Method, apparatus and system for establishing a connection

• US 8,838,814 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2009
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wang, Shanshan, Hu, Ying
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia, Rupal
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCADAMS, BRAD
• Application Number:
  US12/471,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20090234956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,939 Days
• Field of Search: 709/228
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/048 mobile agents
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/18 Protocol analysers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/17 Selecting a data network PoA [Point of Attachment]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/045 involving different protocol versions, e.g. MIPv4 and MIPv6

Abstract

A method for establishing a connection includes the following steps: A mobility management entity generates a create bearer context request message and sends the message to a selected serving gateway. The create bearer context request message at least includes address information of at least one packet data network gateway and corresponding indication information of the protocol type of connection establishment. The serving gateway receives and analyzes the create bearer context request message, and determines the protocol type of the connection according to the indication information of the protocol type of connection establishment. The serving gateway processes the create bearer context request message with the determined protocol type of connection. Further provided are a mobility management entity, a serving gateway, and a network system which are able to reduce time delay when connection is established.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a connection, comprising:

generating, by a mobility management entity, a create bearer context request message; and

sending, by the mobility management entity, the create bearer context request message to a selected serving gateway, wherein the create bearer context request message comprises address information of at least one packet data network gateway and indication information of at least one protocol type of connection establishment, and wherein the selected serving gateway selects a protocol type of connection from the at least one protocol type of connection for establishing the connection with the packet data network gateway, wherein the protocol type of connection establishment selected by the selected serving gateway is at least one of a General Packet Radio Service Tunneling Protocol (GTP), a Proxy Mobile IP Protocol (PMIP), and a Client Mobile IP Protocol (CMIP).

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining the address information of the packet data network gateway and the indication information of the at least one protocol type of connection establishment.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the process of obtaining the address information of the packet data network gateway and the indication information of the at least one protocol type of connection establishment comprises:

obtaining the address information of the packet data network gateway and the indication information of the at least one protocol type of connection establishment from a storage unit, wherein the storage unit is located in at least one of a Home Subscriber Server (HSS), a Domain Name Service Server (DNS server), and the Mobility Management Entity, and wherein the indication information of the at least one protocol type of connection establishment indicates at least one protocol type of connection supported by the packet data network gateway.

4. A method for establishing a connection, comprising:

receiving and analyzing, by a serving gateway, a create bearer context request message from a mobility management entity, and obtaining address information of packet data network gateway therein and indication information of at least one protocol type of connection establishment;

selecting, by the serving gateway, a protocol type of connection from the at least one protocol type of connection for establishing the connection with the packet data network gateway, wherein the protocol type of connection establishment selected by the serving gateway is at least one of a General Packet Radio Service Tunneling Protocol (GTP), a Proxy Mobile IP Protocol (PMIP), and a Client Mobile IP Protocol (CMIP); and

processing the create bearer context request message according to the protocol type of connection selected by the serving gateway.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the process of selecting the protocol type of connection for establishing the connection with the packet data network gateway comprises:

determining whether a protocol type of connection in the indication information of the at least one protocol type of connection establishment is supported by a serving gateway; and

selecting one protocol type of connection supported by the serving gateway for the serving gateway to use.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the process of processing the create bearer context request message according to the protocol type of connection selected by the serving gateway comprises:

forwarding the create bearer context request information to the packet data network gateway if the determined protocol type of connection is the GTP;

or

sending, by the serving gateway, a corresponding PMIP-binding update message to the packet data network gateway if the determined protocol type of connection is the PMIP and establishing a PMIP tunnel between the serving gateway and the packet data network gateway;

or

assigning and sending a care-of address to a user terminal for the user terminal to perform CMIP registration if the determined protocol type of connection is the CMIP.

7. A method for establishing a connection, implemented in a system comprising a mobility management entity, a serving gateway, and a packet data network gateway, comprising:

generating, by the mobility management entity, a create bearer context request message and sending the request message to the serving gateway, wherein the create bearer context request message comprises address information of the packet data network gateway and indication information of at least one protocol type of connection establishment;

analyzing, by the serving gateway, the create bearer context request message, and selecting a protocol type of connection from the at least one protocol type of connection for establishing the connection with the packet data network gateway, wherein the protocol type of connection establishment selected by the serving gateway is at least one of a General Packet Radio Service Tunneling Protocol (GTP), a Proxy Mobile IP Protocol (PMIP), and a Client Mobile IP Protocol (CMIP); and

processing, by the serving gateway, the create bearer context request message correspondingly according to the protocol type of connection selected by the serving gateway.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the process of selecting the protocol type of connection for establishing the connection with the packet data network gateway comprises:

determining whether a protocol type of connection in the indication information of the at least one protocol type of connection establishment is supported by a serving gateway; and

selecting one protocol type of connection supported by the serving gateway for the serving gateway to use.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the process of processing the create bearer context request message correspondingly according to the protocol type of connection selected by the serving gateway comprises:

forwarding the create bearer context request information to the packet data network gateway if the determined protocol type of connection is a General Packet Radio Service Tunneling Protocol (GTP);

or

sending, by the serving gateway, a corresponding PMIP-binding update message to the packet data network gateway and establishing a Proxy Mobile IP Protocol (PMIP) tunnel between the serving gateway and the packet data network gateway if the determined protocol type of connection is a PMIP;

or

assigning and sending a care-of address to the user terminal for the user terminal to perform CMIP registration if the determined protocol type of connection is a Client Mobile IP Protocol (CMIP).

10. A mobility management entity, comprising a processor and a sender, wherein:

the processor is configured to obtain address information of the packet data network gateway and indication information of at least one protocol type of connection establishment, and to generate a create bearer context request message; and

the sender is configured to send the message to a selected serving gateway, wherein the create bearer context request message comprises the address information of at least one packet data network gateway and the indication information of at least one protocol type of connection establishment, and the selected serving gateway selects a protocol type of connection from the at least one protocol type of connection for establishing the connection with the packet data network gateway, wherein the protocol type of connection establishment selected by the selected serving gateway is at least one of a General Packet Radio Service Tunneling Protocol (GTP), a Proxy Mobile IP Protocol (PMIP), and a Client Mobile IP Protocol (CMIP).

11. The mobility management entity according to claim 10, wherein the indication information of the at least one protocol type of connection establishment indicates at least one protocol type of connection supported by the packet data network gateway.

12. The mobility management entity according to claim 10, further comprising a memory, wherein:

the memory is configured to store the address information of at least one packet data network gateway and the indication information of the at least one protocol type of connection establishment.

13. The mobility management entity according to claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to send a query request to a Domain Name Service Server (DNS server), and obtain the address information of the packet data network gateway and the indication information of the at least one protocol type of connection establishment.

14. A serving gateway, comprising:

a receiver, configured to receive a create bearer context request message from a mobility management entity; and

a processor, configured to analyze the create bearer context request message, obtain address information of a packet data network gateway and indication information of at least one protocol type of connection establishment, select a protocol type of connection from the at least one protocol type of connection for establishing a connection with the packet data network gateway, and process the create bearer context request message according to the protocol type of connection selected by the processor, wherein the protocol type of connection establishment selected by the processor is at least one of a General Packet Radio Service Tunneling Protocol (GTP), a Proxy Mobile IP Protocol (PMIP), and a Client Mobile IP Protocol (CMIP).

15. The serving gateway according to claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine whether a protocol type of connection in the indication information of the at least one protocol type of connection establishment is supported by the serving gateway; and

select one protocol type of connection supported by the serving gateway for the serving gateway to use.

16. The serving gateway according to claim 15, further comprising a sender, wherein:

the sender forwards the create bearer context request information to the packet data network gateway and the processor establishes the connection with the packet data network gateway, if the protocol type of connection determined by the processor is the GTP;

or

the sender sends a corresponding PMIP-binding update message to the packet data network gateway and the processor establishes a PMIP tunnel between the serving gateway and the packet data network gateway, if the protocol type of connection determined by the processor is the PMIP;

or

the processor assigns a care-of address for the user terminal to perform CMIP registration, if the protocol type of connection determined by the processor is the CMIP and the sender sends the care-of address to the user terminal.

17. A network system, comprising a mobility management entity, a serving gateway, and a packet data network gateway, wherein,

the mobility management entity comprising a processor is configured to generate a create bearer context request message and send the message to a selected serving gateway, wherein the create bearer context request message comprises address information of the packet data network gateway and indication information of at least one protocol type of connection establishment;

and

the serving gateway comprising a processor is configured to analyze the create bearer context request message from the mobility management entity, select a protocol type of connection from the at least one protocol type of connection for establishing a connection with the packet data network gateway, and process the create bearer context request message correspondingly according to the protocol type of connection selected by the serving gateway, wherein the protocol type of connection establishment selected by the serving gateway is at least one of a General Packet Radio Service Tunneling Protocol (GTP), a Proxy Mobile IP Protocol (PMIP), and a Client Mobile IP Protocol (CMIP).

18. The network system according to claim 17, wherein the serving gateway comprising the processor is further configured to:

determine whether a protocol type of connection in the indication information of the at least one protocol type of connection establishment is supported by the serving gateway; and

select one protocol type of connection supported by the serving gateway for the serving gateway to use.

19. The network system according to claim 17, further comprising:

a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) comprising a processor, configured to store address information of the packet data network gateway and the indication information of the at least one protocol type of connection establishment, or a Domain Name Service Server (DNS server) comprising a processor, configured to store address information of the packet data network gateway and the indication information of the at least one protocol type of connection establishment;

wherein, the mobility management entity comprising the processor, is configured to obtain address information of the packet data network gateway and the indication information of the at least one protocol type of connection establishment from the HSS or DNS, wherein the indication information of the at least one protocol type of connection establishment indicates the protocol type of connection supported by the packet data network gateway.

20. The network system according to claim 18, further comprising:

a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) comprising a processor, configured to store address information of the packet data network gateway and the indication information of the at least one protocol type of connection establishment, or a Domain Name Service Server (DNS server) comprising a processor, configured to store address information of the packet data network gateway and the indication information of the at least one protocol type of connection establishment;

wherein, the mobility management entity comprising the processor is configured to obtain address information of the packet data network gateway and the indication information of the at least one protocol type of connection establishment from the HSS or DNS, wherein the indication information of the at least one protocol type of connection establishment indicates the protocol type of connection supported by the packet data network gateway.