Traffic Bearer Movable Marking for PDN Offloading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current 3GPP specifications do not allow for partial offloading of traffic bearers within a PDN connection, requiring all bearers to be either offloaded together to WLAN or remain with the 3GPP network, limiting flexibility in traffic steering and network resource management.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method to mark individual traffic bearers as movable or non-movable based on their type, ensuring that all bearers within a PDN connection are marked consistently, either as movable or non-movable, to prevent partial PDN connection offloading during traffic steering.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If all bearers within a PDN connection are offloaded together to WLAN or remain with the 3GPP network, then network control and management are simplified, but traffic steering flexibility is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the PDN connection by introducing individual bearer-level marking (movable/non-movable) instead of treating all bearers as a single unit. This allows selective offloading of specific bearers while keeping others on the original access network, thereby enabling fine-grained traffic steering flexibility without complicating overall network control mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by marking bearers as movable or non-movable before the offloading decision is made. This pre-marking mechanism enables the network to pre-identify which bearers are suitable for offloading based on their characteristics, allowing flexible traffic steering decisions to be made later without complex real-time analysis during the offloading process.
2Adaptability or versatility
If individual bearers are marked as movable or non-movable, then traffic steering flexibility is improved, but risk of partial PDN connection offloading increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the network monitors the offloading status of marked bearers and can detect partial offloading conditions. When partial offloading is detected, the system can trigger corrective actions such as re-balancing bearers or adjusting markings to maintain PDN connection integrity, thus resolving the reliability issue while preserving traffic steering flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic adjustment capabilities where bearer markings and offloading decisions can be modified in real-time based on network conditions and connection status. This dynamic approach allows the system to adapt to changing conditions and prevent problematic partial offloading scenarios while maintaining the flexibility benefits of individual bearer control.
3Productivity
If selective offloading of eligible bearers is enabled, then network resource management is enhanced, but complexity of bearer management increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the management parameter from binary (all-or-nothing offloading at PDN connection level) to multi-state (individual bearer markings of movable/non-movable). This parameter change enables selective offloading of eligible bearers based on their characteristics, improving network resource management efficiency by allowing traffic to be steered to the most appropriate access network for each bearer type.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary marking mechanism that sits between the PDN connection level and individual bearer level. This intermediary layer (the movable/non-movable marking) simplifies bearer management by providing a clear, standardized way to indicate offloading eligibility, reducing the complexity that would otherwise arise from managing selective offloading decisions for each bearer individually.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, implemented in a first node, that is in communication with a second node and a mobile device, includes determining a traffic type of a first traffic bearer within a packet data network connection between the second node and the mobile device. The method further includes marking the first traffic bearer as movable or non-movable based on the determined traffic type. The method also includes in response to determining that the first traffic bearer has been marked as non-movable, marking all other traffic bearers in the packet data network connection between the second node and the mobile device as non-movable.