Service-Based Mobility Gateway Routing in Mobile Core Networks

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional communication systems lack flexibility in routing data sessions based on service parameters, requiring policy decisions to be enforced only after connection establishment and limiting the ability to efficiently utilize network resources.

Innovation Solution

The system dynamically selects a mobility gateway for data sessions based on service policies, using a service policy table that maps services to respective mobility gateways, allowing for pre-session policy enforcement and efficient resource utilization by identifying the most suitable gateway based on service criteria.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If policy decisions are enforced at the PDN-GW after connection establishment, then all policy-based functions can be performed at a single gateway, but the system lacks flexibility in routing data sessions based on service parameters and cannot make policy decisions prior to session establishment

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflexibility in routing data sessionsVSAvoidcomplexity of policy enforcement architecture

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the core network into multiple mobility gateways (PDN-GWs), each specialized for specific services or service classes. This segmentation allows data sessions to be routed to different gateways based on service parameters, enabling flexible policy-based routing without requiring a single complex gateway to handle all policies.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a service policy table that is consulted during the data session establishment process, before the session is fully active. This preliminary action allows policy decisions to be made in advance, determining which mobility gateway should handle the session based on service parameters, thereby enabling proactive routing decisions rather than reactive enforcement after connection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If all policy-based functions are performed at the PDN-GW, then policy enforcement is centralized, but the system cannot set up multiple data sessions with different service parameters to different gateways simultaneously

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to set up multiple data sessions with different service parametersVSAvoidtime to establish data sessions

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the mobility gateway functions into multiple specialized gateways, each handling specific service types (e.g., voice, data, multimedia). This segmentation enables simultaneous establishment of multiple data sessions with different service parameters to different gateways, as each gateway is independently configured for its specific service domain.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The service policy table pre-maps service parameters to appropriate mobility gateways. During data session establishment, the system performs a lookup in this table to quickly determine the target gateway, enabling rapid session setup without time-consuming centralized policy evaluation at a single PDN-GW.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If policy decisions are made after connection establishment, then the connection can be established quickly, but the system cannot optimize resource utilization by selecting the most suitable gateway based on service criteria

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource utilization efficiencyVSAvoidlatency in session establishment

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The service policy table is pre-populated with mappings between service parameters and optimal mobility gateways. During data session establishment, the system performs a quick lookup in this table to determine the target gateway, making policy decisions in advance rather than after connection. This preliminary action optimizes resource utilization by selecting the most suitable gateway while minimizing session establishment latency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS8499087B2Service-based routing for mobile core network

Publication Date: 2013.07.30 AT&T MOBILITY II LLC

AI summary

System(s), method(s), and device(s) that enable establishment of data session based in part on services are presented. When establishing a data session for a communication device, the desired mobility gateway can be dynamically assigned via a specified policy mechanism or provisioned using a predefined service policy table, where particular services are linked with respective identifiers associated with respective mobility gateways. A communication device can reference the service policy table to locate a service that is to be used for the data session and can identify an identifier(s) linked to the service(s) and associated with a mobility gateway(s). The identifier(s) can be received and used to facilitate selecting one or more respective mobility gateways for the data session(s). The service policy table can be automatically pushed to the communication device or the communication device can initiate a download of the service policy table when the default data connection is established.