Multi-connectivity restriction for services demanding single-path or single access

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11700570-B2
Application number	US-202117353831-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2021
Priority date	Jun 23, 2020
Publication date	Jul 11, 2023
Grant date	Jul 11, 2023

Abstract

A method for restricting multi-connectivity functionality of a user equipment (UE) includes: storing a mapping table on a memory of the UE, wherein the mapping table provides assignment information about a respective single access mode assigned to a service requestable by the UE, wherein the respective single access mode is one of multiple access modes; receiving service information about a requested service via a network interface of the UE; comparing, by a process of the UE, the service information to entries of the mapping table, and selecting a single access mode assigned to the requested service; wherein the multi-connectivity functionality of the UE is restricted by: a bypass entity redirecting data traffic associated with the requested service directly to the selected single access mode; or a multipath scheduler scheduling data traffic associated with the requested service to a communication link that corresponds to the selected single access mode.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for restricting multi-connectivity functionality of a user equipment (UE), the method comprising:
storing, by the UE, a mapping table, wherein the mapping table comprises assignment information about a respective single access mode assigned to a service requestable by the UE, wherein the respective single access mode is one of multiple access modes usable by the UE, wherein each of the multiple access modes corresponds to a different respective transmission technology, and wherein the multiple access modes comprise a cellular single access mode corresponding to a cellular communication link and a Wi-Fi single access mode corresponding to a Wi-Fi communication link;
receiving, by the UE, service information about a requested service;
comparing, by the UE, the received service information to entries of the mapping table;
selecting, by the UE, a single access mode assigned to the requested service based on a respective entry of the mapping table which corresponds to the received service information; and
restricting, by the UE, the multi-connectivity functionality of the UE while transmitting data traffic associated with the requested service, wherein restricting the multi-connectivity functionality of the UE while transmitting the data traffic associated with the requested service comprises:
a bypass entity redirecting the data traffic associated with the requested service such that the data traffic associated with the requested service is transmitted according to the selected single access mode; or
a multipath scheduler scheduling the data traffic associated with the requested service to a communication link that corresponds to the selected single access mode.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bypass entity bypasses a multi-path entity of the UE.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the bypass entity is arranged ahead of the multi-path entity with respect to the direction of the data traffic.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mapping table is dynamically updated.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the UE receives a signal to update the mapping table.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the update is provided by an operating system (OS), a vendor or manufacturer of the UE, services, and/or a multi-connectivity provider.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the service information is identified by an application name, a calling Uniform Resource Locator (URL), a protocol, an IP address, an IP subnet, a port, and/or deep packet inspection (DPI).

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selected single access mode is based on a security level demand of the requested service.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UE detects provider information, and wherein the selected single access mode is based on the provider information.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the entries of the mapping table are based on policy considerations or technical considerations of the network.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mapping table is converted to become part of an operating system (OS) routing table.

12. A user equipment (UE), comprising:
a memory configured to store a mapping table, wherein the mapping table comprises assignment information about a respective single access mode assigned to a service requestable by the UE, wherein the respective single access mode is one of multiple access modes usable by the UE, wherein each of the multiple access modes corresponds to a different respective transmission technology, and wherein the multiple access modes comprise a cellular single access mode corresponding to a cellular communication link and a Wi-Fi single access mode corresponding to a Wi-Fi communication link;
a network interface configured to receive service information about a requested service;
at least one processor configured to:
compare the received service information to entries of the mapping table;
select a single access mode assigned to the requested service based on a respective entry of the mapping table which corresponds to the received service information; and
restrict the multi-connectivity functionality of the UE while transmitting data traffic associated with the requested service, wherein restricting the multi-connectivity functionality of the UE while transmitting the data traffic associated with the requested service comprises: redirecting the data traffic associated with the requested service such that the data traffic associated with the requested service is transmitted according to the selected single access mode; or scheduling the data traffic associated with the requested service to a communication link that corresponds to the selected single access mode.

13. A communication system, comprising
a communication network configured to provide multipath functionality over multiple communication links;
a user equipment (UE) having a mapping table stored thereon, wherein the mapping table comprises assignment information about a respective single access mode assigned to a service requestable by the UE, wherein the respective single access mode is one of multiple access modes usable by the UE, wherein each of the multiple access modes corresponds to a different respective transmission technology, and wherein the multiple access modes comprise a cellular single access mode corresponding to a cellular communication link and a Wi-Fi single access mode corresponding to a Wi-Fi communication link; and
a multipath termination endpoint (MP-TE), wherein the user equipment is connected to the MP-TE via the communication network;
wherein the UE is configured to request a service that is provided by the MP-TE; and
wherein the MP-TE is configured to transmit service information of the requested service to the UE via the communication network;
wherein the UE is further configured to:
compare the received service information to entries of the mapping table;
select a single access mode assigned to the requested service based on a respective entry of the mapping table which corresponds to the received service information; and
restrict the multi-connectivity functionality of the UE while transmitting data traffic associated with the requested service, wherein restricting the multi-connectivity functionality of the UE while transmitting the data traffic associated with the requested service comprises: redirecting the data traffic associated with the requested service such that the data traffic associated with the requested service is transmitted according to the selected single access mode; or scheduling the data traffic associated with the requested service to a communication link that corresponds to the selected single access mode.

Assignees

• Deutsche Telekom Ag

Inventors

• Amend Markus
• Bogenfeld Eckard

Classifications

• H04W48/20

  Selecting an access point · CPC title

• H04W48/16

  Discovering, processing access restriction or access information · CPC title

• H04W48/06 Primary

  based on traffic conditions · CPC title

• H04W40/248

  Connectivity information update · CPC title

• H04W28/0858 Primary

  among entities in the uplink · CPC title