Converged media packet gateway for a novel LTE data and voice core network architecture
View Patent ↗An Evolved Packet Core network comprises a converged media packet gateway control element including a GTP-C function of SGW, PGW, and P-CSCF and ATCF functions. The network further comprises at least one converged media packet gateway bearer element disposed remotely from the converged media packet gateway control element, in communication and under the management of the converged media packet gateway control element. The at least one converged media packet gateway bearer element includes SGW and PGW bearer plane terminating S1-U, and ATGW and IMS-AGW NAT functions.
1. An Evolved Packet Core network comprising:
a converged media packet gateway control plane comprising a converged media packet gateway control element including a control general packet radio service tunneling protocol (GTP-C) function of serving gateway (SGW), packet data network (PDN) gateway (PGW), proxy call session control function (P-CSCF) and access transfer control function (ATCF) functions; and
a converged media packet user plane comprising a plurality of converged media packet gateway bearer elements disposed remotely from the converged media packet gateway control element, in communication and under the management of the converged media packet gateway control element,
wherein at least one converged media packet gateway bearer element comprises SGW and PGW bearer plane terminating S1-U interfaces, and access transfer gateway (ATGW) and Internet protocol multimedia subsystem-access gateway-network address translation (IMS-AGW NAT) functions;
wherein user data flows through the converged media packet user plane;
wherein signaling information flows through the converged media packet gateway control plane; and
wherein the converged media packet gateway control element is a centralized node and the converged media packet gateway bearer elements are geographically distributed closer to an edge of the network.
2. The network of claim 1 , wherein the converged media packet gateway control element comprises:
an SGW control portion;
a PGW control portion coupled to the SGW control portion;
a P-CSCF element coupled to the PGW control portion, the P-CSCF including an IMS-application level gateway (IMS-ALG) function; and
an ATCF element coupled to the P-CSCF element.
3. The network of claim 1 , wherein the converged media packet gateway bearer element comprises:
an evolved packet data gateway (ePDG) function;
an SGW bearer portion;
a PGW bearer portion coupled to the SGW bearer portion;
an IMS-AGW element coupled to the PGW bearer portion; and
an ATGW element coupled to the IMS-AGW element.
4. The network of claim 1 , wherein the converged media packet gateway control element comprises a Gx interface and an Rx interface to a policy and charging rules function (PCRF).
5. The network of claim 1 , wherein the converged media packet gateway control element comprises a Ga interface to a charging function.
6. The network of claim 1 , wherein the converged media packet gateway control element comprises a S6b interface to an authentication authorization and accounting (AAA) function.
7. The network of claim 1 , wherein the converged media packet gateway control element comprises a Gn/Gp interface and an S4 interface to a serving general packet radio service support node (SGSN).
8. The network of claim 1 , wherein the converged media packet gateway control element comprises a Gn interface to a universal terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN).
9. The network of claim 1 , wherein the converged media packet gateway control element comprises an S2b interface to an access point (AP).
10. The network of claim 1 , wherein the converged media packet gateway control element comprises an S5/S8 interface to an external PGW.
11. The network of claim 1 , wherein the converged media packet gateway control element comprises an S11 interface to a mobility management entity (MME).
12. The network of claim 1 , wherein the converged media packet gateway control element comprises a Mw interface to an interrogating/serving call session control function (I/S-CSCF) I/S CSCF.
13. The network of claim 1 , wherein the at least one converged media packet gateway bearer element comprises an S2a interface and an SWn interface to an access point (AP).
14. The network of claim 1 , wherein the at least one converged media packet gateway bearer element comprises an SWm interface to an authentication authorization and accounting (AAA) function.
15. The network of claim 1 , wherein the at least one converged media packet gateway bearer element comprises an SWu interface to a user equipment (UE).
16. The network of claim 1 , wherein the at least one converged media packet gateway bearer element comprises an S5/S8 interface to an external PGW.
17. The network of claim 1 , wherein the at least one converged media packet gateway bearer element comprises an S4 interface and a Gn/Gp interface to an SGSN.
18. The network of claim 1 , wherein the at least one converged media packet gateway bearer element comprises an S12 interface and a Gn interface to a UTRAN.
19. The network of claim 1 , wherein the at least one converged media packet gateway bearer element comprises an S1-U interface to an evolved universal mobile telecommunication system terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN).
20. The network of claim 1 , wherein the at least one converged media packet gateway bearer element comprises an Mb interface to a remote real-time protocol (RTP) and a remote message session relay protocol (MSRP).
21. The network of claim 1 , wherein the at least one converged media packet gateway bearer element comprises an SGi interface to an application gateway (AG).
22. The network of claim 1 , wherein the converged media packet gateway control element communicates with the at least one converged media packet gateway bearer element via a control channel using a protocol based on the H.248 protocol.
23. A distributed Evolved Packet Core network element comprising: a gateway control element including:
a Serving Gateway (SGW) control portion;
a Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway (PGW) control portion coupled to the SGW control portion;
a proxy call session control function (P-CSCF) element coupled to the PGW control portion, the P-CSCF including an IP-Multimedia Subsystem Application Level Gateway (IMS-ALG) function; and
an Access Transfer Control Function (ATCF) element coupled to the P-CSCF element; and
a plurality of gateway bearer elements distributed geographically and each coupled to the gateway control element, each of the gateway bearer elements including:
an evolved Packet Data Gateway (ePDG) function;
an SGW bearer portion;
a PGW bearer portion coupled to the SGW bearer portion;
an Internet protocol multimedia subsystem-access gateway (IMS-AGW) element coupled to the PGW bearer portion; and
an access transfer gateway (ATGW) element coupled to the IMS-AGW element,
wherein the distributed evolved packet core network element enables central deployment and operation of control signal handling using the gateway control element and distributed media handling using the plurality of gateway bearer elements.
24. The network element of claim 23 , wherein the gateway control element comprises:
a Gx interface and an Rx interface to a policy and charging rules function (PCRF);
a Ga interface to a charging function;
a S6b interface to an authentic authorization and accounting (AAA) function;
a Gn/Gp interface and an S4 interface to a serving GPRS support node (SGSN);
a Gn interface to a universal terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN);
an S2b interface to an access point (AP);
an S5/S8 interface to an external PGW;
an S11 interface to a mobility management entity (MME); and
a Mw interface to an interrogating/serving call session control function (I/S-CSCF).
25. The network element of claim 23 , wherein each of the gateway bearer element comprises:
an S2a interface and an SWn interface to an access point (AP);
an SWm interface to an authentic authorization and accounting (AAA) function;
an SWu interface to a user equipment (UE);
an S5/S8 interface to an external PGW;
an S4 interface and a Gn/Gp interface to a serving GPRS support node (SGSN);
an S12 interface and a Gn interface to a universal terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN);
an SI-U interface to an evolved UMTS terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN);
an Mb interface to a remote Real-Time Protocol (RTP) and a remote message session relay protocol (MSRP); and
an SGi interface to an application gateway (AG).
26. The network element of claim 23 , wherein the gateway control element communicates with the plurality of geographically distributed gateway bearer elements via a control channel using a protocol based on the H.248 protocol.
27. A method of extending 3GPP R4 architecture to a long term evolution (LTE) data and voice core, comprising:
managing a control general packet radio service tunneling protocol (GTP-C) function of Serving Gateway (SGW), Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway (PGW), proxy call session control function (P-CSCF), and Access Transfer Control Function (ATCF) in a single centralized control element; and
providing SGW bearer plane terminating S1-U, Access Transfer Gateway (ATGW), and Internet Protocol multimedia subsystem-access gateway-network address translation (IMS-AGW NAT) functions in a plurality of geographically distributed bearer elements under the control and management of the single centralized control element,
wherein a dedicated bearer is activated between the control element and the bearer plane.