Lossless handover for mobility with location identifier separation protocol in 3rd generation partnership project networks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10716045-B2
Application number	US-201716480299-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 24, 2017
Priority date	Jan 24, 2017
Publication date	Jul 14, 2020
Grant date	Jul 14, 2020

Abstract

A method is implemented by a network device in a cellular communication network. The method to improve handover processing by a source evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN) node B (eNodeB) where the source eNodeB forwards traffic destined for a user equipment (UE) that is transferring its connection to a target eNodeB to enable mobility within the cellular communication network without anchor points. The method including receiving a handover request from the UE identifying the target eNodeB, sending a handover message to the target eNodeB, determining the UE is unavailable to the source eNodeB, and redirecting traffic for the UE to the target eNodeB.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method implemented by a network device in a cellular communication network, the method to improve handover processing by a source evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN) node B (eNodeB) where the source eNodeB forwards traffic destined for a user equipment (UE) that is transferring its connection to a target eNodeB to enable mobility using a location identifier separation protocol (LISP) within the cellular communication network without anchor points, the method comprising:
receiving an endpoint identifier (EID) handover request from the UE identifying the target eNodeB;
sending a LISP EID handover message to the target eNodeB;
determining the UE is unavailable to the source eNodeB after receiving a LISP acknowledgement for the LISP EID handover message from the target eNodeB;
redirecting traffic for the UE to the target eNodeB,
wherein the source eNodeB in the cellular communication network comprises a source tunnel router that facilitates communication, the method further comprising:
sending a map request along with the identified target eNodeB to the LISP map resolver (MR); and
receiving a map reply from the LISP MR, the map reply comprising a routing locator (RLOC) of a target tunnel router associated with the identified target eNodeB.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving an acknowledgement from the target eNodeB of the handover message.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a solicit map request from a target tunnel router at the target eNodeB.

4. The method of claim 1 , where the method is implemented by a source tunnel router and the source eNodeB includes a distributed serving gateway.

5. A method implemented by a network device in a cellular communication network, the method to improve handover processing by a target evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN) node B (eNodeB) where the target eNodeB relays traffic between a user equipment (UE) and other devices connected to the cellular communication network to enable mobility using Location identifier separation protocol (LISP) within the cellular communication network without anchor points, the method comprising:
receiving an endpoint identifier (EID) handover message from a source eNodeB identifying the UE;
receiving and buffering redirected traffic for the UE from the source eNodeB;
detecting connection of the UE; and
sending the buffered traffic to the UE,
wherein the target eNodeB implements a distributed serving gateway and a target tunnel router facilitates communication, the method further comprising:
sending an endpoint identifier (EID) routing locator (RLOC) update to a location identifier separation protocol (LISP) mapping server (MS) to notify the LISP MS that the EID of the UE is now associated with that target TR.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
sending an acknowledgement of the handover message to the source eNodeB.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
notifying correspondent devices of the UE location.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
receiving traffic for the UE from remote tunnel routers.

9. A network device in a cellular communication network to execute a method to improve handover processing by a source evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN) node B (eNodeB) where the source eNodeB forwards traffic destined for a user equipment (UE) that is transferring its connection to a target eNodeB to enable mobility using a location identifier separation protocol (LISP) within the cellular communication network without anchor points, the network device comprising:
a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a handover manager; and
a processor coupled to the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the processor to execute the handover manager, the handover manager to receive an endpoint identifier (EID) handover request from the UE identifying the target eNodeB, to send a LISP EID handover message to the target eNodeB, to determine the UE is unavailable to the source eNodeB after receiving a LISP acknowledgement for the LISP EID handover message from the target eNodeB, and to redirect traffic for the UE to the target eNodeB, wherein a source tunnel router facilitates communication, the handover manager to send a map request to a location identifier separation protocol (LISP) mapping router (MR), and to receive a map reply from the LISP MR.

10. The network device of claim 9 , wherein the handover manager to receive an acknowledgement from the target eNodeB of the handover message.

11. The network device of claim 9 , wherein the handover manager to receive a solicit map request from a target tunnel router at the target eNodeB.

12. The network device of claim 9 , where the network device implements a source tunnel router and the source eNodeB includes a distributed serving gateway.

13. A network device in a cellular communication network to execute a method to improve handover processing by a target evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN) node B (eNodeB) where the target eNodeB relays traffic between a user equipment (UE) and other devices connected to the cellular communication network to enable mobility using Location identifier separation protocol (LISP) within the cellular communication network without anchor points, the network device comprising:
a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein a handover manager; and
a processor coupled to the non-transitory computer readable medium, the processor to execute the handover manager, the handover manager to receive an endpoint identifier (EID) handover message from a source eNodeB identifying the UE, to receive and
buffer redirected traffic for the UE from the source eNodeB, to detect connection of the UE and to send the buffered traffic to the UE,

wherein the target eNodeB implements a distributed serving gateway and a target tunnel router facilitates communication, the handover manager to send an endpoint identifier (EID) routing locator update to a location identifier separation protocol (LISP) mapping server (MS) to notify the LISP MS that the EID of the UE is now associated with that target TR.

14. The network device of claim 13 , wherein the handover manager to send an acknowledgement of the handover message to the source eNodeB.

15. The network device of claim 13 , wherein the handover manager to notify correspondent devices of the UE location.

16. The network device of claim 15 , wherein the handover manager to receive traffic for the UE from remote tunnel routers.

Assignees

• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Allan David Ian
• Halpern Joel

Classifications

• H04W36/0064

  of control information between different access points · CPC title

• H04W36/36

  by user or terminal equipment · CPC title

• H04W36/165 Primary

  for reducing network power consumption (H04W36/18 - H04W36/22 take precedence) · CPC title

• H04W36/14

  Reselecting a network or an air interface · CPC title

• H04W36/02

  Buffering or recovering information during reselection {; Modification of the traffic flow during hand-off} · CPC title