Data bearers in a communication system
View Patent ↗The present invention relates to provision of data bearers in a communication system ( 2 ) comprising a first node ( 1 ) and a second node ( 4 ). A message is generated that associates with provision of control of a data bearer between the nodes ( 1,4 ), said message being based on a data bearer control protocol. Information that associates with responsibilities regarding a quality of service function of the data bearer is included in the message. The message is then transported between the nodes ( 1,4 ). The quality of service function of the data bearer is controlled by a control node ( 1,16 ) that has been selected based on said information added in the message.
1. A method comprising:
Generating a message associated with provisioning control of a data bearer between a first node and a second node;
Adding to the message information associated with a quality-of-service function of the data bearer;
Transporting the message between the first and second nodes; and
Assigning either the first node or the second node to control the quality-of-service function of the data bearer based on said information added in the message
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information is configured to instruct that the first node to control at least one feature of the quality-of-service function.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information is configured to instruct the second node to control at least one feature of the quality-of-service function.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first node comprises a mobile station.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second node comprises a gateway node of a communication system.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the controlling of the quality-of-service function comprises controlling the quality-of-service function during set-up of the data bearer.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the provisioning the control of the data bearer comprises controlling negotiations between at least the first and the second nodes regarding the quality-of-service function.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information comprises an indication of at least one quality-of-feature feature controlled by the second node.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information comprises an indication of mechanisms the first node uses for controlling the quality-of-service function.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information comprises an indication of mechanisms the first node uses for controlling the quality-of-service function.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information comprises an indication of mechanisms the second node is enabled to use for controlling the quality-of-service function.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information comprises an indication of mechanisms the second node uses for controlling the quality-of-service function
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information comprises status of negotiations that are associated with the quality-of-service function of the data bearer.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the status of the negotiations is defined by the second node.
15. The method of claim 8 , wherein the indication comprises a flag.
16. The method of claim 8 , wherein the indication comprises a numeric value.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information is added to the message by the first node.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information is added to the message by the second mode.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second node requests the first node to indicate when the first node is configured to control the quality-of-service function.
20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the message associated with activation of the data bearer comprises a data bearer activation protocol.
21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the message comprises a packet data protocol context activation message.
22. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data bearer is an end-to-end data bearer.
23. The method of claim 1 , wherein the message comprises a data bearer control protocol.
24. The method of claim 1 , wherein the message comprises at least one of the following context activation protocol messages: request to activate a packet data protocol context; request to create a packet data protocol context; response to a request to create a packet data protocol context; and response for accepting a request to activate a packet data protocol context.
25. The method of claim 1 , wherein the message is further associated with a modification of the data bearer, and the message comprises a data bearer modification protocol.
26. The method of claim 22 , wherein a similar quality-of-service level is negotiated for the end-to-end bearer throughout a connection between the nodes terminating the end-to-end bearer.
27. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information is included in the message as quality-of-service parameter.
28. The method of claim 1 , wherein the provisioning of the quality-of-service function comprises a resource reservation protocol.
29. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first node and the second node belong to a first communication network and the information transported between the first and the second nodes relates to negotiations concerning the responsibility to negotiate with a node in a second communication network.
30. The method of claim 29 , wherein the data bearer is provided between the first node and a node of the second communication network.
31. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first node and the second node is provided with a bearer service manger function for controlling the bearer service.
32. An apparatus, comprising:
A controller configured to:
Generate a message associated with control of a data bearer between the first node and a second node, and
Add, to the message, information comprising a responsibility to control at least one quality-of-service feature that is associated with the data bearer,
Wherein one of either said first node or said second node is configured to control the at least one quality-of-service function of the data bearer based on said information added in the message, and wherein the information added in the message comprises a specification of whether the first node or the second node controls the quality-of-service function.
33. The apparatus of claim 32 , wherein the first node comprises a mobile station and the second node comprises a gateway node of a communication system.
34. The apparatus of claim 32 , wherein the data bearer is an end-to-end data bearer.
35. The apparatus of claim 32 , wherein the controller is configured to control the quality-of-service function during set-up of the data bearer.
36. The apparatus of claim 32 , wherein the information in the message comprises:
An indication that at least one quality-of-service feature is controlled by the second node;
An indication of mechanisms the first node is enabled to use for controlling the quality-of-service function;
An indication of mechanisms the first node uses for controlling the quality-of-service function;
An indication of mechanisms the second node uses for controlling the quality-of-service function;
An indication of mechanisms the second node uses for controlling the quality-of-service function;
A status of negotiations that are associated with the quality-of-service function of the data bearer; and
A quality-of-service parameter.
37. The apparatus of claim 32 , wherein the message associated with activation of the data bearer comprises a data bearer activation protocol.
38. The apparatus of claim 32 , wherein the message is further associated with a modification of the data bearer, and the message comprises a data bearer modification protocol.
39. The apparatus of claim 32 , wherein at least one of the first node and the second node is provided with a bearer service manager function for controlling the bearer service.
40. The apparatus of claim 39 , wherein the bearer service manager function is configured to add information in the message.
41. The apparatus of claim 36 , wherein the bearer service manager function comprises a universal mobile telecommunications system bearer service manager.
42. The apparatus of claim 32 , wherein the first node and the second node belong to a first communication network and the information to be transported between the first and second nodes comprises negotiations concerning the responsibility to negotiate with a node in a second communication network.
43. An apparatus comprising:
A management means for managing a data bearer between a first communications system comprising a plurality of nodes and a second communications system, wherein the management means comprises:
First generating means for generating a control protocol message that provisions control of the data bearer to one of said plurality of nodes in the first communications system;
Second generation means for generating and adding to the message information comprising a responsibility of said one of the plurality of nodes to control at least one quality-of-service function of the data bearer; and
Assigning means for assigning one of the plurality of nodes with a responsibility of controlling quality-of-service.
44. An apparatus comprising:
Message generating means for generating a control protocol message configured to provision control of a data bearer between a first network node and a second network node;
Message adapting means for generating and adding to the message information regarding control of at least one quality-of-service function of the data bearer; and
Assigning means for assigning the first network node with a responsibility of controlling quality-of-service.
45. The apparatus of claim 44 , wherein the message generation means for generating the control protocol message and the message adapting means for adding to the message the information comprise a data bearer service manager function of the apparatus.