Network assistance via a local breakout function-gateway in RAN

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11057954-B2
Application number	US-201716337558-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2017
Priority date	Sep 30, 2016
Publication date	Jul 6, 2021
Grant date	Jul 6, 2021

Abstract

A method in a network node (115) comprises establishing (1604) a first bearer (1310, 1520) between a local breakout function gateway (1220), the local breakout function gateway collocated at the network node, and an application client (1210, 1405, 1505) of a wireless device (110). The method comprises transmitting (1608) network assistance information to the wireless device over the first bearer via application-layer signaling in the user plane, the network assistance information comprising information related to optimizing transmission of user data over a second bearer (1305, 1515) established between the wireless device and a core network node (130).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method in a network node, comprising:
establishing a first bearer between a local breakout function gateway, the local breakout function gateway collocated at the network node, and an application client of a wireless device;
transmitting network assistance information to the wireless device over the first bearer via application-layer signaling in the user plane, the network assistance information comprising information related to optimizing transmission of user data over a second bearer established between the wireless device and a core network node, wherein the second bearer is different than the first bearer; and
associating the application-layer signaling transmitted over the first bearer with the user data transmitted over the second bearer, wherein associating the application-layer signaling transmitted over the first bearer with the user data transmitted over the second bearer comprises:
receiving, from the application client of the wireless device, identification information enabling the network node to identify traffic related to the user data transmitted over the second bearer.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising associating the application-layer signaling transmitted over the first bearer with the user data transmitted over the second bearer.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein associating the application-layer signaling transmitted over the first bearer with the user data transmitted over the second bearer further comprises:
inspecting data traffic on one or more bearers related to the wireless device;
identifying, within the inspected data traffic based on the received identification information, traffic related to the user data transmitted over the second bearer; and
associating the identified traffic related to the user data transmitted over the second bearer with the application-layer signaling transmitted over the first bearer.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the identification information comprises one or more Internet Protocol 5-tuples.

5. The method of claim 1 , comprising determining the network assistance data based on one or more criteria.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the one or more criteria comprise one or more of:
a number of wireless devices in a cell associated with the network node;
one or more radio conditions of the wireless device; and
a quality of service associated with the second bearer.

7. The method of claim 5 , comprising:
receiving a request for network assistance data from the wireless device over the first bearer; and
determining the network assistance data based on one or more criteria in response to receiving the request.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein:
the user data transmitted over the second bearer comprises streaming media content;
the received request for network assistance data comprises a request for a recommended rate;
determining the network assistance data comprises estimating a bit rate for the second bearer carrying the streaming media content; and
transmitting the network assistance information to the wireless device comprises transmitting the estimated bit rate for the second bearer to the wireless device over the first bearer via application-layer signaling in the user plane.

9. A method in a wireless device, comprising:
receiving network assistance information from a network node via application-layer signaling in the user plane over a first bearer established between a local breakout function gateway, the local breakout function gateway collocated at the network node, and an application client of the wireless device, the network assistance information comprising information related to optimizing transmission of user data over a second bearer established between the wireless device and a core network node, wherein the second bearer is different than the first bearer;
providing identification information to the network node, the identification information for associating the application-laver signaling over the first bearer with the user data received over the second bearer; and
receiving user data over the second bearer according to one or more parameters defined based on the received network assistance information.

10. A network node, comprising:
a receiver;
a transmitter; and
processing circuitry coupled to the receiver and the transmitter, the processing circuitry configured to:
establish a first bearer between a local breakout function gateway, the local breakout function gateway collocated at the network node, and an application client of a wireless device;
transmit, via the transmitter, network assistance information to the wireless device over the first bearer via application-layer signaling in the user plane, the network assistance information comprising information related to optimizing transmission of user data over a second bearer established between the wireless device and a core network node, wherein the second bearer is different than the first bearer; and
associate the application-layer signaling transmitted over the first bearer with the user data transmitted over the second bearer, wherein processing circuitry configured to associate the application-layer signaling transmitted over the first bearer with the user data transmitted over the second bearer comprises processing circuitry configured to:
receive, from the application client of the wireless device, identification information enabling the network node to identify traffic related to the user data transmitted over the second bearer.

11. The network node of claim 10 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to associate the application-layer signaling transmitted over the first bearer with the user data transmitted over the second bearer.

12. The network node of claim 11 , wherein the processing circuitry configured to associate the application-layer signaling transmitted over the first bearer with the user data transmitted over the second bearer further comprises processing circuitry configured to:
inspect data traffic on one or more bearers related to the wireless device;
identify, within the inspected data traffic based on the received identification information, traffic related to the user data transmitted over the second bearer; and
associate the identified traffic related to the user data transmitted over the second bearer with the application-layer signaling transmitted over the first bearer.

13. The network node of claim 12 , wherein the identification information comprises one or more Internet Protocol 5-tuples.

14. The network node of claim 10 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine the network assistance data based on one or more criteria.

15. The network node of claim 14 , wherein the one or more criteria comprise one or more of:
a number of wireless devices in a cell associated with the network node;
one or more radio conditions of the wireless device; and
a quality of service associated with the second bearer.

16. The network node of claim 14 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:
receive, via the receiver, a request for network assistance data from the wireless device over the first bearer; and
determine the network assistance data based on one or more criteria in response to receiving the request.

17. The network node of claim 16 , wherein:
the user data transmitted over the second bearer comprises streaming media content;
the received request for network assistance data comprises a request for a recommended rate;
the processing circuitry configured to determine the network assistance data com

Assignees

• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Eriksson Ann-Christine
• Centonza Angelo
• Gabin Frederic
• Lohmar Thorsten

Classifications

• H04W24/08

  Testing, {supervising or monitoring} using real traffic · CPC title

• H04W76/15 Primary

  Setup of multiple wireless link connections · CPC title

• H04W28/0252

  per individual bearer or channel (dynamic wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12) · CPC title