Communication system, network apparatus, gateway apparatus, computer program, data transmission method and data transfer method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9313049-B2
Application number	US-201213428532-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2012
Priority date	May 25, 2011
Publication date	Apr 12, 2016
Grant date	Apr 12, 2016

Abstract

A network apparatus, wherein a bearer is set between the network apparatus and a gateway apparatus connects a radio access network and a core network, including: a tunneling processing unit that encapsulates user data in accordance with a tunneling protocol; a data combining unit that generates combined data in which a plurality of the encapsulated user data to be transmitted to the same the gateway apparatus are combined; a header generation unit that generates a header of the network protocol storing the bearer identifier of the bearer transmitting user data included in the combined data; and a transmission unit that transmits a packet of the combined data having the header added thereto to the gateway apparatus.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A communication system comprising:
a gateway apparatus that connects a first network and a second network in which user data are transmitted by a network protocol;
a first network apparatus in said first network in which a first bearer is set for each mobile station apparatus for transmitting said user data by a tunneling protocol in higher layer than said network protocol to and from said gateway apparatus; and
a second network apparatus in said second network in which a second bearer is set for each mobile station apparatus for transmitting said user data by said tunneling protocol to and from said gateway apparatus;
wherein said first network apparatus comprises:
a first tunneling processing unit that encapsulates the user data in accordance with said tunneling protocol;
a data combining unit that generates combined data by combining a plurality of said encapsulated user data to be transmitted to the same said gateway apparatus;
a header generation unit that generates a header of said network protocol which stores bearer identifier of said first bearer for transmitting user data included in said combined data and which designates said gateway apparatus as a destination; and
a first transmission unit that transmits a packet of said combined data having said header added thereto;
wherein said gateway apparatus comprises:
a reception unit that receives, via said first network, the packet of the combined data in which the plurality of said encapsulated user data encapsulated in accordance with said tunneling protocol are combined and to which the header of said network protocol storing the bearer identifier of said first bearer transmitting user data included in the combined data is added;
an identifier acquisition unit that acquires the bearer identifier of said first bearer from said header;
a tunneling processing unit that, based on source information of the packet and the bearer identifier of said first bearer, identifies said second network apparatus and specifies an identifier of said second bearer which transmits said user data;
a packet regeneration unit that regenerates a packet of the combined data in which the plurality of said encapsulated user data are combined and to which said network protocol header storing the bearer identifier of said second bearer that transmits the user data included in the combined data and designating said second network apparatus as a destination is added; and
a second transmission unit that transmits the packet regenerated by said packet regeneration unit to said second network.

2. A network apparatus in a first network, wherein a gateway apparatus connects said first network and a second network in which packets including user data are transmitted by a network protocol, and a bearer is set for each mobile station apparatus for transmitting said packets including user data by a tunneling protocol in higher layer than said network protocol to and from said gateway apparatus, said network apparatus comprising:
an extension area, included in each said packet, which extends from the header of the packet;
a tunneling processing unit that encapsulates the user data in accordance with said tunneling protocol;
a data combining unit that generates combined data of different user data in which a plurality of encapsulated different user data to be transmitted to the same said gateway apparatus are combined;
a header generation unit that generates a header of said network protocol which stores a bearer identifier of a first bearer in said extension area, the first bearer transmitting the user data included in said combined data and the header designating said gateway apparatus as a destination, and further, the header of said network protocol storing, in a first extension area as said extension area, the bearer identifier of the first bearer, for each user data transmitting user data included in the combined data and designating said gateway apparatus as a destination, is changed, in a second extension area as said extension area instead of the first extension area, at the gateway apparatus, to a header of said network protocol storing a bearer identifier of a second bearer, for each user data transmitting user data included in the combined data and designating said second network as a destination; and
a transmission unit that transmits the packet of the combined data having said header to be changed in the extension area and added thereto to said gateway apparatus.

3. The network apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , said network apparatus further comprising:
a reception unit that receives, via said first network, the packet of combined data in which a plurality of encapsulated user data encapsulated in accordance with said tunneling protocol are combined and to which a header of said network protocol storing the bearer identifier of said bearer transmitting user data included in the combined data is added;
a separation unit that separates said encapsulated user data from said combined data received; and
an identifier acquisition unit that acquires said bearer identifier from said header received;
wherein said tunneling processing unit, in response to the bearer identifier acquired from said header, decapsulates said encapsulated user data separated from said combined data.

4. The network apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said data combining unit comprises a timer that limits the time period for combining a plurality of user data.

5. The network apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said data combining unit limits data length of one user data.

6. A gateway apparatus that connects a first network and a second network in which packets including user data are transmitted by a network protocol, with a first bearer being set for each mobile station apparatus for transmitting said packets including user data by a tunneling protocol in higher layer than said network protocol to and from a first network apparatus in said first network, and a second bearer being set for each mobile station apparatus for transmitting said packets including user data by said tunneling protocol to and from a second network apparatus in said second network; said gateway apparatus comprising:
an extension area, included in each said packet, which extends from the header of the packet;
a reception unit that receives, via said first network, a packet of combined data of different user data in which a plurality of encapsulated different user data encapsulated in accordance with said tunneling protocol are combined and to which a header of said network protocol storing the bearer identifier of said first bearer transmitting the user data included in the combined data is added;
an identifier acquisition unit that acquires the bearer identifier of said first bearer from said header;
a tunneling processing unit that, based on source information of said packet and the bearer identifier of said first bearer, identifies said second network apparatus and specifies an identifier of said second bearer transmitting said user data;
a packet regeneration unit that regenerates a packet of combined data by changing, in said extension area, the header of said network protocol storing, in a first extension area as said extension area, the bearer identifier of said first bearer, for each user data, transmitting user data included in the combined data and designating said gateway apparatus as a destination, to a header of said network protocol storing, in a second extension area as said extension area instead of the first extension area, a bearer identifier of said second bearer, for each user data, transmitting user data included in the combined data and designating said second network apparatus as a destination; and
a transmission unit that transmits the packet rege

Assignees

• Tamura Yoshio
• Fujitsu Ltd

Inventors

• Tamura Yoshio

Classifications

• H04L12/66 Primary

  Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways · CPC title