Inter-network tunnel switching method and inter-network interconnection device

1. An inter-network tunnel switching method, comprising:

setting up, by a first inter-network interconnection device on a first network, a second tunnel between the first inter-network interconnection device and a second inter-network interconnection device on a second network and triggering switching from a first tunnel to the second tunnel,

wherein the first and second tunnels are configured to forward signaling between a mobile station (MS) on the first network and the second network or between an MS on the second network and the first network;

wherein the setting up, by the first inter-network interconnection device, the second tunnel between the first inter-network interconnection device and the second inter-network interconnection device and triggering the switching from the first tunnel to the second tunnel comprises:

obtaining, by the first inter-network interconnection device, an ID of the first tunnel from a third inter-network interconnection device on the first network;

learning, by the first inter-network interconnection device, that an MS associated with the first tunnel has been handed over to a base station (BS) managed by the first inter-network interconnection device from a BS managed by the third inter-network interconnection device; and

sending, by the first inter-network interconnection device, a tunnel switch request to the second inter-network interconnection device on the second network, wherein the tunnel switch request carries indication information of the ID of the first tunnel to instruct the second inter-network interconnection device to set up the second tunnel with the first inter-network interconnection device and switch the first tunnel between the second inter-network interconnection device and the third inter-network interconnection device to the second tunnel.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sending the tunnel switch request to the second inter-network interconnection device on the second network by the first inter-network interconnection device comprises:

sending, by the first inter-network interconnection device, the tunnel switch request to the second inter-network interconnection device on the second network, wherein the tunnel switch request carries an ID of the second tunnel that the first inter-network interconnection device allocates to the MS, the ID of the first tunnel, and an ID of the third inter-network interconnection device to instruct the second inter-network interconnection device to set up the second tunnel with the first inter-network interconnection device and switch the first tunnel between the second inter-network interconnection device and the third inter-network interconnection device to the second tunnel.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

releasing, by the second inter-network interconnection device, the first tunnel after receiving the tunnel switch request from the first inter-network interconnection device; and

releasing, by the third inter-network interconnection device, the first tunnel.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the releasing, by the third inter-network interconnection device, the first tunnel comprises:

sending, by the second inter-network interconnection device, a message for releasing the first tunnel to the third inter-network interconnection device;

releasing, by the third inter-network interconnection device, the first tunnel after receiving the message for releasing the first tunnel from the second inter-network interconnection device; or

releasing, by the third inter-network interconnection device, the first tunnel after confirming that intra-network handover with the first inter-network interconnection device is complete.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the first inter-network interconnection device and the third inter-network interconnection device are mobility management entities (MMES), and the second inter-network interconnection device is an access network (AN) when the first network is an evolved Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) network and the second network is a high rate packet data (HRPD) network; or

the first inter-network interconnection device and the third inter-network interconnection devices are ANs, and the second inter-network interconnection device is an MME when the first network is an HRPD network and the second network is an evolved 3GPP network.

6. An inter-network tunnel switching method, comprising:

setting up, by a first inter-network interconnection device on a first network, a second tunnel between the first inter-network interconnection device and a second inter-network interconnection device on a second network and triggering switching from a first tunnel to the second tunnel,

wherein the first and second tunnels are configured to forward signaling between a mobile station (MS) on the first network and the second network or between an MS on the second network and the first network;

wherein the setting up, by the first inter-network interconnection device, the second tunnel between the first inter-network interconnection device and the second inter-network interconnection device and triggering the switching from the first tunnel to the second tunnel comprises:

receiving, by the first inter-network interconnection device, a tunnel switch required request sent from a third inter-network interconnection device on the second network, wherein the tunnel switch required request carries an ID of the first tunnel, an ID of the second inter-network interconnection device, and an MS ID of an MS that the second inter-network interconnection device can identify;

sending, by the first inter-network interconnection device, a tunnel switch command to the second inter-network interconnection device, wherein the tunnel switch command carries an ID of the second tunnel that the first inter-network interconnection device allocates to the MS and the ID of the MS to instruct the second inter-network interconnection device to set up the second tunnel associated with the MS with the first inter-network interconnection device; and

interacting, by the first inter-network interconnection device, with the MS through the second tunnel and stopping the interaction with the MS through the first tunnel between the third inter-network interconnection device on the second network and the first inter-network interconnection device on the first network.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

releasing, by the first inter-network interconnection device, the first tunnel after receiving the tunnel switch required request sent from the third inter-network interconnection device; and

releasing, by the third inter-network interconnection device, the first tunnel.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the releasing, by the third inter-network interconnection device, the first tunnel comprises:

releasing, by the third inter-network interconnection device, the first tunnel after the first inter-network interconnection device sends a tunnel switch required response to the third inter-network interconnection device.

9. The method of claim 6 , before the third inter-network interconnection device sends a tunnel switch required request to the first inter-network interconnection device, further comprising:

sending, by the third inter-network interconnection device, a Downlink (DL) Message Prohibited message to the first inter-network interconnection device; and

stopping, by the first inter-network interconnection device, sending downlink messages to the MS associated with the first tunnel after receiving the DL Message Prohibited message.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein:

the first inter-network interconnection device is a mobility management entity (MME), and the second and third inter-network interconnection devices are access networks (ANs) if the first network is an evolved Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) network and the second network is a high rate packet data (HRPD) network; or

the first inter-network interconnection device is an AN, and the second and third inter-network interconnection devices are MMEs if the first network is an HRPD network and the second network is an evolved 3GPP network.

11. A first inter-network interconnection device, wherein the first inter-network interconnection device is located on a first network and comprises:

a setup triggering unit, configured to set up a second tunnel between the first inter-network interconnection device on the first network and a second inter-network interconnection device on a second network and trigger switching from a first tunnel to the second tunnel, wherein the first and second tunnels are configured to forward signaling between a mobile station (MS) on the first network and the second network or between an MS on the second network and the first network;

wherein the setup triggering unit comprises:

a first obtaining unit, configured to obtain an ID of the first tunnel from a third inter-network interconnection device on the first network;

a first learning unit, configured to learn that an MS associated with the first tunnel has been handed over to a base station (BS) managed by the first inter-network interconnection device from a BS managed by the third inter-network interconnection device; and

a first requesting unit, connected to the first obtaining unit and the first learning unit and configured to send a tunnel switch request to the second inter-network interconnection device on the second network, wherein the tunnel switch request carries indication information of the ID of the first tunnel to instruct the second inter-network interconnection device to set up the second tunnel with the first inter-network interconnection device and switch the first tunnel between the second inter-network interconnection device and the third inter-network interconnection device to the second tunnel.

12. The first inter-network interconnection device of claim 11 , wherein the first requesting unit is configured to send the tunnel switch request to the second inter-network interconnection device on the second network, wherein the tunnel switch request carries an ID of the second tunnel that the first inter-network interconnection device allocates to the MS, the ID of the first tunnel, and an ID of the third inter-network interconnection device to instruct the second inter-network interconnection device to set up the second tunnel with the first inter-network interconnection device and switch the first tunnel between the second inter-network interconnection device and the third inter-network interconnection device to the second tunnel.

13. The first inter-network interconnection device of claim 11 , wherein:

the first inter-network interconnection device and the third inter-network interconnection device are mobility management entities (MMEs), and the second inter-network interconnection device is an access network (AN) if the first network is an evolved Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) network and the second network is a high rate packet data (HRPD) network; or

the first inter-network interconnection device and the third inter-network interconnection device are ANs, and the second inter-network interconnection device is an MME if the first network is an HRPD network and the second network is an evolved 3GPP network.

14. A first inter-network interconnection device, wherein the first inter-network interconnection device is located on a first network and comprises:

a setup triggering unit, configured to set up a second tunnel between the first inter-network interconnection device on the first network and a second inter-network interconnection device on a second network and trigger switching from a first tunnel to the second tunnel, wherein the first and second tunnels are configured to forward signaling between a mobile station (MS) on the first network and the second network or between an MS on the second network and the first network;

wherein the setup triggering unit comprises:

a first receiving unit, configured to receive a tunnel switch required request sent from a third inter-network interconnection device on the second network, wherein the tunnel switch required request carries an ID of the first tunnel, an ID of the second inter-network interconnection device, and an MS ID of an MS that the second inter-network interconnection device can identify, and the second inter-network interconnection device is located on the second network; and

a second requesting unit, configured to send a tunnel switch command to the second inter-network interconnection device on the second network, wherein the tunnel switch command carries an ID of the second tunnel that the first inter-network interconnection device allocates to the MS and the ID of the MS to instruct the second inter-network interconnection device to set up the second tunnel with the first inter-network interconnection device.

15. The first inter-network interconnection device of claim 14 , further comprising:

a first releasing unit, configured to release the first tunnel after receiving the tunnel switch required request sent from the third inter-network interconnection device.

16. The first inter-network interconnection device of claim 14 , further comprising:

a second receiving unit, configured to receive a Downlink (DL) Message Prohibited message sent from the third inter-network interconnection device, wherein the DL Message Prohibited message carries the ID of the first tunnel to instruct the first inter-network interconnection device to stop sending downlink messages to the MS associated with the first tunnel.

17. The first inter-network interconnection device of claim 14 , wherein:

the first inter-network interconnection device is a mobility management entity (MME), and the second and third inter-network interconnection devices are access networks (ANs) when the first network is an evolved Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) network and the second network is a high rate packet data (HRPD) network; or

the first inter-network interconnection device is an AN and the second and third inter-network interconnection devices are MMEs when the first network is an HRPD network and the second network is an evolved 3GPP network.

18. An inter-network tunnel switching method, comprising:

setting up, by a first inter-network interconnection device on a first network, a second tunnel between the first inter-network interconnection device and a second inter-network interconnection device on a second network, wherein the first and the second inter-network interconnection devices are selected from one of an access network (AN) and a mobility management entity (MME), and performing triggering switching by one of the first and the second inter-network interconnection devices from a first tunnel to the second tunnel,

wherein the first and second tunnels are configured to forward signaling between a mobile station (MS) on the first network and the second network or between an MS on the second network and the first network.

19. The inter-network tunnel switching method according to claim 18 , wherein the performing of triggering switching from a first tunnel to the second tunnel takes place between a third inter-network interconnection device on the first network and the second inter-network interconnection device on the second network or between the first inter-network interconnection device on the first network and the third inter-network interconnection device on the second network.

20. A first inter-network interconnection device, wherein the first inter-network interconnection device is located on a first network and comprises:

a setup triggering unit, configured to set up a second tunnel between the first inter-network interconnection device on the first network and a second inter-network interconnection device on a second network, wherein the first and the second inter-network interconnection devices are selected from one of an access network (AN) and a mobility management entity (MME), and performing trigger switching by one of the first and the second inter-network interconnection devices from a first tunnel to the second tunnel, wherein the first and second tunnels are configured to forward signaling between a mobile station (MS) on the first network and the second network or between an MS on the second network and the first network.

21. The first inter-network interconnection device according to claim 19 , wherein the performing of trigger switching from a first tunnel to the second tunnel takes place between a third inter-network interconnection device on the first network and the second inter-network interconnection device on the second network or between the first inter-network interconnection device on the first network and the third inter-network interconnection device on the second network.