Control Plane IP Address Assignment with Routing Rules

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for determining session and service continuity modes in user equipment do not effectively generate routing rules, leading to inefficient communication when the network triggers reselection of user plane devices and reassigned IP addresses, resulting in suboptimal source IP address selection for service transmission.

Innovation Solution

A communication method where a control plane device assigns an IP address to user equipment, obtains a routing rule using a routing policy network element, and sends both the IP address and routing rule to the user equipment, enabling it to select an appropriate source IP address based on the application and routing rule for improved communication efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If the network side triggers reselection of user plane device and reassigns IP address, then network resource utilization is improved, but the user equipment cannot select appropriate source IP address leading to low communication efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork resource utilizationVSAvoidcommunication efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The control plane device obtains routing rules from the routing policy network element in advance, before the user equipment needs to select a source IP address. This preliminary preparation of routing rules enables the user equipment to quickly and accurately select appropriate source IP addresses when multiple IP addresses are available, thereby maintaining high communication efficiency during user plane device reselection

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The routing policy network element acts as an intermediary between the control plane device and the user equipment. It provides routing rules that guide the user equipment in selecting source IP addresses, resolving the information gap that would otherwise cause communication inefficiency during IP address reassignment

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the control plane device assigns multiple IP addresses to user equipment, then service continuity is improved, but the user equipment lacks routing rules to select source IP address

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice continuityVSAvoidrouting rule
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The routing policy network element serves as an intermediary that generates and provides routing rules to the control plane device, which then forwards them to the user equipment. This intermediary mechanism ensures that routing rules are available to guide source IP address selection, enabling the user equipment to effectively utilize multiple IP addresses for maintaining service continuity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

Routing rules are obtained and prepared in advance by the control plane device before the user equipment needs to perform source IP address selection. This preliminary action ensures that the user equipment has the necessary routing information ready, preventing information loss and enabling effective source IP address selection

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3582471B1Communication methods and apparatuses
Publication Date: 2023.07.12 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3582471B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3582471B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3582471B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

The present disclosure pertains to the field of Internet communications, and provides a communication method and a communications apparatus. The method includes: assigning, by a control plane device, an Internet Protocol IP address to user equipment; obtaining, by the control plane device by using a routing policy network element, a routing rule corresponding to the IP address; and sending, by the control plane device, the routing rule and the IP address to the user equipment, where the routing rule is used by the user equipment to determine a source IP address when the user equipment initiates a service. In the present disclosure, the control plane device may assign the IP address to the user equipment, obtain the routing rule corresponding to the IP address, and send the routing rule and the IP address to the user equipment, so that the user equipment can select, based on the routing rule, an appropriate source IP address to access an application, thereby improving communication efficiency.