Methods and nodes for managing bearers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9877232-B2
Application number	US-201514652665-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2015
Priority date	May 20, 2015
Publication date	Jan 23, 2018
Grant date	Jan 23, 2018

Abstract

A method and a radio network node for handling traffic on an Access Stratum “AS” bearer are disclosed. The radio network node receives, from a second core network node, an AS bearer request for setting up the AS bearer to carry traffic between a first core network node and a wireless communication device, wherein the AS bearer request includes a first AS Quality of Service profile, a second AS Quality of Service profile, and at least one criterion for applying the first or second AS Quality of Service profile when processing the traffic. The radio network node processes the traffic while applying the first or second AS Quality of Service profile based on whether one of the at least one criterion is fulfilled. Furthermore, corresponding methods, a first core network node, a second core network node and a wireless communication device for handling traffic on a common bearer are disclosed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method, performed by a radio network node, for handling traffic on an Access Stratum (AS) bearer, wherein the Access Stratum bearer is capable of carrying the traffic between a first core network node and a wireless communication device, the method comprising:
receiving, from a second core network node, an Access Stratum bearer request for setting up the Access Stratum bearer to carry traffic between the first core network node and the wireless communication device, wherein the Access Stratum bearer request includes a first AS Quality of Service profile, a second AS Quality of Service profile, and at least one criterion for applying the first or second AS Quality of Service profile when processing the traffic, wherein the Access Stratum bearer is to carry the traffic at Access Stratum level, wherein the Access Stratum level refers to a level that the radio network node is able to interpret and process the traffic passing through;
processing the traffic while applying the first or second AS Quality of Service profile to the traffic based on whether or not one of the at least one criterion is fulfilled;
receiving information indicating fulfillment of one of the at least one criterion; and
selecting the first or second AS Quality of Service profile for the traffic based on the information indicating the fulfillment of one of the at least one criterion.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one criterion specifies one or more of:
an identity for radio network nodes,
an identity for radio network cells,
an identity for closed subscriber groups,
a membership of a closed subscriber group,
an identity for identifying packets of the traffic, the identity being associated with the first or second AS Quality of Service profile,
an identity for applications generating the traffic, and
an identity for services generating the traffic.

3. The method according to claim 2 , when the at least one criterion specifies an identity for closed subscriber groups, wherein the processing of the traffic is performed when the wireless communication device belongs to a closed subscriber group having an identity equal to the identity specified by the at least one criterion.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the receiving further comprises:
receiving, from the first core network node or from the second core network node or from the wireless communication device, the information indicating fulfillment of one of the at least one criterion.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting fulfillment of one of the at least one criterion, thereby generating the information indicating fulfillment of one of the at least one criterion.

6. The method according to claim 1 , the method further comprising:
sending, to the first core network node or to the second core network node or to the wireless communication device, the information indicating fulfillment of one of the at least one criterion.

7. A method, performed by a first core network node, for handling traffic on a common bearer, wherein the common bearer is capable of carrying the traffic between the first core network node and a wireless communication device, wherein the first core network node manages at least one criterion for applying a first or a second common Quality of Service profile when processing the traffic, the method comprising:
receiving, from a second core network node, a common bearer request for setting up the common bearer to carry traffic between the first core network node and the wireless communication device, wherein the common bearer request includes a first common Quality of Service profile, a second common Quality of Service profile, and at least one criterion for applying the first or second common Quality of Service profile when processing the traffic, wherein the common bearer is one of an Access Stratum (AS) bearer or an Non-Access Stratum (NAS) bearer for carrying the traffic via a radio network node at AS level or NAS level respectively, and wherein the AS level refers to a level that the radio network node is able to interpret and process the traffic passing through while the NAS level refers to a level that the radio network node is not able to do so;
processing the traffic while applying the first or second common Quality of Service profile;
receiving information indicating fulfillment of one of the at least one criterion; and
selecting the first or second AS Quality of Service profile for the traffic based on the information indicating the fulfillment of one of the at least one criterion.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one criterion specifies one or more of:
an identity for radio network nodes,
an identity for radio network cells,
an identity for closed subscriber groups,
a membership of a closed subscriber group,
an identity for identifying packets of the traffic, the identity being associated with the first or second common Quality of Service profile,
an identity for applications generating the traffic, and
an identity for services generating the traffic.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein receiving the information comprises:
receiving, from a second core network node or a radio network node or the wireless communication device, the information indicating fulfillment of one of the at least one criterion.

10. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising:
detecting fulfillment of one of the at least one criterion, thereby generating the information indicating fulfillment of one of the at least one criterion.

11. The method according to claim 7 , the method further comprising:
sending, to the wireless communication device or the radio network node or the second core network node, the information about fulfillment of one of the at least one criterion.

12. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the common bearer request is an AS bearer request sent to the radio network node, wherein the first common Quality of Service profile comprises a first AS Quality of Service profile relating to the AS bearer and the second Quality of Service profile comprises a second AS Quality of Service profile relating to the AS bearer.

13. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the bearer request is an NAS bearer request sent to the wireless communication device, wherein the first common Quality of Service profile comprises a first NAS Quality of Service profile relating to the NAS bearer and the second common Quality of Service profile comprises a second NAS Quality of Service profile relating to the AS bearer.

14. A method, performed by a second core network node, for managing a common bearer, wherein the common bearer is capable of carrying traffic between a first core network node and a wireless communication device, the method comprising:
obtaining information about a first common Quality of Service profile and a second common Quality of Service profile and at least one criterion for applying a first or a second common Quality of Service profile when processing the traffic; and
sending, to a radio network node or the first core network node or the wireless communication device, a common bearer request for setting up the common bearer, wherein the common bearer request includes the first and second common Quality of Service profiles, and the at least one criterion, wherein the common bearer is one of an Access Stratum (AS) bearer or an Non-Access Stratum (NAS) bearer for carrying the traffic via a radio network node at AS level or NAS level respectively, and wherein the AS level refers to a level that the radio network node is able to inter

Assignees

• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M
• ERICSSON TELEFON AB L M (publ)

Inventors

• Persson Fredrik
• Vikberg Jari

Classifications

• H04W28/24 Primary

  Negotiating SLA [Service Level Agreement]; Negotiating QoS [Quality of Service] · CPC title

• H04W76/12

  Setup of transport tunnels · CPC title

• H04W76/10

  Connection setup · CPC title

• H04W76/02

  Electricity · mapped topic