Patent ID: 9137157
Filing Date: 2015-09-15
Classification: H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. A gateway support node (GGSN) comprising one or more receivers and one or more controllers, the gateway support node configured to: provide an interface between an external packet data communications network and a packet radio network, the packet radio network providing a plurality of packet data bearers for communicating Internet packets with nodes attached to the packet radio network, each of the packet data bearers being defined with respect to a source home address of nodes communicating the Internet packets, the gateway support node (GGSN) being operable upon receipt of the Internet packet, to detect that a next header field of the Internet packet includes a hop-by-hop extension header, and to detect a router alert option header in the hop-by-hop extension header, and a value field indicating that the remainder of the hop-by-hop extension header is provided for the gateway support node, and upon detecting the value field indicating that the remainder of the hop-by-hop extension header field is for the gateway support node, to recover information from a field provided in the remainder of the hop-by-hop extension header for use in controlling egress and/or ingress of Internet packets to the packet radio network in accordance with the information, wherein the gateway support node is operable to control ingress of Internet packets from the external communications network to the packet data bearers of the packet radio network, by detecting from the information field provided in the remainder of the hop-by-hop extension header a source home address of a mobile correspondent node communicating the Internet packets, using the source home address of the mobile correspondent node to identify the packet data bearer for communicating the Internet packets to a correspondent node attached to the packet radio network, and allowing ingress of the Internet packets to the identified packet data bearer.