Service awareness and seamless switchover between client based WiFi access and mobile data network access

摘要

A system and method provides seamless switchover of a user device (UE) between a mobile data network and a wireless network while providing policy and charging control (PCC) of the data session in the mobile data network. A mobile core network component is made ASF aware to process user data traffic related to an auto switching function (ASF) server from a UE client located on the UE using a special access point name (APN). The mobile core network component then uses a dedicated deep packet inspection (ASF DPI) for all data transfers to the special APN. The core network component is then able to process the UE data traffic seamlessly as the traffic is toggled between the ASF tunnel the WiFi tunnel. By monitoring the data traffic on the ASF tunnel, the core component (GGSN/PGW) is able to provide PCC for the data session.

主权项

1. A mobile data network comprising:
a network component in a core network of the mobile data network, wherein the network component communicates with a user equipment (UE), wherein the network component provides policy and charging control of data sessions in the mobile data network; an auto switching function (ASF) server connected to the network component that communicates with a wireless access point connected to the ASF server, wherein the wireless access point receives wireless communications with the UE on a wireless tunnel; a client in the UE that opens a packet data protocol (PDP) context with a special access point name (APN) for data to be transferred through the network component to the ASF server on a ASF tunnel; and wherein the network component applies a deep packet inspection (DPI) to the ASF tunnel to identify all data traffic having the special APN on the ASF tunnel and the core network component, in response to applying the DPI to the ASF tunnel, applies policy and charging control to all data traffic identified as having the special APN.