Handover enhancement for user equipment application layer traffic carried over a mobile network

#The present invention generally relates to mobile communication networks and systems.

#Detailed descriptions of mobile communication networks and systems can be found in the literature, such as in particular in Technical Specifications published by standardization bodies such as for example 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project).

#An example of mobile system is Evolved Packet System (EPS), specified in particular in 3GPP TS 23.401. An example of architecture for EPS is recalled in FIG. 1, taken from 3GPP TS 23.401. An User Equipment UE has access to an EPS network including Evolved Packet Core (EPC) that can be accessed by E-UTRAN Radio Access Network. E-UTRAN includes network entities such as eNodeB (eNB). EPC includes network entities such as Mobility Management Entity (MME) interfacing with E-UTRAN in the control plane, Serving Gateway (SGW) interfacing with E-UTRAN in the user plane, and PDN Gateway (PGW) interfacing with Packet Data Network (PDN) such as an IP network, such as the Internet. Handover procedures, including intra E-UTRAN handover procedures, are specified in particular in 3GPP TS 23.401.

#Some embodiments of apparatus and/or methods in accordance with embodiments of the present invention are now described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

#FIG. 1 is intended to recall an example of architecture for Evolved Packet System EPS,

#FIG. 2 is intended to illustrate, in a simplified way, an example of system and handover scenario, wherein embodiments of the present invention can be used,

#Market reports and advertisements for terminals reflect the gear towards massive downloads wherever one is and seamlessly coupled with mobility. On the other hand network operators, as they want to progressively manage the delivery of content, want to both offer broad access to popular content and minimize the costs induced in their network operation by those broadband and QoE demanding applications.

#A major problem to solve is the QoE guaranty during Handovers (HO) on broadband greedy and highly bursty sessions, which can be initiated massively, arbitrarily and imperatively and therefore need to be well prepared, especially in technologies such as LTE.

#Embodiments of the present invention propose a layer cooperative solution to assist the HO of a Mobile Terminal (MT) performing a content downloading session with information on the cost associated to the choice of a given location from which to download the content. This implies the involvement of protocols such as the IETF Application layer Traffic Optimization (ALTO) in the HO procedure. Embodiments of the present invention also imply extensions of the ALTO features to mobile core networks.