# US 9,882,742 B2 · Control of long term evolution (LTE) virtual network elements based on radio network tunnels > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,882,742 B2 - Document ID: US9882742B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/266,080 - Filed: 2016-09-15 - Published: 2017-01-05 - Granted: 2018-01-30 - Earliest claimed: 2014-03-11 - Assignees: Sprint Communications Company L.P. - Applicants: Sprint Communications Company L.P. - Inventors: Aaron Paul Hinkle; Seng Chai Gan; Khoi Dinh Nguyen; Danmei Wu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9882742B2 ## CPC - H04W 76/22: Manipulation of transport tunnels - H04L 12/4675: {Dynamic sharing of VLAN information amongst network nodes (configuration of the network or of network elements H04L41/08)} - H04L 45/52: Multiprotocol routers - H04L 65/1016: IP multimedia subsystem [IMS] - H04W 28/0268: {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)} - H04W 72/53: based on regulatory allocation policies - H04J 11/00: Orthogonal multiplex systems, {e.g. using WALSH codes}(H04J13/00 takes precedence) - H04W 76/12: Setup of transport tunnels - H04W 76/32: Release of transport tunnels - H04W 80/10: adapted for {application} session management, e.g. SIP [Session Initiation Protocol] {(connection management H04W76/00; arrangements for session management H04L67/14)} - H04W 88/08: Access point devices - H04W 88/16: Gateway arrangements - H04W 92/14: between access point controllers and backbone network device - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04J: MULTIPLEX COMMUNICATION (transmission in general H04B; peculiar to transmission of digital information H04L5/00; systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal H04N7/08; in exchanges H04Q11/00; stereophonic systems H04S) ## Abstract A data communication network controls the amounts of virtual network elements it uses. A control system processes user data packets from multiple wireless base stations to determine amounts of user data packet tunnels for a plurality of Quality-of-Service (QoS) levels. The control system processes the amounts of the user data packet tunnels for the QoS levels to identify a target amount of virtual packet gateways to serve the user data packet tunnels. A virtual network element system implements the target amount of the virtual packet gateways to serve the user data packet tunnels at the QoS levels with the virtual packet gateways. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of operating a data communication network to control amounts of virtual network elements, the method comprising: the data communication network processing Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) user data packets from multiple wireless base stations to determine amounts of user data packet tunnels for each of a plurality of Quality-of-Service (QoS) levels; the data communication network processing the amounts of the user data packet tunnels for each of the QoS levels to identify a target amount of virtual Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) servers to serve the user data packet tunnels; the data communication network implementing the target amount of the virtual IMS servers to serve the user data packet tunnels; and the data communication network serving the user data packet tunnels at the QoS levels with the virtual IMS servers. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: the data communication network processing the amounts of the user data packet tunnels for each of the QoS levels to identify a target amount of virtual Packet Data Network Gateways (P-GWs) to serve the user data packet tunnels; and the data communication network implementing the target amount of the virtual P-GWs to serve the user data packet tunnels. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: the data communication network processing the amounts of the user data packet tunnels for each of the QoS levels to identify a target amount of virtual Serving Gateways (S-GWs) to serve the user data packet tunnels; and the data communication network implementing the target amount of the virtual S-GWs to serve the user data packet tunnels. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: the data communication network processing the amounts of the user data packet tunnels for each of the QoS levels to identify a target amount of virtual Mobility Management Entities (MMEs) to serve the user data packet tunnels; and the data communication network implementing the target amount of the virtual MMEs to serve the user data packet tunnels. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: the data communication network processing the amounts of the user data packet tunnels for each of the QoS levels to identify a target amount of virtual Policy, Charging, and Rules Functions (PCRFs) to serve the user data packet tunnels; and the data communication network implementing the target amount of the virtual PCRFs to serve the user data packet tunnels. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: the data communication network processing the amounts of the user data packet tunnels for each of the QoS levels to identify a target amount of virtual media servers to serve the user data packet tunnels; and the data communication network implementing the target amount of the virtual media servers to serve the user data packet tunnels. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: the data communication network processing the amounts of the user data packet tunnels for each of the QoS levels to identify a target amount of virtual application servers to serve the user data packet tunnels; and the data communication network implementing the target amount of the virtual application servers to serve the user data packet tunnels. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the user data packets comprise General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Tunneling Protocol (GTP) packets. ### Claim 9 A data communication network to control amounts of virtual network elements, the data communication network comprising: a control system with processing circuitry and data communication interfaces that are configured to process Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) user data packets from multiple wireless base stations to determine amounts of user data packet tunnels for each of a plurality of Quality-of-Service (QoS) levels and to process the amounts of the user data packet tunnels for each of the QoS levels to identify a target amount of virtual Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) servers to serve the user data packet tunnels; and a network element system with processing circuitry and data communication interfaces that are configured to implement the target amount of the virtual IMS servers to serve the user data packet tunnels at the QoS levels with the virtual IMS servers. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The data communication network of claim 9 wherein: the control system is further configured to process the amounts of the user data packet tunnels for each of the QoS levels to identify a target amount of virtual Packet Data Network Gateways (P-GWs) to serve the user data packet tunnels; and the network element system is further configured to implement the target amount of the virtual P-GWs to serve the user data packet tunnels. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The data communication network of claim 9 wherein: the control system is further configured to process the amounts of the user data packet tunnels for each of the QoS levels to identify a target amount of virtual Serving Gateways (S-GWs) to serve the user data packet tunnels; and the network element system is further configured to implement the target amount of the virtual S-GWs to serve the user data packet tunnels. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The data communication network of claim 9 wherein: the control system is further configured to process the amounts of the user data packet tunnels for each of the QoS levels to identify a target amount of virtual Mobility Management Entities (MMEs) to serve the user data packet tunnels; and the network element system is further configured to implement the target amount of the virtual MMEs to serve the user data packet tunnels. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The data communication network of claim 9 wherein: the control system is further configured to process the amounts of the user data packet tunnels for each of the QoS levels to identify a target amount of virtual Policy, Charging, and Rules Functions (PCRFs) to serve the user data packet tunnels; and the network element system is further configured to implement the target amount of the virtual PCRFs to serve the user data packet tunnels. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The data communication network of claim 9 wherein: the control system is further configured to process the amounts of the user data packet tunnels for each of the QoS levels to identify a target amount of virtual media servers to serve the user data packet tunnels; and the network element system is further configured to implement the target amount of the virtual media servers to serve the user data packet tunnels. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The data communication network of claim 9 wherein: the control system is further configured to process the amounts of the user data packet tunnels for each of the QoS levels to identify a target amount of virtual application servers to serve the user data packet tunnels; and the network element system is further configured to implement the target amount of the virtual application servers to serve the user data packet tunnels. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The data communication network of claim 9 wherein the user data packets comprise General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Tunneling Protocol (GTP) packets.