Methods and devices for improving session continuity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9717023-B2
Application number	US-201013382187-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 7, 2010
Priority date	Jul 9, 2009
Publication date	Jul 25, 2017
Grant date	Jul 25, 2017

Abstract

A method for improving session continuity for a terminal ( 204 ′) in a serving communication network ( 202 ′) distinct from a home communication network ( 200 ′) of the terminal ( 204 ′), wherein the serving communication network ( 202 ′) comprises a session transfer node ( 208 ′) for transferring sessions each comprising signaling data and media data from a first access network ( 210 ′) of the serving communication network ( 202 ′) to a second access network ( 212 ′) of the serving communication network ( 202 ′) comprises the following: Routing signaling data of a session of the terminal ( 204 ′) between the first access network ( 210 ′) and the home communication network ( 200 ′) via the session transfer node ( 208 ′) in the serving communication network ( 202 ′), receiving a session transfer request requesting the transfer of the session from the first access network ( 210 ′) to the second access network ( 212 ′) for the terminal ( 204 ′), and transferring the session from the first access network ( 210 ′) to the second access network ( 212 ′), and routing the signaling data of the session of the terminal ( 204 ′) between the second access network ( 210 ′) and the home communication network ( 200 ′) via the session transfer node ( 208 ′).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for improving session continuity for a terminal in a serving communication network distinct from a home communication network of the terminal, wherein the serving communication network comprises a session transfer node for transferring sessions each comprising signaling data and media data from a first access network of the serving communication network to a second access network of the serving communication network, the method comprising:
routing signaling data of a session of the terminal between the first access network and the home communication network via the session transfer node, wherein the session of the terminal utilizes the home communication network;
receiving a session transfer request requesting the transfer of the session from the first access network to the second access network for the terminal;
transferring, in the serving communication network, the session from the first access network to the second access network; and
routing the signaling data of the session of the terminal between the second access network and the home communication network via the session transfer node.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the session transfer request comprises terminal identity information, the method further comprising analyzing the terminal identity information to determine the session of the terminal that is to be transferred.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the session transfer request further comprises session transfer request identification information, the method further comprising:
determining whether at least one of the terminal identity information and the session transfer request identification information is in accordance with an available policy; and
transferring the session according to a result of the determination.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising sending a message to a session transfer node in the home communication network indicating to the home communication network session transfer node that the session transfer node in the serving communication network is responsible for the routing of the signaling data and the transferring of the session.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein transferring the session comprises transferring the media data from the first access network to the second access network along with the signaling data.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the media data is anchored at a node in the serving communication network interfacing the session transfer node.

7. A method for improving session continuity for a terminal in a serving communication network distinct from a home communication network of the terminal, wherein the serving communication network comprises a session transfer node for transferring sessions, each session comprising signaling data, and media data from a first access network of the serving communication network to a second access network of the serving communication network, the method comprising:
receiving an address of the session transfer node; and
sending a session transfer request to the address of the session transfer node requesting a transfer of a session of the terminal from the first access network to the second access network in the serving communication network, signaling data of the session being routed between the second access network and the home communication network, wherein the session of the terminal utilizes the home communication network.

8. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising receiving a message requesting the session transfer, wherein sending the session transfer request comprises sending the session transfer request in response to the received message.

9. A method for improving session continuity for a terminal in a serving communication network distinct from a home communication network of the terminal, wherein the serving communication network comprises a session transfer node for transferring sessions, each session comprising signaling data and media data, from a first access network of the serving communication network to a second access network of the serving communication network, the method comprising:
determining an address of the session transfer node; and
sending the address of the session transfer node to a second node of the serving communication network, such that a session of the terminal is transferred from the first access network to the second access network in the serving communication network and signaling data of the session is routed between the second access network and the home communication network in the serving communication network via the session transfer node, wherein the session of the terminal utilizes the home communication network.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein determining the address of the session transfer node comprises determining the session transfer node in the serving communication network, the method further comprising:
receiving an indication of the selected session transfer node in the serving communication network in the session transfer node in the home communication network; and
determining the address of the session transfer node from the received indication.

11. The method according to claim 9 :
wherein the method is performed by a session control node of the serving communication network; and
wherein determining the address of the session transfer node comprises determining the address of the session transfer node in the session control node.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein sending the address of the session transfer node comprises sending the address of the session transfer node from the session control node to the terminal to enable the sending of the address of the session transfer node to the second node of the serving communication network.

13. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising sending the address of the session transfer node from the terminal to a serving mobility node to which the terminal is attached to in the serving communication network to enable the sending of the address of the session transfer node to the second node of the serving communication network.

14. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising sending the address from the serving mobility node to the second node of the serving communication network to enable the sending of the address of the session transfer node to the second node of the serving communication network.

15. The method according to claim 9 ,
further comprising receiving, from the terminal, at least one parameter comprising information about at least one of an identity of a subscriber operating the terminal, a location of the terminal, and an identity of a serving mobility node the terminal is attached to in the serving communication network,
wherein determining the address of the session transfer node comprises determining the address of the session transfer node from the received at least one parameter.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein sending the address of the session transfer node comprises sending the address of the session transfer node to the serving mobility node to enable the sending of the address of the session transfer node to the second node of the serving communication network.

17. A session transfer node in a serving communication network, the session transfer node configured to improve session continuity for a terminal in a serving communication network distinct from a home communication network of the terminal by transferring sessions, each session comprising signaling data and media data, from a

Assignees

• Keller Ralf
• Hallenstål Magnus
• Lindholm Fredrik
• Olsson Magnus
• ERICSSON TELEFON AB L M (publ)

Inventors

• Keller Ralf
• Hallenstål Magnus
• Lindholm Fredrik
• Olsson Magnus

Classifications

• H04L65/1083 Primary

  In-session procedures · CPC title

• H04L65/1016

  IP multimedia subsystem [IMS] · CPC title

• H04W36/0022 Primary

  for transferring data sessions between adjacent core network technologies · CPC title

• H04W36/0011

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

• H04W80/10

  adapted for {application} session management, e.g. SIP [Session Initiation Protocol] {(connection management H04W76/00; arrangements for session management H04L67/14)} · CPC title