Packet routing in a multi-bearer-type network
AssigneeNokia Corporation
InventorsLin Xu, Toni Paila
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for sending a data packet, which directly or indirectly indicates a quality-of-service requirement, to a mobile node from a correspondent node via a multi-bearer network, or MBN, that provides at least one interface unit to each of multiple alternative bearer networks between the MBN and the mobile node includes, in one embodiment, selecting an optimal bearer network for sending a data packet between the MBN and the mobile node based on the quality-of-service requirement of the data packet in question; traffic load data related to the multiple bearers; interface unit availability information; and bearer type preference information.
Claims32
A method for sending a data packet, which directly or indirectly indicates a quality-of-service requirement, to a mobile node from the mobile node's correspondent node via a multi-bearer network (MBN), the method comprising:
- providing, via the MBN, at least one interface unit for each of multiple alternative bearer networks between the MBN and the mobile node and a mobility management function to maintain mobility data related to the mobile node;
- and
- selecting an optimal bearer network for sending a data packet between the multi-bearer network and the mobile node based upon a combination of each of:
- a quality-of-service requirement of the data packet;
- traffic load data related to the multiple bearers;
- dynamically maintained interface unit availability information;
- and
- bearer type preference information.
A network element for a multi-bearer network, wherein the multi-bearer network provides at least one interface unit to each of multiple alternative bearer networks between the multi-bearer network and the mobile node, the network element comprising:
- a processor configured to provide:
- a mobility management function for a mobile node;
- and
- a traffic management function for selecting an optimal bearer network for a data packet between the multi-bearer network and the mobile node, wherein the processor selects the optimal bearer network by evaluating, in combination, each of:
- a quality-of-service requirement of the data packet in question;
- traffic load data related to the multiple bearers;
- dynamically maintained interface unit availability information;
- and
- bearer type preference information.
A mobile node suitable for interfacing with a multi-bearer network that provides at least one interface unit to each of multiple alternative bearer networks between the multi-bearer network and the mobile node, the mobile node comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory having preferred interface unit information for the mobile node stored therein,
- wherein the preferred interface unit information comprises, for each bearer type of the multiple alternative bearer networks, an indication of one or more preferred interface units and an associated preference ranking,
- wherein the processor is configured to transmit bearer preference information obtained from the stored preferred interface unit information to the multi-bearer network.
A method for selecting a bearer network for transmission of a data packet via a multi-bearer network (MBN), the data packet being addressed to a mobile node and indicating a quality-of-service requirement therein, the method comprising:
- the MBN providing at least one interface unit to each of multiple alternative bearer networks between the multi-bearer network and the mobile node;
- the MBN providing a mobility management function to maintain mobility data related to the mobile node;
- selecting a bearer network for sending a data packet between the MBN and the mobile node based on a combined evaluation of each of:
- the indicated quality-of-service requirement of the data packet;
- traffic load data related to the multiple bearers;
- dynamically maintained interface unit availability information;
- and
- bearer type preference information.
A method for selecting a bearer network for a data packet via a multi-bearer network (MBN), the data packet being addressed to a mobile node and the data packet directly or indirectly indicating a quality-of-service requirement, the method comprising:
- the MBN providing at least one interface unit to each of multiple alternative bearer networks between the multi-bearer network and the mobile node;
- the MBN providing a mobility management function to maintain mobility data related to the mobile node;
- selecting a bearer network for sending a data packet between the MBN and the mobile node based on:
- the quality-of-service requirement of the data packet;
- traffic load data related to the multiple bearers;
- dynamically maintained interface unit availability information;
- and
- bearer type preference information;
- sending the data packet to the mobile node via an interface unit to the selected bearer network;
- paging the mobile node before sending the data packet;
- and
- paging the mobile node only if no prior data packets have been sent to the mobile node via the interface unit to the selected bearer network for a predetermined period of time.
A traffic management unit for a multi-bearer network (MBN) that provides multiple alternative bearer networks for transmitting data packets between a mobile node and a correspondent node, the traffic management unit comprising:
- means for collecting traffic load information from the alternative bearer networks;
- means for collecting traffic management-related information from the mobile node and an associated home multi-bearer network;
- means for sending traffic management-related messages containing at least a portion of the traffic management-related information to the mobile node;
- means for selecting a bearer network for downlink traffic based, at least in part, on both the traffic load information and on a quality-of-service requirement of the downlink traffic;
- and
- means for forwarding downlink traffic to the selected bearer network.
A traffic management unit for managing data packets in a multi-bearer network (MBN), the multi-bearer network providing multiple alternative bearer networks for transmitting data packets between a mobile node and a correspondent node, the traffic management unit comprising:
- means for collecting traffic load information from the alternative bearer networks;
- means for collecting bearer preference information from the mobile node,
- wherein the bearer preference information is determined, at least in part, by both the traffic load information and a quality-of-service requirement of the transmitted data packets;
- means for creating and updating bearer routing information to a traffic distribution unit, and
- means for sending traffic administrative messages to the mobile node.
A memory for storing data for access by an application program being executed by a processor in a multi-bearer network (MBN) that provides multiple alternative bearer networks for transmitting a data packet to a mobile node, each data packet directly or indirectly indicating a traffic class of a plurality of traffic classes, wherein the memory comprises:
- a data structure that accommodates information that directly indicates a bearer network applicable to the plurality of traffic classes, and wherein the data structure further accommodates information that interrelates the multiple alternative bearer networks with a quality-of-service requirement of each of the plurality of traffic classes, traffic load data related to the multiple alternative bearer networks, dynamically maintained interface unit availability information, and bearer type preference information.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.