Interworking with legacy radio access technologies for connectivity to next generation core network

A core network serving node within a first core network, comprising:

• an interface communicatively coupled to a wireless access network via the first core network, the wireless access network utilizing a first radio access technology (RAT);
• a memory;
• and
• a processor communicatively coupled to the interface and the memory, the processor configured to:
• receive a connectivity request from a user equipment via the wireless access network utilizing the first RAT, the first RAT providing connectivity to one or more data networks via the first core network based on one or more Packet Data Network (PDN) connections;
• determine that the user equipment supports a second RAT;
• select an interworking core network serving node configured to interwork between the first core network and a second core network supporting the second RAT;
• and
• transfer the connectivity request to the interworking core network serving node to establish and relocate connectivity of the user equipment to the second core network, the second RAT providing connectivity to the one or more data networks via the second core network based on at least one or more Data Network Session (DNS) connections, each including one or more data flows.

A core network serving node apparatus in a communication network, comprising:

• means for receiving a connectivity request from a user equipment at a first core network via a wireless access network utilizing a first radio access technology (RAT), the first RAT providing connectivity to one or more data networks via the first core network based on one or more Packet Data Network (PDN) connections;
• means for determining that the user equipment supports a second RAT;
• means for selecting an interworking core network serving node configured to interwork between the first core network and a second core network supporting the second RAT;
• and
• means for transferring the connectivity request to the interworking core network serving node to establish and relocate connectivity of the user equipment to the second core network, the second RAT providing connectivity to the one or more data networks via the second core network based on at least one or more Data Network Session (DNS) connections, each including one or more data flows.

A method for interworking between core networks in a communication network, comprising:

• receiving a connectivity request from a user equipment at an interworking core network serving node for interworking between a first core network supporting a first radio access technology (RAT) and a second core network supporting a second RAT, the first RAT providing connectivity to one or more data networks via the first core network based on one or more Packet Data Network (PDN) connections, the second RAT providing connectivity to the one or more data networks via the second core network based on at least one or more Data Network Session (DNS) connections, each including one or more data flows, the connectivity request originated by the user equipment towards the first core network through a wireless access network utilizing the first RAT;
• processing the connectivity request based on at least an indication that the user equipment supports the second RAT;
• and
• establishing connectivity to the user equipment via the second core network upon successfully processing the connectivity request.

An interworking core network serving node for interworking between a first core network supporting a first radio access technology (RAT) and a second core network supporting a second RAT, the interworking core network serving node comprising:

• an interface coupled to a wireless access network that utilizes the first RAT;
• a memory;
• and
• a processor communicatively coupled to the interface and the memory, the processor configured to:
• receive a connectivity request originated from a user equipment towards the first core network through the wireless access network utilizing the first RAT, the first RAT providing connectivity to one or more data networks via the first core network based on one or more Packet Data Network (PDN) connections, the second RAT providing connectivity to the one or more data networks via the second core network based on at least one or more Data Network Session (DNS) connections, each including one or more data flows;
• process the connectivity request based on at least an indication that the user equipment supports the second RAT;
• and
• establish connectivity to the user equipment via the second core network upon successfully processing the connectivity request.

An interworking core network serving node apparatus for interworking between a first core network supporting a first radio access technology (RAT) and a second core network supporting a second RAT, the interworking core network serving node apparatus comprising:

• means for receiving a connectivity request originated from a user equipment towards the first core network through a wireless access network utilizing the first RAT, the first RAT providing connectivity to one or more data networks via the first core network based on one or more Packet Data Network (PDN) connections, the second RAT providing connectivity to the one or more data networks via second core network via based on at least or more Data Network Session (DNS) connections, each including one or more data flows;
• means for processing the connectivity request based on at least an indication that the user equipment supports the second RAT;
• and
• means for establishing connectivity to the user equipment via the second core network upon successfully processing the connectivity request.