Patent ID: 9007937
Filing Date: 2015-04-14
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A computer-based method tbr processing user data traffic in a radio access network in which mobile user equipment can communicate with a Radio Network Controller (RNC) through a base station, the method comprising the steps of: reading a flow of data frames to and from the mobile user equipment passing between the base station and the RNC, wherein one or more of the data frames contain control messages and one or more other of the data frames contain user data; analyzing the control messages contained in the data frames for channel identification information and characteristics that indicates whether the data frames that contain the user data contain circuit-switched user data or packet-switched user data; and segregating the data frames that contain the circuit-switched user data and the data frames that contain the packet-switched user data at a transport network layer in a wired link in the radio access network between the base station and the RNC based on the channel identification information and the characteristics using a data packet filter between the base station and the RNC, wherein the data packet filter is configured to perform the steps of: selectively allowing a given one or more of the data frames in the transport network layer to pass through the data packet tilter if a packet filtering rule exists for a channel in the transport network layer to which the given one or more data frames belong, otherwise offloading the given one or more data frames, and wherein packet filtering rules are created when the control messages comprise radio control messages found in the data frames and a circuit-switched connection is identified from channel set up information; wherein the characteristics that indicate whether the user data comprises circuit-switched user data or packet-switched user data comprise one or more of inter-arrival times of the data frames, a distribution of sizes of the data frames and a configuration of a payload of the data frames.