Serving GW triggered relocation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10334483-B2
Application number	US-201013508736-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 11, 2010
Priority date	Nov 11, 2009
Publication date	Jun 25, 2019
Grant date	Jun 25, 2019

Abstract

The present solution relates to a method in a source serving gateway ( 207 a ) for triggering relocation of at least one user equipment bearer resource from the source serving gateway ( 207 a ) to at least one target serving gateway ( 207 b ) in a communication network ( 200 ). The source serving gateway ( 207 a ) serves the user equipment ( 203 ) by providing bearer resources to the user equipment ( 203 ). The source serving gateway ( 207 a ) detects ( 501 ) an event indicating relocation of the at least one user equipment bearer resource from the source serving gateway ( 207 a ) to the at least one target serving gateway ( 207 b ). Furthermore, the source serving gateway ( 207 a ) sends ( 502 ) a message to a mobility management node ( 205, 209 ). The message comprises a trigger to relocate the at least one user equipment bearer resource from the source serving gateway ( 207 a ) to the at least one target serving gateway ( 207 b ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method in a source serving gateway (SGW) for triggering relocation of at least one user equipment (UE) bearer resource from the source SGW to at least one target SGW in a communication network, the source SGW serving a UE by providing bearer resources to the UE, the method comprising:
detecting, by the source SGW, an overload of the source SGW; and
in response to the detected overload of the source SGW, initiating, by the source SGW, a relocation of the at least one UE bearer resource from the source SGW to the at least one target SGW, wherein said initiating comprises:
sending, by the source SGW and as part of the relocation initiated by the source SGW, a message to a mobility management node, the message comprising both i) a trigger to relocate the at least one UE bearer resource from the source SGW to the at least one target SGW and ii) a capacity value, wherein the capacity value indicates a request for a total stop of incoming signalling.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
triggering an overload protection function at the source SGW based on the detected overload.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said message to the mobility management node identifies a specific subscriber for relocation.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the source SGW, a request from the mobility management node, the request comprising instructions to free the at least one user equipment bearer resource between the source serving gateway and the user equipment;
freeing, by the source SGW, the at least one bearer resource between the source serving gateway and the user equipment; and
sending, by the source SGW, an acknowledgement to the mobility management node that the at least one bearer resource is freed.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the source SGW, a response from the mobility management node acknowledging the received message comprising the trigger to relocate to the at least one target serving gateway.

6. A source serving gateway (SGW) for triggering relocation of at least one user equipment (UE) bearer resource from the source SGW to at least one target SGW in a communication network, the source SGW serving a UE by providing bearer resources to the UE, the source SGW comprising:
a processor; and
a memory coupled to said processor, the memory containing instructions executable by the processor such that the source SGW is configured to:
detect an overload of the source SGW; and
in response to the detected overload of the source SGW, initiate a relocation of the at least one UE bearer resource from the source SGW to the at least one target SGW, wherein said initiating comprises:
sending, by the source SGW and as part of the relocation initiated by the source SGW, a message to a mobility management node, the message comprising both i) a trigger to relocate the at least one UE bearer resource from the source SGW to the at least one target SGW and ii) a capacity value, wherein the capacity value indicates a request for a total stop of incoming signalling.

7. The source SGW of claim 6 , wherein said source SGW is further configured to trigger an overload protection function at the source SGW based on the detected overload.

8. The source SGW of claim 6 , wherein said message to the mobility management node identifies a specific subscriber for relocation.

9. The source SGW of claim 6 , wherein said source SGW is further configured to:
receive a request from the mobility management node, the request comprising instructions to free the at least one user equipment bearer resource between the source serving gateway and the user equipment;
free the at least one bearer resource between the source serving gateway and the user equipment; and
send an acknowledgement to the mobility management node that the at least one bearer resource is freed.

10. The source SGW of claim 6 , wherein said source SGW is further configured to:
receive a response from the mobility management node acknowledging the received message comprising the trigger to relocate to the at least one target serving gateway.

Assignees

• Ahlstroem Folke
• Olsson Lasse
• Ramle Peter
• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Ahlström Folke
• Olsson Lasse
• Ramle Peter

Classifications

• H04W36/0011 Primary

  for data sessions of end-to-end connection · CPC title

• H04W36/12

  Reselecting a serving backbone network switching or routing node · CPC title