Quality of Service to Over the Top Applications Used with VPN

Abstract

Conventional quality of service (QoS) treatment is extended to over-the-top (OTT) applications transmitting data over a commercial wireless network via a virtual private network (VPN) tunnel. An over-the-top (OTT) application server and a VPN client/server routing data to/from that OTT application server via a VPN tunnel, are integrated with a quality of service (QoS) server to enable the OTT application server and/or VPN client/server to request and get desired QoS treatment for application data routed by the OTT application server over the VPN tunnel. The QoS server forwards QoS rules received in a QoS request message to a policy and charging rules function (PCRF) on the OTT application/VPN client devices' home mobile network operator (MNO). If the client device is roaming, the PCRF on the home MNO forwards QoS rules to a PCRF on a serving MNO. QoS treatment is then carried out by the PCRF in a conventional manner.

1 - 49 . (canceled) 
     
     
         50 . A method for extending quality of service (QoS) treatment to an over-the-top (OTT) application transmitting data over a commercial wireless network via a virtual private network (VPN) tunnel, comprising:
 receiving a VPN quality of service (QoS) request message from an over-the-top (OTT) application server;   performing validation on said VPN quality of service (QoS) request message;   determining that said over-the-top (OTT) application server is permitted to change a quality of service (QoS) setting on a home mobile network operator (MNO) server;   tracking virtual private network (VPN) tunneling information received with said VPN quality of service (QoS) request message;   overriding current quality of service (QoS) rules with quality of service (QoS) rules embedded in said VPN quality of service (QoS) request message; and   routing a message to a policy and charging rules (PCRF) server to assign quality of service (QoS) rules defined in said VPN quality of service (QoS) request message to all application data routed over said virtual private network (VPN) tunnel;   wherein said virtual private network (VPN) tunnel is a single-tenant virtual private network (VPN) tunnel.   
     
     
         51 . The method for extending quality of service (QoS) treatment to an over-the-top (OTT) application transmitting data over a commercial wireless network via a virtual private network (VPN) tunnel according to  claim 50 , further comprising:
 querying an external number portability database (NPDB) for home mobile network operator (MNO) information when home mobile network operator (MNO) information cannot be found by said home mobile network operator (MNO) server.   
     
     
         52 . The method for extending quality of service (QoS) treatment to an over-the-top (OTT) application transmitting data over a commercial wireless network via a virtual private network (VPN) tunnel according to  claim 50 , wherein:
 said policy and charging rules function (PCRF) server provides conventional quality of service (QoS) treatment to said over-the-top (OTT) application transmitting data over said virtual private network (VPN) tunnel.   
     
     
         53 . The method for extending quality of service (QoS) treatment to an over-the-top (OTT) application transmitting data over a commercial wireless network via a virtual private network (VPN) tunnel according to  claim 50 , further comprising:
 transmitting said quality of service information to said policy and charging rules function (PCRF) via a diameter protocol interface.   
     
     
         54 . The method for extending quality of service (QoS) treatment to an over-the-top (OTT) application transmitting data over a commercial wireless network via a virtual private network (VPN) tunnel according to  claim 50 , further comprising:
 forwarding, via said policy and charging rules function (PCRF) on said home mobile network operator (MNO), received quality of service (QoS) rules to a policy and charging rules function (PCRF) serving said over-the-top (OTT) application client device when said (OTT) application client device is roaming.   
     
     
         55 . The method for extending quality of service (QoS) treatment to an over-the-top (OTT) application transmitting data over a commercial wireless network via a virtual private network (VPN) tunnel according to  claim 50 , wherein:
 said VPN quality of service (QoS) request message indicates a particular quality of service (QoS) profile to invoke.   
     
     
         56 . The method for extending quality of service (QoS) treatment to an over-the-top (OTT) application transmitting data over a commercial wireless network via a virtual private network (VPN) tunnel according to  claim 50 , wherein:
 said over-the-top (OTT) application server sends an application quality of service (QoS) termination message to said quality of service (QoS) server when said over-the-top (OTT) application server detects at least one of a termination of service, and a termination of signaling, on an over-the-top (OTT) application client device.   
     
     
         57 . The method for extending quality of service (QoS) treatment to an over-the-top (OTT) application transmitting data over a commercial wireless network via a virtual private network (VPN) tunnel according to  claim 56 , wherein:
 said application quality of service (QoS) termination message indicates to said quality of service (QoS) server that reserved quality of service (QoS) values may be terminated on said home mobile network operator (MNO) assigned to said over-the-top (OTT) application client device.   
     
     
         58 . A method for extending quality of service (QoS) treatment to an over-the-top (OTT) application transmitting data over a commercial wireless network via a virtual private network (VPN) tunnel, comprising:
 receiving a VPN quality of service (QoS) request message from an over-the-top (OTT) application server;   performing validation on said VPN quality of service (QoS) request message;   determining that said over-the-top (OTT) application is permitted to change a quality of service (QoS) setting on a home mobile network operator (MNO) server;   tracking virtual private network (VPN) tunneling information received with said VPN quality of service (QoS) request message;   overriding current quality of service (QoS) rules with quality of service (QoS) rules embedded in said VPN quality of service (QoS) request message; and   routing a message to a policy and charging rules (PCRF) server to assign quality of service (QoS) rules defined in said VPN quality of service (QoS) request message to all application data routed for said requesting over-the-top (OTT) application;   wherein said virtual private network (VPN) tunnel is a multi-tenant virtual private network (VPN) tunnel.   
     
     
         59 . The method for extending quality of service (QoS) treatment to an over-the-top (OTT) application transmitting data over a commercial wireless network via a virtual private network (VPN) tunnel according to  claim 58 , further comprising:
 querying an external number portability database (NPDB) for home mobile network operator (MNO) information when home mobile network operator (MNO) information cannot be found by said home mobile network operator (MNO) server.   
     
     
         60 . The method for extending quality of service (QoS) treatment to an over-the-top (OTT) application transmitting data over a commercial wireless network via a multi-tenant virtual private network (VPN) tunnel according to  claim 58 , wherein:
 said policy and charging rules function (PCRF) server provides conventional quality of service (QoS) treatment to said over-the-top (OTT) application transmitting data over said virtual private network (VPN) tunnel.   
     
     
         61 . The method for extending quality of service (QoS) treatment to an over-the-top (OTT) application transmitting data over a commercial wireless network via a multi-tenant virtual private network (VPN) tunnel according to  claim 58 , further comprising:
 transmitting said quality of service information to said policy and charging rules function (PCRF) via a diameter protocol interface.   
     
     
         62 . The method for extending quality of service (QoS) treatment to an over-the-top (OTT) application transmitting data over a commercial wireless network via a multi-tenant virtual private network (VPN) tunnel according to  claim 58 , further comprising:
 forwarding, via said policy and charging rules function (PCRF) on said home mobile network operator (MNO), received quality of service (QoS) rules to a policy and charging rules function (PCRF) serving said over-the-top (OTT) application client device when said (OTT) application client device is roaming.   
     
     
         63 . The method for extending quality of service (QoS) treatment to an over-the-top (OTT) application transmitting data over a commercial wireless network via a multi-tenant virtual private network (VPN) tunnel according to  claim 58 , wherein:
 said VPN quality of service (QoS) request message indicates a particular quality of service (QoS) profile to invoke.   
     
     
         64 . The method for extending quality of service (QoS) treatment to an over-the-top (OTT) application transmitting data over a commercial wireless network via a multi-tenant virtual private network (VPN) tunnel according to  claim 58 , wherein:
 said over-the-top (OTT) application server sends an application quality of service (QoS) termination message to said quality of service (QoS) server when said over-the-top (OTT) application server detects at least one of a termination of service, and a termination of signaling, on an over-the-top (OTT) application client device.   
     
     
         65 . The method for extending quality of service (QoS) treatment to an over-the-top (OTT) application transmitting data over a commercial wireless network via a multi-tenant virtual private network (VPN) tunnel according to  claim 64 , wherein:
 said application quality of service (QoS) termination message indicates to said quality of service (QoS) server that reserved quality of service (QoS) values may be terminated on said home mobile network operator (MNO) assigned to said over-the-top (OTT) application client device.   
     
     
         66 . A method for extending quality of service (QoS) treatment to an over-the-top (OTT) application transmitting data over a commercial wireless network via a virtual private network (VPN) tunnel, comprising:
 receiving a VPN quality of service (QoS) request message from an over-the-top (OTT) application server;   performing validation on said VPN quality of service (QoS) request message;   determining that said over-the-top (OTT) application is permitted to change a quality of service (QoS) setting on a home mobile network operator (MNO) server;   tracking virtual private network (VPN) tunneling information received with said VPN quality of service (QoS) request message;   overriding current quality of service (QoS) rules with quality of service (QoS) rules embedded in said VPN quality of service (QoS) request message; and   routing a message to a policy and charging rules (PCRF) server to assign quality of service (QoS) rules defined in said VPN quality of service (QoS) request message to all application data routed for said requesting over-the-top (OTT) application;   wherein said virtual private network (VPN) tunnel is a multi-tenant virtual private network (VPN) tunnel.   
     
     
         67 . A method for extending quality of service (QoS) treatment to an over-the-top (OTT) application transmitting data over a commercial wireless network via a virtual private network (VPN) tunnel according to  claim 66 , further comprising:
 querying an external number portability database (NPDB) for home mobile network operator (MNO) information when home mobile network operator (MNO) information cannot be found by said home mobile network operator (MNO) server.   
     
     
         68 . A method for extending quality of service (QoS) treatment to an over-the-top (OTT) application transmitting data over a commercial wireless network via a virtual private network (VPN) tunnel according to  claim 66 , further comprising:
 transmitting said quality of service information to said policy and charging rules function (PCRF) via a diameter protocol interface.   
     
     
         69 . A method for extending quality of service (QoS) treatment to an over-the-top (OTT) application transmitting data over a commercial wireless network via a virtual private network (VPN) tunnel according to  claim 66 , further comprising:
 forwarding, via said policy and charging rules function (PCRF) on said home mobile network operator (MNO), received quality of service (QoS) rules to a policy and charging rules function (PCRF) serving said over-the-top (OTT) application client device when said (OTT) application client device is roaming.