Traffic offload method, traffic offload function entity and traffic offload system

• US 8,724,591 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2012
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Jin, Weisheng, Xu, Xiaoying, Xu, Min, Wang, Haining
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzlo, John
• Application Number:
  US13/539,115
• Publication Number:
  US 20120269134A1
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370/331, 370/389, 370/401
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/082 among bearers or channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/22 for handling the traffic

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a traffic offload method, a traffic offload function entity, and a traffic offload system. The method includes: receiving, by a first traffic offload function entity, user information of a user equipment sent by a core network device; obtaining, a traffic offload policy and matching the traffic offload policy with the user information; and offloading traffic corresponding to the user equipment according to the user information that successfully matches the traffic offload policy. The traffic offload function entity may obtain the user information and may perform traffic offload according to the user information.

Claims

1. A traffic offload method, comprising:

receiving, by a first traffic offload function entity, user information that is of a user equipment within coverage of the first traffic offload function entity and sent by a core network device or a second traffic offload function entity, wherein the first traffic offload function entity is a traffic offload function entity corresponding to the user equipment after a handover, and the second traffic offload function entity is a traffic offload function entity corresponding to the user equipment before the handover;

obtaining, by the first traffic offload function entity, a traffic offload policy, wherein the traffic offload policy is obtained by;

obtaining, by the first traffic offload function entity, the traffic offload policy stored by the first traffic offload function entity;

or

receiving, by the first traffic offload function entity, the traffic offload policy sent by the core network device, wherein receiving the traffic offload policy comprises;

sending, by the first traffic offload function entity, a service request message to the core network device and receiving a radio access bearer assignment message sent by the core network device, wherein the radio access bearer assignment message carries the traffic offload policy;

or

sending, by the first traffic offload function entity, an access point name delivery request message to the core network device, and receiving the traffic offload policy delivered by the core network device;

or

reporting, by the first traffic offload function entity, a traffic offload capability or identifier of the first traffic offload function entity to the core network device, and receiving the traffic offload policy delivered by the core network device;

matching the traffic offload policy with the user information; and

offloading, by the first traffic offload function entity, traffic corresponding to the user equipment according to the user information that successfully matches the traffic offload policy.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user information is carried in the radio access bearer assignment message.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user information comprises an access point name corresponding to a radio access bearer and the traffic offload policy comprises a radio access point name, and wherein the offloading comprises:

identifying, by the first traffic offload function entity, a radio access bearer corresponding to an access point name that successfully matches the traffic offload policy as a radio access bearer to be offloaded; and

offloading, by the first traffic offload function entity, traffic on the radio access bearer that is identified as the radio access bearer to be offloaded.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the user information further comprises a destination IP address and/or a service type, wherein the traffic offload policy further comprises a common traffic offload policy, and wherein the offloading comprises:

offloading, by the first traffic offload function entity, traffic on the radio access bearer that is identified as the radio access bearer to be offloaded and successfully matches the common traffic offload policy, wherein the common traffic offload policy comprises a destination IP address and/or a service type.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user information comprises a destination IP address and/or a service type, wherein the traffic offload policy comprises a common traffic offload policy, and wherein the offloading comprises:

offloading, by the first traffic offload function entity according to the destination IP address and/or the service type that successfully matches the common traffic offload policy, traffic in a traffic flow corresponding to the destination IP address and/or the service type.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user information comprises a destination IP address and/or a service type, wherein the traffic offload policy comprises user level information, and wherein the offloading comprises:

when the first traffic offload function entity determines, according to the user level information, to offload traffic in a traffic flow corresponding to the destination IP address and/or the service type that matches the user level information, offloading the traffic in the traffic flow corresponding to the destination IP address and/or the service type.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user information comprises an access point name corresponding to a radio access bearer, wherein the traffic offload policy comprises a user-dedicated traffic offload policy, wherein the user-dedicated traffic offload policy comprises one or more of the following:

a closed subscriber group supporting traffic offload and an access point name corresponding to the closed subscriber group, information indicating whether continuity of offloaded traffic is supported, and an offload type, and wherein the offloading comprises;

identifying, by the first traffic offload function entity, a radio access bearer corresponding to an access point name that successfully matches the user-dedicated traffic offload policy as a radio access bearer to be offloaded; and

offloading, by the first traffic offload function entity, traffic on the radio access bearer that is identified as the radio access bearer to be offloaded.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the offloading comprises:

when the first traffic offload function entity determines, according to user level information delivered by the core network device, to offload the traffic on the radio access bearer that is identified as the radio access bearer to be offloaded, offloading, by the first traffic offload function entity, the traffic on the radio access bearer that is identified as the radio access bearer to be offloaded.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein receiving the user information comprises:

receiving, by the first traffic offload function entity, non-access stratum security association information that is of the user equipment within the coverage of the first traffic offload function entity and sent by the core network device, and

inspecting non-access stratum signaling according to the non-access stratum security association information of the user equipment to obtain the user information of the user equipment, wherein the non-access stratum security association information of the user equipment comprises one or more of a non-access stratum key, an encryption algorithm, and a decryption algorithm.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the user information or the non-access stratum security association information of the user equipment is sent by the core network device to the first traffic offload function entity after the core network device receives a request message, non-access stratum signaling, an S1 setup request message, an initial context setup request message, or a non-access stratum message or access stratum message carrying request parameters of the first traffic offload function entity sent by the first traffic offload function entity.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein obtaining the traffic offload policy comprises obtaining, by the first traffic offload function entity, the traffic offload policy stored by the first traffic offload function entity.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein obtaining the traffic offload policy comprises receiving, by the first traffic offload function entity, the traffic offload policy sent by the core network device.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein receiving the traffic offload policy sent by the core network device comprises:

sending, by the first traffic offload function entity, a service request message to the core network device; and

receiving a radio access bearer assignment message sent by the core network device, wherein the radio access bearer assignment message carries the traffic offload policy.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein receiving the traffic offload policy sent by the core network device comprises:

sending, by the first traffic offload function entity, an access point name delivery request message to the core network device; and

receiving the traffic offload policy delivered by the core network device.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein receiving the traffic offload policy sent by the core network device comprises:

reporting, by the first traffic offload function entity, a traffic offload capability or identifier of the first traffic offload function entity to the core network device; and

receiving the traffic offload policy delivered by the core network device.

16. A first traffic offload function entity, comprising:

an information receiving module, configured to receive user information that is of a user equipment within coverage of the first traffic offload function entity and sent by a core network device or a second traffic offload function entity, wherein the first traffic offload function entity is a traffic offload function entity corresponding to the user equipment after a handover, and the second traffic offload function entity is a traffic offload function entity corresponding to the user equipment before the handover;

a policy obtaining module, configured to obtain a traffic offload policy;

a matching module, configured to match the user information received by the information receiving module with the traffic offload policy obtained by the policy obtaining module; and

a traffic offloading module, configured to offload traffic corresponding to the user equipment according to the user information that successfully matches the traffic offload policy;

wherein the information receiving module is specifically configured to send a service request message to the core network device, and to receive a radio access bearer assignment message sent by the core network device, wherein the radio access bearer assignment message carries the user information of the user equipment within the coverage of the first traffic offload function entity;

or

wherein the information receiving module is specifically configured to send an access point name delivery request message to the core network device and receive the user information that is of the user equipment within the coverage of the first traffic offload function entity and delivered by the core network device;

or

wherein the information receiving module is specifically configured to report a traffic offload capability or identifier of the first traffic offload function entity to the core network device and receive the user information that is of the user equipment within the coverage of the first traffic offload function entity and delivered by the core network device.

17. The first traffic offload function entity according to claim 16, wherein the policy obtaining module is specifically configured to obtain a traffic offload policy stored by the first traffic offload function entity;

or wherein the policy obtaining module is specifically configured to receive a traffic offload policy sent by the core network device or the second traffic offload function entity.

18. The first traffic offload function entity according to claim 16, wherein, when the user information comprises an access point name corresponding to a radio access bearer and the traffic offload policy comprises a radio access point name, the traffic offloading module is specifically configured to identify the radio access bearer corresponding to the access point name that successfully matches the traffic offload policy as a radio access bearer to be offloaded and to offload traffic on the radio access bearer that is identified as the radio access bearer to be offloaded.

19. A traffic offload system, comprising:

a core network device; and

a first traffic offload function entity, wherein the first traffic offload function entity comprises;

an information receiving module, configured to receive user information that is of a user equipment within coverage of the traffic offload function entity and sent by the core network device or a second traffic offload function entity, wherein the first traffic offload function entity is a traffic offload function entity corresponding to the user equipment after a handover, and the second traffic offload function entity is a traffic offload function entity corresponding to the user equipment before the handover;

a policy obtaining module, configured to obtain a traffic offload policy;

a matching module, configured to match the user information received by the information receiving module with the traffic offload policy obtained by the policy obtaining module; and

a traffic offloading module, configured to offload traffic corresponding to the user equipment according to the user information that successfully matches the traffic offload policy;

wherein the information receiving module is specifically configured to send a service request message to the core network device, and to receive a radio access bearer assignment message sent by the core network device, wherein the radio access bearer assignment message carries the user information of the user equipment within the coverage of the first traffic offload function entity;

or

wherein the information receiving module is specifically configured to send an access point name delivery request message to the core network device and receive the user information that is of the user equipment within the coverage of the first traffic offload function entity and delivered by the core network device;

or

wherein the information receiving module is specifically configured to report a traffic offload capability or identifier of the first traffic offload function entity to the core network device and receive the user information that is of the user equipment within the coverage of the first traffic offload function entity and delivered by the core network device.