Mobile edge computing for data network traffic

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10798635-B2
Application number	US-201816207379-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 3, 2018
Priority date	Dec 3, 2018
Publication date	Oct 6, 2020
Grant date	Oct 6, 2020

Abstract

The described technology is generally directed towards selectively steering wireless network data packet traffic to a network edge cloud, which reduces backhaul bandwidth and facilitates ultra-low latency communications. In one aspect, upon receiving a request for data communication by a user equipment in the wireless network, location information is used to override a centralized access point name (e.g., 4G serving gateway/packet gateway, S/PGW, or 5G user plane function) with an edge-located access point name (edge 4G S/PGW or edge 5G user plane function). This facilitates the data communication between the user equipment and an edge-located access point device associated with the edge-located access point name.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
receiving, by network equipment comprising a processor, a request to connect a user equipment for communication of data via a network;
determining, by the network equipment, first location information associated with a first location of the user equipment;
in response to determining the first location information, overriding, by the network equipment, a centralized access point name of a centralized gateway device with a first edge-located access point name to facilitate communication of data between the user equipment and first edge-located access point equipment; and
in response to determining second location information associated with a second location of the user equipment, overriding, by the network equipment, the first edge-located access point name with a second edge-located access point name to facilitate communication of additional data between the user equipment and second edge-located access point equipment.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein overriding the centralized access point name with the first edge-located access point name comprises overriding an existing packet data network gateway equipment with edge packet data network gateway equipment.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising determining that the edge packet data network gateway equipment is available.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, selecting, by the network equipment, a user plane function for the user equipment based on an identifier of the first edge-located access point equipment.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising determining, by the network equipment that the user plane function is available.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, selecting, by the network equipment, a user plane function for the user equipment based on a tracking area code associated with a network tracking area.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising establishing, by the network equipment, that there is no lawful interception monitoring associated with the user equipment.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of:
obtaining, by the network equipment, subscription information associated with the user equipment and determining, based on the subscription information, that the user equipment qualifies for the communication of the data via the first edge-located access point equipment, or
evaluating, by the network equipment, data service type information associated with the user equipment and determining, based on the data service type information, that the user equipment is to communicate the data via the first edge-located access point equipment.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising communicating with a core charging system to facilitate tracking an amount of data associated with the communication of the data between the user equipment and the first edge-located access point equipment.

10. Network equipment, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
receiving a request for connection of a user equipment for data communication via a network;
obtaining first location information associated with a first location of the user equipment;
in response to determining the first location information, overriding a centralized access point name of centralized gateway equipment with a first edge-located access point name to facilitate the data communication between the user equipment and first edge-located access point equipment; and
in response to determining second location information associated with a second location of the user equipment, overriding the first edge-located access point name with a second edge-located access point name to facilitate communication of additional data between the user equipment and second edge-located access point equipment.

11. The network equipment of claim 10 , wherein obtaining the location information comprises evaluating an identifier of a local node associated with the user equipment or evaluating a tracking area code representative of a tracking area associated with the connection of the user equipment.

12. The network equipment of claim 10 , wherein the overriding the centralized access point name with the first edge-located access point name comprises overriding existing packet data network gateway equipment with edge packet data network gateway equipment.

13. The network equipment of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise establishing that the first edge-located access point equipment is able to service the user equipment based on at least one of: a first availability of an edge 4G packet data network gateway device, a second availability of an edge 4G serving gateway, or a third availability of an edge 5G user plane function.

14. The network equipment of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise establishing that the first edge-located access point equipment is able to service the user equipment based on determining, according to a criterion, that no interception monitoring associated with the user equipment is related to commission on accreditation for law enforcement agencies.

15. The network equipment of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise establishing that the first edge-located access point equipment is able to service the user equipment based on obtaining subscription information associated with the user equipment, and determining, based on the subscription information, that the user equipment qualifies for the data communication between the user equipment and the first edge-located access point equipment.

16. The network equipment of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise establishing that the first edge-located access point equipment is able to service the user equipment based on evaluating data service type information associated with the user equipment.

17. A machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of network equipment, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
receiving a request for data communication by a user equipment via a network;
obtaining first location information associated with a first location of the user equipment;
overriding, based on the first location information, a centralized access point name of a centralized gateway device with a first edge-located access point name to facilitate the data communication between the user equipment and a first edge-located access point device associated with the first edge-located access point name; and
in response to obtaining second location information associated with a second location of the user equipment, overriding, based on the second location information, the first edge-located access point name with a second edge-located access point name to facilitate communication of additional data between the user equipment and a second edge-located access point device.

18. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise, determining that the first edge-located access point device is able to service the user equipment based on at least one of: determining a first availability of an edge 4G packet data network gateway device, determining a second availability of an edge 4G serving gateway, determining that interception monitoring associated with the user equipment is nonexistent or not related to CALEA, or determining a third availability of an edge 5G user plane function.

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Seenappa Vikram
• Mhatre Vivek
• Kodaypak Rajendra Prasad
• Wang Jiansong
• Redfern Ryan

Classifications

• H04W40/02 Primary

  Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing · CPC title

• H04W60/04

  using triggered events · CPC title

• H04W8/02 Primary

  Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks · CPC title