Application topology aware user plane selection in NR and 5GC

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11310868-B2
Application number	US-201815761276-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 20, 2018
Priority date	Mar 31, 2017
Publication date	Apr 19, 2022
Grant date	Apr 19, 2022

Abstract

Systems and methods relating to selection of user plane functions in a core network and a radio access network of a cellular communications network that take into consideration information related to application server selection are disclosed. In some embodiments, a method of operation of a network node in a cellular communications network that comprises a radio access network and a core network comprises selecting a user plane function for a protocol data unit session for a wireless device based on information related to application server selection such that the protocol data unit session for the wireless device utilizes the selected user plane function. In this manner, optimal user plane connectivity between an application client in the wireless device and an application server is provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operation of a session management function, SMF, in a core network in a cellular communications network that comprises a radio access network and the core network, the method comprising:
receiving information regarding one or more candidate Packet Processing Functions, PPFs, in the radio access network;
determining one or more candidate User Plane Functions, UPFs, based on the one or more candidate PPFs;
sending, to an Application Function, AF, a message comprising information regarding the one or more candidate PPFs and the one or more candidate UPFs;
receiving, from the AF, information related to Application Server, AS, selection, wherein the AS is selected by the AF based on the information regarding the one or more candidate PPFs and the one or more candidate UPFs; and
selecting a user plane function for a protocol data unit session for a wireless device based on the information related to AS selection such that the protocol data unit session for the wireless device utilizes the selected user plane function,
wherein the information related to AS selection comprises information that indicates at least one PPF pool comprising the one or more candidate PPFs related to the selected AS selected by the AF and information that identifies the selected AS.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the information related to AS selection comprises information that indicates at least one UPF pool related to the selected AS, wherein each of the at least one UPF pool comprises one or more UPFs where the UPF is a user plane function in the core network.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the information related to AS selection comprises a list of one or more candidate AS locations.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the information related to AS selection comprises one or more assumptions regarding locations of one or more candidate ASs.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving, from another network node, a message comprising a list of candidate PPF pools for the protocol data unit session for the wireless device, each candidate PPF pool in the list of candidate PPF pools comprising one or more PPFs wherein a PPF is a user plane function in the radio access network;
selecting a list of candidate User Plane Function, UPF, pools for the protocol data unit session for the wireless device, each candidate UPF pool in the list of candidate UPF pools comprising one or more UPFs wherein a UPF is a user plane function in the core network;
providing, to the AF, information comprising: (a) the list of candidate PPF pools and the list of candidate UPF pools or (b) combined information obtained by combining the list of candidate PPF pools and the list of candidate UPF pools; and
receiving, from the AF, AS related information comprising: (a) information that indicates an AS selected for the wireless device and/or (b) information that indicates at least one UPF pool from the list of candidate UPF pools and/or (c) information that indicates at least one PPF pool from the list of candidate PPF pools;
wherein:
selecting the user plane function comprises selecting a UPF for the protocol data unit session for the wireless device based on the AS related information; and
the method further comprises sending a message comprising an indication of the selected UPF to another network node.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the indication of the selected UPF comprises an indication of a UPF pool of the selected UPF and/or an indication of the selected UPF.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the indication of the selected UPF comprises a transport address and tunneling endpoint identifier of the selected UPF.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
obtaining, from the AF, a list of candidate AS locations;
wherein:
selecting the user plane function comprises selecting a User Plane Function, UPF, for the protocol data unit session for the wireless device based on the list of candidate AS locations, the UPF being a user plane function in the core network; and
the method further comprises providing, to another network node, a message comprising an indication of the selected UPF.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
obtaining, from the AF, a list of candidate AS locations;
providing, to another network node, a message comprising the list of candidate AS locations; and
receiving, from another network node, a message comprising an indication of a PPF selected for the protocol data unit session for the wireless device, the PPF being a user plane function in the radio access network;
wherein selecting the user plane function comprises selecting a User Plane Function, UPF, for the protocol data unit session for the wireless device based on the PPF selected for the protocol data unit session for the wireless device, the UPF being a user plane function in the core network.

10. A physical network node that hosts a session management function, SMF, in a core network in a cellular communications network that comprises a radio access network and the core network, the SMF being a logical network node and the physical network node comprising:
at least one processor; and
memory comprising instructions executable by the at least one processor whereby the physical network node is operable to implement the SMF, the SMF being operable to:
receive information regarding one or more candidate Packet Processing Functions, PPFs, in the radio access network;
determine one or more candidate User Plane Functions, UPFs, based on the one or more candidate PPFs;
send, to an Application Function, AF, a message comprising information regarding the one or more candidate PPFs and the one or more candidate UPFs;
receive, from the AF, information related to Application Server, AS, selection, wherein the AS is selected by the AF based on the information regarding the one or more candidate PPFs and the one or more candidate UPFs; and
select a user plane function for a protocol data unit session for a wireless device based on the information related to AS selection such that the protocol data unit session for the wireless device utilizes the selected user plane function,
wherein the information related to AS selection comprises information that indicates at least one PPF pool comprising the one or more candidate PPFs related to the selected AS selected by the AF and information that identifies the selected AS.

11. A method of operation for assisting in coordinated selection of an Application Server, AS, and a user plane function in a cellular communications network for a protocol data unit session for a wireless device, comprising:
receiving, from a session management function, SMF, of the cellular communications network, a message comprising information regarding two or more candidate Packet Processing Functions, PPFs, and two or more candidate User Plane Functions, UPFs, for the protocol data unit session for the wireless device, wherein the two or more candidate UPFs are determined at the SMF based on the two or more candidate PPFs;
selecting the AS based on the received information regarding the two or more candidate PPFs and the two or more candidate UPFs; and
providing, to the SMF, information related to AS selection, wherein the information related to AS selection comprises information that indicates at least one PPF pool comprising the two or more candidate PPFs related to the selected AS and information that identifies the selected AS.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising storing information that indicates the selected AS is selected for the wireless device.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the information in the received

Assignees

• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Myhre Elena
• Hall Göran
• Backman Jan
• Vikberg Jari
• Wahlqvist Mattias

Classifications

• H04L41/12 Primary

  Discovery or management of network topologies · CPC title

• H04W80/10 Primary

  adapted for {application} session management, e.g. SIP [Session Initiation Protocol] {(connection management H04W76/00; arrangements for session management H04L67/14)} · CPC title

• H04L67/1004 Primary

  Server selection for load balancing · CPC title

• H04W76/12

  Setup of transport tunnels · CPC title

• H04L41/5087

  wherein the managed service relates to voice services (management of VoIP services H04M7/0081) · CPC title