Dynamic in-band service control mechanism in mobile network
A method, computer readable medium and apparatus for transmitting signaling information within payload traffic. For example, the method parses a certificate received from a service provider to obtain service imprint information associated with a mobile service, inserts a service control parameter derived from the service imprint information into a packet header, and forwards the packet header within payload traffic to a policy charging and enforcing function.
1. A method for forwarding a packet header within a user-plane bearer, the method comprising:
parsing, via a processor, a certificate received from a service provider to obtain service imprint information associated with a mobile service;
translating, via the processor, the service imprint information into a policy consistent with a service control parameter derived from the service imprint information;
inserting, via the processor, the service control parameter and the policy into the packet header, wherein the service control parameter is intended to be used as an in-band signaling in controlling the mobile service; and
forwarding, via the processor, the packet header within the user-plane bearer to a policy charging and enforcing function.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the policy charging and enforcing function is deployed by a gateway of a wireless communication network.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the packet header comprises a hypertext transfer protocol header.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the certificate is authenticated as being from the service provider.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the certificate comprises a X.509 certificate.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
enforcing the policy.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
caching the service imprint information.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the service control parameter in the packet header is removed by the policy charging and enforcing function.
9. A tangible computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations for forwarding a packet header within a user-plane bearer, the operations comprising:
parsing a certificate received from a service provider to obtain service imprint information associated with a mobile service;
translating the service imprint information into a policy consistent with a service control parameter derived from the service imprint information;
inserting the service control parameter and the policy into the packet header, wherein the service control parameter is intended to be used as an in-band signaling in controlling the mobile service; and
forwarding the packet header within the user-plane bearer to a policy charging and enforcing function.
10. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the policy charging and enforcing function is deployed by a gateway of a wireless communication network.
11. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the packet header comprises a hypertext transfer protocol header.
12. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the certificate is authenticated as being from the service provider.
13. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the certificate comprises a X.509 certificate.
14. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 9 , further comprising:
enforcing the policy.
15. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 9 , further comprising:
caching the service imprint information.
16. An apparatus for forwardinq a packet header within a user-plane bearer, the apparatus comprising:
a processor; and
a computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
parsing a certificate received from a service provider to obtain service imprint information associated with a mobile service;
translating the service imprint information into a policy consistent with a service control parameter derived from the service imprint information;
inserting the service control parameter and the policy into the packet header, wherein the service control parameter is intended to be used as an in-band signaling in controlling the mobile service; and
forwarding the packet header within the user-plane bearer to a policy charging and enforcing function.