WO2011134323A1

WO2011134323A1 - Method and system for notifying change of user state

Info

Publication number: WO2011134323A1
Application number: PCT/CN2011/071733
Authority: WO
Inventors: 王静; 周娜; 梁爽
Original assignee: 中兴通讯股份有限公司
Priority date: 2010-04-27
Filing date: 2011-03-11
Publication date: 2011-11-03
Also published as: CN102238574B; CN102238574A

Abstract

A method for notifying change of user state is provided by the present invention. The method includes that when a network element on wireless side monitors that user state has changed, or, when a network element of a core network monitors that user state has changed, the information indicating the user state is notified to a data distributing gateway. A system for notifying change of user state is also provided by the present invention. A notification unit in the system is used for, when the network element on wireless side monitors that user state has changed, or, when the network element of a core network monitors that user state has changed, notifying the information indicating the user state to the data distributing gateway. According to the method and the system of the present invention, it is ensured that the data distributing gateway can know current user state of a user in time, thereby, the data distributing gateway can control the open of extended tunnels.

Description

Notification method and system for user state change

The present invention relates to the field of mobile communications, and in particular, to a notification method and system for changing a user state when a local access function is turned on. Background technique

As the air interface rate continues to increase and the number of data users increases, the amount of future user data will increase explosively. This will inevitably impact the existing core network. The existing core network elements have to be expanded. Provide users with satisfactory service. Considering that the increased data is mostly caused by the Internet (Internet) service, the mobile operator hopes to divert the local Internet data without changing the existing network, avoiding a large amount of data impacting the core network and meeting the user's needs. The concept of local access features.

The introduction of home base stations (HNB, Home NodeB) extends the range of applications for local access. As the exclusive resource of some users, the home base station is deployed in private places such as homes, groups, companies or schools, mainly to provide users with higher service rates and lower the cost of using high-speed services. Insufficient coverage of distributed cellular wireless communication systems. Users can access other Internet Protocol (IP) devices in the home network and IP devices in the enterprise network through the home base station. This application is also called local access because the data stream is not sent through the core network.

In summary, the local access functions defined by the 3GPP standards organization include: SIPTO, Selected IP Traffic Offload, and Local IP Access (LIPA, Local IP Access). Among them, SIPTO is applied to the access of the Internet network; LIPA is applied to the access of the local network IP device.

In order to implement the local access function, a gateway for performing data offloading functions is added to the network, such as Figure 1 shows. The data offloading gateway may be combined with the wireless side network element or externally located near the wireless side network element; the data offloading gateway may also be combined with the home base station gateway or externally located near the home base station gateway. For users who support local access, traditional core network access data paths and local access data paths can be established at the same time. As shown in Figure 1, for a locally accessed connection, the local access data path is from the terminal to the wireless side network element to the data offload gateway, and the data transmission does not pass through the core network. In order to achieve local access of the terminal to other IP devices or the Internet of the home network, two local access connections can be established. The first local access data path directly accesses the Internet, that is, the Internet IP connection, which may also be called a SIPTO connection; the second local access data path directly accesses other IP devices of the home network, that is, the home network IP connection, which may also be called LIPA connection.

Figure 2 shows a system architecture diagram for performing local access. When the user requests a packet data network (PDN, Packet Data Network) connection establishment, the access point name (APN, Access Point Name) or request indication of the network to be accessed is brought, and the mobility management unit finds that the user is based on the subscription information. If local access is possible, then the core network gateway and the data offload gateway are selected at the same time. When the core network PDN connection is established, the extended tunnel and the radio side network element and data between the core network gateway and the data offload gateway are established. A direct tunnel between the offloading gateways. The core network gateway includes a Serving Gateway (S-GW, Serving GW), a Packet Data Gateway (abbreviated as P-GW or PDN GW), and a Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN). The user's core network downlink data is sent through the core network tunnel between the wireless side network element and the core network gateway, and the user's local access uplink and downlink data is sent through the direct tunnel.

When the user enters the idle state, the user is disconnected from the wireless network element. The local access downlink data can only be cached in the data offload gateway. In this case, the local access downlink data needs to be forwarded to the core network gateway through the extended tunnel. After the user's paging is established, the direct tunnel can be enabled to perform local access for uplink and downlink data transmission. When the user transitions from idle to connected, the extended tunnel is to be stopped, and the data offload gateway uses a direct tunnel for data transfer. In summary, it can be seen that the change of the user state affects the selection of the data splitting gateway to open the extended tunnel. In the home scenario, the data offload gateway is usually set up with the wireless base station, so that the air interface connection status can be sensed to determine whether to open the extended tunnel. In the deployment scenarios of enterprises and campuses, the data distribution gateways are usually deployed separately. Currently, the existing technology cannot guarantee that the data distribution gateway can sense the current user status of the user, and it is impossible to talk about the change of the user status. Seriously affects the choice of the data offload gateway to open the extended tunnel. Summary of the invention

In view of the above, the main purpose of the present invention is to provide a notification method and system for changing a user state, which can ensure that the data offload gateway senses the current user state of the user in time, thereby facilitating the data offload gateway to implement the selection of the extended tunnel.

In order to achieve the above object, the technical solution of the present invention is achieved as follows:

A notification method for changing a user state, the method comprising:

When the network side network element monitors the user status change, the information indicating the status of the user is notified to the data offload gateway. Alternatively, when the core network element monitors the change of the user status, the information indicating the status of the user is notified to the data offload gateway.

The user status is divided into two types: a connected state and an idle state;

The user state change includes: the user transitioning from the idle state to the connected state, or the user transitioning from the connected state to the idle state. The method further includes: when the wireless side network element monitors the user status change, the method further includes:

The wireless side network element sends the information indicating the status of the user to the data offload gateway through a signaling message or a direct tunnel of the user plane, and notifies the user status of the data offload gateway.

The information indicating the status of the user includes an information indication, or a specifically defined data packet. The core network element is a mobility management unit; when the mobility management unit monitors the user status change, and the mobility management unit and the data distribution gateway have a direct interface, the method further includes: The mobility management unit uses a control plane connection with the data offload gateway to notify the data offload gateway of the user status by a status notification message.

The core network element is a mobility management unit; when the mobility management unit monitors the user status change, and the mobility management unit does not have a direct interface with the data distribution gateway, the method further includes:

The mobility management unit releases the user plane channel between the wireless side network element and the core network gateway by using the access bearer release request message. When the core network gateway senses that the current message type is the access bearer release request message, it determines that the data needs to be notified. Diverting the user status of the gateway; or,

The mobility management unit directly informs the core network gateway that it needs to notify the data offload gateway of the user state by carrying a message indicating the user status change indication.

The method further includes: the core network gateway notifying the user status of the data offload gateway by using a status notification message.

After the data offloading gateway senses the user state, the method further includes: the data offload gateway turns the extended tunnel on or off to transfer the user data.

If the data offload gateway senses that the user status is idle, the data offload gateway starts the extended tunnel to forward the local access downlink data to the core network gateway to trigger the paging of the user; if the data offload gateway senses the If the user status is the connection status, the data offload gateway closes the extended tunnel function and sends the local access downlink data to the wireless side network element through the direct tunnel.

A notification system for changing the state of the user, the system includes: a notification unit, configured to notify the data distribution gateway of the information indicating the state of the user when the state of the network element is monitored by the wireless network element; or, the network element of the core network monitors the user When the status changes, the information representing the status of the user is notified to the data offload gateway.

The notification unit is further configured to: when the radio side network element monitors the user status change, the radio side network element sends the information indicating the status of the user by using a signaling message or a user plane direct tunnel. And to the data offload gateway, notifying the data offload gateway of the user status.

The notification unit is further configured to: when the mobility management unit monitors the user status change, and the direct interface between the mobility management unit and the data offload gateway, the mobility management unit is connected to the control plane of the data offload gateway. Notifying the data distribution gateway of the user status by a status notification message.

The notification unit is further configured to: when the mobility management unit monitors the change of the user status, and the direct interface between the mobility management unit and the data offloading gateway is not present, the type of the message sent by the core network gateway by the sensing mobility management unit is The access bearer release request message is sent to determine that the user status of the data offload gateway needs to be notified; the core network gateway notifies the user status of the data offload gateway by using a status notification message; or

The notification unit is further configured to: when the mobility management unit monitors the change of the user status, and the direct interface between the mobility management unit and the data offload gateway, the core network gateway receives the status of the represented user sent by the mobility management unit. The message indicating that the indication is changed directly needs to notify the data distribution gateway of the user status; the core network gateway notifies the data distribution gateway of the user status by using a status notification message.

The wireless side network element of the present invention notifies the user status to the data distribution gateway when the user status changes. Alternatively, when the core network element monitors the user status change, the user status is notified to the data distribution gateway.

By using the present invention, the user status is notified to the data offloading gateway through the wireless side network element or the core network element, which ensures that the data offloading gateway senses the current user state of the user in time, thereby facilitating the data offload gateway to implement the option of opening the extended tunnel. . DRAWINGS

1 is a schematic diagram of a data flow path of a prior art local access and a traditional core network access; FIG. 2 is a system architecture diagram of a prior art performing local access;

3 is a schematic flowchart of an implementation manner of Embodiment 1 of the method according to the present invention; 4 is a schematic diagram of an implementation process of a second embodiment of a method according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an implementation process of Embodiment 3 of the method according to the present invention. detailed description

The basic idea of the present invention is: when the wireless side network element monitors the change of the user status, the information indicating the status of the user is notified to the data offloading gateway; or, when the core network element monitors the change of the user status, the information indicating the status of the user is notified. Give the data a traffic off gateway. The extended tunnel is a tunnel between a core network gateway and a data offload gateway.

The implementation of the technical solution will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The notification scheme of the user state change proposed by the present invention can ensure that the data offload gateway senses the current user state of the user in time, so that the data offload gateway can correctly open the extended tunnel to support the seamless movement of the user, and ensure that the user data is not lost. .

A notification method for user status change mainly includes the following two aspects:

1. When the wireless side network element monitors the change of the user status, the information indicating the status of the user is notified to the data offloading gateway.

Here, the wireless side network element monitors the change of the user state, and sends information indicating the state change of the user to the data offload gateway through a signaling message or a user plane direct tunnel to notify the user of the status.

Here, the information indicating the change of the user state referred to herein includes an information indication or a specially defined special data packet, and the information indication refers to a description of adding a new parameter to the control plane message to change the state of the user, and the specially defined special data packet refers to The data packet that characterizes the state change of the user, by designing the packet header, for example, adding a private extension field to distinguish it from other data packets transmitted through the GTP tunnel, the side receiving the special data packet is parsed by the packet header. It is thus known that the currently received data packet is a special data packet.

2. When the core network element monitors the user status change, the information indicating the status of the user is notified to the data offload gateway. Here, when the core network element monitors the change of the user status, the user status notification to the data offload gateway includes two specific implementations. One: The mobility management unit and the data offload gateway have a direct interface, and the mobility management unit directly User status notification to the data distribution gateway; Second: There is no direct interface between the mobility management unit and the data distribution gateway. The mobility management unit cannot directly notify, and the notification needs to be indirectly through the core network gateway, that is, the core network gateway notifies the user status to Data offload gateway.

The invention is illustrated by way of example below.

Method Embodiment 1 As shown in FIG. 3, the process of the method embodiment includes the following steps: Step 301: The mobility management unit sends an air interface connection management message to the wireless side network element. Here, the mobility management unit needs to send the user in the connected state to the idle state in the scenario of the user subscription change and the end of the signaling process. Therefore, the air interface connection management message needs to be sent to the wireless side network element to indicate the release of the air interface connection. The air interface connection management message may be a S1 or Iu interface release message depending on the specific access network.

Here, the wireless side network elements herein include, but are not limited to, a macro base station, a home base station, and a home base station gateway, and are not described herein.

Step 302: Monitor the change of the air interface to the idle state. When the change occurs, the wireless side network element sends a status notification to the data offload gateway.

Here, an abnormality in the wireless side network element may also cause the air interface connection to be interrupted, and the user will change from the connected state to the idle state. The wireless side network element monitors the air interface connection, and includes the scenario described in step 301. When the user status changes, the wireless side network element initiates a status notification to the data offload network element.

Step 303: The wireless side network element directly sends a special data packet to the data offloading gateway to notify the user status through the existing user plane or notify the new user status of the data offloading gateway by using the newly defined control plane message by using the information indication manner. The control plane message may be directly sent through an interface between the wireless side network element and the data offloading gateway or through the IP network through the safety network. The SeGW is sent back.

Here, after receiving the newly defined signaling message or special data packet, the subsequent data offloading gateway judges that the extended tunnel is opened for user data transmission.

It should be noted that the method embodiment is limited to the case where there is a direct tunnel user plane or a signaling interface between the radio side network element and the data offload network element. For the case of no direct tunnel user plane or signaling interface, the following method embodiment 2 or method embodiment 3 can be used.

Method Embodiment 2: As shown in FIG. 4, the process of the method embodiment includes the following steps: Step 401: A mobility management unit sends a session establishment request message to a core network gateway.

Here, when receiving the PDN connection establishment request of the user, the mobility management unit determines whether to activate the local access function for the user according to the requested APN or the request type. If the determination is yes, then the core network gateway is selected according to the APN, and the data offload gateway is selected according to the current location of the user, and it is decided to establish a core network PDN connection and an extended tunnel for the user. The mobility management unit sends the mobility management unit control tunnel end point identifier (TEID, Tunnel Endpoint IDentifier) and the data distribution gateway address selected by the mobility management unit to the core network gateway through the session establishment request message.

Step 402: The core network gateway sends a tunnel establishment request message to the data distribution gateway according to the data distribution gateway address to establish an extended tunnel, where the tunnel establishment request message carries the mobility management unit control plane TEID.

Here, the core network gateway may be a unified network element S/P-GW, or a gateway GPRS support node (GGSN); or may be a separate service gateway (S-GW) or a packet gateway (P-GW), where In the case of the division, the session establishment request message is transmitted between the S-GW and the P-GW network element, and the mobility management unit control plane TEID needs to carry the transmission. The S/P-GW referred to herein is a unified network element of the S-GW and the P-GW, and is not described herein.

Step 403: The data distribution gateway allocation control plane TEID is used to identify the extended tunnel, and is sent to the core network gateway by using a tunnel establishment response message. Here, the core network gateway may be a unified network element S/P-GW, or a GGSN; or may be a separate S-GW or P-GW. The session establishment response message is transmitted between the S-GW and the P-GW network element, and the data distribution gateway control plane TEID needs to carry the transmission.

Step 404: The core network gateway replies to the session establishment response message, and reports the TEID of the data offloading network element control plane to the mobility management unit.

Step 405: The mobility management unit finds that the user status changes. The method embodiment is described by taking the user from the connection state to the idle state as an example.

Step 406: The air interface connection between the wireless side network element and the mobility management unit is released.

Step 407: If an interface exists between the mobility management unit and the data offload network element, the mobility management unit may use the control plane TEID of the data offload gateway to notify the data offload gateway of the user status by using the status notification message.

Step 408: The data offloading gateway responds to the status notification response message. Receiving data of user status The distribution gateway can decide to open the extended tunnel according to the status of the user.

Here, when the user transitions from the idle state to the connected state, the notification manners of steps 407 and 408 of the embodiment of the present invention may also be used. The specific user plane establishment manner does not affect the content of the present invention, and therefore is not described. The implementation premise is the same as the embodiment of the method. When the user initiates the local access function, the mobility management unit and the data offloading network element store the TEID of the other party to notify the sending of the message.

Method Embodiment 3 As shown in FIG. 5, the process of the method embodiment includes the following steps: Step 501: A mobility management unit sends a session establishment request message to a core network gateway.

Here, when receiving the PDN connection establishment request of the user, the mobility management unit determines whether to activate the local access function for the user according to the requested APN or the request type. If the determination is yes, then the core network gateway is selected according to the APN, and the data offload gateway is selected according to the current location of the user, and it is decided to establish a core network PDN connection and an extended tunnel for the user. The mobility management unit transmits the mobility management unit control plane TEID and the data offload gateway address selected by the mobility management unit to the core network gateway through the session establishment request message. Step 502: The core network gateway sends a tunnel establishment request message to the data offload gateway according to the data distribution gateway address to establish an extended tunnel, where the tunnel establishment request message carries the core network gateway control plane TEID.

Here, the core network gateway may be a unified network element S/P-GW, or a GGSN; or may be a separate S-GW or P-GW. In the case of the division, the session establishment request message is transmitted between the S-GW and the P-GW, and the S-GW control plane TEID needs to be transmitted to the P-GW.

Step 503: The data distribution gateway allocation control plane TEID is used to identify the extended tunnel, and is sent to the core network gateway by using a tunnel establishment response message.

Here, the core network gateway may be a unified network element S/P-GW, or a GGSN; or may be a separate S-GW or P-GW. In the case of the division, the session establishment response message is transmitted between the S-GW and the P-GW, and the TEID of the P-GW control plane needs to carry the transmission.

Step 504: The core network gateway replies to the session establishment response message, and reports the TEID of the core network gateway control plane to the mobility management unit.

Here, the core network gateway control plane TEID may be a control plane TEID of the GGSN or the S-GW or the S/P-GW combined network element.

Step 505: The mobility management unit finds that the user state changes. The method embodiment is described by the user transitioning from the connected state to the idle state.

Step 506: The air interface connection between the wireless side network element and the mobility management unit is released. Step 507: When the air interface connection is released, the mobility management unit releases the user plane channel between the wireless side network element and the core network gateway by using the access bearer release request message, and the core network gateway senses the message type to determine the user state to be initiated to the data offload gateway. Notification, or add a special indication in the message through the mobility management unit. For example, adding an information field to the message indicates the user status and notifying the core network gateway that the user status needs to be notified to the data offload gateway. The special instructions in this document are an indication of the state of the user.

Step 508: The core network gateway informs the data distribution network of the user status by using a status notification message. turn off.

Step 509: The data offloading gateway responds to the status notification message.

Step 510: The core network gateway returns the mobility management unit by using an access bearer release response message. The data distribution gateway that receives the user status can decide to open the extended tunnel according to the status of the user.

Here, when the user transitions from the idle state to the connected state, the notification manner of the steps 508 and 509 of the embodiment of the present invention can also be used. The specific user plane establishment manner does not affect the content of the present invention, and therefore is not described. The implementation premise is the same as the embodiment of the method. When the user initiates the local access function, the core network gateway and the data offloading network element store the TEID of the other party's control plane to notify the sending of the message.

Here, the notification unit is further configured to: when the wireless side network element monitors the user state change, the wireless side network element sends the information indicating the user status to the data offload gateway by using a signaling message or a user plane direct tunnel, and notifying the data offload gateway User status.

Here, the notification unit is further configured to: when the mobility management unit monitors the change of the user state, and the direct interface exists between the mobility management unit and the data offload gateway, the mobility management unit uses the control plane connected with the data offload gateway to pass the status notification. The message notifies the data offload gateway of the user status.

Here, an implementation of the notification unit is: the notification unit is further used when the mobility management unit monitors the user state change, and there is no direct interface between the mobility management unit and the data offload gateway, and the core network gateway passes the perceived mobility management unit. The sent message type is an access bearer release request message, and it is determined that the data offload gateway needs to be notified of the user state; the core network gateway notifies the data offload gateway of the user state by using a status notification message. Alternatively, another implementation of the notification unit is: the notification unit is further used when the mobility management unit monitors the user state change, and the direct interface between the mobility management unit and the data offload gateway does not exist, and the core network gateway receives the mobility management. And sending, by the unit, a message indicating that the user status change indication is performed, directly knowing that the data distribution gateway needs to be notified of the user status; and the core network gateway notifying the data distribution gateway of the user status by using a status notification message.

The above is only the preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

Claims

Claim

A method for notifying a change of a user state, wherein the method includes: when the state of the user changes to the state of the user, the information indicating the state of the user is notified to the data offloading gateway; or the network element of the core network monitors When the user status changes, the information indicating the status of the user is notified to the data offload gateway.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user state is divided into a connection state and an idle state;

The user state change includes: the user transitioning from the idle state to the connected state, or the user transitioning from the connected state to the idle state.

The method according to claim 1, wherein when the wireless side network element monitors the change of the user status, the method further includes:

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the information characterizing the state of the user comprises an information indication, or a specially defined data packet.

The method according to claim 1, wherein the core network element is a mobility management unit; the mobility management unit monitors when the user status changes, and the mobility management unit and the data distribution gateway directly exist. Interface, the method further includes:

The mobility management unit uses a control plane connection with the data offload gateway to notify the data offload gateway of the user status by a status notification message.

The method according to claim 1, wherein the core network element is a mobility management unit; the mobility management unit monitors when the user status changes, and the mobility management unit does not exist between the data distribution gateway and the data distribution gateway. Direct interface, the method also includes:

The mobility management unit releases the user plane channel between the wireless side network element and the core network gateway by using the access bearer release request message; the core network gateway senses that the current message type is the access bearer release When the request message is sent, it is determined that the user status of the data offload gateway needs to be notified; or the mobility management unit directly informs the core network gateway that the user needs to notify the data offload gateway of the user status by carrying a message indicating the user status change indication.

The method according to claim 6, wherein the method further comprises: the core network gateway notifying the user status of the data offload gateway by using a status notification message.

The method according to claim 3, 5 or 7, wherein, after the data offload gateway senses the user state, the method further comprises: the data offload gateway turning on/off the extended tunnel for user data transmission .

The method according to claim 8, wherein if the data offloading gateway senses that the user state is an idle state, the data offload gateway starts an extended tunnel to forward the local access downlink data to the core network gateway to trigger the user. Paging; if the data offloading gateway senses that the user state is the connected state, the data offload gateway closes the extended tunnel function, and sends the local access downlink data to the wireless side network element through the direct tunnel.

A notification system for changing the state of the user, the system comprising: a notification unit, configured to notify the data distribution gateway of the user status when the network side network element monitors the user status change; or, the core network element When the user status is changed, the user status is notified to the data offload gateway.

The system according to claim 10, wherein the notification unit is further configured to: when the wireless side network element monitors the user state change, the wireless side network element will represent the user by using a signaling message or a user plane direct tunnel. The status information is sent to the data offload gateway, and the data offload gateway is notified of the user status.

The system according to claim 10, wherein the notification unit is further configured to: when the mobility management unit monitors a user state change, and the direct interface between the mobility management unit and the data offload gateway, mobility The management unit is connected to the control plane of the data offload gateway, and the status notification message is used to notify the data offload gateway of the user status.

The system according to claim 10, wherein the notification unit is further configured to: when the mobility management unit monitors the change of the user state, and the direct interface between the mobility management unit and the data offload gateway, the core The network gateway determines that the user status of the data offload gateway needs to be notified by using the message type that is sent by the mobility management unit, and the core network gateway notifies the user status of the data offload gateway by using a status notification message; Or,