Reusing a tag

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019190825-A1
Application number	US-201616301420-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 13, 2016
Priority date	May 13, 2016
Publication date	Jun 20, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for reusing a tag. The method is performed in a service function node of a mobile communication network and comprises receiving an uplink packet originating from a wireless device; obtaining at least one tag from the uplink packet, wherein each tag is a name value pair added by a node after the packet leaves the wireless device; and adding the at least one tag to a downlink packet destined for the wireless device, wherein the at least one tag influences how the downlink packet is forwarded.

First claim

1 . A method for reusing a tag, the method being performed in a service function node of a mobile communication network comprising:
receiving an uplink packet originating from a wireless device; obtaining at least one tag from the uplink packet, wherein each tag is a name value pair added by a node after the uplink packet leaves the wireless device; and adding the at least one tag to a downlink packet destined for the wireless device, wherein the at least one tag influences how the downlink packet is forwarded.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one tag comprises information indicating a current location of the wireless device.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one tag comprises information of a radio network node associated with the wireless device.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one tag comprises information indicating at least one service function to be applied for the downlink packet.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
sending the downlink packet to be routed to the wireless device.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein prior to adding the at least one tag, the method further comprising:
generating the downlink packet.

7 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein the generating the downlink packet is performed as part of a cache functionality of the service function node.

8 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein the generating is repeated at least once and the adding is repeated to add the at least one tag for each generated downlink packet.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , further comprising:
receiving a movement indicator comprising a reference to a target radio network node being associated with the wireless device; and adjusting the at least one tag to include information of the target radio network node associated with the wireless device for movement of the wireless device from a source radio network node to the target radio network node, resulting in an adjusted tag; wherein the of adding the at least one tag comprises adding the adjusted tag to the downlink packet.

10 . The method according to claim 9 , further comprising:
sending a movement indicator acknowledgement to a sender of the movement indicator.

11 . A service function node for reusing a tag, the service function node being configured to form part of a mobile communication network, the service function node comprising:
a processor; and a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the service function node to:
receive an uplink packet originating from a wireless device;
obtain at least one tag from the uplink packet, wherein each tag is a name value pair added by a node after the uplink packet leaves the wireless device; and
add the at least one tag to a downlink packet destined for the wireless device, wherein the at least one tag influences how the downlink packet is forwarded.

12 . The service function node according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one tag comprises information indicating a current location of the wireless device.

13 . The service function node according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one tag comprises information of a radio network node associated with the wireless device.

14 . The service function node according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one tag comprises information indicating at least one service function to be applied for the downlink packet.

15 . The service function node according to claim 11 , wherein the instructions further cause the service function node to:
send the downlink packet to be routed to the wireless device.

16 . The service function node according to claim 11 , wherein the instructions further cause the service function node to:
generate the downlink packet, prior to adding the at least one tag.

17 . The service function node according to claim 16 , wherein generation of the downlink packet form part of a cache functionality of the service function node.

18 . The service function node according to claim 16 , wherein the instructions further cause the service function node to repeat generation of the downlink packet and add the at least one tag for each generated downlink packet.

19 . The service function node according to claim 18 , wherein the instructions further cause the service function node to:
receive a movement indicator comprising a reference to a target radio network node being associated with the wireless device; and adjust the at least one tag to include information of the target radio network node associated with the wireless device for movement of the wireless device from a source radio network node to the target radio network node, resulting in an adjusted tag; wherein to add the at least one tag adds the adjusted tag to the downlink packet.

20 - 21 . (canceled)

22 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored there on computer program code which, when run on a processor of a service function node forming part of a mobile communication network, causes the service functions node to perform operations comprising:
receiving an uplink packet originating from a wireless device; obtaining at least one tag from the uplink packet, wherein each tag is a name value pair added by a node after the uplink packet leaves the wireless device; and adding the at least one tag to a downlink packet destined for the wireless device, wherein the at least one tag influences how the downlink packet is forwarded.

23 - 41 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Roeland Dinand
• Fu Zhang
• Zahemszky András

Classifications

• H04L45/742

  Route cache; Operation thereof · CPC title

• H04L47/2441

  relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ] · CPC title

• H04L45/64 Primary

  using an overlay routing layer · CPC title

• H04W64/003

  locating network equipment · CPC title

• H04L45/38

  Flow based routing · CPC title