Dynamic in-band service control mechanism in mobile network

Abstract

A method, computer readable medium and apparatus for transmitting signaling information within payload traffic. For example, the method parses a certificate received from a service provider to obtain service imprint information associated with a mobile service, inserts a service control parameter derived from the service imprint information into a packet header, and forwards the packet header within payload traffic to a policy charging and enforcing function.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for forwarding a packet header within a user-plane bearer, the method comprising:
 parsing, via a processor, a certificate received from a service provider to obtain service imprint information associated with a mobile service; 
 translating, via the processor, the service imprint information into a policy consistent with a service control parameter derived from the service imprint information; 
 inserting, via the processor, the service control parameter and the policy into the packet header, wherein the service control parameter is intended to be used as an in-band signaling in controlling the mobile service; and 
 forwarding, via the processor, the packet header within the user-plane bearer to a policy charging and enforcing function. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the policy charging and enforcing function is deployed by a gateway of a wireless communication network. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the packet header comprises a hypertext transfer protocol header. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the certificate is authenticated as being from the service provider. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the certificate comprises a X.509 certificate. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 enforcing the policy. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 caching the service imprint information. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the service control parameter in the packet header is removed by the policy charging and enforcing function. 
     
     
       9. A tangible computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations for forwarding a packet header within a user-plane bearer, the operations comprising:
 parsing a certificate received from a service provider to obtain service imprint information associated with a mobile service; 
 translating the service imprint information into a policy consistent with a service control parameter derived from the service imprint information; 
 inserting the service control parameter and the policy into the packet header, wherein the service control parameter is intended to be used as an in-band signaling in controlling the mobile service; and 
 forwarding the packet header within the user-plane bearer to a policy charging and enforcing function. 
 
     
     
       10. The tangible computer-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the policy charging and enforcing function is deployed by a gateway of a wireless communication network. 
     
     
       11. The tangible computer-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the packet header comprises a hypertext transfer protocol header. 
     
     
       12. The tangible computer-readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein the certificate is authenticated as being from the service provider. 
     
     
       13. The tangible computer-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the certificate comprises a X.509 certificate. 
     
     
       14. The tangible computer-readable medium of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 enforcing the policy. 
 
     
     
       15. The tangible computer-readable medium of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 caching the service imprint information. 
 
     
     
       16. An apparatus for forwardinq a packet header within a user-plane bearer, the apparatus comprising:
 a processor; and 
 a computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
 parsing a certificate received from a service provider to obtain service imprint information associated with a mobile service; 
 translating the service imprint information into a policy consistent with a service control parameter derived from the service imprint information; 
 inserting the service control parameter and the policy into the packet header, wherein the service control parameter is intended to be used as an in-band signaling in controlling the mobile service; and 
 forwarding the packet header within the user-plane bearer to a policy charging and enforcing function.