METHOD AND APPARATUS TO SUPPORT SEAMLESS MOBILITY ACROSS OFFLOAD GATEWAYS
A method is described that involves performing the following at an offload network gateway: receiving a RELOCATION_REQUIRED message from an RNC; recognizing that the RELOCATION — REQUIRED message pertains to a roaming device having a live session with a network that the offload network gateway acts as a gateway to in order to offload data traffic from the GPRS network; and, adding information specific to the session to the RELOCATION — REQUIRED message. A method is also described that includes performing the following at an offload network gateway: receiving a RELOCATION _REQUEST message; inspecting the RELOCATION_REQUEST message for information specific to a roaming device's live session with a network that the offload network gateway acts as a gateway to in order to offload data traffic from a GPRS network; and, in response to identifying the information within the RELOCATION — REQUEST message, extracting the information and using the information to continue the session for the roaming device.
1 . A method, comprising:
performing the following at an offload network gateway:
receiving a RELOCATION_REQUIRED message from an RNC;
recognizing that said RELOCATION_REQUIRED message pertains to a roaming device having a live session with a network that said offload network gateway acts as a gateway to in order to offload data traffic from a GPRS network; and,
adding information specific to said session to said RELOCATION_REQUIRED message.
2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising performing the following at said offload network gateway:
sending said RELOCATION_REQUIRED message with said added information to an SGSN node.
3 . The method of claim 2 further comprising performing the following at said offload network gateway:
receiving a RELOCATION_COMMAND message that pertains to said RELOCATION_REQUIRED message; and,
inspecting said RELOCATION_COMMAND message for information that confirms the existence of a target offload gateway.
4 . The method of claim 3 further comprising performing either of the following at said offload network gateway:
in response to said information that confirms the existence of said target offload gateway being found in said RELOCATION_COMMAND message, keeping said session alive;
in response to said information that confirms the existence of said target offload gateway not being found in said RELOCATION_COMMAND message, permitting said session to be extinguished.
5 . The method of claim 4 where said information that confirms the existence of said target offload gateway is found in said RELOCATION_COMMAND message within an RRC container of said RELOCATION_COMMAND message.
6 . The method of claim 1 wherein said information that is specific to said session is added to said RELOCATION_REQUIRED message within an RRC container of said RELOCATION_REQUIRED message.
7 . A method, comprising:
performing the following at an offload network gateway:
receiving a RELOCATION_REQUEST message;
inspecting said RELOCATION_REQUEST message for information specific to a roaming device's live session with a network that said offload network gateway acts as a gateway to in order to offload data traffic from a GPRS network;
in response to identifying said information within said RELOCATION_REQUEST message, extracting said information and using said information to continue the session for the roaming device.
8 . The method of claim 7 further comprising removing said information from said RELOCATION_REQUEST message and forwarding said RELOCATION_REQUEST message without said information to a target RNC.
9 . The method of claim 7 further comprising:
receiving a RELOCATION_REQUEST_ACK message that pertains to said RELOCATION_REQUEST message;
adding information to said RELOCATION_REQUEST_ACK message that confirms the existence of said offload network gateway; and, sending said RELOCATION_REQUEST_ACK message with the information that confirms the existence of said offload network gateway to an SGSN.
10 . The method of claim 9 wherein said information that confirms the existence of said offload network gateway is placed within an RRC container of said RELOCATION_REQUEST_ACK message.
11 . The method of claim 10 wherein said network offload gateway adds said RRC container to said RELOCATION_REQUEST_ACK message if said received RELOCATION_REQUEST_ACK message does not include an RRC container.
12 . An offload network gateway, comprising:
a) an interface to a GPRS network;
b) an interface to an RNC;
c) an interface to a network that said offload network gateway acts as a gateway to offload traffic from said GPRS network;
d) a source offload network gateway extended functional portion to perform the following method:
receiving a RELOCATION_REQUIRED message from a source RNC;
recognizing that said RELOCATION_REQUIRED message pertains to a roaming device having a live session with said network; and,
adding information specific to said session to said RELOCATION_REQUIRED message;
e) a target offload network gateway extended functional portion to perform the following method:
receiving a RELOCATION_REQUEST message from said GPRS network;
inspecting said RELOCATION_REQUEST message for information specific to a second roaming device's live respective session with said network;
in response to identifying said information within said RELOCATION_REQUEST message, extracting said information and using said information to continue the session for the roaming device.
13 . The offload gateway of claim 12 wherein said source offload network gateway extended functional portion is to further perform the following:
sending said RELOCATION_REQUIRED message with said added information to an SGSN node.
14 . The offload gateway of claim 13 wherein said source offload network gateway extended functional portion is to further perform the following:
receiving a RELOCATION_COMMAND message that pertains to said RELOCATION_REQUIRED message; and,
inspecting said RELOCATION_COMMAND message for information that confirms the existence of a target offload gateway.
15 . The offload gateway of claim 12 wherein said target offload network gateway extended functional portion is to further perform the following:
removing said information from said RELOCATION_REQUEST message and forwarding said RELOCATION_REQUEST message without said information to a target RNC.
16 . The offload gateway of claim 15 wherein said target offload network gateway extended functional portion is to further perform the following:
receiving a RELOCATION_REQUEST_ACK message that pertains to said RELOCATION_REQUEST message;
adding information to said RELOCATION_REQUEST_ACK message that confirms the existence of said offload network gateway; and,
sending said RELOCATION_REQUEST_ACK message with the information that confirms the existence of said offload network gateway to an SGSN.
17 . A machine readable containing stored program code that when processed by a processing unit within an offload network gateway causes the network offload gateway to perform a method, said method comprising:
receiving a RELOCATION_REQUIRED message from an RNC;
recognizing that said RELOCATION_REQUIRED message pertains to a roaming device having a live session with a network that said offload network gateway acts as a gateway to in order to offload data traffic from a GPRS network; and, adding information specific to said session to said RELOCATION_REQUIRED message.
18 . A machine readable containing stored program code that when processed by a processing unit within an offload network gateway causes the network offload gateway to perform a method, said method comprising:
receiving a RELOCATION _REQUEST message;
inspecting said RELOCATION_REQUEST message for information specific to a roaming device's live session with a network that said offload network gateway acts as a gateway to in order to offload data traffic from a GPRS network;
in response to identifying said information within said RELOCATION_REQUEST message, extracting said information and using said information to continue the session for the roaming device.