Methods and apparatuses for IP and non-IP data communication using a unified interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11522962-B2
Application number	US-201817299842-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2018
Priority date	Dec 12, 2018
Publication date	Dec 6, 2022
Grant date	Dec 6, 2022

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for internet protocol (IP) and non-IP data communication. According to an embodiment, a network exposure node performs a configuration procedure such that both IP data delivery (IPDD) and non-IP data delivery (NIDD) can be supported through a unified interface between the network exposure node and a server. The network exposure node performs IPDD or NIDD through the unified interface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method implemented at a network exposure node, the method comprising:
performing a configuration procedure such that both internet protocol data delivery (IPDD) and non-IP data delivery (NIDD) can be supported through a unified interface between the network exposure node and a server; and
performing IPDD or NIDD through the unified interface;

wherein the performing of IPDD or NIDD through the unified interface comprises:
receiving, from the server through the unified interface, a first request for data delivery to a terminal device, the first request including data to be delivered to the terminal device;
sending, to a subscriber management node, a second request for monitoring reachability status of the terminal device;
receiving, from the subscriber management node, at least one monitoring report about reachability status of the terminal device; and
sending the data to the terminal device based on the received at least one monitoring report.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein performing the configuration procedure comprises:
receiving, from the server, a first request for configuring data delivery for a terminal device;
generating a second request for authorizing IPDD or NIDD between the terminal device and the server, based on the first request;
sending the second request to a subscriber management node; and
receiving, from the subscriber management node, a reply in response to the second request.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the first request includes an identifier (ID) of the terminal device and an ID of the server;
wherein the generating of the second request comprises: determining an access point name (APN) for IPDD or NIDD between the terminal device and the server, based on the ID of the terminal device and the ID of the server; and
wherein the second request includes the determined APN for IPDD or NIDD and the ID of the terminal device.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the first request indicates a port of the server; or wherein the port of the server is pre-configured in the network exposure node.

5. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the server is a service capability server (SCS) or an application server (AS), and the port of the server is an SCS/AS port; and
wherein the second request is an IPDD or NIDD Information Request message, and the reply in response to the second request is an IPDD or NIDD Information Answer message.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the performing of IPDD through the unified interface comprises:
obtaining, from a packet gateway node, connection information about a connection between a terminal device and the packet gateway node;
in response to receiving a data packet from the terminal device via the packet gateway node, determining an IP address of the server based on the data packet, the obtained connection information and a result of the configuration procedure; and
sending data from the data packet to the server through the unified interface based on the determined IP address of the server.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the connection information includes: an IP address of the terminal device, an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) of the terminal device, and an APN for IPDD;
wherein the result of the configuration procedure includes the IMSI of the terminal device, the APN for IPDD, and an IP address of the server; and
wherein determining the IP address of the server comprises:
determining a combination of the IMSI of the terminal device and the APN for IPDD from the connection information, based on an IP address of the terminal device included in the data packet; and
determining the IP address of the server from the result of the configuration procedure, based on the determined combination.

8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the connection information is received via Radius or Diameter protocol; and
wherein the data from the data packet is sent in an Uplink Data Notification Request message.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first request indicates an IP protocol of the terminal device; or
wherein the IP protocol of the terminal device is pre-configured in the network exposure node.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the first request further indicates an application port of the terminal device; or
wherein the application port of the terminal device is pre-configured in the network exposure node.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the receiving the at least one monitoring report comprises:
receiving a monitoring report indicating that the terminal device is reachable via an APN for NIDD; and
wherein the sending the data to the terminal device comprises in response to the monitoring report, sending the data to the terminal device through NIDD.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein receiving the at least one monitoring report comprises:
receiving a monitoring report indicating that the terminal device is not reachable; and
receiving a subsequent monitoring report indicating that the terminal device is reachable via an APN for NIDD; and
wherein sending the data to the terminal device comprises in response to the subsequent monitoring report, sending the data to the terminal device through NIDD.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein receiving the at least one monitoring report comprises:
receiving a monitoring report indicating that the terminal device is reachable via an APN for IPDD and has an IP address; and
wherein sending the data to the terminal device comprises:
in response to the monitoring report, generating a data packet including the data from the first request, based on the IP address and the IP protocol of the terminal device; and
sending the data packet to a packet gateway node based on the APN for IPDD.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein receiving the at least one monitoring report comprises:
receiving a monitoring report indicating that the terminal device is not reachable; and
receiving a subsequent monitoring report indicating that the terminal device is reachable via an APN for IPDD and has an IP address; and
wherein the sending the data to the terminal device comprises:
in response to the subsequent monitoring report, generating a data packet including the data from the first request, based on the IP address and the IP protocol of the terminal device; and
sending the data packet to a packet gateway node based on the APN for IPDD.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first request is a Downlink Data Delivery Request message, the second request is a Configuration Information Request message, and the at least one monitoring report is received in a Configuration Information Response message or a Reporting Information Request message.

16. A method implemented at a server, the method comprising:
initiating a configuration procedure towards a network exposure node such that both internet protocol data delivery (IPDD) and non-IP data delivery (NIDD) can be supported through a unified interface between the network exposure node and the server; and
performing IPDD or NIDD through the unified interface;
wherein the initiating the configuration procedure comprises:
sending, to the network exposure node, a first request for configuring data delivery for a terminal device, wherein the first request indicates a port of the server;

wherein the performing IPDD or NIDD through the unified interface comprises:
sending, to the network exposure node through the unified interface, a second

Assignees

• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Tao Jingrui
• Zhang Yun
• Chen Deyang

Classifications

• Y02D30/70

  in wireless communication networks · CPC title

• H04W76/11

  Allocation or use of connection identifiers · CPC title

• H04W92/24

  between backbone network devices · CPC title

• H04L69/18

  Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols · CPC title

• H04W88/14

  Backbone network devices · CPC title