using a same Access Point Name (APN) and sends a resource request in a current network, and notifying information about the determined another network to the UE. By using the technical solutions provided in the embodiment of the present invention, a network-side device can properly control resources.

Claims

1. A resource control method, comprising:

receiving from User Equipment (UE) currently associated with a network a resource request message configured for accessing multiple networks using a same Access Point Name (APN)

determining another network suitable for the UE according to resource information specified in said request, and

notifying information about the determined another network to the UE,

said notifying comprises;

determining that a network-side device refuses to accept the resource request message sent by the UE in the current network,

in response to said refusal, sending, by a Policy and Charging Rule Function (PCRF), an identifier (ID) of a network recommended or specified by the PCRF for the UE to use to a gateway device; and

forming a Bearer Resource Request Failure Indication message embedded with the ID of the network recommended or specified by the PCRF for the UE to use,

sending, by the gateway device, the Bearer Resource Request Failure Indication message to the UE

upon detecting that the gateway device is a Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway (GW),

generating, by the PCRF, a Policy and Charging Control (PCC) rule corresponding to the specified network,

and sending the PCC rule to the PDN GW

setting up by the PDN GW resources for the UE in the specified network according to the PCC rule;

forming the Bearer Resource Request Failure Indication message further comprises inserting in said indication message an indication-that the resources have been set up in the specified network,

if a Bearer Binding and Event Reporting Function (BBERF) exists in the specified network, the method further comprises;

generating, by the PCRF, a corresponding PCC rule and sending the PCC rule to the BBERF so that the BBERF sets up resources between the BBERF and the UE in the specified network according to the PCC rule.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

when a network-side device refuses to accept the resource request sent by the UE in the current network, the notifying information about the determined another network to the UE comprises;

sending, by a Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway (GW), a Bearer Resource Request Failure Indication message to the UE, wherein the Bearer Resource Request Failure Indication message carries an identifier (ID) of a network recommended or specified by the PDN GW for the UE to use.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

generating, by the PDN GW, a Policy and Charging Control (PCC) rule corresponding to the specified network, and setting up resources for the UE in the specified network according to the PCC rule;

wherein

the Bearer Resource Request Failure Indication message further comprises indication information indicating that the resources have been set up in the specified network.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

when a network-side device can accept the resource request sent by the UE in the current network, the notifying information about the determined another network to the UE comprises;

sending, by a Policy and Charging Rule Function (PCRF), an identifier (ID) of a network recommended by the PCRF for the UE to use to a gateway device; and

sending, by the gateway device, a resource setup or modification request in the current network, wherein the resource setup or modification request carries the ID of the network recommended by the PCRF for the UE to use.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

generating, by the PCRF, a Policy and Charging Control (PCC) rule corresponding to the current network, and sending the PCC rule to the gateway device;

wherein

the sending, by the gateway device, the resource setup or modification request in the current network, comprises;

sending, by the gateway device, the resource setup or modification request in the current network according to the PCC rule.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

when a network-side device can accept the resource request sent by the UE in the current network, the notifying information about the determined another network to the UE comprises;

sending, by a Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway (GW), a resource setup or modification request in the current network, wherein the resource setup or modification request carries an identifier (ID) of a network recommended by the PDN GW for the UE to use.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining another network suitable for the UE to use according to the resource information requested by the UE comprises:

determining another network suitable for the UE to use according to information about another network and at least one of the following;

subscription information of the UE, a Quality of Service (QoS) parameter requested by the UE, and data stream information of the UE.

8. A network device, comprising:

a determining processor configured to;

receive a resource request from a User Equipment (UE) to access multiple networks using a same Access Point Name (APN);

determine another network suitable for the UE based on said resource request message

a sending unit, configured to send a notification message to the UE, wherein the notification message comprises information about the determined another network,

wherein;

the network device is a Policy and Charging Rule Function (PCRF); and

,

upon detecting that a network-side device refuses to accept the resource request sent by the UE in the current network,

the sending unit is configured to;

form a Bearer Resource Request Failure Indication message embedded with an identifier (ID) of a network recommended or specified by the PCRF for the UE to use,

send the Bearer Resource Request Failure Indication message to a gateway device;

the network device further comprising;

a first processing unit, configured to;

generate a Policy and Charging Control (PCC) rule corresponding to the specified network, and

send the PCC rule to the gateway device so that the gateway device sets up resources for the UE in the specified network according to the PCC rule;

if a Bearer Binding and Event Reporting Function (BBERF) exists in the specified network, the first processing unit is furthered configured to;

generating, by the PCRF, a corresponding PCC rule and sending the PCC rule to the BBERF so that the BBERF sets up resources between the BBERF and the UE in the specified network according to the PCC rule.

9. The network device according to claim 8, wherein:

the network device is a Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway (GW); and

, when a network-side device refuses to accept the resource request sent by the UE in the current network,

the sending unit is configured to send a Bearer Resource Request Failure Indication message, wherein the Bearer Resource Request Failure Indication message carries an identifier (ID) of a network recommended or specified by the PDN GW for the UE to use.

10. The network device according to claim 9, further comprising:

a second processing unit, configured to generate a Policy and Charging Control (PCC) rule corresponding to the specified network, and set up resources for the UE in the specified network according to the PCC rule;

wherein

the Bearer Resource Request Failure Indication message further comprises indication information indicating that the resources have been set up in the specified network.

11. The network device according to claim 8, wherein:

the network device is a Policy and Charging Rule Function (PCRF); and

, when a network-side device can accept the resource request sent by the UE in the current network,

the sending unit is configured to send a notification message, wherein the notification message carries an identifier (ID) of a network recommended by the PCRF for the UE to use.

12. The network device according to claim 8, wherein:

the network device is a Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway (GW); and

, when a network-side device can accept the resource request sent by the UE in the current network,

the sending unit is configured to send a resource setup or modification request in the current network, wherein the resource setup or modification request carries an identifier (ID) of a network recommended by the PDN GW for the UE to use.

13. A network system, comprising:

a Policy and Charging Rule Function (PCRF), comprising;

a determining processor configured to;

receive a resource request from a User Equipment (UE) via a Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway (GW) to access multiple networks using a same Access Point Name (APN);

determine another network suitable for the UE based on said resource request message a sending unit, configured to send a notification message to the UE,

wherein the notification message comprises information about the determined another network,

the PCRF is further configured to;

upon detecting that a network-side device refuses to accept the resource request sent by the UE in the current network,

form a Bearer Resource Request Failure Indication message embedded with an identifier (ID) of a network recommended or specified by the PCRF for the UE to use, and

send the Bearer Resource Request Failure Indication message to a gateway device,

generate a Policy and Charging Control (PCC) rule corresponding to the determined network, and

send the PCC rule to the PDN GW; and

the PDN GW sets up resources for the UE in the specified network according to the PCC rule;

if a Bearer Binding and Event Reporting Function (BBERF) exists in the specified network, the first processing unit is furthered configured to;

generating, by the PCRF, a corresponding PCC rule and sending the PCC rule to the BBERF; and

the BBERF is configured to sets up resources between the BBERF and the UE in the specified network according to the PCC rule.