WO2013189512A1

WO2013189512A1 - Quality of service provision in a fixed mobile convergence network

Info

Publication number: WO2013189512A1
Application number: PCT/EP2012/061576
Authority: WO
Inventors: Irfan Ali; Gyorgy Tamas Wolfner
Original assignee: Nokia Siemens Networks Oy
Current assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy
Priority date: 2012-06-18
Filing date: 2012-06-18
Publication date: 2013-12-27
Anticipated expiration: 2014-12-18

Description

QUALITY OF SERVICE PROVISION IN A FIXED MOBILE CONVERGENCE NETWORK

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to providing guality of service in a fixed mobile converged network.

Related background Art

The following meanings for the abbreviations used in this specification apply :

3GPP third generation partnership project

AF application function

AMBR aggregate maximum bit rate APN access point name

BBF broadband forum

BNG broadband network gateway

BPCF broadband policy and control function

CAN controller area network QCI QoS class identifier

DL downlink F fixed

GBR guaranteed bit rate

GTP general packet radio system tunneling protocol

GW gateway

HNB home node B

HSS home subscription system

IMS IP multimedia subsystem

IE information element

IP internet protocol

M mobile

PCC policy and charging control

PCRF policy and charging control function

PDN packet data network

PGW packet gateway

PPP point to point protocol

QoS guality of service

RG residential gateway

SPR service profile repository

UE user eguipment

UL uplink

WLAN wireless local area network Standardization of policy and charging convergence between fixed and mobile operators in a communications network system has been started. The target of the work is to define a converged policy management control and charging, based on existing 3GPP PCC architecture and framework, for operators providing both fixed and mobile accesses. Fixed-mobile convergence study has been divided into two phases :

1. Phase-1 : "Inter-working" between fixed and mobile network policy management for a scenario where a mobile when

connected to fixed access sends traffic to mobile operator's core and when the mobile's traffic is offloaded e.g. to the Internet at the fixed network.

2. Phase-2 : "Converged" fixed and mobile policy management to cover a scenario where a mobile when connected via fixed access sends traffic either to mobile operator's core or directly (offloaded) to the Internet.

Fig. 1 shows a high-level architecture for the inter-working case where a mobile device when connected to a fixed access (broadband access) sends traffic to a mobile operator's core (3GPP mobile core network) . In the scenario shown in Fig. 1 it is also possible to offload traffic of the mobile device, e.g. to the Internet, at the fixed network.

The mobile device, e.g. a 3GPP UE, connects to the fixed access via a 3GPP femto cell or WiFi, connecting the 3GPP UE to an RG of the fixed access. From a policy-interworking perspective the important point to note here is that the entity that makes policy decisions for the 3GPP UE, the PCRF, interacts with the entity which is responsible for making policy decisions for the fixed access, the BPCF . The BPCF then instructs a BNG to provide an appropriate QoS in the fixed access, by providing QoS rules to the BNG based on a subscriber's fixed line subscription. It is the BPCF that ensures that the QoS rules generated and provided to the BNG are authorized based on the fixed line subscription of the subscriber .

Fig. 2 shows a high-level architecture for the converged fixed and mobile policy management which covers both scenarios where a mobile device when connected via a fixed access (broadband access) sends traffic either to a mobile operator's core network (3GPP mobile core network) or directly (offloaded) to the Internet.

The important points for this converged architecture to note are the following. The BBF defined BPCF is not present, the PCRF, which is defined by the 3GPP, in the 3GPP mobile core network interfaces via a new interface, called Gxd, with the BNG directly, and the interface from the PCRF in the fixed access has a new interface, called Gxd', to the BNG.

With this converged-policy architecture there arises a problem of how QoS rules coming from the PCRF in the mobile operator's core (PCRF-M) can be authorized against rules of the fixed line subscription which are only available to the PCRF in the fixed access (PCRF-F) .

In the following the problem is explained in more detail. It is assumed that the fixed line subscription allows the following QoS: • 10 Mbps DL/2 Mbps UL for all non-GBR traffic. This i referred to as RG-AMBR.

• In addition, 5 Mbps DL/2 Mbps UL for all GBR traffic This is referred to as RG-GBR-AMBR.

For the 3GPP UE which is accessing a PDN connection (e.g. IMS) via a PGW in the 3GPP operator's core network, the subscription for an IMS APN for the UE is the following:

• 5 Mbps DL/1 Mbps UL for all non-GBR traffic. This is referred to as UE-APN_IMS-AMBR .

• In addition, 4 Mbps DL/2 Mbps UL for all GBR traffic This is referred to as UE-APN_IMS-GBR-AMBR .

Now it is assumed that a fixed device attached to the RG (e.g. a laptop) is being used to watch a movie (e.g. via Netflix) off the internet for which a GBR bearer is being used with DL = 3 Mbps, UL = 0.5 Mbps. Now the 3GPP UE via WLAN creates an IMS PDN connection and is beginning to do a video-conference call which reguires DL= 3 Mbps, UL = 2 Mbps. Based on the mobile device's IMS subscription, the PCRF-M will authorize the QoS reguest and provide a QoS rule via Gxd to the BNG reguesting DL = 3Mbps and UL = 2 Mbps for GBR traffic .

In case the BNG admits the video-conferencing flow then the fixed line subscription of RG will be violated as GBR traffic will now have DL = 3 Mbps +3 Mbps = 6 Mbps and UL = 0.5 Mbps + 2 Mbps = 2.5 Mbps. This is beyond the fixed subscriber's subscription of 5 Mbps DL/2 Mbps UL for all GBR traffic. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention aims at solving the above problem. In particular, the present invention aims at providing methods and apparatuses each serving to authorize policy (e.g. QoS) rules from a mobile operator's core network against policy (e.g. QoS) rules from a fixed operator's subscription network .

This object is achieved at least in part by the methods and apparatuses as defined in the appended claims. The invention may also be implemented by a computer program product.

According to an embodiment of the invention, provisions of QoS authorization during one PDN connection or IP-CAN session are used during enforcement to admit QoS reguests from a different IP-CAN session. Moreover, according to an

embodiment of the invention, QoS is provisioned also for GBR bearers .

Conventionally, provisions of QoS authorization occur for non-GBR traffic and are enforced only for QoS reguests for within the same IP-CAN session.

In the following the invention will be described by way of embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings . BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram illustrating a high-level architecture for the policy interworking case where a mobile device when connected to a fixed access sends traffic to a mobile operator's core network or the mobile's traffic is offloaded at the fixed network.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic diagram illustrating a high-level architecture of a fixed mobile convergence scenario to which an embodiment of the present invention can be applied .

Fig. 3 shows a flow chart illustrating a process of enforcing fixed subscription guality of service limits in a fixed mobile convergence scenario, according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 4 shows a signalling diagram illustrating an initial attach procedure to a fixed access according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 5 shows a signalling diagram illustrating a session establishment to a mobile operator's core network according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 6 shows a signalling diagram illustrating a modification of a session according to an embodiment of the invention. Fig. 7 illustrates a simplified block diagram of various electronic devices that are suitable for use in practicing the embodiments of this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Fig. 3 shows a flow chart illustrating a process of enforcing fixed subscription guality of service limits according to an embodiment of the invention, in a fixed mobile convergence scenario such as the scenario depicted in Fig. 2.

In step S20, a reguest for guality of service for connections between mobile devices and a service network delivering multimedia to the mobile devices is received. The reguest may be received by an apparatus of an access network, which provides guality of service for a fixed access. For example, this apparatus is a BNG, the access network is a broadband access network, the service network is a mobile operator service network, and the mobile devices comprise a 3GPP UE shown in Fig . 2.

In step S21, it is checked whether to admit the reguest, i.e. whether the reguested guality of service exceeds upper limits for traffic related to fixed devices. In case the reguested guality of service meets the upper limits provided for traffic related to the fixed devices, the reguest is admitted in step S22. In case the upper limits are not met, the reguest is rejected in step S23. The quality of service limits may be obtained during a session establishment for a fixed device using the fixed access. An implementation example thereof will be described with respect to Fig. 4.

The request for quality of service for a connection between a mobile device and the service network may be received during a session establishment for the mobile device using the fixed access. An implementation example thereof will be described with respect to Fig. 5.

It is also possible that the request for quality of service is issued by an apparatus of a mobile operator's core network (e.g. the PCRF-M) on demand. An implementation example thereof will be described with respect to Fig. 6.

The above process now will be described in more detail by referring to the scenario shown in Fig. 2 in which the process of Fig. 3 may be employed.

When a fixed subscriber, via an RG, attaches to the BNG and gets authenticated, an IP-CAN session for the fixed access is created by the BNG interacting with a PCRF-F . During the IP- CAN session establishment for fixed access, the PCRF-F downloads both an RG-AMBR value for non-GBR traffic and an RG-GBR-AMBR value for GBR traffic to the BNG.

The BNG uses the RG-GBR-AMBR value when admitting any QoS request for GBR traffic from a PCRF-M. In addition, the BNG uses the RG-AMBR value to police all non-GBR traffic, both offloaded and for PDN connections to the mobile operator's core network .

Thus, according to the above process, QoS authorization values can be provided to the BNG when an IP-CAN session for fixed access is set up, for admitting QoS reguests for other IP-CAN sessions, e.g. IP-CAN sessions to the mobile

operator's core network and also for the 3GPP UE ' s offloaded traffic. In other words, the PCEF (BNG) is enabled to enforce AMBR values for bearers belonging to different IP-CAN sessions and not just within the same IP-CAN session.

Conventionally, QoS authorizations are only used within the same IP-CAN session by a policy execution point, e.g. BNG or PGW.

There are several alternatives how the upper limits (QoS limits) are provided for GBR traffic. It is possible that a single maximum value is provided for all GBR traffic (RG-GBR- AMBR) or it is also possible that upper limits are provided per QCI value.

Now the process illustrated in Fig. 3 will be described in more detail by referring to Figs. 4 to 6. Fig. 4 shows a signaling diagram illustrating an initial attach of an RG, e.g. the RG shown in Fig. 2, to a fixed access.

The procedure depicted in Fig. 4 is invoked when a session is created for the RG, e.g. a PPP over Ethernet session is established (process Al) . It is to be noted that most probably authentication is also performed. However, since this aspect is not relevant for the embodiment, description thereof is omitted.

In step A2, the BNG selects the PCRF-F and indicates the creation of the IP-CAN session for fixed devices in a PCRF session establishment request. In an IP-CAN session

establishment response in step A3, the PCRF sends PCC rules for all traffic going via the RG related to fixed devices. An IPv4 address (or IPv6 address or IPv6 prefix) of the RG is unique within the BNG. According to this embodiment, QoS rules, e.g. a maximum allowed BW, for both non-GBR and GBR across all IP-CAN sessions from the RG are also provided. This may be implemented by a new IE on Gxd' interface. If Gx/Gy charging is needed then the PCRF-F may send charging rules in this procedure.

In step A4, the BNG acknowledges establishment of the session by sending a PCRF session establishment acknowledgment to the PCRF-F.

Fig. 5 illustrates an IP-CAN session establishment for a PDN connection of a UE (e.g. the 3GPP UE of Fig. 2) to the mobile operator ' s core network .

The procedure depicted in Fig. 5 is invoked when the UE activates a PDN connection via S2b (step Bl) . In step B2, the ePDG requests tunnel establishment from the PGW, which sends an indication of IP-CAN session establishment to a PCRF-M of the mobile operator's core network (step B3) . During a PCRF initiated gateway control session establishment in step B4, the PCRF-M provides QoS rules that apply to a default bearer of the UE for the PDN connection of the UE .

In step B5, the BNG checks this reguest against the

authorized QoS per QCI across PDNs and authorized AMBR across all PDN connections that was provided to the BNG during the initial attach of the RG shown in Fig. 4, and the BNG sends a gateway control session establishment message to the PCRF-M.

In step B6, the PCRF-M acknowledges the initiated gateway control session establishment to the BNG. In step B7, the PCRF-M sends an acknowledgment of IP-CAN session

establishment to the PGW, which sends in step B8 a tunnel establishment response to the ePDG. The ePDG completes SWu tunnel creation between the ePDG and the UE in step B9.

Fig. 6 shows an IP-CAN session modification. This procedure is invoked when network initiated PCC and QoS rules need to be provisioned.

In step CI, the PCRF-M determines that a new PCC rule needs to be provisioned. This may be triggered by a reguest from an AF of a mobile operator service network shown in Fig. 2.

In step C2, the PCRF sends a QoS rules provision reguest to the BNG. In step C3, the BNG checks the QoS rules request against the per-QCI QoS BW provision provided to it during the attach procedure of the RG as depicted in Fig. 3. The BNG will also perform admission control by checking that resources in the fixed access are available to enforce the QoS reguest.

If the reguest is allowed, the BNG responds with an

acknowledgement in step C4. The PCRF then provisions the PCC rule in the PGW in step C5, and the PGW acknowledges in step C6.

Now reference is made to Fig. 7 for illustrating a simplified block diagram of various electronic devices that are suitable for use in practicing the embodiments of this invention.

An apparatus of an access network, which provides guality of service for a fixed access, e.g. the BNG, may include or use a control unit 10. An apparatus of the access network, which makes policy decisions for the fixed access, e.g. the PCRF-F, may include or use a control unit 20. And an apparatus of a core network, which makes policy decisions for connections between mobile devices and a service network delivering multimedia to the mobile devices, e.g. the PCRF-M, may include or use a control unit 10.

Each control unit 10, 20, 30 comprises processing resources 11, 21, 31, memory resources 12, 22, 32, and interfaces 13, 23, 33, which are connected by links 14, 24, 34. At least the control units 10 and 20 may share resources 11, 21, 12, 22 and interfaces 13, 23. The memory resources 12, 22, 32 each may store a program.

The control unit 10 is connected to the control unit 20 via a link 44, e.g. the Gxd' interface, using the interfaces 13, 23. The control unit 10 is connected to the control unit 30 via a link 54, e.g. the Gxd interface, using the interfaces 13, 33.

The control unit 10, using its processing resources 11, memory resources 12 and interfaces 13, may perform the process shown in Fig. 3, steps A2 and A4 in Fig. 4, step B5 in Fig. 5, and steps C3 and C4 in Fig. 6.

The control unit 20, using its processing resources 21, memory resources 22 and interfaces 23, may perform step A3 in Fig. 4.

The control unit 30, using its processing resources 31, memory resources 32 and interfaces 33, may perform steps B4, B6 and B7 in Fig. 5, and steps CI, C2 and C5 in Fig. 6.

The terms "connected, " "coupled, " or any variant thereof, mean any connection or coupling, either direct or indirect, between two or more elements, and may encompass the presence of one or more intermediate elements between two elements that are "connected" or "coupled" together. The coupling or connection between the elements can be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. As employed herein two elements may be considered to be "connected" or "coupled" together by the use of one or more wires, cables and printed electrical

connections, as well as by the use of electromagnetic energy, such as electromagnetic energy having wavelengths in the radio freguency region, the microwave region and the optical (both visible and invisible) region, as non-limiting

examples .

At least one of the programs stored in the memory resources 12, 22, 32 is assumed to include program instructions that, when executed by the associated processing resources, enable the electronic device to operate in accordance with the exemplary embodiments of this invention, as detailed above.

In general, the exemplary embodiments of this invention may be implemented by computer software stored in the memory resources 12, 22, 32 and executable by the processing resources 11, 21, 31, or by hardware, or by a combination of software and/or firmware and hardware in any or all of the devices shown.

The memory resources 12, 22, 32 may be of any type suitable to the local technical environment and may be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as

semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory and removable memory. The processing resources 11, 21, 31 may be of any type suitable to the local technical environment, and may include one or more of general purpose computers, special purpose computers, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs) and processors based on a multi-core processor architecture, as non-limiting examples.

According to an aspect of the invention, an apparatus of an access network, which provides guality of service for a fixed access, e.g. the control unit 10, comprises means for receiving a reguest for guality of service for connections between mobile devices and a service network delivering multimedia to the mobile devices, and means for admitting the reguest in case the reguested guality of service meets guality of service limits provided by the fixed access.

The apparatus may comprise means for obtaining the guality of service limits during a session establishment for a fixed device using the fixed access.

Alternatively or in addition, the means for receiving may receive the reguest for guality of service for a connection between a mobile device and the service network during a session establishment for the mobile device using the fixed access.

The means for receiving, means for admitting and means for obtaining may be implemented by the processing resources 11, memory resources 12 and interfaces 13.

According to a further aspect of the invention, an apparatus of an access network, which makes policy decisions for a fixed access, e.g. the control unit 20, comprises means for receiving a reguest for a session establishment for a fixed device using the fixed access, and means for providing quality of service limits for traffic related to the fixed device, during the session establishment, wherein the means for providing provides the quality of service limits as being valid for traffic from fixed devices and mobile devices using the fixed access.

The means for receiving and means for providing may be implemented by the processing resources 21, memory resources 22 and interfaces 23.

According to a further aspect of the invention, an apparatus of a core network, which makes policy decisions for

connections between mobile devices and a service network delivering multimedia to the mobile devices, e.g. the control unit 30, comprises means for issuing a request for quality of service for connections between mobile devices and the service network, to an apparatus providing quality of service for a fixed access of an access network, and means for receiving admittance/non-admittance of the request.

The means for issuing may issue the request for quality of service for a connection between a mobile device using the fixed access and the service network during a session establishment for the mobile device.

The apparatus may further comprise means for, upon receiving an admittance of the request by the means for receiving, provisioning a rule according to the quality of service . The means for issuing, means for receiving and means for provisioning may be implemented by the processing resources 31, memory resources 32 and interfaces 33.

The guality of service limits may be obtained or provided for guaranteed bit rate traffic and/or non-guaranteed bit rate traffic. The guality of service limits may comprise a single maximum value for all guaranteed bit rate traffic, or the guality of service limits may comprise maximum values for each guality of service class indicator.

It is to be understood that the above description is

illustrative of the invention and is not to be construed a limiting the invention. Various modifications and

applications may occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention defined by the appended claims .

Claims

CLAIMS :

1. A method for use by an apparatus of an access network, the apparatus providing guality of service for a fixed access, the method comprising: receiving a reguest for guality of service for

connections between mobile devices and a service network delivering multimedia to the mobile devices; and admitting the reguest in case the reguested guality of service meets guality of service limits provided by the fixed access .

2. The method of claim 1, comprising: obtaining the guality of service limits during a session establishment for a fixed device using the fixed access.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, comprising: receiving the reguest for guality of service for a connection between a mobile device and the service network during a session establishment for the mobile device using the fixed access.

4. A method for use by an apparatus of an access network, the apparatus making policy decisions for a fixed access, the method comprising: receiving a reguest for a session establishment for a fixed device using the fixed access; and providing guality of service limits for traffic related to the fixed device, during the session establishment, wherein the guality of service limits are provided as being valid for traffic from fixed devices and mobile devices using the fixed access.

5. A method for use by an apparatus of a core network, the apparatus making policy decisions for connections between mobile devices and a service network delivering multimedia to the mobile devices, the method comprising: issuing a reguest for guality of service for connections between mobile devices and the service network, to an apparatus providing guality of service for a fixed access of an access network; and receiving admittance/non-admittance of the reguest.

6. The method of claim 5, comprising: issuing the reguest for guality of service for a connection between a mobile device using the fixed access and the service network during a session establishment for the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 5 or 6, comprising: upon receiving an admittance of the reguest,

provisioning a rule according to the guality of service

8. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the guality of service limits are obtained/provided for guaranteed bit rate traffic and/or non-guaranteed bit rate traffic, and/or the guality of service limits comprise a single maximum value for all guaranteed bit rate traffic, or the guality of service limits comprise maximum values for each guality of service class indicator.

9. A computer program product including a program for a processing device, comprising software code portions for performing the steps of any one of claims 1 to 8 when the program is run on the processing device.

10. The computer program product according to claim 9, wherein the computer program product comprises a computer- readable medium on which the software code portions are stored .

11. The computer program product according to claim 9, wherein the program is directly loadable into an internal memory of the processing device.

12. An apparatus of an access network, for providing guality of service for a fixed access, the apparatus being configured to : receive a reguest for guality of service for connections between mobile devices and a service network delivering multimedia to the mobile devices; and admit the request in case the requested quality of service meets quality of service limits provided by the fixed access .

13. The apparatus of claim 12, configured to: obtain the quality of service limits during a session establishment for a fixed device using the fixed access.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 or 13, configured to: receive the request for quality of service for a connection between a mobile device and the service network during a session establishment for the mobile device using the fixed access.

15. An apparatus of an access network, for making policy decisions for a fixed access, the apparatus being configured to : receive a request for a session establishment for a fixed device using the fixed access; and provide quality of service limits for traffic related to the fixed device as being valid for traffic from fixed devices and mobile devices using the fixed access, during the session establishment.

16. An apparatus of a core network, for making policy decisions for connections between mobile devices and a service network delivering multimedia to the mobile devices, the apparatus being configured to: issue a request for quality of service for connections between mobile devices and the service network, to an apparatus providing quality of service for a fixed access of an access network; and receive admittance/non-admittance of the request.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, configured to: issue the request for quality of service for a

connection between a mobile device using the fixed access and the service network during a session establishment for the mobile device.

The apparatus of claim 16 or 17, configured to: upon receiving an admittance of the request, provision according to the quality of service .

19. The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the quality of service limits are obtained/provided for guaranteed bit rate traffic and/or non-guaranteed bit rate traffic, and/or the quality of service limits comprise a single maximum value for all guaranteed bit rate traffic, or the quality of service limits comprise maximum values for each quality of service class indicator.