Selection of IP version

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11375576-B2
Application number	US-201816322707-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2018
Priority date	May 9, 2017
Publication date	Jun 28, 2022
Grant date	Jun 28, 2022

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a method, a wireless device and a session management node for IP version selection for a PDU session requested to be established by a WCD, that supports PDU sessions of both IPv4 and IPv6 and that is configured to operatively communicate via a RAN with a SM node in a core network lot, the method being performed by the WCD comprises: sending S110 a first PDU session request message towards the SM node requesting establishment of a first PDU session, which request message comprises IP-version information indicating that the IP version of the requested first PDU session should be any one of IPv4 or IPv6; and receiving S130, S140, in response to sending the first PDU session request message, a first response message, which first response message comprises WCD information indicating the IP-version (i.e. IPv4 or IPv6) that has been selected for the requested first PDU session.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for Internet Protocol (IP) version selection for a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session requested to be established by a wireless communication device (WCD) that supports PDU sessions of both Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) and Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6), and that is configured to operatively communicate via a radio access network (RAN) with a session management (SM) node in a core network, the method being performed by the WCD and comprising:
the WCD generating a PDU session identifier (ID);
the WCD generating a first PDU session request message for requesting establishment of a first PDU session, the PDU session request message comprising: 1) the generated PDU session ID, 2) a request type indicating whether the first PDU session request is requesting a new PDU session or refers to an existing PDU session, and 3) first IP version request information for use by the SM node in selecting an IP version for the requested first PDU session, which first IP version request information identifies two IP versions, IPv4 and IPv6;
the WCD sending the first PDU session request message towards the SM node;
receiving, in response to sending the first PDU session request message, a first response message, which first response message comprises WCD information indicating an IP version that has been selected for the requested first PDU session, wherein the first response message indicates that an IP version that was not selected is a supported IP version; and
sending a second PDU session request message towards the SM node requesting establishment of a second PDU session, which request message comprises second IP version request information that identifies a single IP version, IPv4 or IPv6, wherein the identified single IP version is the indicated IP version that was not selected for the first PDU session.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the first PDU session request message is a first PDU session establishment request message comprising a first PDU session identifier (ID) generated by the WCD,
the second PDU session request message is a second PDU session establishment request message comprising a second PDU session identifier (ID) generated by the WCD, and
the second PDU session ID is different than the first PDU session ID.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first response message is a Non-Access Stratum (NAS) message comprising the WCD information.

4. A wireless communication device (WCD) configured to operatively support PDU sessions of both Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) and Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6), and to operatively communicate via a radio access network (RAN) with a session management (SM) node in a core network, the WCD comprising:
a transmitter;
a receiver; and
processing circuitry, the processing circuitry being configured to cause the WCD to:
generate a PDU session identifier (ID);
generate a first PDU session request message for requesting establishment of a first PDU session, the PDU session request message comprising: 1) the generated PDU session ID, 2) a request type indicating whether the first PDU session request is requesting a new PDU session or refers to an existing PDU session, and 3) first IP version request information for use by the SM node in selecting an IP version for the requested first PDU session, which first IP version request information identifies two IP versions, IPv4 and IPv6;
employ the transmitter to send the first PDU session request message towards the SM node;
employ the receiver to receive, in response to sending the first PDU session request message, a first response message, which first response message comprises WCD information indicating an IP version that has been selected for the requested first PDU session, wherein the first response message indicates that an IP version that was not selected is a supported IP version; and
employ the transmitter to send a second PDU session request message towards the SM node requesting establishment of a second PDU session, which request message comprises second IP version request information that identifies a single IP version, IPv4 or IPv6, wherein the identified single IP version is the indicated IP version that was not selected for the first PDU session.

5. A method for Internet Protocol (IP) version selection for a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session requested to be established by a wireless communication device (WCD) that supports PDU sessions of both Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) and Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6), and that is configured to operatively communicate via a radio access network (RAN) with a session management (SM) node in a core network, the method being performed by the SM node and comprising:
receiving a SM request message requesting establishment of a first PDU session, which SM request message comprises: 1) PDU session ID generated by the WCD, 2) a request type indicating whether the WCD is requesting a new PDU session or refers to an existing PDU session, and 3) first IP version request information for use by the SM node in selecting an IP version for the requested first PDU session, which first IP version request information identifies two IP versions, IPv4 and IPv6;
selecting, in response to receiving the SM request message, an IP version for the requested first PDU session; and
sending a first response message, which first response message comprises WCD information indicating the IP version that has been selected for the requested first PDU session, wherein it is further indicated in the WCD information that the other IP type not being selected is also supported.

6. A session management (SM) node in a core network being configured to operatively select an Internet Protocol (IP) version for a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session requested to be established by a wireless communication device (WCD) that supports PDU sessions of both Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) and Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6), the SM node comprising:
a transmitter;
a receiver; and
processing circuitry, the processing circuitry being configured to cause the SM node to operatively:
employ the receiver to receive a SM request message requesting establishment of a first PDU session, wherein the received SM request message comprises: 1) PDU session ID generated by the WCD, 2) a request type indicating whether the WCD is requesting a new PDU session or refers to an existing PDU session, and 3) first IP version request information for use by the SM node in selecting an IP version for the requested first PDU session, which first IP version request information identifies two IP versions, IPv4 and IPv6;
select, in response to receiving the SM request message, an IP version for the requested first PDU session; and
employ the transmitter send a first response message, which first response message comprises WCD information indicating the IP version that has been selected for the requested first PDU session, wherein it is further indicated in the WCD information that the other IP type not being selected is also supported.

Assignees

• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Backman Jan
• Rommer Stefan

Classifications

• H04W76/12

  Setup of transport tunnels · CPC title

• H04W76/15

  Setup of multiple wireless link connections · CPC title

• H04L69/167 Primary

  Adaptation for transition between two IP versions, e.g. between IPv4 and IPv6 (translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses H04L61/2503) · CPC title

• H04W76/10

  Connection setup · CPC title

• H04W80/045 Primary

  involving different protocol versions, e.g. MIPv4 and MIPv6 · CPC title