Method and apparatus for selecting a gateway node

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9848399-B2
Application number	US-201214123747-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2012
Priority date	Jun 7, 2011
Publication date	Dec 19, 2017
Grant date	Dec 19, 2017

Abstract

A method for selecting a gateway node for a terminal which connects to its registered domain via an access domain and, in a predetermined scenario, an intermediate domain, the access domain having an associated domain name system arranged to return an address of a gateway node based on a domain name system query. The method includes using a first part of such a query to identify the registered domain of the terminal to the domain name system and a second part of the query to indicate to the domain name system that it should use a predetermined mapping to return the address of a gateway node based on the query, the predetermined mapping being one which returns an address of a gateway node either in the registered domain or in an intermediate domain based on the registered domain identified in the query and on the access domain.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of selecting a gateway node for a terminal which connects to its registered domain via an access domain and, in a predetermined scenario, an intermediate domain, the access domain having an associated domain name system which is arranged to return an address of the gateway node based on a domain name system query sent to it, and the method comprising using a first part of the domain name system query to identify the registered domain of the terminal to the domain name system and a second part of the domain name system query to indicate to the domain name system that it is to use a predetermined mapping at a local level to the domain name system to return the address of the gateway node based on the domain name system query, in which the second part of the domain name system query is a unique identifier to indicate an operation by the domain name system to access the predetermined mapping to identify the gateway node connecting the registered domain to the access domain, the predetermined mapping being a listing containing a plurality of registered domains and corresponding access domains which connect to the registered domains and the listing further containing at least one predetermined gateway node of a respective intermediate domain for each combination of registered domain listed and corresponding connecting access domain, to return the address of the gateway node in the intermediate domain based on the registered domain identified in the domain name system query and on the access domain connected by the terminal.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gateway node specified in the predetermined mapping for a particular combination of access domain and registered domain depends on proximity of the gateway node to one or both of the access domain and registered domain of the combination.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gateway node specified in the predetermined mapping for a particular combination of access domain and registered domain depends on routing cost between the gateway node and one or both of the access domain and registered domain of the combination.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gateway node specified in the predetermined mapping for a particular combination of access domain and registered domain depends on an existence of operating agreements between two or more of the access domain, the registered domain, and the intermediate domain in which the gateway node is located.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gateway node specified in the predetermined mapping for a particular combination of access domain and registered domain depends on whether the access domain is associated with the registered domain.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined mapping is one which, when the domain name system is associated with the access domain that is not itself associated with the registered domain, returns an address of a gateway node in the intermediate domain which has an operating agreement with both the access domain and the registered domain, and which, when the domain name system is associated with the access domain that is itself associated with the registered domain, returns an address of a gateway node in the registered domain.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the access domain is associated with the registered domain if it is in or forms part of the registered domain, and wherein the domain name system is associated with the access domain if it is in or forms part of the access domain or is used by the access domain.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the method further comprises at least one of the registered domain comprising a Home Public Land Mobile Network (HPLMN), the intermediate domain comprising a Visited Public Land Mobile Network (VPLMN), and the domain name system query comprising a Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN).

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined mapping is a lookup table or database.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the predetermined mapping is integrated into a remainder of the lookup table or database of the domain name system.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the registered domain is a home domain.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined scenario is a roaming scenario.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate domain is a visited domain.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first part of the domain name system query comprises more than one element, which elements may be non-adjacent.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the domain name system query comprises a third part identifying a type of the gateway node.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gateway node is a Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway (PGW) node, or an evolved Packet Data Gateway (ePDG) node.

17. The method of claim 1 , being performed at the terminal.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein using the first and second parts of the domain name system query comprises:
constructing the domain name system query;
sending the domain name system query to the domain name system; and
receiving the address from the domain name system.

19. The method of claim 1 , being performed at the domain name system (DNS).

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein using the first and second parts of the domain name system query comprises:
receiving the domain name system query from the terminal;
looking up the address of the gateway node based on the received domain name system query; and
sending the address to the terminal.

21. An apparatus for selecting a gateway node for a terminal which connects to its registered domain via an access domain and, in a predetermined scenario, an intermediate domain, the access domain having an associated domain name system which is arranged to return an address of the gateway node based on a domain name system query sent to it, the apparatus comprising:
a processor; and
a storage containing a program which, when executed by the processor, causes the apparatus to:
use a first part of the domain name system query to identify the registered domain of the terminal to the domain name system and a second part of the domain name system query to indicate to the domain name system that it is to use a predetermined mapping at a local level to the domain name system to return the address of the gateway node based on the domain name system query, in which the second part of the domain name system query is a unique identifier to indicate an operation by the domain name system to access the predetermined mapping to identify the gateway node connecting the registered domain to the access domain, the predetermined mapping being a listing containing a plurality of registered domains and corresponding access domains which connect to the registered domains and the listing further containing at least one predetermined gateway node of a respective intermediate domain for each combination of registered domain listed and corresponding connecting access domain, to return the address of the gateway node in the intermediate domain based on the registered domain identified in the domain name system query and on the access domain connected by the terminal.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the apparatus comprises the domain name system (DNS).

23. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the apparatus further comprises:
a receiver arranged to receive the domain name system query from the terminal,
wherein the program which, when executed by the processor, causes

Assignees

• Roeland Dinand
• ERICSSON TELEFON AB L M (publ)

Inventors

• Roeland Dinand

Classifications

• H04L61/3075

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L61/305

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L61/304

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W8/06

  Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server · CPC title

• H04W60/00 Primary

  Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration · CPC title