Method and apparatus for supporting multiple connections over different types of access in 3GPP systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10512112-B1
Application number	US-201715688564-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Aug 28, 2017
Priority date	Aug 6, 2008
Publication date	Dec 17, 2019
Grant date	Dec 17, 2019

Abstract

A method and apparatus for routing packets from a home agent to a user equipment through a first access network and a second access network. The method includes sending a first binding update message from the user equipment over the first access network to create a first binding cache entry at the home agent. The user equipment uses a home address assigned to the user equipment as a source IP address of the first binding update message. The method further includes sending a second binding update message from the user equipment over the second access network to create a second binding cache entry at the home agent. The user equipment receives packets from the home agent through the first access network and the second access network based on the first binding cache entry and the second binding cache entry.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for routing packets from a home agent to a user equipment through a home link and a foreign link, the method comprising:
determining that the user equipment is connected to a home link for the user equipment;
transmitting a binding update message from the user equipment over the home link to the home agent, the binding update message including at least a first flow identifier and a second flow identifier, the transmission of the binding update message effective to:
create, at the home agent and based on the first flow identifier, a first binding cache entry in which a first binding identifier for a home address of the user equipment is associated with the first flow identifier, the first flow identifier identifying a first flow of packets that is to be communicated, via the home link, between the user equipment and the home agent, and
create, at the home agent and based on the second flow identifier, a second binding cache entry in which a second binding identifier for the home address of the user equipment is associated with the second flow identifier, the second flow identifier identifying a second flow of packets that is to be communicated via the foreign link, between the user equipment and the home agent;

receiving, at the user equipment, a first plurality of the packets transmitted by the home agent through the home link in accordance with the first binding cache entry; and
receiving, at the user equipment, second plurality of packets transmitted by the home agent through the foreign link in accordance with the second binding cache entry.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
receiving, at the user equipment, the first plurality of packets transmitted by the home agent through the home link; and
receiving, at the user equipment, the second plurality of packets transmitted by the home agent through the foreign link further comprises:
simultaneously receiving, at the user equipment from the home agent, the first plurality of packets through the home link and the second plurality of packets through the foreign link.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of packets is included in the first flow of packets that is transmitted, through the home link, between the home agent and the user equipment.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second plurality of packets is included in the second flow of packets that is transmitted, through the foreign link, between the home agent and the user equipment.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first binding cache entry includes a care-of address field that is set to a dummy value to indicate that the first flow of packets is to be transmitted via the home link.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first binding cache entry includes a care-of address field that is set to a home address assigned to the user equipment to indicate that the first flow of packets is to be transmitted through the home link.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to transmitting the binding update message from the user equipment over the home link to home agent effective to create the first binding cache entry and the second binding cache entry at the home agent,
receiving a binding acknowledgement acknowledging a binding registration at the home agent.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the foreign link is a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) access network.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second binding cache entry includes a care-of address field that is set to one of:
a first dummy value that is different from the home address associated with the user equipment; or
a second dummy value to indicate that the second flow of packets is to be transmitted via the home link.

10. An apparatus comprising a user equipment configured to:
determine that the user equipment is connected to a home link for the user equipment;
transmit a binding update message over the home link to the home agent, the binding update message including at least a first flow identifier and a second flow identifier, the transmission of the binding update message effective to:
create, at the home agent and based on the first flow identifier, a first binding cache entry in which a first binding identifier for a home address of the user equipment is associated with the first flow identifier, the first flow identifier identifying a first flow of packets that is to be communicated, via the home link, between the user equipment and the home agent, and
create, at the home agent and based on the second flow identifier, a second binding cache entry in which a second binding identifier for the home address of the user equipment is associated with the second flow identifier, the second flow identifier identifying a second flow of packets that is to be communicated via a foreign link, between the user equipment and the home agent;

receive, at the user equipment, a first plurality of the packets transmitted by the home agent through the home link in accordance with the first binding cache entry; and
receive, at the user equipment, a second plurality of packets transmitted by the home agent through the foreign link in accordance with the second binding cache entry.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the user equipment is configured to simultaneously receive, at the user device and from the home agent, the first plurality of packets transmitted by the home agent through the home link and the second plurality of packets transmitted by the home agent through the foreign link.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the first plurality of packets is included in the first flow of packets that is transmitted, through the home link, between the home agent and the user equipment.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the second plurality of packets is included in the second flow of packets that is transmitted, through the foreign link, between the home agent and the user equipment.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the first binding cache entry includes a care-of address field that is set to one of:
a first dummy value that is different from the home address associated with the user equipment; or
a second dummy value to indicate that the first flow of packets is to be transmitted via the home link.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the second binding cache entry include a care-of address field that is set to a home address assigned to the user equipment to indicate that the first flow of packets is to be transmitted via the home link.

16. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the user equipment is further configured to:
in response to transmission of the binding update message over the home link to the home agent effective to create the first binding cache entry and the second binding cache entry at the home agent,
receive a binding acknowledgement acknowledging a binding registration at the home agent.

17. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the foreign link is a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) access network.

Assignees

• Marvell Int Ltd

Inventors

• Faccin Stefano
• Zhao Fan
• Damle Ameya

Classifications

• H04W40/248

  Connectivity information update · CPC title

• H04W40/24

  Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update · CPC title

• H04L45/742

  Route cache; Operation thereof · CPC title

• H04L45/24

  Multipath · CPC title

• H04L45/38

  Flow based routing · CPC title