Granted Patent B2

US 7,643,456 · App. 10/957,777 · Granted Jan 5, 2010

Abstract

Claims (42)

1. A method comprising:

receiving one or more identifiers identifying a data flow of a first subsystem from a signalling element to a network node for transmitting packet data from the first subsystem to a terminal in the second subsystem,

generating at least one filter for directing a mapping of at least one data flow of the first subsystem to at least one data flow of the second subsystem, characteristics of said filter being determined at least on the basis of the one or more identifiers received at least in the network node,

associating said filter, having the characteristics determined at least on the basis of the one or more identifiers received from the signalling element, to at least one data flow of the second subsystem, and

mapping at least one data flow of the first subsystem to at least one data flow of the second subsystem based on the characteristics of said filter, said filter being bound to a packet data protocol context of the second subsystem, a packet data protocol context activation request with a traffic flow template information element without filter information being received from the terminal in response to the need to create a packet data protocol context.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the identifiers identifying the data flow on the application plane are negotiated at the element participating in the application-plane negotiation,

the identifiers identifying the data flow are transmitted to the network node in the second subsystem, and

said filter is generated at the network node from the identifiers identifying the data flow and transmitted by said element managing the session.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the transmission of a packet received at the network node to the terminal is prevented in response to the identifiers of the received packet not being defined in any filter specified for the terminal.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an identifier is specified for at least one data flow of said second subsystem for distinguishing it individually from the data flows employing the same address of the terminal in response to the ability to transfer data to the address of the terminal in the second system via at least two data flows, and said identifier is bound to said filter.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said filter is bound to at least one packet data protocol context in a policy enforcement point function of a gateway general packet radio service support node supporting an Internet protocol multimedia subsystem,

the policy enforcement point function is configured to map at least one data flow of the first subsystem to at least one packet data protocol context in the second subsystem.

6. A network element, wherein said network element is configured to receive one or more identifiers identifying a data flow of a first subsystem from a separate signalling element,

said network element is configured to generate at least one filter for directing a mapping of at least one data flow of the first subsystem to at least one data flow of a second subsystem at least on the basis of the one or more identifiers,

said network element is configured to associate said filter, generated at least on the basis of the one or more identifiers received from the signalling element, to at least one data flow of the second subsystem, said network element being configured to associate said filter to a packet data protocol context of the second subsystem,

said network element is operative with a traffic flow template information element without filter information received in a packet data protocol context activation request in response to a need to create a packet data protocol context, and

said network element is configured to map at least one data flow of the first subsystem to at least one data flow of the second subsystem based on said filter.

7. A wireless terminal, the wireless terminal being configured to transmit a configuration signal to a network node in a mobile system for activating or modifying a packet data protocol context for linking a packet radio network to an external system, wherein the wireless terminal is configured to check if a filter used for mapping data flows at the network node is determined by a separate network element,

wherein the wireless terminal is configured to generate said configuration signal without filter information in response to the filter associated to a packet data protocol context of the packet radio network and used for mapping the data flows being determined in the separate network element and being sent to the network node by the separate network element, wherein

the wireless terminal is configured to transmit, in a packet data protocol context activation request, a traffic flow template information element in response to the need to create a packet data protocol context.

8. A wireless terminal according to claim 7 , wherein the packet radio network is a general packet radio service network or a universal mobile telecommunications system network offering packet-switched service.

9. An apparatus comprising a processor configured to cause the apparatus to:

receive one or more identifiers identifying a data flow of a first subsystem from a separate signalling element,

generate at least one filter for directing a mapping of at least one data flow of the first subsystem to at least one data flow of a second subsystem at least on the basis of the one or more identifiers received from the signalling element,

associate said filter, generated at least on the basis of the one or more identifiers received from the signalling element, to at least one data flow of the second subsystem,

receive from the terminal a traffic flow template not including any filtering parameters, and

map at least one data flow of the first subsystem to at least one data flow of the second subsystem based on said filter; and

wherein the filter is bound to at least one packet data protocol context in a policy enforcement point function of a gateway general packet radio service support node supporting an Internet protocol multimedia sub-system, and the policy enforcement point function is configured to map at least one data flow of the first subsystem to at least one packet data protocol context in the second subsystem.

10. An apparatus comprising a processor configured to cause the apparatus to:

transmit a configuration message to a network node for activating or modifying a logical connection for data transfer between the apparatus and an external system,

check if a filter for mapping data flows at the network node is determined by a separate network element, and

generate said configuration message without filter information in response to the filter for mapping the data flows being determined by the separate network element and being sent to the network node by the separate network element;

transmit in a packet data protocol context activation request a traffic flow template information element without filter information in response to a need for creating a packet data protocol context; and

transmit the packet data protocol context activation request comprising the traffic flow template information element without filter information in response to detecting that the packet data protocol context is to be activated for a service-based local protocol.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured to transmit said configuration message to a general packet radio service network or a universal mobile telecommunications system network offering packet-switched service.

12. A method comprising:

checking if a filter for mapping data flows at a network node is determined by a separate network element, and

generating a configuration message, for activating or modifying a logical connection for data transfer between the apparatus and an external system, without filter information in response to the filter for mapping the data flows being determined by the separate network element and being sent to the network node by the separate network element, and

transmitting the configuration message to the network node;

wherein a packet data protocol context activation request comprising a transmit flow template information element without filter information is transmitted in response to a need for creating a packet data protocol context; and

wherein the packet data protocol context activation request comprising the traffic flow template information element without filter information is transmitted in response to detecting that the packet data protocol context is to be activated for a service-based local protocol.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the configuration message is transmitted to a general packet radio service network or a universal mobile telecommunications system network offering packet-switched service.

Assignments (10)