KR20080105603A - Method and system for ensuring end-to-end qos of application service with reflecting wireless environment - Google Patents

Abstract

A method and a system for ensuring end-to-end QoS(Quality of Service) of application service by reflecting a wireless environment are provided to determine the level of QoS based on the flexible policy of QoS which reflects a wireless environment. An application service method comprises the steps of: determining the level of QoS based on wireless environment information; and providing an application service while maintaining the level. An access network(110) includes: a node base station(112) and an RNC(Radio Network Controller)(113) which configure an RAN(Radio Access Network) to support the wireless connection of a user terminal(111); and an SGSN(Serving GPRSService Node)(114) and a GGSN(Gateway GPRS Service Node)(115) which exchanges packets between the user terminals or the user terminal and a service network(130).

Description

Method and System for Ensuring End-to-End QoS of Application Service with Reflecting Wireless Environment in consideration of wireless environment

1 is a view for explaining a communication system for providing an application service according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a function of the RNC of FIG. 1.

3 is a flowchart for describing an operation of the communication system of FIG. 1.

4 is a diagram illustrating a PDP context update request of a user terminal.

5 is a diagram for explaining QoS level update determination of PDF.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

IMS: IP Multimedia Subsystem

UE: User Equipment

Node-B: Base Station

RNC: Radio Network Controller

RAN: Radio Access Network

SGSN: Serving GPRS Service Node

GGSN: Gateway GPRS Service Node

HLR: Home Location Register

PDF: Policy Decision Function

CSCF: Call State Control Function

ER: Edge Router

AS: Application Server

The present invention relates to a method and system for maintaining a service quality of an application service provided to a user terminal. More particularly, the present invention relates to a flexible management system that considers a wireless environment as a subject for managing a wireless access network such as wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) in an IP service network. By performing Quality of Service (QoS) policy, various end-to-end (QoS) quality of service (QoS) can be established for each user or service in application services such as IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) based service or general data service. It relates to a method and a system to ensure.

In recent years, QoS has emerged as an important problem in network management as it moves from text-based services to multimedia services. In particular, with the introduction of IMS, interest in end-to-end multimedia services is amplified, and various technologies for end-to-end QoS are being discussed to support this. In the past, networks provide QoS individually for each network node, but for end-to-end QoS for multimedia services, QoS must be guaranteed through resource management for the entire network. Accordingly, 3GPP (Next Generation Partnership Project) and NGN (Next Generation Network) intend to provide end-to-end QoS by introducing the concept of Policy Based Networking (PBN), which has been proposed to manage all network resources. .

PBN organically connects network management elements that have been implicitly processed at each node of the network so far to form an integrated management structure. This is a step toward making the network intelligent with a wide range of management across network access, QoS, security, network monitoring, and traffic management. With PBN, operators can efficiently manage network resources that were managed individually, so that they can allocate as many network resources as the customer wants, and customers only pay for the network resources that they request and use.

End-to-end QoS cannot be achieved with specific protocols, QoS processing at specific network nodes, but only with organic QoS coordination of numerous network nodes existing between end users using the service. The necessity of organic QoS cooperation of all network nodes has made PBN an indispensable concept for end-to-end QoS.

3GPP also introduces the concept of PBN for QoS as well as IMS for providing end-to-end IP multimedia services. The original purpose of the PBN meant a wide range of network management structures, including QoS, but the current specification only targets QoS for IMS.

PBN's Policy Rule is divided into a set of instructions that instruct a network node for a specific action and a set of conditions for executing that instruction. In the PDP (Policy Decision Point) there is determined the policy rule for the policy decision request messages and other events received from the (Network Entity) NE PEP (Policy Enforceme n t Point), Provisioning Model and Outsourcing according to the scheme Can be divided into models. In the Provisioning Model, the PDP acts only as a policy database that delivers the policy rules to the NE for events that require policy decisions, the NE decides the policies, and in the Outsourcing Model, the PDP requests for events that require policy decisions. Directly decide on the policy for the NE and dictate what the NE should do.

Based on these models, 3GPP considers QoS by dividing into Universal Mobile Telecommunications Systems (UMTS) Bearer area of Access Network and External Bearer Area of IP network. External bearer area is shared by IP network, but in IP network, packets are classified into six classes (A, B, C, D, E, F) according to service characteristics rather than perfect guarantee through resource reservation using Diffserv . In order to reduce the delay due to packet congestion that can occur when packets are gathered at once through packet scheduling in a router. In the UMTS Bearer area, the service is divided into four classes (Streaming, Conversational, Interactive, and Background) according to the nature of the service, and the QoS problem is solved through PDP (Policy Decision Point) context allocation. A number of excellent wireless technologies are being developed, but the QoS problem in the UMTS bearer area is likely to continue given that the throughput improvement in wireless is not relatively large compared to the throughput improvement in IP networks.

In the conventional 3GPP end-to-end QoS as described above, the user terminal can be very attractive in that the QoS can be guaranteed to some extent by dynamically allocating network resources according to the service to be used when using the IMS service.

However, first of all, the end-to-end QoS provision structure proposed by the current standard targets only IMS, and thus there is a problem in that it cannot be used in the web-type service that is currently most popularly provided. If you have a download service (file, music, coloring, image, video, etc.) that you want to search through the web at low speed, you cannot satisfy the very attractive service scenario for operators who apply dynamic QoS that is served at high speed. . Of course, when assigning a PDP context for the first time, it is possible to provide a fast PDP context, but this causes a waste of radio resources. In addition, it is possible to switch from a low speed PDP context to a high speed PDP context by changing an APN (Access Point Name), but this is a method of releasing existing radio resources and IP and re-establishing them from the beginning. As a better method, the terminal may increase the data rate by updating the existing PDP context. However, in this case, the terminal should have mapping information about QoS requirements for each service. Because of this, it is difficult to add and change the QoS requirements for new services or the QoS requirement mapping information for existing services, which is a limitation in establishing various QoS policies.

In addition, in the conventional 3GPP End-to-End QoS, QoS is guaranteed through PBN for communication between user terminals in the own network, but QoS for other user terminals when communicating with user terminals of other networks. Guarantee is offered as an option, whether or not it is solely the role of the other. That is, even if QoS is provided to other networks through policy decision of its own network, this is a method of guaranteeing QoS independently in each network. For example, if network A guarantees a data rate of 1 Mbps but network B decides to guarantee only 0.5 Mbps, there is no way to resolve this QoS inconsistency. In order to solve this problem, there are cases in which various papers try to solve by exchanging policy information and QoS information between own network and other networks.

And to be faithful to the basic concept of PBN, it is possible to improve the efficiency of the entire network only if the entire network resource can be managed in a policy. However, in the PBN proposed by 3GPP, resource management for the UMTS bearer area is completely independent. It does not provide a true PBN. While the wired network camp is establishing a PBN concept for the wired network, which has not been managed at all, mobile communication has independently managed management functions such as admission control and wireless channel allocation for the management of radio resources. It is a phenomenon that occurs because of the construction. Due to the inconsistency of the management techniques in each of these areas, the user terminal sets the PDP context under the constraints of user-specific QoS already stored in the Home Location Register (HLR) in the process of initially allocating a radio channel for the IMS service. . Thereafter, even though the user terminal is guaranteed QoS for each service through an IP service network through a predetermined end-to-end QoS process in order to receive media traffic, it is subject to the QoS of each subscriber of the HLR. Therefore, when the QoS per service set through the PBN in the IP service network is higher than the QoS per subscriber set in the HLR, the end-to-end QoS process is limited by the HLR. In addition, in a wireless access network such as a RAN (Radio Access Network), there is a problem in that a guaranteed data rate through the PBN is not guaranteed because the data rate of PDP contexts that are already allocated is arbitrarily adjusted according to a wireless environment. Therefore, even if the proper QoS level is determined to guarantee end-to-end QoS in the IP service network, the decision can be ignored depending on the environment of the wireless access network. Makes it difficult

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide an end-to-end QoS between a user terminal and a service provider in an application service such as an IMS-based service or a general data service. An object of managing a wireless access network such as WCDMA in a network is to provide a method and system for determining a QoS level through a flexible QoS policy based on a wireless environment.

In addition, another object of the present invention, in order to ensure that the QoS policy determined in the IP service network in the UMTS Bearer area, through the new interface to grasp the radio environment information such as network resource situation, QoS setting situation in the wireless access network QoS The present invention provides a method and system for guaranteeing reliable end-to-end QoS with a user terminal by determining the time-to-determination and the determined QoS policy in a wireless access network of the UMTS bearer area.

In addition, another object of the present invention, in order to ensure a variety of end-to-end QoS for each user or service, the user can fixedly select the appropriate QoS, for the user who does not want a specific QoS level fixedly How to guarantee various user-specific and service-specific QoS among services according to the policy that provides minimum level of QoS for efficiency of network resources at connection and dynamically provides QoS suitable for service according to user's choice by service. And to provide a system.

Application service method according to an aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object of the present invention comprises the steps of determining the QoS level based on radio environment information; And providing an application service while maintaining the QoS level.

Application service method according to another aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object of the present invention comprises the steps of: receiving an update request including the required quality of service and receiving radio environment information; And determining the QoS level by reflecting the radio environment information in the required quality of service.

Application service system according to another aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object of the present invention, call state control function means for session control; And policy decision function means controlled by the call state control function means, wherein the policy decision function means queries the request for an update including the required service quality to obtain radio environment information, The QoS level is determined by reflecting the radio environment information.

The application service system further includes an application server that receives a service request from a user terminal and provides service quality related information to the user terminal, wherein the user terminal includes the requested service quality selected from the service quality related information. Send a request to said policy decision function means.

The policy decision function means announces the QoS level, and the application server in the external bearer area according to the notification provides an application service to a user terminal in the UMTS bearer area while maintaining the QoS level.

The application service system includes an RNC included in a wireless access network; And SGSN and GGSN connected to each other between the RNC and the policy decision function to perform a packet exchange function, wherein the RNC transmits the radio environment information through the SGSN and GGSN according to the query. Means for transmitting the means, receiving the QoS level via the SGSN and the GGSN, and allocating a channel based on the QoS level to a user terminal.

The RNC adjusts the QoS level through a channel scheduler that schedules to reject an update request related to the quality of service from another terminal when a shortage of the remaining channel occurs after the channel assignment, and a schedule that increases or decreases a time slot after the channel assignment. It may include a time slot scheduler to maintain.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and the contents described in the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited or limited to the embodiments. Like reference numerals in the drawings denote like elements.

1 is a diagram illustrating a communication system 100 that provides an application service according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, the communication system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention accesses a Universal Packet Radio Service (GPRS) or Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) protocol in a Universal Mobile Telecommunications Systems (UMTS) Bearer area. It includes a network 110, and includes a service network 130 that provides not only IMS-based application services, but also general data services in the external bearer area. In addition, other application services provided by the external network 150 may be provided through the service network 130.

The access network 110 includes a Node-B (base station) 112 and an RNC (Radio Network Controller) constituting a Radio Access Network (RAN) for supporting wireless access of the user terminal 111. A serving GPRS service node (SGSN) 114 and a gateway GPRS service (GGSN) including a 113 and performing a packet exchange function between the user terminals 111 or between the user terminal 111 and the service network 130. Node (115) Also, the access network 110 is a Home Location Register (HLR) that manages the location registration and status of the subscriber station to support the packet exchange function of the SGSN 114 and GGSN 115 Home location register) 116, but may also include additional equipment or general public network for call control, billing, intelligent networks, and the like of text messages.

The user terminal 111 may receive a communication service according to the GPRS or WCDMA protocol such as voice call and text message transmission by receiving the relay of the access network 110, and the user terminal 111 may be provided with the SGSN 114 and the GGSN. IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) based services supported by the service network 130 through, for example, VoIP services, messenger services, multi-party video conferencing, interactive mobile games, Push-to- You can receive Talk service. In addition, the user terminal 111 is a general data service supported by the service network 130 through the SGSN 114 and the GGSN 115, for example, file download and upload, Internet access and search, external network such as enterprise ( Access to a service operated at 150).

To this end, the access network 110 is a means for determining a policy for various call control under the control of the Call Session Control Function (CSCF) 132 and the CSCF 132, which are means for session control. Policy Decision Function (PDF) 131 is included. In addition, the access network 110 includes an application server (AS) 133 that operates not only IMS-based services as described above to be provided to the user terminal 111 but also general data services, and an external network 150. It includes an edge router (ER) 134 for relaying the routing to the application server 151 or the user terminal 152 of the external network 150 in communication with. The application server 151 of the external network 150 may also provide IMS-based services, general data services, etc. to the user terminal 111 like the application server 133 of the access network 110.

The user terminal 111 may be a cellular phone, a PCS phone (Personal Communications Services phone), a synchronous / asynchronous IMT-2000 (International Mobile Telecommunication-2000) terminal, a notebook PC, Desktop PCs, Palm Personal Computers, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), Smart Phones, Wireless Application Protocol Phones (WAP phones), Mobile Play-stations, etc. Comprehensive means all wired and wireless communication devices.

On the other hand, the RNC 113 connected between the Node-B 112 and the SGSN 114 in the access network 110 is a handoff (RRM) function and mobility between cells according to the scheduling of radio resources. By performing a handoff function or the like to control the communication between the user terminals 111, the circuit traffic (circuit traffic) or the Internet (IP) packet traffic generated in the communication through the Node-B (112) It can be properly transmitted and received to the destination mobile terminal, landline phone, application server, etc. of the location.

Conventionally, even if the QoS level is determined by the service network 130 in the external bearer area, the decision could be ignored by the RNC 113 of the RAN according to the wireless environment of the access network 110. Guaranteed to-end QoS was difficult.

However, in the present invention, the PDF 131 is based on QoS (Quality of Service) based on radio environment information which is information related to data rate, such as channel bandwidth, error rate, and request delay, which are notified from the RNC 113 of the access network 110. When the level is determined, the application service can be provided while maintaining the determined QoS level. That is, the present invention does not adjust the QoS level determined as described above according to the wireless environment of the access network 110 until the application service is completed and released, or between the application server 133/151 and the user terminal 111 or End-to-End QoS is guaranteed between the user terminals 111 using the bidirectional service of the application server 133/151.

In this way, the IP service network 130 operates as an entity managing the wireless access network 110 such as WCDMA through the new interface, and the data rate and the like, such as the network resource situation and the QoS setting situation in the wireless access network 110. Determine the QoS in consideration of the relevant radio environment information, and flexibly determine the QoS and announce the determined QoS policy to the wireless access network 110 of the UMTS Bearer area, so that the user terminal 111 in the IMS-based service or general data service in the UMTS Bearer area It ensures end-to-end QoS of the network.

In FIG. 1, the HLR 116 of the UMTS Bearer region may manage the maximum allowable QoS level for each user. This can be done by selecting the appropriate static QoS level when the user subscribes. However, since this causes a conflict with the service-level QoS level setting of the PDF 131, in order to prevent this in the present invention, first, the HLR 116 and the PDF 131 are related to the maximum allowable QoS level and QoS policy-related information for each user. To share. HLR 116 is responsible only for user-specific QoS, providing QoS only for users who statically require a particular QoS level, regardless of service. For other users, the minimum QoS level is applied to increase the efficiency of radio resources. The PDF 131 applies the QoS as it is without regard to changing to another QoS for the static QoS determined by the HLR 116, and other services are in use for the user whose HLR 116 applies only the minimum QoS level. When dynamically changing the QoS level, the service-specific QoS is determined. Through this, the HLR 116 is in charge of static QoS management for each user, and the PDF 131 enables dynamic service-specific QoS management based on the maximum allowable QoS level for each user shared with the HLR 116. Such end-to-end QoS can be guaranteed according to user-specific and service-specific QoS policies, and certain QoS can be provided for IMS service or general data service, and differential charging can be made clear.

To this end, when the user terminal 111 to which the minimum QoS level is applied by the HLR 116 upon initial access makes a service request for an IMS-based service or a general data service to the application server 133/151, the application The server 133/151 may provide service quality related information, for example, a data rate or the like (list form or maximum quality) to the user terminal 111. At this time, the user terminal 111 selects the required service quality suitable for the corresponding service from among the allowable service quality related information provided from the application server 133/151 to change the QoS level of the corresponding service (select from the list or allow the maximum value). The quality can be selected below the quality), and the selected quality of service can be included in the update request and transmitted to the PDF 131.

Thereafter, the PDF 131 queries the RNC 113 to obtain radio environment information according to an update request including the required service quality of the user terminal 111. Accordingly, the RNC 113 returns radio environment information related to the data rate such as channel bandwidth, error rate, and request delay to the PDF 131 through the SGSN 114 and the GGSN 115 according to the query. do. In this way, after the PDF 131 receives the radio environment information through the SGSN 114 and the GGSN 115, the QoS level is reflected by reflecting the radio environment information obtained as described above in the required service quality of the user terminal 111. Decide The PDF 131 determines the QoS level in a direction that satisfies the required quality of service of the user terminal 111, but if the radio environment information is less than that, it will determine the maximum QoS level allowed by the radio environment information. For example, if the data rate corresponding to the required quality of service of the user terminal 111 is 10 Mbps, and the data rate allowed by the radio environment information is 5 Mbps, the PDF 131 corresponds to 5 Mbps or less according to a predetermined algorithm. End-to-End QoS level can be determined. In addition, if the data rate corresponding to the required quality of service of the user terminal 111 is 5 Mbps, and the data rate allowed by the radio environment information is 10 Mbps, the PDF 131 corresponds to an end-to-corresponding between 5 Mbps and 10 Mbps according to an algorithm. End QoS level can be determined. In addition, the PDF 131 may further reflect other factors according to a predetermined algorithm to determine the end-to-end QoS level, and the required quality of service of the user terminal 111 and radio environment information from the RNC 113. The end-to-end QoS level can be determined based on a variety of methods.

Meanwhile, the PDF 131 may announce the QoS level determined as described above as the UMTS Bearer area as well as the External Bearer area. In this case, the RNC 113 may determine the QoS level determined by the PDF 131 as the SGSN 114 and the GGSN 115. ), And a channel may be allocated to the user terminal 111 according to its QoS level. Accordingly, the application server 133/151 of the external bearer area can provide an application service to the user terminal 111 of the UMTS bearer area while maintaining the QoS level determined by the PDF 131, and the user terminal 111 The end-to-end QoS level can be guaranteed for the application service provided by the application server 133/151 through the allocated channel as described above.

In this way, the user can not only statically select a suitable static QoS, but also apply a minimum level of QoS at the time of initial access to the user terminal 111 that does not want a specific QoS level fixedly, and then service according to the user's selection for each service. QoS can be provided dynamically to improve the efficiency of network resources, and can guarantee various end-to-end QoS in service by user or service.

The RNC 113 of FIG. 1 may include a channel scheduler 210 and a time slot scheduler 220 as shown in FIG. 2.

The channel scheduler 210 allocates a radio channel of the QoS level to the user terminal 111 to guarantee the QoS level determined by the PDF 131 and maintains it until the service is terminated. In addition, when the new user terminal 111 requests a service in a situation where there is a lack of radio resources, the existing user terminal 111 that is already being serviced by lowering the data rate of the existing wireless channel and not accepting the new user terminal 111. In order to guarantee the QoS of the new user terminal 111 performs an admission control function (Admission Control) to reject. That is, the channel scheduler 210 schedules to reject the update request related to the quality of service from another terminal when a shortage of the remaining channel occurs after allocating a channel to the existing user terminal 111.

In addition, the high speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) of the WCDMA uses a method of allocating a time slot for each user terminal through a shared wireless channel, rather than a method for allocating a dedicated wireless channel to the user terminal 111. To this end, the time slot scheduler 220 may constantly allocate the number of time slots necessary for QoS guarantee in order to satisfy the QoS set by the PDF 131. In addition, the time slot scheduler 220 has a low power strength between the user terminal 111 and the Node-B 112 as the user terminal 111 receiving the service moves away from the Node-B 112. If the set number of time slots does not satisfy the set QoS, additional time slots are allocated to satisfy the QoS. That is, the time slot scheduler 220 maintains and guarantees the end-to-end QoS level determined by the PDF 131 through scheduling of increasing and decreasing time slots after channel allocation to the user terminal 111.

Hereinafter, an application service method of the communication system 100 of FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 3.

First, the HLR 116 and the PDF 131 share the maximum allowable QoS level and QoS policy related information per user, and the PDF 131 is configured to change to a different QoS for the static QoS determined by the HLR 116. The QoS can be applied without any involvement.

In addition, when the user terminal 111 is not statically requesting a specific QoS level, the minimum QoS level is applied during initial connection by the HLR 116 for the efficiency of radio resources. It can be applied to the end-to-end QoS level updated to.

In order for the user terminal 111 to update the end-to-end QoS level to receive a service, a session initiation process 20, a reservation process 30, a service delivery process 40, The release proceeds to a release process 50.

First, the user terminal 111 to which the minimum QoS level is applied upon initial access makes a service request to the application server 133/151 for an IMS based service or a general data service (21). The user terminal 111 may make a service request to use a download service, a streaming service, or another online service requiring a high speed service during a web search. At this time, the application server 133/151 does not immediately provide the corresponding service, but inquires (QoS Request) whether the user terminal 111 wants a higher QoS level in order to receive the service. In this case, the application server 133/151 may provide service quality related information, for example, a data rate or the like (list form or maximum quality) to the user terminal 111. The application server 133/151 transmits the quality of service related information (QoS Information) for the corresponding service to the PDF 131 at the same time as the query (23), and the PDF 131 confirms and responds (24).

At this time, the user terminal 111 selects the required service quality suitable for the corresponding service from among the allowable service quality related information provided from the application server 133/151 to change the QoS level of the corresponding service (select from the list or allow the maximum value). The quality of the service may be selected below the quality), and the requested quality of service is included in the PDP Context Update request and transmitted to the GGSN 115 (31). The user terminal 111 is a PDP Context Update (PDP Context Update) request if the user wants to receive the service at a higher QoS level. For example, the PDP context for video and the PDP context for audio are updated. Request (PDP Context Update). In the PDP context, two Realtime Transport Protocol (RTP) sessions for transmitting traffic of download (DL) and upload (UP) and two Realtime Transport Control Protocol (RTP) sessions for RTP control may be generated. In FIG. 4, the data rate of download and upload is selected as a video quality of 35 Mbps and an audio of 25.4 Mbps as an RTP session at a QoS level 'conversational' as the required quality of service of the user terminal 111, and the download and upload as an RTCP session. The case where the data rate of the upload is selected as 0.7 Mbp video and 0.5 Mbps audio is illustrated.

Accordingly, when the GGSN 115 receives the PDP Context Update from the user terminal 111, the GGSN 115 requests the PDF 131 to determine a policy for this in a predetermined message format (Data Rate Up REQ) (32). Thereafter, the PDF 131 transmits the RNC 113 to the RNC 113 to obtain the radio environment information RNC Satus of the access network 110 according to a PDP Context Update request including the required quality of service of the user terminal 111. Inquire (33). At this time, the RNC 113 returns radio environment information related to the data rate such as channel bandwidth, error rate, and request delay to the PDF 131 through the SGSN 114 and the GGSN 115 according to the query. (34). In this way, after the PDF 131 receives the radio environment information through the SGSN 114 and the GGSN 115, the user terminal (QoS Information) received from the application server 133/151 is referred to. The QoS level is determined by reflecting the radio environment information obtained as described above in the required service quality of 111). A message indicating the QoS level determined by the PDF 131, for example a Data Rate Up message that raises the data rate, is known and transmitted to the GGSN 115 (35), as well as the application server 133. It is also transmitted to / 151 and accordingly the application server (133/151) confirms that the service reservation is made (36). The PDF 131 determines the QoS level in a direction that satisfies the required quality of service of the user terminal 111 within the acceptable quality of service serviced by the application server 133/151. It will determine the maximum QoS level allowed by the environment information. For example, if the data rate corresponding to the required quality of service of the user terminal 111 is 10 Mbps, and the data rate allowed by the radio environment information is 5 Mbps, the PDF 131 may have End-to- corresponding to 5 Mbps or less. End QoS level can be determined. In addition, if the data rate corresponding to the required quality of service of the user terminal 111 is 5 Mbps, and the data rate allowed by the radio environment information is 10 Mbps, the PDF 131 may end-to-end QoS corresponding to between 5 Mbps and 10 Mbps. You can decide the level. In addition, the PDF 131 may further reflect other factors in order to determine the end-to-end QoS level, and may be variously based on the quality of service requirements of the user terminal 111 and the radio environment information from the RNC 113. In this way, the end-to-end QoS level can be determined.

The GGSN 115 updates the PDP context and informs the user terminal 111 according to the QoS level decision message (Data Rate Up) announced by the PDF 131, for example, as shown in FIG. 5 (37). When the QoS level determined by the PDF 131 accepts the PDP context update request from the user terminal 111 as shown in FIG. 4, the GGSN 115 displays the QoS level 'Class' as shown in FIG. 5. This is an example of assigning an RTP session and an RTCP session in A '. Accordingly, the user terminal 111 satisfies the end-to-end QoS level determined by the PDF 131 and the application server in the radio channel band allocated by the RNC 113 through the updated PDP context tunnel as described above. The service can be received from (133/151) (40).

While the user terminal 111 receives the corresponding service from the application server 133/151, the RNC 113 according to the end-to-end QoS level that the PDF 131 is known as the UMTS bearer area as well as the external bearer area. Allocates a radio channel of the QoS level to the user terminal 111 to guarantee the QoS level determined by the PDF 131 and maintains it until the service is terminated. In this case, the RNC 113 may schedule the rejection of an update request related to the quality of service from another terminal when a shortage of the remaining channel occurs after allocating a channel to the existing user terminal 111 using the channel scheduler 210. In addition, the RNC 113 uses the time slot scheduler 220 to constantly allocate the number of time slots necessary for QoS guarantee, and the power strength between the user terminal 111 and the Node-B 112 is lowered. In addition, if the initial allocated number of time slots does not satisfy the set QoS, an additional time slot is allocated to schedule the end-to-end QoS determined by the PDF 131. The time slot scheduler 220 may reduce the number of time slots already allocated to the corresponding user terminal 111 if unnecessary.

On the other hand, the user terminal 111 terminates the download service, the streaming service, or other online service requiring high speed service from the application server 133/151, and returns to the web search, etc., which is sufficient even for the low speed service. In this case, similar to the above steps 31, 32, 35, and 37, the process may update the PDP context to return to the initial QoS level (51 to 54).

That is, the user terminal 111 transmits a PDP context update request to the GGSN 115 to downgrade the QoS level for the corresponding service (51). Accordingly, when the GGSN 115 receives the PDP Context Update from the user terminal 111, the GGSN 115 requests the PDF 131 to determine a policy for this in a predetermined message format (Data Rate Down REQ) (52). Thereafter, the PDF 131 checks the QoS level applied by the corresponding user terminal 111 and returns a QoS level decision message (Data Rate Down) to the GGSN 115 to inform the QoS level (53). Accordingly, the GGSN 115 updates the PDP context and informs the user terminal 111 so that the QoS level is down according to the QoS level decision message (Data Rate Down) returned by the PDF 131 (54).

The functions used in the methods and systems disclosed herein may be embodied as computer readable code on a computer readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium includes all kinds of recording devices in which data that can be read by a computer system is stored. Examples of computer-readable recording media include ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical data storage, and the like, and may also be implemented in the form of a carrier wave (for example, transmission over the Internet). do. The computer readable recording medium can also be distributed over network coupled computer systems so that the computer readable code is stored and executed in a distributed fashion.

As described above, although the present invention has been described with reference to limited embodiments and drawings, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains various modifications and variations from such descriptions. This is possible. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be determined not only by the claims below but also by the equivalents of the claims.

As described above, in the application service method and system according to the present invention, as an agent managing a wireless access network such as WCDMA in an IP service network, a QoS level is determined through a flexible QoS policy based on a wireless environment, and thus an IMS-based service or a general service. There is an effect that can guarantee the end-to-end QoS of application services such as data services.

In addition, in the application service method and system according to the present invention, QoS is determined by grasping wireless environment information such as network resource situation and QoS setting situation in a wireless access network, and the determined QoS policy is known in the wireless access network of the UMTS Bearer area. Through the new interface that guarantees end-to-end QoS with the user terminal, the QoS policy determined in the IP service network can be guaranteed in the UMTS bearer domain.

In addition, in the application service method and system according to the present invention, a user can fixedly select a suitable QoS, and provide a minimum level of QoS for efficiency of network resources during initial connection for a user who does not want a specific QoS level fixedly. And guarantees user-specific QoS and service-specific QoS according to the policy that dynamically provides the appropriate QoS for the service according to the user's choice by service and thus, it is possible to guarantee various end-to-end QoS by user or service. It works.

In addition, in the application service method and system according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a certain QoS to an IMS service or a general data service that is being issued by guaranteeing various end-to-end QoS according to QoS policies for each user and each service. There is an effect that can be made clear that the differential charging according.

Claims (18)

In the application service method, Determining a quality of service (QoS) level based on radio environment information; And Providing an application service while maintaining the QoS level Application service method comprising a. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing step, Application service, characterized in that the end-to-end quality of service between the application server and the user terminal or between the user terminal is guaranteed without adjusting the QoS level according to the wireless environment until the application service is completed and released Way. The method of claim 1, wherein the application service, Application service method comprising an IMS-based service or a general data service provided by the application server to the user terminal. The method of claim 1, wherein prior to said determining, Receiving an update request based on the quality of service related information provided by the application server; The determining step, And determining the QoS level by reflecting the radio environment information in the required quality of service included in the update request. The method of claim 4, wherein the service quality related information includes information related to a data rate. The method of claim 1, wherein prior to said providing, Advertising the QoS level; The providing step, Application service method, characterized in that to guarantee the QoS level for the application service from the application server of the external bearer area to the user terminal of the UMTS Bearer area according to the notification. The method of claim 1, wherein the radio environment information includes information related to a data rate. Receiving an update request including a required quality of service and receiving radio environment information; And Determining a QoS level by reflecting the radio environment information in the required quality of service; Application service method comprising a. The method of claim 8, wherein the required quality of service, Application service method, characterized in that determined based on the service quality related information provided by the application server. The method of claim 8, wherein after the determining, Allocating a channel based on the QoS level and scheduling to reject another update request related to the quality of service if a shortage of remaining channels occurs after the allocation. Application service method comprising a. The method of claim 8, wherein after the determining, Allocating a channel based on the QoS level and maintaining the QoS level through scheduling to increment or decrement time slots after the allocation Application service method comprising a. Call state control function means for session control; And Policy decision function means under the control of the call state control function means; And the policy decision function means obtains radio environment information by querying an update request including a required service quality, and determines a QoS level by reflecting the radio environment information in the requested service quality. The method of claim 12, Receiving a service request from the user terminal further comprises an application server for providing the service quality related information to the user terminal, And the user terminal transmits the update request including the requested quality of service selected from the quality of service related information to the policy decision function means. 13. The system of claim 12 wherein the application service system comprises an IMS. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the policy decision function means announces the QoS level, According to the notification, the application server in the external bearer area application service system, characterized in that to provide an application service to the user terminal in the UMTS Bearer area while maintaining the QoS level. The method of claim 12, RNC included in radio access network; And SGSN and GGSN further connected to each other between the RNC and the policy decision function means to perform a packet exchange function, The RNC transmits the radio environment information to the policy decision function means through the SGSN and the GGSN according to the query, receives the QoS level through the SGSN and the GGSN, and transmits a channel based on the QoS level to a user terminal. Application service system, characterized in that the assignment. The method of claim 16, wherein the RNC, Channel scheduler for scheduling to reject the update request related to the quality of service from the other terminal when the remaining channel shortage occurs after the channel assignment Application service system further comprising. The method of claim 16, wherein the RNC, Time slot scheduler to maintain the QoS level through scheduling that increases or decreases the time slot after the channel assignment Application service system further comprising.

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