Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson (publ)

Andreas Witzel

Ralf Keller

Dirk Kampmann

Jari Tapio Vikberg

Magnus Hallenstål

Joerg Christian Ewert

Arne Pehrsson

Gunnar Mildh

Magnus Norberg Olsson

Karl Hellwig

Göran Rune

Stephen Terrill

Karl-Peter Ranke

George Foti

Rogier Noldus

Jan Erik Lindquist

Martin Stümpert

Christoph Meyer

Michael Nils Olov Lindström

Rogier August Caspar Joseph Noldus

Branko Djordjevic

Bo Åström

Jan Scheurich

Santiago Muñoz Muñoz

Frank Sell

Srinivas Kadaba

Hans-Peter Lippelt

Daniel Mateos Perez

Magnus Olsson

Susana Gomez Maturana

Kazuhiko Nakada

Jörg Ewert

Enrique Ruiz Lafuente

Jyri Andersson

Elisabeth Kemper

Magnus HALLENSTÅL

Lennart Norell

Arne Pehrson

In one embodiment, a method implemented in a virtual network function (VNF) manager for delivering of services to a roaming UE is disclosed. The method includes identifying a trigger condition for handing-over delivery of at least a subset of services from a radio interface of a source radio base station to a radio interface of a target radio base station. The method also includes transferring the subset of the services to the target radio base station through a route based on information from a software-defined networking (SDN) controller of a SDN system that includes the source radio base station and the target radio base station. The method further includes causing at least one VNF to be deployed on the target radio base station, the at least one VNF on the target radio base station being adapted to offer the subset of the services to the roaming UE.

Service delivery to a roaming user equipment using a software-defined networking (SDN) controller

A method for attaching a first radio base station (RBS) to a core network via a radio access network (RAN), wherein a forwarding of data within the RAN is being controlled by a Software Defined Network, SDN, Controller, the RAN comprising a plurality of further RBSs being capable of providing radio connection to a plurality of UEs, and being under the control of the SDN Controller. At least one UE from the plurality of UEs is selected, wherein the selected at least one UE is located within an overlapping radio connectivity area of the first RBS and one of the further RBSs, denoted as a second RBS. The SDN Controller activates control onto the at least one selected UE. The SDN Controller connects the first RBS to the second RBS via the radio connections of the at least one selected UE. The SDN Controller enables the forwarding of data between the first RBS and the core network via the second RBS.

Method and apparatuses for attaching a radio base station to a core network node

Service delivery to handed over user equipment (UE) using a software-defined networking (SDN) controller

A method and apparatus for providing both Mobile Terminated, MT, and Mobile Originated, MO, circuit switched (CS) services such as Short Message Service, SMS, services in networks utilizing CS Fallback and CSoLTE-I architectures. An extended SGs interface referred to as SGs+ is implemented between a Mobility Management Entity, MME, in an SAE core network and a Mobile Switching Center Server, MSC-S. The SGs+ interface supports transmission of upper layer CS packet data units while utilizing either connectionless or connection-oriented Signaling Connection Control Part, SCCP, operation. The non access stratum, NAS, signaling support between the User Equipment, UE, and the MME is extended to provide support for both MT SMS and MO SMS service.

Circuit-switched services over SAE/LTE networks

The invention relates to a central control entity () configured to control a data plane flow of a stream of data packages in a radio access network part of a mobile communications network. The central control entity () comprises an information detecting unit (), configured to detect information about data plane applications (-) attached to forwarding elements (--) of the radio access network part and configured to detect information about at least one data plane application (-) that is to be applied to said data plane flow. Furthermore, the central control entity () comprises a control unit (), configured to determine a path of the data plane flow through the forwarding elements (--) of the radio access network part, wherein the control unit () is configured to determine the path taking into account said at least one data plane application (-) to be applied to said data plane flow, the control unit () being further configured to instruct the forwarding element in the path, to which said at least one data place application is attached, to pass the data plane flow through said at least one data plane application (-).

Centralized control of data plane applications

The invention relates to a central control entity () configured to control a data plane flow of a stream of data packages in an access network part of a mobile communications network, the central control entity comprising:&#x2014;a detecting unit (), configured to detect a presence of data plane applications () linked to forwarding elements () of the access network part, configured to detect information about a type of data plane application that is to be applied to said data plane flow, and configured to detect flow information reports from forwarding elements () which are directly linked to one network node containing the determined type of data plane application, each flow information report from one of the forwarding elements () containing information about a data packet volume transmitted from said one forwarding element to said one data plane application,&#x2014;a flow control unit () configured to determine a path of the data plane flow through the forwarding elements () of the access network part to one of the network nodes containing the determined type of data plane application (), wherein the flow control unit () is configured to determine a load of said one data plane application provided on said one network node, taking into account the flow information reports from the forwarding elements () which are directly linked to said one data plane application, wherein the flow control unit () determines the path of the data plane flow, taking into account the determined load of said one data plane application.

Centralized data plane flow control

A method for connecting, by a central control unit (CCU), a booting switch to a network. The network includes switches controlled by the CCU using control data packets that are transmitted via communications paths in the network. User packets are transmitted through the network using the same communications paths. A switch uses forwarding rules stored in a pipeline to forward packets in the network. A local port in each switch provides access to the pipeline. The paths in the network for the control data packets are established by storing forwarding rules configured by the CCU in the pipelines of the switches. At least one switch contains a connecting port via which the booting switch is connected to the network. The forwarding rules in the booting switch are stored by the CCU using a temporary path, which contains the existing path and a connecting path.

Connecting a booting switch to a network

A method for handling, by a ring node of a network having a ring topology, a data transfer of data packets through the network via which the data packets are transmitted to their destination node, wherein each ring node has two neighboring ring nodes. The method includes detecting data packets of an incoming data transfer received from a non ring node to be transmitted through the network to their destination node. Furthermore, a ring direction is added to the data packets of the incoming data transfer, the indication indicating in which direction the data packets of the incoming data transfer are passed through the network having the ring topology. The data packets of the incoming data transfer are forwarded to one of the two neighboring ring nodes based on the added indication.

Handling of data transfers in a network with a ring topology

The invention relates to a method of registering a communication client at a communication server, wherein the communication client is associated to a mobile terminal and wherein the communication server is associated to a mobile switching node of a circuit switched network, the method comprises the steps of: initiation a connection between the communication server and the communication client, sending identification information to the communication server by the communication client via the connection, interrogating an authentication module of the mobile switching node to perform a user authentication by the communication server, fetching subscriber information from a database by the communication server, and sending subscriber information to the communication client via the connection.

Enabling a communication server to use MSC-S related functions

Proposed is a technique for preparing a roaming operation of a User Equipment (UE) between a home network and at least one visited network. A method aspect being performed in a roaming control entity comprises receiving at least one message related to the roaming operation, determining if a roaming attempt from the home network to the at least one visited network is performed, and, if the determining step is affirmative, requesting, from the home network, information relating to the UE so as to evaluate if the UE has access to the home network. The method aspect being performed in the UE comprises transmitting the at least one message about the roaming attempt, and receiving, responsive to the transmitting, deny or grant of access of the UE to the at least one visited network depending on whether the UE has access to the home network or not.

Technique for preparing a roaming operation of a user equipment

The present invention proposes a solution for providing IMS services to users having circuit-switched controlled terminal being not adapted to provide IMS services to the users. In particular, it is proposed, in order to allow IMS to take the full call and service control, to place a user agent being responsible for the user ported to the IMS in a new node type called Mobile Access Gateway Control Function (MAGCF). This new node combines the logical functionality of a cellular switching center and the logical functionality of IMS. Further it is proposed to enhance a user's register, like HLR, to provide also information about the availability of a MAGCF node and about whether a particular user is enabled to use the MAGCF functionality.

Provision of IMS services via circuit-switched access

A technique is described allowing an IMS enabled network to terminate a communication request directed towards a user device in a well-defined way, even for cases in which multiple registrations for IMS are present that are related to the same physical user device. A method embodiment of this technique comprises registering multiple user agents for one and the same user device, wherein from each user agent contact information including a device ID identifying the user device is provided; and processing a communication request directed towards the user device, the processing comprising identifying multiple identical device IDs of registered contacts, and treating the communication request according to a predetermined handling scheme related to the detection of identical device IDs.

Method for registering multi-contact devices

The invention proposes several methods for codec handling. In specific, methods involving providing a supported codec list of a Call Control Server are described. A node receives information, whether a terminal supports a wideband codec, wherein the information is received in call set up signaling from the terminal of the subscriber. Furthermore, configuration information is retrieved, whether a Radio Access Node supports the wideband codec. Additionally, information is retrieved, whether a media gateway supports the wideband codec, wherein the information is either provided by the operator or retrieved from the media gateway (MGW, MGW, MGWx). The information is analyzed and in response to the analysis a supported codec list is provided. Furthermore, alternative embodiments and devices adapted for the methods are disclosed.

Wideband codec negotiation

The present invention proposes a solution for providing IMS services to users having circuit-switched controlled terminals. In particular, it is proposed, in order to allow IMS to take the full call and service control, to combine circuit-switched and packet-based multimedia functionality in a new node type called Mobile Access Gateway Control Function (MAGCF). In particular the present invention provides a method for ensuring that the MAGCF node acts as a roaming anchor point in order to enforce the handling of originating and terminating calls in the IMS.

Call handling for IMS registered user

The invention provides a solution for registering a terminal having a packet-switched and circuit-switched functionality in a packet-switched service domain, such as the IMS over a circuit-switched access domain. In particular it is proposed to send a packet-switched registration message packed in a circuit-switched transport bearer (USSD) to a circuit node (HLR, MSC, dispatcher) which selects an adapter node (IA) being responsible for performing a registration in the packet-switched service domain on behalf of the user using the information provided with the packet-switched registration message and by deriving and adding additional information.

Growing community of inventors

Herzogenrath, Germany

Andreas Witzel