Method and nodes for handling a UE which roams into a visited network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10064120-B2
Application number	US-201514652995-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2015
Priority date	Jun 16, 2015
Publication date	Aug 28, 2018
Grant date	Aug 28, 2018

Abstract

The embodiments herein relate to a method performed by a control plane node (303) for handling a UE (101) which roams into a visited network (100a). At least the network in which the control plane node (303) is comprised is a MSC network. The control plane node (303) transmits a create chain request message to a service chain controller (305). The create chain request message is a request to create a chain of UPF nodes (308) that user plane packets to or from the UE (101) should traverse. The control plane node (303) receives a create chain response message from the service chain controller (305). The create chain response message indicates that the requested chain has been created.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method performed by a control plane node for handling a user equipment (UE) that roams into a visited network, wherein the control plane node is comprised in a first network, the first network being one of the visited network and a home network, wherein the first network in which the control plane node is comprised is a Mobile Service Chaining (MSC) network, the method comprising:
after determining that the UE roams into the visited network, transmitting a create chain request message to a service chain controller, wherein the create chain request message is a request to create a chain of User Plane Function (UPF) nodes for processing user plane packets to or from the UE, and the create chain request message comprises an identity of the UE; and
receiving from the service chain controller a create chain response message that is responsive to the create chain request message, wherein the create chain response message indicates that the requested chain has been created and wherein the create chain response message comprises information that indicates at least one of an address and an identifier of a user plane edge point in the first network in which the control plane node is comprised.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting a create session request message a second network which the control plane node is not comprised in, wherein the create session request message comprises at least one of the address and identifier of the user plane edge point; and
receiving a create session response message from the second network which the control plane node is not comprised in.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a create session request message from a second network which the control plane node is not comprised in; and
transmitting a create session response message to the second network which the control plane node is not comprised in.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the create session request message is General packet radio service Tunneling Protocol message.

5. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the create session request message comprises information indicating a user plane edge point which the home network shall use for downlink traffic to the UE.

6. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the create session request message is based on 3GPP EPC when the visited network is unaware of which type the home network is.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the control plane node is comprised in the visited network, and wherein the method further comprises:
selecting the user plane edge point in the visited network from a plurality of possible user plane edge points.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the control plane node is comprised in the visited network, and wherein the method further comprises:
transmitting information indicating a plurality of possible user plane edge points in the visited network to the home network for selection of the user plane edge point.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the control plane node is comprised in the home network, and wherein the method further comprises:
transmitting an update location identity (ID) request message to an address advertisement node, wherein the update location ID request message comprises information indicating at least one of an user plane edge point of the visited network and an user plane edge point of the home network; and
receiving an update location ID response message from the address advertisement node.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the control plane node is comprised in the home network, and the method further comprises allocating an address to the UE.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the allocation of the address is coordinated with an address advertisement node.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the address of the user plane edge point is an Internet Protocol(IP) address and the identifier is a Tunnel Endpoint Identifier.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the control plane node comprises information indicating that the home network is one of: an MSC network and a Third Generation Partnership Project Evolved Packet Core network.

14. A control plane node for handling a user equipment (UE) which roams into a visited network, wherein the control plane node is comprised in a first network, the first network being one of the visited network and a home network, wherein the first network in which the control plane node is comprised is a Mobile Service Chaining (MSC) network, the control plane node comprising:
a memory; and
a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the control plane node is configured to:
transmit a create chain request message to a service chain controller when the UE roams into the visited network, wherein the create chain request message is a request to create a chain of User Plane Function (UPF) nodes for processing user plane packets to or from the UE, and wherein the create chain request message comprises an identity of the UE;
receive a create chain response message from the service chain controller, wherein the create chain response message indicates that the requested chain has been created and wherein the create chain response message comprises information which indicates at least one of an address and an identifier of a user plane edge point in the first network in which the control plane node is comprised;
transmit a create session request message to a second network which the control plane node is not comprised in, wherein the create session request message comprises at least one of the address and identifier of the user plane edge point; and
receive a create session response message from the second network which the control plane node is not comprised in.

15. The control plane node according to claim 14 , being further configured to:
receive a create session request message from a second network which the control plane node is not comprised in; and to
transmit a create session response message to the second network which the control plane node is not comprised in.

16. The control plane node according to claim 14 , wherein the create session request message is General packet radio service Tunneling Protocol message.

17. The control plane node according to claim 14 , wherein the create session request message comprises information indicating a user plane edge point.

18. The control plane node according to claim 14 , wherein the create session request message is based on 3GPP EPC.

19. The control plane node according to claim 14 , wherein the control plane node is comprised in the visited network,
and wherein the control plane node is further configured to:
select the user plane edge point in the visited network from a plurality of possible user plane edge points.

20. The control plane node according to claim 14 , wherein the control plane node is comprised in the visited network, and wherein the control plane node is further configured to:
transmit information indicating a plurality of possible user plane edge points in the visited network to the home network for selection of the user plane edge point.

21. The control plane node according to claim 14 , wherein the control plane node is comprised in the home network, and wherein the control plane node is further configured to:
transmit an update location identity (ID) request message to an address advertisement node, wherein the update location ID reques

Assignees

• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M
• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Olsson Lasse
• Roeland Dinand
• Turányi Zoltán
• Eriksson Hans

Classifications

• H04W40/248 Primary

  Connectivity information update · CPC title

• H04W8/06

  Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server · CPC title

• H04L41/5087

  wherein the managed service relates to voice services (management of VoIP services H04M7/0081) · CPC title

• H04L41/5054

  Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components · CPC title

• H04W4/00

  Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor · CPC title