Patent ID: 8064384
Filing Date: 2011-11-22
Classification: H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. A packet radio network for providing a facility for communicating internet packets to and/or from a mobile user equipment, the packet radio network comprising a gateway support node operable to provide a packet data protocol context for controlling the communication of the internet packets to and/or from the packet radio network from and/or to the mobile user equipment via a packet communications bearer, a serving support node operable to control communications of the internet packets to and from the gateway support node to and/or from the mobile user equipment to form the packet communications bearer, and a radio network part operable to provide a radio access bearer for communicating the internet packets via a radio access interface to and/or from the mobile user equipment, wherein in response to a packet data protocol activation request message requesting a common packet data protocol context, the serving support node is operable in combination with the gateway support node to establish a common packet data protocol context in association with a packet communications bearer, the common packet data protocol context being established to communicate internet protocol packets via the packet communications bearer according to an internet protocol version specified by the mobile user equipment for one or more communications sessions, and the packet data protocol activation request message communicated to the serving support node from the mobile user equipment includes an end user address information element, with a packet data protocol type number field having a value set to a predetermined value to indicate a request for the common packet data protocol context, and an address field representing an address in accordance with the internet protocol version specified by the mobile user equipment for communicating the internet packets using the common packet data protocol context.