Packet data network gateway and terminal mobility management system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9894554-B2
Application number	US-201214402725-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 16, 2012
Priority date	Apr 7, 2011
Publication date	Feb 13, 2018
Grant date	Feb 13, 2018

Abstract

A packet data network gateway and a UE mobility management system are disclosed. In the packet data network gateway, a context management unit is configured to: when the P-GW is selected as the UE's target P-GW, create a context for the UE and store the UE's context information from S-GW and a source P-GW to which the UE is currently attached; an identity management unit is configured to: assign a location identity including the UE's routing information to the UE. The present invention reselects a P-GW for the UE to attach, thereby eliminating the circuitous routing in the process of the UE connecting and using services, saving transmission bearer resources, reducing transmission delay of data packet, and ensuring that the UE is still reachable after changing the attached P-GW, thus neither the UE nor the peer end is aware of the movement of the UE in the IP level.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A packet data network gateway, comprising hardware configured to execute instructions stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium to perform steps in following units: a context management unit and an identity management unit, wherein:
the context management unit is configured to: when said packet data network gateway (P-GW) is selected as a target P-GW of a user equipment (UE), create a context for the UE, and store context information of the UE from a target serving gateway (S-GW) and a source P-GW to which the UE is currently attached;
the identity management unit is configured to: assign a location identity including routing information of the UE for the UE;
wherein the context information of the UE comprises:
first context information, comprising a downlink data channel address that the target S-GW assigns to the UE and/or a control plane address of the target S-GW;
second context information, comprising packet data network (PDN) connection information of the UE;
third context information, comprising charging-related information and/or protocol configuration options (PCO) of the UE.

2. The P-GW of claim 1 , wherein,
the context management unit exchanges messages with the target S-GW and the source P-GW to obtain the context information of the UE from the target S-GW and the source P-GW, comprising:
said first context information being sent by the target S-GW to the context management unit;
said second context information being obtained by the context management unit from the source P-GW; alternatively, said second context information being sent by the target S-GW to the context management unit;
said third context information being obtained by the context management unit from the source P-GW,
wherein the identity management unit is further configured to receive an identity of the UE sent by the target S-GW to the identity management unit, or the identity management unit acquires an identity of the UE from the source P-GW; or the context management unit is further configured to send information of the target P-GW to the target S-GW, wherein, the information of the target P-GW comprises an uplink data channel address that the target P-GW assigns to the UE and/or a control plane address of the target P-GW.

3. The P-GW of claim 1 , wherein,
the context management unit is configured to: obtain the context information of the UE from the target S-GW and the source P-GW through message interaction between the target S-GW and the source P-GW as well as between the source P-GW and the target P-GW, comprising:
said first context information being sent by the target S-GW to the source P-GW, and then sent by the source P-GW to the context management unit;
said second context information being sent by the target S-GW to the source P-GW, and then sent by the source P-GW to the context management unit; alternatively, said second context information being sent by the source P-GW to the context management unit;
said third context information being sent by the source P-GW to the context management unit,
wherein the identity management unit is further configured to: receive an identity of the UE sent by the source P-GW to the identity management unit; or the context management unit is further configured to: send information of the target P-GW to the source P-GW, and then the source P-GW sending the information of the target P-GW to the target S-GW, wherein, the information of the target P-GW comprises an uplink data channel address that the target P-GW assigns to the UE and/or a control plane address of the target P-GW.

4. The P-GW of claim 1 , wherein,
the context management unit exchanging messages with the target S-GW and the source P-GW comprises:
the target S-GW sending the context management unit a first request for creating a session for the UE, triggering the context management unit to create the context for the UE, said first request carrying address information of the source P-GW;
after the context management unit receives said first request, sending the source P-GW a second request for the context information of the UE;
after the context management unit receives a second response for the context information of the UE returned by the source P-GW, returning a first response for creating a session for the UE to the target S-GW,
wherein the identity management unit is further configured to: assign a location identity to the UE after the context management unit receives said first request, and send said location identity to the source P-GW in a following manner:
carrying said location identity in said second request sent by the context management unit; or sending the source P-GW a request for updating the routing information of the UE after the context management unit receives said second response, wherein, said request carries said location identity.

5. The P-GW of claim 1 , wherein,
the context management unit exchanging messages with the target S-GW and the source P-GW comprises:
the target S-GW sending the context management unit a first request for creating a session for the UE, triggering the context management unit to create the context for the UE, wherein said first request carries address information of the source P-GW;
after the context management unit receives said first request, sending the source P-GW a second request for the context information of the UE;
after the context management unit receives a second response for the context information of the UE returned by the source P-GW, returning a first response for creating a session for the UE to the target S-GW;
the target S-GW sending a third request for modifying bearers of the UE to the identity management unit;
after the identity management unit receives said third request, sending the source P-GW a fourth request for updating the routing information for the UE, wherein the fourth request carries the location identity;
after the identity management unit receives a fourth response for updating the routing information for the UE returned by the source P-GW, returning a third response for modifying bearers for the UE to the target S-GW;
or
wherein, the message interaction between the target S-GW and the source P-GW as well as between the source P-GW and the context management unit comprises:
the target S-GW sending the source P-GW a first request for modifying bearers for the UE;
after the source P-GW receives the first request, sending the context management unit a second request for pushing the context information of the UE, triggering the context management unit to create the context for the UE;
after the context management unit receives said second request, returning a second response for pushing the context information of the UE to the source P-GW;
after the source P-GW receives said second response, returning a first response for modifying bearers for the UE to the target S-GW,
wherein the message interaction between the target S-GW and the source P-GW as well as between the source P-GW and the context management unit comprises:
the target S-GW sending the source P-GW a first request for modifying bearers for the UE;
after the source P-GW receives the first request, sending the context management unit a second request for pushing the context information of the UE, and triggering the context management unit to create the context for the UE;
after the context management unit receives said second request, returning a second response for pushing the context information of the UE to the source P-GW;
after the source P-GW receives said second response, returning a first response for modifying bearers for the UE to the target S-GW.

6. The P-GW of claim 1 , wherein, the hardware in the P-GW is further configured to execute instructions stored in the non-transitor

Assignees

• Luo Wen
• Zte Corp

Inventors

• Luo Wen

Classifications

• H04W8/18

  Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data · CPC title

• H04W28/0226 Primary

  based on location or mobility (handoff or reselection H04W36/00; mobile application services making use of the location of users or terminals H04W4/02) · CPC title

• H04W36/0044

  of quality context information · CPC title

• H04W40/36 Primary

  due to handover · CPC title

• H04W28/0252

  per individual bearer or channel (dynamic wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12) · CPC title