Access Terminal Bearer Path Selection for Latency and Policy

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing packet communication techniques are inefficient in certain situations, particularly when an access terminal needs to communicate outside its home network, as they do not effectively utilize home or visited anchored bearer paths to optimize routing and policy enforcement.

Innovation Solution

The access terminal determines whether to use a home anchored bearer path or a visited anchored bearer path, receiving corresponding network addresses to communicate packets, with the home anchored path involving a home bearer manager and the visited anchored path involving a visited bearer manager, and policy rules are provided to enforce policies for packets sent along the visited anchored path.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the access terminal uses a home anchored bearer path, then policy enforcement and network control are improved, but communication latency increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepolicy enforcementVSAvoidcommunication latency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The access terminal dynamically selects between home anchored and visited anchored bearer paths based on current network conditions, service requirements, and policy constraints. This dynamic selection allows the system to adapt to changing conditions, choosing the home anchored path when policy enforcement is critical and the visited anchored path when low latency is prioritized

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the bearer path into two distinct options: home anchored bearer path for policy-intensive communications and visited anchored bearer path for latency-sensitive communications. This segmentation allows different path types to be optimized for their specific purposes rather than using a single unified path

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Loss of time

If the access terminal uses a visited anchored bearer path, then communication latency is reduced, but policy enforcement capability is weakened

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication latencyVSAvoidpolicy enforcement
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The visited network acts as an intermediary that can still enforce home network policies for visited anchored bearer paths. The visited anchored path includes a visited bearer manager that coordinates with the home network to ensure policy compliance, allowing low-latency communication while maintaining policy enforcement through the intermediary visited network infrastructure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts policy enforcement mechanisms based on the selected path type. For visited anchored paths, the system activates intermediary policy enforcement through the visited bearer manager, while for home anchored paths, direct policy enforcement is used, creating a dynamic adaptation to path selection

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Adaptability or versatility

If the system provides both home network address and visited network address, then routing flexibility is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverouting flexibilityVSAvoidaddress management
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The access terminal autonomously manages its own address configuration and bearer path selection based on pre-configured policies and current network conditions. The terminal itself performs the complex tasks of determining which address to use and which path to select, eliminating the need for complex external management systems and reducing overall device complexity while maintaining routing flexibility

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP1992178B1Access terminal for communicating packets using a home anchored bearer path or a visited anchored bearer path
Publication Date: 2019.10.09 CISCO TECHNOLOGY INC
  • EP1992178B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP1992178B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP1992178B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

Communicating packets along a bearer path includes receiving a home network address and a visited network address at an access terminal. The home network address corresponds to a home anchored bearer path anchored at a home network of the access terminal. The visited network address corresponds to a visited anchored bearer path anchored at a visited network. The access terminal determines whether to use the home anchored bearer path or the visited anchored bearer path, and communicates packets using the home network address or the visited network address in accordance with the determination.