Patent ID: 9271197
Filing Date: 2016-02-23
CPC Classification: H04W

Claim Text:
1. A method of managing a user session and an internet protocol (IP) session for a connection between an user equipment (UE) and a network, comprising: establishing, at a first distributed evolved packet core (EPC), the user session and the IP session over the connection through the first distributed EPC, wherein the first distributed EPC comprises a first packet data network (PDN) gateway (PGW) at which the IP session is anchored; holding original IP resources for the IP session and releasing original connection resources for the user session at the first distributed EPC when the UE moves beyond the first distributed EPC to a second distributed EPC; establishing a tunnel between the first PGW and a second PGW for the second distributed EPC, wherein the tunnel utilizes the original IP resources and new connection resources at the second distributed EPC; and routing data for the user session and the IP session from the tunnel, through the first PGW, and to the network.