Abstract: The present invention relates to a methods and network nodes for controlling resources of a service session in a communication network as well as to a corresponding system and computer program to improve the handling of resources in the network, and particularly to optimize signaling in the network. The method for controlling resources for a service session by a policy and charging system in a communication network comprises the steps of obtaining, at a first network node, a request including service session data indicating the type of service; determining, based on the service session data obtained at said first network node, a resource type to be assigned to said service; and sending to a second network node an indication of said resource type assigned to said service, according to which resource type it is determined when a service session associated with said service is terminated.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and nodes for managing network resources in a policy and charging system of a communication network, as well as to a system comprising at least one of the described nodes, and to a computer program, which provide for optimizing the resources of a telecommunication network and to reduce memory usage. A method for managing network resources in a policy and charging system of a communication network comprises receiving at a second node an indication about a state of a server resource of a first node; determining whether or not an activity of a service session associated with a connection between a client and the second node is below an activity threshold; and if the activity is determined to be below the activity threshold, instructing a termination of a bearer resource assigned to the service session.

Abstract: A node (36?; 50) generates messages to be sent to a policy controller (30). Further, the node (36?; 50) determines a load value. The load value represents a number of the messages which are sent from the node (36?; 50) to the policy controller in a given time interval. In response to the load value reaching a threshold, the node (36?; 50) limits sending of at least one of the messages to the policy controller.

Abstract: For event reporting between a first node and a second node of a mobile telecommunications network, the second node sends an indication to the first node to subscribe to reporting of a certain event type by the first node. The indication may specify that a change in type of radio access technology, as used by a user equipment for connecting to the telecommunications network, is to be reported from the first node to the second node. The second node may provide additional information to the first node to further specify a subtype of the event to be reported. The additional information may specify at least one type of radio access technology. Based on detecting the event of the specified event type and subtype, e.g., a change to or from a specific type of radio access technology, the first node sends a report of the detected event to the second node.

Abstract: A method in a communications network for adaptive handling of network data traffic between a user equipment and a network resource, said data traffic being enabled by a lookup procedure for obtaining a network address of the network resource. The user equipment sends to a server a request for accessing said data traffic. The server obtains access information related to a connection of the user equipment to the communications network and sends a further request to a lookup adaptation server. The source address of the further request is based on the access information. Based on the source address of the further request, the lookup adaptation server returns to the user equipment a network address of the network resource capable of handling the data traffic.

Abstract: The invention relates to an application function entity (100, 200, 300) configured to control policy rules of a packet based service data flow that is transmitted to a subscriber of a mobile communications network. The application function entity comprises a policy server (110) configured to control the policy rules of said packet based service data flow, the policy server containing a first interface (111) towards a traffic detection entity (140, 150, 65, 70) which detects the packet based service data flows in the mobile communications network. Furthermore, an interface (113) to a database is provided containing information with which policy rules to be applied to packet based service data flows can be determined. The policy server (110) is configured to determine, based on the information in the database (120), the policy for said packet based service data flow and configured to apply the policy rules to said packet based service data flow.

Abstract: For handling user plane traffic in a communication network, a NAT node (100) determines a mapping between a network address (200-e) of a server (200) and a replacement network (200-i) address matching a packet classification rule implemented in the communication network. If the NAT node (100) receives an UL data packet (403) in which a source address identifier corresponds to a network address of a user equipment (10) and a destination address identifier corresponds to the replacement network address (200-i), it performs NAT of the UL data packet (403) in accordance with the mapping. This is accomplished at least by modifying the destination address identifier in the UL data packet (403) to correspond to the network address (200-e) of the server (200). The NAT node (100) then sends the modified UL data packet (405) toward the server (200).

Abstract: For enabling differentiated handling of mobile network data traffic between a UE (410) and a network resource, a network address lookup procedure is adapted on the basis of mobile access information related to a connection between the UE (410) and a mobile network. The mobile access information may be obtained from authentication traffic (502, 503, 504, 505) in the mobile network and be provided to a node (560) performing the adaptation by modifying a message (508) of the lookup procedure. On the basis of the mobile access information, the adaptation may cause the lookup procedure to return a network address of a replacement network resource capable of handling the data traffic. The network address of the replacement network resource (60) matches a packet filter for directing the data traffic to a bearer established between the UE (410) and the mobile network.

Abstract: The invention relates to a content delivery entity (100) configured to deliver a first data traffic from a first Internet content provider (310) to a mobile user equipment (200) via an access network of a mobile communications network. The entity (100) comprises an interface (113) configured to detect the first data traffic that shall be treated with priority. An acceleration unit (120) is configured to accelerate the delivery of the first data traffic from the first Internet content provider to the content delivery entity, and a controller (110) is configured to forward the first data traffic from the first Internet content provider (310) to the mobile user equipment (200) in the access network in such a way that the first data traffic from the first Internet content provider (310) is routed to the mobile user equipment (200) in the access network with a priority different from that of a second data traffic that is delivered from a second Internet content provider (330, 390) through the access network.

Abstract: A method in a communications network for adaptive handling of network data traffic between a user equipment and a network resource, said data traffic being enabled by a lookup procedure for obtaining a network address of the network resource. The user equipment sends to a server a request for accessing said data traffic. The server obtains access information related to a connection of the user equipment to the communications network and sends a further request to a lookup adaptation server. The source address of the further request is based on the access information. Based on the source address of the further request, the lookup adaptation server returns to the user equipment a network address of the network resource capable of handling the data traffic.

Abstract: For event reporting between a first node and a second node of a mobile telecommunications network, the second node sends an indication to the first node to subscribe to reporting of a certain event type by the first node. The indication may specify that a change in type of radio access technology, as used by a user equipment for connecting to the telecommunications network, is to be reported from the first node to the second node. The second node may provide additional information to the first node to further specify a subtype of the event to be reported. The additional information may specify at least one type of radio access technology. Based on detecting the event of the specified event type and subtype, e.g., a change to or from a specific type of radio access technology, the first node sends a report of the detected event to the second node.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for controlling bearer related resources by a policy and charging system in a communication network and a node for controlling bearer related resources, as well as to a system comprising the node, and to a computer program configured to make effective use of bearer resources of a telecommunication network. The method for controlling bearer related resources by a policy and charging system in a communication network comprises the steps of obtaining, at a network node, bearer support information indicating whether a user equipment, UE, supports a dedicated bearer of a plurality of bearers, which is a bearer dedicated to a service session; setting a time period for the service session according to the obtained bearer support information; and instructing a modification of a reserved bearer resource assigned to the service session when the set time period expires.

Abstract: Currently existing mechanisms to optimize the quality of experience (QoE) in accordance with user data plans are rather based on user self-managed usage of his mobile user data plan with, for example, help from external applications which continuously evaluate the limits reached. There is thus a need for deployment of intelligence in the network, in order to avoid abrupt downgrades in the QoE for subscribers that go over the monthly quota of their data plan. To overcome these problems, or at least to mitigate them, an embodiment of the present invention provides for an optimization of the user's quota by gradually reducing the required bandwidth for the content that the user requests. This is achieved by a method which takes into account the consumed/remaining volumes in the user data plan as well as the user browsing habits, and which provides context enrichment to content providers to enable taking decisions.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and nodes for managing network resources in a policy and charging system of a communication network, as well as to a system comprising at least one of the described nodes, and to a computer program, which provide for optimizing the resources of a telecommunication network and to reduce memory usage. A method for managing network resources in a policy and charging system of a communication network comprises receiving at a second node an indication about a state of a server resource of a first node; determining whether or not an activity of a service session associated with a connection between a client and the second node is below an activity threshold; and if the activity is determined to be below the activity threshold, instructing a termination of a bearer resource assigned to the service session.

Abstract: A node (36?; 50) generates messages to be sent to a policy controller (30). Further, the node (36?; 50) determines a load value. The load value represents a number of the messages which are sent from the node (36?; 50) to the policy controller in a given time interval. In response to the load value reaching a threshold, the node (36?; 50) limits sending of at least one of the messages to the policy controller.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a methods and network nodes for controlling resources of a service session in a communication network as well as to a corresponding system and computer program to improve the handling of resources in the network, and particularly to optimize signaling in the network. The method for controlling resources for a service session by a policy and charging system in a communication network comprises the steps of obtaining, at a first network node, a request including service session data indicating the type of service; determining, based on the service session data obtained at said first network node, a resource type to be assigned to said service; and sending to a second network node an indication of said resource type assigned to said service, according to which resource type it is determined when a service session associated with said service is terminated.

Abstract: For handling user plane traffic in a communication network, a NAT node (100) determines a mapping between a network address (200-e) of a server (200) and a replacement network (200-i) address matching a packet classification rule implemented in the communication network. If the NAT node (100) receives an UL data packet (403) in which a source address identifier corresponds to a network address of a user equipment (10) and a destination address identifier corresponds to the replacement network address (200-i), it performs NAT of the UL data packet (403) in accordance with the mapping. This is accomplished at least by modifying the destination address identifier in the UL data packet (403) to correspond to the network address (200-e) of the server (200). The NAT node (100) then sends the modified UL data packet (405) toward the server (200).

Abstract: Currently existing mechanisms to optimize the quality of experience (QoE) in accordance with user data plans are rather based on user self-managed usage of his mobile user data plan with, for example, help from external applications which continuously evaluate the limits reached. There is thus a need for deployment of intelligence in the network, in order to avoid abrupt downgrades in the QoE for subscribers that go over the monthly quota of their data plan. To overcome these problems, or at least to mitigate them, an embodiment of the present invention provides for an optimization of the user's quota by gradually reducing the required bandwidth for the content that the user requests. This is achieved by a method which takes into account the consumed/remaining volumes in the user data plan as well as the user browsing habits, and which provides context enrichment to content providers to enable taking decisions.

Abstract: The invention relates to an application function entity (100, 200, 300) configured to control policy rules of a packet based service data flow that is transmitted to a subscriber of a mobile communications network. The application function entity comprises a policy server (110) configured to control the policy rules of said packet based service data flow, the policy server containing a first interface (111) towards a traffic detection entity (140, 150, 65, 70) which detects the packet based service data flows in the mobile communications network. Furthermore, an interface (113) to a database is provided containing information with which policy rules to be applied to packet based service data flows can be determined. The policy server (110) is configured to determine, based on the information in the database (120), the policy for said packet based service data flow and configured to apply the policy rules to said packet based service data flow.

Abstract: The invention relates to a content delivery entity (100) configured to deliver a first data traffic from a first Internet content provider (310) to a mobile user equipment (200) via an access network of a mobile communications network. The entity (100) comprises an interface (113) configured to detect the first data traffic that shall be treated with priority. An acceleration unit (120) is configured to accelerate the delivery of the first data traffic from the first Internet content provider to the content delivery entity, and a controller (110) is configured to forward the first data traffic from the first Internet content provider (310) to the mobile user equipment (200) in the access network in such a way that the first data traffic from the first Internet content provider (310) is routed to the mobile user equipment (200) in the access network with a priority different from that of a second data traffic that is delivered from a second Internet content provider (330, 390) through the access network.