Seamless handoff between wireless access gateways

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11930358-B2
Application number	US-202017087788-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 3, 2020
Priority date	Dec 31, 2015
Publication date	Mar 12, 2024
Grant date	Mar 12, 2024

Abstract

A method of data communication includes receiving, by a first wireless access gateway (WAG), at least a first data packet corresponding to a first data flow transmitted from user equipment (UE) and receiving, by a second WAG, at least a second data packet transmitted from the UE. In response to receiving the second data packet, the second WAG determines an identity of the first WAG, and in response to determining the identity of the first WAG, the method includes establishing a tunnel connection between the first WAG and the second WAG. After establishing the tunnel connection, the method includes receiving by the second WAG at least a third data packet corresponding to the first data flow transmitted from the UE, and the second WAG transmits to the first WAG, via the tunnel connection, the third data packet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of data communication between an access network and a core network, the method comprising:
receiving, by a first wireless access gateway (WAG) in the access network, a first data packet corresponding to a first data flow transmitted from a user equipment (UE), wherein the access network resides outside of the core network, and wherein the core network is a central part of a mobile network to which the first WAG provides direct connectivity;
forwarding, by the first WAG, the first data packet to the core network;
receiving, by a second WAG in the access network, a second data packet transmitted from the UE;
in response to receiving the second data packet, the second WAG determining an identity of the first WAG;
in response to determining the identity of the first WAG, establishing a GPRS Tunneling Protocol (GTP) tunnel connection between the first WAG and the second WAG;
after establishing the GTP tunnel connection, receiving by the second WAG a third data packet corresponding to the first data flow transmitted from the UE;
transmitting, by the second WAG to the first WAG via the GTP tunnel connection, the third data packet; and
forwarding, by the first WAG, the third data packet to the core network.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second data packet corresponds to the first data flow.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second data packet corresponds to a request by the UE for confirmation that an Internet Protocol (IP) address presently assigned to the UE can still be used to conduct the first data flow.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising the second WAG transmitting a response to the UE request, the response comprising confirmation that the UE can continue to use the IP address presently assigned to the UE.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a fourth data packet at the first WAG, the fourth data packet being received from the core network, the fourth data packet corresponding to the first data flow intended for the UE;
the first WAG transmitting the fourth data packet to the second WAG via the GTP tunnel connection; and
the second WAG transmitting the fourth data packet to the UE.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein:
the fourth data packet is transmitted by an origin server to the first WAG via the core network; and
the method further comprises the first WAG performing a network address translation operation on the fourth data packet before transmitting the fourth data packet to the second WAG.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting user data associated with the UE via the GTP tunnel connection.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the second WAG inspecting the second data packet to determine whether the second data packet is part of an existing data flow or part of a new data flow.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second WAG determining the identity of the first WAG comprises the second WAG receiving the identity of the first WAG from a Wireless Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting Proxy (WAP).

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein:
the second WAG receives the identity of the first WAG from the WAP in response to the second WAG requesting the identity of the first WAG from the WAP; and
the second WAG requests the identity of the first WAG from the WAP in response to the second WAG receiving the second data packet.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the second WAG receives the identity of the first WAG from the WAP in response to the UE transmitting a re-authentication request to the WAP.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second WAG determining the identity of the first WAG comprises the second WAG inspecting an IP address of the UE and determining the identity of the first WAG based on the IP address of the UE.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the second WAG, a fourth data packet corresponding to a second data flow transmitted from the UE; and
the second WAG transmitting the fourth data packet to a computer system while bypassing the GTP tunnel connection.

14. A method of data communication between an access network and a core network, the method comprising:
receiving, by a first wireless access gateway (WAG) in the access network, a first data packet corresponding to a first data flow transmitted by a computer system in the core network, the first data flow being intended for a user equipment (UE), wherein the access network resides outside of the core network, and wherein the core network is a central part of a mobile network to which the first WAG provides direct connectivity;
the first WAG transmitting the first data packet to the UE;
a second WAG receiving, from the UE, a request by the UE for confirmation that an Internet Protocol (IP) address presently assigned to the UE can still be used for the first data flow, the request being received by the second WAG after the UE moves from a first location corresponding to the first WAG to a second location corresponding to the second WAG;
the second WAG determining an identity of the first WAG in the access network in response to the second WAG receiving the request;
in response to determining the identity of the first WAG, establishing a GPRS Tunneling Protocol (GTP) tunnel connection between the first WAG and the second WAG;
after establishing the GTP tunnel connection, receiving by the first WAG a second data packet corresponding to the first data flow;
the first WAG transmitting to the second WAG, via the GTP tunnel connection, the second data packet; and
the second WAG transmitting the second data packet over the access network to the UE.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the second WAG determines the identity of the first WAG in response to the second WAG determining that the UE is inaccessible via the second WAG.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the second WAG determining the identity of the first WAG comprises the second WAG receiving the identity of the first WAG from a Wireless Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting Proxy (WAP).

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the second WAG receives the identity of the first WAG from the WAP in response to the second WAG requesting the identity of the first WAG from the WAP.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the second WAG receives the identity of the first WAG from the WAP in response to the UE transmitting an authentication request to the WAP.

19. A method of selectively routing data communications between an access network and a packet data network and between the access network and a wireless operator core network, comprising:
providing a wireless access gateway (WAG) with network connectivity to the access network, the wireless operator core network, and the packet data network, wherein the packet data network resides outside of the wireless operator core network, and wherein the wireless operator core network is a central part of a mobile network to which the WAG provides direct connectivity;
receiving by the WAG via the access network a first data packet intended for a first computer system included in the wireless operator core network, the first data packet comprising a source address and a destination address;
selectively routing, by the WAG, the first data packet to the first computer system via the wireless operator core network;
receiving by the WAG via the access network a second data packet intended for a second computer system included in the packet data network, the second data packet comprising the source address and the

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Libby Mark
• Garg Deepak
• Nair Girish
• Veldanda Narsi

Classifications

• H04W36/0019

  adapted for mobile IP [MIP] · CPC title

• H04W12/06 Primary

  Authentication · CPC title

• H04L63/029

  Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes · CPC title

• H04W36/0011

  for data sessions of end-to-end connection · CPC title

• H04W76/12

  Setup of transport tunnels · CPC title