Multipath configuration and control for a wireless communications network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12256447-B2
Application number	US-202017768682-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 7, 2020
Priority date	Nov 15, 2019
Publication date	Mar 18, 2025
Grant date	Mar 18, 2025

Abstract

A method for operating a policy control entity in a wireless communications network. In the wireless communications network a multipath transmission with at least two data packet sessions can be provided between a content provider and a user equipment. The method comprises the following steps. First, an establishment request is received from a network exposure entity to set up the multipath transmission. The establishment request comprises multipath information including a multipath indicator, indicating that the multipath transmission is requested, and a flow description for the first data packet session and the second data packet session. Then, for at least the first data packet session and the second data packet session, a multipath transmission policy is determined. Then, in response to the establishment request, a response message is transmitted to the network exposure entity, including the multipath transmission policy.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for operating a policy control entity in a wireless communications network, in which a multipath transmission with at least two data packet sessions can be provided between a content provider and a user equipment, and wherein a first data packet session of the at least two data packet sessions is transmitted through the wireless communications network over a cellular access node and a second data packet sessions of the at least two data packet sessions is transmitted through the wireless communications network over a non-cellular access node, the method comprising:
receiving an establishment request from a network exposure entity to set up the multipath transmission, the establishment request comprising multipath information including a multipath indicator, indicating that the multipath transmission is requested, and a flow description for the first data packet session and the second data packet session;
determining, for at least the first data packet session and the second data packet session, a multipath transmission policy, the determining including:
transmitting, in response to the establishment request, a transmission policy request, to a data repository; and
receiving a corresponding multipath transmission policy from the data repository; and

transmitting, in response to the establishment request, a response message to the network exposure entity including the multipath transmission policy.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting, to each session control entity configured to respectively control the first data packet session and the second data packet session, a corresponding transmission policy with a corresponding flow description.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the flow description comprises at least:
an address of the content provider; and
one or more addresses of the user equipment.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the flow description comprises at least a first flow description for the first data packet session, and a second flow description for the second data packet session, and wherein:
the first flow description comprises at least:
an address of the content provider; and
an address of the user equipment over the cellular access node; and

the second flow description comprises at least:
an address of the content provider; and
an address of the user equipment over the non-cellular access node.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the flow description comprises at least a first flow description for the first data packet session, and a second flow description for the second data packet session, and wherein:
the first flow description comprises a 5-tuple descriptive of the first data packet session; and
the second flow description comprises a 5-tuple descriptive of the second data packet session.

6. A method for operating a network exposure entity in a wireless communications network, in which a multipath transmission with at least two data packet sessions can be provided between a content provider and a user equipment, and wherein a first data packet session of the at least two data packet sessions is transmitted through the wireless communications network over a cellular access node and a second data packet sessions of the at least two data packet sessions is transmitted through the wireless communications network over a non-cellular access node, the method comprising:
receiving an establishment request from the content provider to set up the multipath transmission, the establishment request comprising multipath information including a multipath indicator, indicating that the multipath transmission is requested, and a flow description for the first data packet session and the second data packet session;
determining, for at least the first data packet session and the second data packet session, a multipath transmission policy, the determining including:
transmitting, in response to the establishment request, a second establishment request, to a policy control entity; and
receiving a corresponding second response message from the policy control entity; and

transmitting, in response to the establishment request, a response message to the content provider including the multipath transmission policy.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the flow description comprises at least:
an address of the content provider; and
one or more addresses of the user equipment.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the flow description comprises at least a first flow description for the first data packet session, and a second flow description for the second data packet session, and wherein:
the first flow description comprises at least:
an address of the content provider; and
an address of the user equipment over the cellular access node; and

the second flow description comprises at least:
an address of the content provider; and
an address of the user equipment over the non-cellular access node.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the flow description comprises at least a first flow description for the first data packet session, and a second flow description for the second data packet session, and wherein:
the first flow description comprises a 5-tuple descriptive of the first data packet session; and
the second flow description comprises a 5-tuple descriptive of the second data packet session.

10. A method for operating a content provider, the content provider being configured for sending data over a wireless communications network, in which a multipath transmission with at least two data packet sessions can be provided between the content provider and a user equipment, and wherein a first data packet session of the at least two data packet sessions is transmitted through the wireless communications network over a cellular access node and a second data packet sessions of the at least two data packet sessions is transmitted through the wireless communications network over a non-cellular access node, the method comprising:
transmitting an establishment request to a network exposure entity to set up the multipath transmission, the establishment request comprising multipath information including a multipath indicator, indicating that the multipath transmission is requested, and a flow description for the first data packet session and the second data packet session, the flow description including at least:
an address of the content provider; and
one or more addresses of the user equipment;

receiving, in response to the establishment request, a response message from the network exposure entity including a multipath transmission policy; and
setting a multipath configuration of the content provider with respect to the user equipment based on the multipath transmission policy.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the flow description comprises at least a first flow description for the first data packet session, and a second flow description for the second data packet session, and wherein:
the first flow description comprises at least:
an address of the content provider; and
an address of the user equipment over the cellular access node; and

the second flow description comprises at least:
an address of the content provider; and
an address of the user equipment over the non-cellular access node.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the flow description comprises at least a first flow description for the first data packet session, and a second flow description for the second data packet session, and wherein:
the first flow description comprises a 5-tuple descriptive of the first data packet session; and
the second flow description comprises a 5-tuple descriptive of the second

Assignees

• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Sanchez Vega Veronica
• Muñoz De La Torre Alonso Miguel Angel

Classifications

• H04W88/06

  adapted for operation in multiple networks {or having at least two operational modes}, e.g. multi-mode terminals · CPC title

• H04W80/06

  Transport layer protocols, e.g. TCP [Transport Control Protocol] over wireless {(transmission control protocol/Internet protocol [TCP/IP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16)} · CPC title

• H04L69/16

  Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] · CPC title

• H04L45/24

  Multipath · CPC title

• H04W76/16 Primary

  Involving different core network technologies, e.g. a packet-switched [PS] bearer in combination with a circuit-switched [CS] bearer · CPC title