Mobility Edge Gateway Offloading Mobile Broadband Traffic
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Solution Overview
Problem
The growth of mobile broadband data is straining existing packet core elements, increasing mobile Internet delivery costs and challenging flat-rate data service models, as most data traffic is either Internet bound or sourced from the Internet, passing through the operator's packet core, causing congestion and high capital and operating expenditures.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an intelligent offload gateway that determines eligible traffic for offloading onto the Internet, bypassing the operator's packet core network, using network address translation functionality to route traffic and maintain session localization at the edge of the network, thereby reducing the burden on the core network and enhancing user experience through reduced latency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If data traffic is routed through the operator's packet core network, then network coverage and connectivity are ensured, but network congestion increases and capital/operating expenditures rise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments data traffic into two distinct paths: a core network path for voice and a local offload path for data. By dividing the traffic handling function, the system allows data traffic to bypass the congested core network while maintaining core network availability for voice services, thus resolving the contradiction between network connectivity and network capacity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts data traffic from the core network path and redirects it to local gateways for direct Internet access. This extraction removes the burden of data traffic from the core network elements, allowing the core network to focus on voice services and reducing overall network congestion and expenditures
2Productivity
If packet core network elements are upgraded to handle growing mobile broadband data, then network capacity increases, but capital expenditures increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts data traffic from the core network and handles it at local gateways, eliminating the need to upgrade core network elements to accommodate growing data traffic. This extraction approach allows the network to handle increased data capacity without investing in core network infrastructure upgrades
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new dimensional approach by deploying local gateways at the network edge, creating an alternative path parallel to the core network. This dimensional change allows data traffic to be handled at the edge rather than requiring core network capacity expansion, reducing capital expenditures
3Extent of automation
If all data traffic is routed through the core network, then centralized control is maintained, but latency increases and user experience deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments data traffic handling between local gateways (for speed) and core network (for control). Local gateways handle data traffic locally to reduce latency, while the core network maintains control through policy enforcement and charging functions, resolving the contradiction between centralized control and transmission speed
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces local gateways as intermediary nodes between users and the core network. These intermediaries handle data traffic locally to reduce latency while still operating under core network control for policy and charging, thus mediating between the conflicting requirements of speed and centralized control
Data Source
AI summary
As the proliferation of data rich content and increasingly more capable mobile devices has continued, the amount of data communicated over mobile operator's networks has increased. Upgrading the existing network that was designed for voice calls is not desirable or practical for many mobile operators. This disclosure relates to a mobility edge gateway that resides on the edge of the core network and can provide one or more services such as call localization, offloading of traffic, session management, and content streaming. The call localization involves identifying calls that can be maintained at the edge of the network and bridging the calls at the mobility edge gateway to bypass the core network. The offloading involves identifying traffic and offloading the traffic to the Internet or another network to bypass the core network. These services can relieve congestion on the core network of mobile operator's networks.