Method of handling a change to bearer control mode

1. A method performed by a policy and charging rules node (PCRN) for handling an incoming request message, the method comprising:

receiving, at the PCRN, a request message from an Evolved Packet Core node;

determining that the request message includes a request for a modification to an IP-CAN session; and

in response to determining that the request message includes a request for a modification to the IP-CAN session:

determining a current bearer control mode for the IP-CAN session by evaluating at least one rule, wherein the at least one rule comprises:

a criteria section for determining whether the at least one rule is applicable based on data carried by the request message, and

a result section for indicating a bearer control mode to be used as the current bearer control mode when the rule is applicable,

determining a previous bearer control mode for the IP-CAN session,

comparing the current bearer control mode to the previous bearer control mode, and

when the current bearer control mode is different from the previous bearer control mode, modifying the IP-CAN session according to the current bearer control mode.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of modifying the IP-CAN session according to the current bearer control mode comprises, when the current bearer control mode is UE_ONLY, at least one of the following:

indicating to a Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW) that the PGW should remove at least one policy and charging control (PCC) rule associated with the IP-CAN session that was installed in response to a network-initiated request;

indicating to a serving gateway (SGW) that the SGW should remove at least one quality of service (QoS) rule associated with the IP-CAN session that was installed in response to a network-initiated request; and

indicating to an application function (AF) that the AF should initiate a session teardown for an application session associated with the IP-CAN session.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of modifying the IP-CAN session according to the current bearer control mode comprises, when the current bearer control mode is UE_NW, at least one of the following:

indicating to an SGW that the SGW should remove at least one quality of service (QoS) rule associated with the IP-CAN session; and

indicating to an SGW that the SGW should initiate a session teardown of a gateway control session associated with the IP-CAN session.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the step of modifying the IP-CAN session according to the current bearer control mode further comprises:

when the current bearer control mode is UE_NW, determining whether at least one network-initiated service flow has been previously deferred; and

when at least one network-initiated service flow has been previously deferred, indicating to a PGW that the PGW should install at least one PCC rule associated with the at least one network-initiated service flow.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of evaluating the at least one rule comprises:

retrieving the at least one rule for determining a current bearer control mode from a bearer control mode rule storage.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a subsequent request message;

determining that the subsequent request message includes a request for an establishment of a new IP-CAN session; and

in response to determining that the subsequent request message includes a request for an establishment of a new IP-CAN session, referring to at least one external rule to determine a bearer control mode for the new IP-CAN session.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a subsequent request message;

determining that the subsequent request message includes a request for an establishment of a new gateway control session; and

in response to determining that the subsequent request message includes a request for an establishment of a new gateway control session, referring to at least one external rule to determine a bearer control mode for an IP-CAN session associated with the new gateway control session.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

determining whether the new gateway control session is a service gateway pre-registration;

when the new gateway control session is a service gateway pre-registration, determining whether the bearer control mode for an IP-CAN session associated with the new gateway control session is UE_NW; and

when the bearer control mode for an IP-CAN session associated with the new gateway control session is UE_NW, indicating to an SGW that it should install at least one QoS rule.

9. A policy and charging rules node (PCRN) for handling an incoming request message, the PCRN comprising:

at least one interface that receives a request message from an Evolved Packet Core node;

a bearer control mode determination module that determines a current bearer control mode for an IP-CAN associated with the request message by evaluating at least one rule, wherein the at least one rule comprises:

a criteria section for determining whether the at least one rule is applicable based on data carried by the request message, and

a result section for indicating a bearer control mode to be used as the current bearer control mode when the rule is applicable;

a message interpreter that determines that the request message includes a request for a modification to an IP-CAN session;

a session modifier that, in response to the message interpreter determining that the request message includes a request for a modification to the IP-CAN session, determines whether the current bearer control mode for the IP-CAN session matches a previous bearer control mode for the IP-CAN session;

a bearer control mode change handler that, when the current bearer control mode for the IP-CAN session does not match the previous bearer control mode for the IP-CAN session, modifies the IP-CAN session according to the current bearer control mode, wherein, in modifying the IP-CAN session according to the current bearer control mode, the bearer control mode change handler:

determines whether the current bearer control mode is UE_ONLY, and

when the current bearer control mode is UE_ONLY, instructs the message generator to construct a message informing a Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW) that the PGW should remove at least one policy and charging control (PCC) rule associated with the IP-CAN session that was installed in response to a network-initiated request while preserving the IP-CAN session for continued use; and

a message generator that constructs at least one response message to be transmitted to at least one node.

10. The PCRN of claim 9 , wherein, in modifying the IP-CAN session according to the current bearer control mode, the bearer control mode change handler further:

when the current bearer control mode is UE_ONLY:

instructs the message generator to construct message informing a serving gateway (SGW) that the SGW should remove at least one quality of service (QoS) rule associated with the IP-CAN session that was installed in response to a network-initiated request, and

instructs the message generator to construct a message informing an application function (AF) that the AF should initiate a session teardown for an application session associated with the IP-CAN session.

11. The PCRN of claim 9 , wherein, in modifying the IP-CAN session according to the current bearer control mode, the bearer control mode change handler:

determines whether the current bearer control mode is UE_NW; and

when the current bearer control mode is UE_NW:

instructs the message generator to construct a message informing an SGW that the SGW should remove at least one quality of service (QoS) rule associated with the IP-CAN session; and

instructs the message generator to construct a message informing an SGW that the SGW should initiate a session teardown of a gateway control session associated with the IP-CAN session.

12. The PCRN of claim 10 , further comprising:

a bearer control mode rule storage that stores a plurality of rules for determining a bearer control mode including the at least one rule, each rule of the plurality of rules including a criteria section and a result section;

wherein, in evaluating the at least one rule the bearer control mode determination module:

retrieves at least a first rule of the plurality of rules.

13. The PCRN of claim 10 , wherein the message interpreter further determines that a subsequent request message includes a request for the establishment of a new session, and further comprising:

a session establisher that, in response to determining that the subsequent request message includes a request for the establishment of a new session:

refers to the bearer control mode determination module to determine a bearer control mode for the new session, and

instructs the message generator to construct a message to the Evolved Packet Core node including the bearer control mode.

14. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium encoded with instructions for handling an incoming request message, the machine-readable storage medium comprising:

instructions for receiving a request message from an Evolved Packet Core node;

instructions for determining that the request message includes a request for a modification to the IP-CAN session; and

instructions for, in response to determining that the request message includes a request for a modification to the IP-CAN session:

determining a current bearer control mode for the IP-CAN session by evaluating at least one rule, wherein the at least one rule comprises:

a criteria section for determining whether the at least one rule is applicable based on data carried by the request message, and

a result section for indicating a bearer control mode to be used as the current bearer control mode when the rule is applicable,

determining a previous bearer control mode for the IP-CAN session,

comparing the current bearer control mode to the previous bearer control mode, and

when the current bearer control mode is different from the previous bearer control mode, modifying the IP-CAN session according to the current bearer control mode.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the instructions for modifying the IP-CAN session according to the current bearer control mode comprise, instructions for, when the current bearer control mode is UE_ONLY, at least one of the following:

indicating to a Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW) that the PGW should remove at least one policy and charging control (PCC) rule associated with the IP-CAN session that was installed in response to a network-initiated request;

indicating to a serving gateway (SGW) that the SGW should remove at least one quality of service (QoS) rule associated with the IP-CAN session that was installed in response to a network-initiated request; and

indicating to an application function (AF) that the AF should initiate a session teardown for an application session associated with the IP-CAN session.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the instructions for modifying the IP-CAN session according to the current bearer control mode comprise instructions for, when the current bearer control mode is UE_NW, at least one of the following:

indicating to an SGW that the SGW should remove at least one quality of service (QoS) rule associated with the IP-CAN session; and

indicating to an SGW that the SGW should initiate a session teardown of a gateway control session associated with the IP-CAN session.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein instructions for modifying the IP-CAN session according to the current bearer control mode further comprise:

instructions for, when the current bearer control mode is UE_NW, determining whether at least one network-initiated service flow has been previously deferred; and

instructions for, when at least one network-initiated service flow has been previously deferred, indicating to a PGW that the PGW should install at least one PCC rule associated with the at least one network-initiated service flow.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the instructions for evaluating the at least one rule comprise:

instructions for retrieving the at least one rule for determining a current bearer control mode from a bearer control mode rule storage.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14 , further comprising:

instructions for determining that a subsequent request message includes a request for an establishment of a new IP-CAN session; and

instructions for, in response to determining that a subsequent request message includes a request for an establishment of a new IP-CAN session, referring to at least one external rule to determine a bearer control mode for new IP-CAN session.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14 , further comprising:

instructions for determining that a subsequent request message includes a request for an establishment of a new gateway control session; and

instructions for, in response to determining that the request message includes a subsequent request for an establishment of a new gateway control session, referring to at least one external rule to determine a bearer control mode for an IP-CAN session associated with the new gateway control session.