Method, user terminal, and policy and charging network entity for classifying packets

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9900218-B2
Application number	US-201214403510-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2012
Priority date	May 31, 2012
Publication date	Feb 20, 2018
Grant date	Feb 20, 2018

Abstract

A method for classifying packets includes determining an execution indication indicating at least one amongst a service and application being executed on a user terminal and generating uplink packets; determining a marker on the basis of PCC rules available at the user terminal and at least one execution indication, the marker for identifying at least one of a service and an application associated to uplink packets; transmitting the marker and the uplink packets, to a PCEF network entity; determining an uplink classification, at the PCEF network entity, for received uplink packets based on the marker; storing, at said PCEF network entity, an association between information related to an uplink flow corresponding to the uplink packets and uplink classification; receiving, at said PCEF network entity, downlink packets corresponding to the uplink packets; determining a downlink classification, at the PCEF network entity, for received downlink packets based on the stored association.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of classifying packets associated to at least one amongst a service and an application, the method carried out in a communication network comprising at least a user terminal and a Policy Control Enforcement Function, PCEF, network entity, the method comprising the steps of:
determining, at said user terminal, at least one execution indication indicating said at least one amongst said service and application being executed on said user terminal and generating uplink packets;
determining, at said user terminal and based on mobile Policy and Charging Control, PCC, rules available at said user terminal and said at least one execution indication, a marker for identifying at least one amongst a service and an application associated to said uplink packets;
transmitting, at said user terminal, said marker and said uplink packets, to said PCEF network entity;
determining an uplink classification, at said PCEF network entity, for received uplink packets based on said marker;
storing, at said PCEF network entity, an association between information related to an uplink flow corresponding to said uplink packets and said uplink classification;
receiving, at said PCEF network entity, downlink packets corresponding to said uplink packets;
determining a downlink classification, at said PCEF network entity, for received downlink packets based on said stored association.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the mobile PCC rules comprise at least one category identifier for classifying at least one amongst said at least one service and application; and wherein
the step of determining the marker comprises determining the marker as the category identifier corresponding to said identification.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one execution indication is determined when execution of at least one thread corresponding to said at least one amongst said service and application is detected.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the mobile PCC rules comprise at least one category identifier, said at least one category identifier being in correspondence with PCC rules available at a PCEF network entity.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of determining said downlink classification includes matching information related to a downlink flow with said information related to said uplink flow, and determining said downlink classification as said uplink classification when a matching is detected.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of
applying, at the PCEF network entity, PCC rules for said uplink packets according to said uplink classification.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of
applying, at the PCEF network entity, PCC rules for said downlink packets according to said downlink classification.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of
determining, at said user terminal, a tethering indicating marker for uplink packets not being associated with one amongst a service and an application being executed on said user terminal;
transmitting, at said user terminal, said tethering indicating marker and said uplink packets not being associated with one amongst a service and an application being executed on said user terminal, to said PCEF network entity.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of
comparing, at said PCEF network entity, said uplink classification with a heuristic classification obtained by directly classifying uplink packets with heuristic detection signatures;
updating, at said PCEF network entity, heuristic detection signatures, if the comparing determines that said uplink classification and said heuristic classification do not correspond.

10. A user terminal for classifying packets associated to at least one amongst a service and an application,
said user terminal comprising circuitry and further adapted to communicate with a Policy Control Enforcement Function, PCEF, network entity, said user terminal comprising:
an execution determinator for determining at least one execution indication indicating said at least one amongst said service and application being executed on said user terminal and generating uplink packets;
a marker determinator for determining, based on mobile Policy and Charging Control, PCC, rules available at said user terminal and said at least one execution indication, a marker for identifying at least one amongst a service and an application associated to said uplink packets;
a transmitter for transmitting said marker and said uplink packets, to a PCEF network entity.

11. The user terminal according to claim 10 , wherein the mobile PCC rules comprise at least one category identifier for classifying at least one amongst said at least one service and application; and wherein
the marker determinator is adapted to determine the marker as the category identifier corresponding to said identification.

12. The user terminal according to claim 10 , wherein said execution determinator is further adapted to determine said at least one execution indication when execution of at least one thread corresponding to said at least one amongst said service and application is detected.

13. The user terminal according to claim 10 , wherein the mobile PCC rules comprise at least one category identifier, said at least one category identifier being in correspondence with PCC rules available at a PCEF network entity.

14. A method for classifying packets associated to at least one amongst a service and an application, said method carried out at a user terminal, the method comprising the steps of:
determining at least one execution indication indicating said at least one amongst said service and application being executed on said user terminal and generating uplink packets;
determining, based on mobile Policy and Charging Control, PCC, rules available at said user terminal and said at least one execution indication, a marker for identifying at least one amongst a service and an application associated to said uplink packets;
transmitting said marker and said uplink packets, to a Policy Control Enforcement Function, PCEF, network entity.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the mobile PCC rules comprise at least one category identifier for classifying at least one amongst said at least one service and application; and wherein
the step of determining the marker comprises determining the marker as the category identifier corresponding to said identification.

16. The method according to claim 14 , wherein said at least one execution indication is determined when execution of at least one thread corresponding to said at least one amongst said service and application is detected.

17. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the mobile PCC rules comprise at least one category identifier, said at least one category identifier being in correspondence with PCC rules available at a PCEF network entity.

18. A Policy Control Enforcement Function, PCEF, network entity adapted to perform policy and charging enforcement functions,
said PCEF network entity comprising circuitry and further adapted to communicate with a user terminal capable of executing at least one amongst a service and an application, said PCEF network entity comprising:
an uplink receiver for receiving, from said user terminal entity, uplink packets and a marker, said marker for identifying said at least one amongst a service and an application associated to said uplink packets, said marker bei

Assignees

• Perez Martinez Alfonso De Jesus
• Alvarez Dominguez Rodrigo
• Clark Stuart
• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Perez Martinez Alfonso De Jesus
• Alvarez Dominguez Rodrigo
• Clark Stuart

Classifications

• H04L43/028 Primary

  by filtering · CPC title

• H04W48/02

  Access restriction performed under specific conditions · CPC title

• H04W28/0268

  using specific QoS parameters for wireless networks, e.g. QoS class identifier [QCI] or guaranteed bit rate [GBR] (negotiating SLA or negotiating QoS H04W28/24) · CPC title

• H04L41/0893 Primary

  Assignment of logical groups to network elements · CPC title

• H04W24/02

  Arrangements for optimising operational condition · CPC title