Backhaul header compression

摘要

A telecommunications network, and particularly a mobility management entity (MME) (26) of the telecommunications network, performs negotiation of use of header compression over at least a portion of a backhaul link extending between a base station node (28) and a serving gateway (SGW) (24). In some embodiments the backhaul link comprises a radio link. In certain bearer encapsulation embodiments having radio-interface borne backhaul links a General Packet Radio service Tunneling Protocol (GTP) tunnel traverses between the serving gateway node and a relay base station node. In such bearer encapsulation embodiments the method further comprises handling signaling between the serving gateway node and the relay base station node for negotiating the use of the header compression inside the General Packet Radio service Tunneling Protocol (GTP) tunnel. In certain proxy embodiments having radio-interface borne backhaul links the backhaul link comprises a first tunnel extending between the serving gateway node and a donor base station node and a further (e.g., second) tunnel extending between the donor base station node and the relay base station node. In such example proxy embodiments the method further comprises handling signaling between the relay base station node and the donor base station node for negotiating the use of the header compression inside the second tunnel, and (optionally) handling signaling between the donor base station node and the serving gateway node for negotiating the use of the header compression inside the first tunnel.

主权项

1. A method of managing header compression in a telecommunications network comprising:
negotiating use of header compression over at least a portion of a backhaul link, wherein the backhaul link comprises: (i) a first tunnel having a first tunnel identifier and extending between a serving gateway node of the telecommunications network and a donor base station node and (ii) a second tunnel having a second tunnel identifier and extending between the donor base station node and a relay base station node, and wherein the second tunnel traverses a radio interface between the relay base station node and the donor base station node, the negotiating comprising:
receiving a first signaling message at a mobility management entity, the first signaling message indicating whether the serving gateway node agrees to use header compression;receiving a second signaling message at the mobility management entity, the second signaling message indicating whether the donor base station agrees to use header compression; receiving, at the donor base station node, a packet transmitted over the first tunnel, wherein the received packet comprises an outer internet protocol (IP) header and an inner IP header; compressing the inner IP header of the packet; and switching the packet from the first tunnel to the second tunnel for transmission to the relay base station node.