End marker handling for mobility between 5G and LTE

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10524176-B2
Application number	US-201616321360-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 8, 2016
Priority date	Aug 8, 2016
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for mobility between networks. In some example embodiments, there may be provided a method. The method may include receiving, at a source base station, a single end marker indication for a flow associated with a user equipment being handed over to a target base station; determining, by the source base station and in response to the received single end marker indication, at least one bearer mapped to the flow; generating for each determined bearer, at least one end of marker indication; and sending, over a forwarding path from the source base station to the target base station, the generated at least one end of marker indication. Related systems, methods, and articles of manufacture are also described.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, at a source base station, a single end marker indication for a protocol data unit (PDU) session associated with a user equipment being handed over to a target base station, wherein the single end marker indication represents a switch, at a core network, from a first path to the source base station to a second path to the target base station, and wherein the single end marker indication is carried by a packet and/or a header, the header comprises a general packet radio service tunneling protocol header;
determining, by the source base station and in response to the received single end marker indication, bearers mapped to the PDU session;
generating for each determined bearer, at least one end marker indication; and
sending, over a forwarding path from the source base station to the target base station, the generated at least one end of marker indication for each determined bearer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the single end marker indication includes an identity of the flow.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining further comprises accessing a stored mapping of the flow to the at least one bearer.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one bearer comprises a radio bearer.

5. A source base station comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the source base station to at least:
receive a single end marker indication for a protocol data unit (PDU) session associated with a user equipment being handed over to a target base station, wherein the single end marker indication represents a switch, at a core network, from a first path to the source base station to a second path to the target base station, and wherein the single end marker indication is carried by a packet and/or a header, the header comprises a general packet radio service tunneling protocol header;
determine, in response to the received single end marker indication, bearers mapped to the PDU session;
generate for each determined bearer, at least one end marker indication; and
send, over a forwarding path from the source base station to the target base station, the generated at least one end marker indication for each determined bearer.

6. The source base station of claim 5 , wherein the single end marker indication includes an identity of the PDU session.

7. The source base station of claim 5 , wherein the single end marker indication is received in response to a handover to the target base station.

8. The source base station of claim 5 , wherein the determining further causes the source base station to at least access a stored mapping of the PDU session to the bearers.

9. The source base station of claim 5 , wherein the bearers comprise a radio bearer.

10. A target base station comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the target base station to at least:
receive an end marker indication for a bearer associated with a protocol data unit (PDU) session to a user equipment being handed over to the target base station, wherein the end marker indication represents a switch, at a core network, from a first path to a source base station to a second path to the target base station, and wherein the end marker indication is carried by a packet and/or a header, the header comprises a general packet radio service tunneling protocol header;
determine, in response to the received end marker indication for the bearer, whether the target base station needs to wait for at least one additional end marker associated with another bearer associated with the same PDU session; and
wait, based on the determination, for the at least one additional end marker in order to determine that the PDU session has been switched.

11. The target base station of claim 10 , wherein the end marker indication includes an identity of the PDU session.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the core network comprises an anchor node for a handover, a serving gateway, and/or a packet gateway.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving at the source base station is in response to a handover to the target base station.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the PDU session corresponds to a service being accessed by the user equipment.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target base station is configured in accordance with long term evolution, and the source base station is configured in accordance with 5G.

16. The source base station of claim 5 , wherein the core network comprises an anchor node for a handover, a serving gateway, and/or a packet gateway.

17. The source base station of claim 5 , wherein the PDU session corresponds to a service being accessed by the user equipment.

18. The source base station of claim 5 , wherein the target base station is configured in accordance with long term evolution, and the source base station is configured in accordance with 5G.

19. The target base station of claim 10 , wherein the at least one additional bearer comprises a radio bearer.

20. The target base station of claim 10 , wherein the core network comprises an anchor node for a handover, a serving gateway, and/or a packet gateway.

Assignees

• Nokia Technologies Oy

Inventors

• Decarreau Guillaume
• Sebire Benoist

Classifications

• H04W76/11

  Allocation or use of connection identifiers · CPC title

• H04W28/06

  Optimizing {the usage of the radio link}, e.g. header compression, information sizing {, discarding information (system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365)} · CPC title

• H04W36/32

  by location or mobility data, e.g. speed data · CPC title

• H04W36/08 Primary

  Reselecting an access point · CPC title

• H04W36/30

  by measured or perceived connection quality data · CPC title