Dynamic discovery of network functions in mobility interworking across radio access technologies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11516718-B2
Application number	US-202016924886-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2020
Priority date	Jul 9, 2020
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations including receiving a first message from a mobile management entity (MME) in a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network indicating a handover of user equipment (UE) to a fifth generation (5G) network covering a first area in which the UE is located; discovering an access mobility management function (AMF) in the 5G network responsive to the second message; receiving a second message from the AMF indicating a handover of the UE to the LTE network; and discovering a second mobile management entity (MME) in the LTE network covering a second area in which the UE is located. Other embodiments are disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device, comprising:
a processing system including a processor; and
a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
detecting user equipment (UE) in a fifth generation (5G) network;
determining, by the processing system, that the UE has crossed a threshold and is leaving a coverage area of the 5G network;
discovering, by the processing system, a mobile management entity (MME) in a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network covering an area that the UE is within, wherein a Packet Data Network Gateway Control/Session Management Function (PGW-C/SMF) in the LTE network provides access to a packet data network (PDN) through a user data plane function (UPF);
transferring, by the processing system, metadata associated with the UE to the MME;
handing over, by the processing system, cellular services to the LTE network; and
providing access, by the processing system, to the PDN through the PGW-C/SMF and through a Serving Gateway (SGW), after the handing over.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the MME provides services to the coverage area of the LTE network.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein a network repository function (NRF) discovers the MME responsive to a message received from an access mobility management function (AMF) in the 5G network.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the message is passed over a first Representational State Transfer (REST) Application Programming Interface (API).

5. The device of claim 3 , wherein the transferring is performed by the AMF passing messages over an enhanced N26 interface to the MME using a second REST API.

6. The device of claim 3 , wherein the NRF discovers the MME without using a domain name service (DNS) protocol.

7. The device of claim 3 , wherein the NRF and the AMF are virtual network elements.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the processing system comprises a plurality of processors operating in a distributed computing environment.

9. A non-transitory, machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
detecting user equipment (UE) in a fifth generation (5G) network;
determining that the UE has crossed a threshold and is leaving a coverage area of the 5G network;
discovering a mobile management entity (MME) in a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network covering an area that the UE is within, wherein a Packet Data Network Gateway Control/Session Management Function (PGW-C/SMF) in the LTE network provides access to a packet data network (PDN) through a user data plane function (UPF);
transferring metadata associated with the UE to the MME;
handing over cellular services to the LTE network; and
providing access to the PDN through the PGW-C/SMF and through a Serving Gateway (SGW) after the handing over.

10. The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the MME provides services to the coverage area of the LTE network.

11. The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the processing system comprises a plurality of processors operating in a distributed computing environment.

12. The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein a network repository function (NRF) discovers the MME responsive to a message received from an access mobility management function (AMF) in the 5G network.

13. The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the NRF discovers the MME without using a domain name service (DNS) protocol.

14. The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the NRF and the AMF are virtual network elements.

15. The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the message is passed over a first Representational State Transfer (REST) Application Programming Interface (API).

16. The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the transferring is performed by the AMF passing messages over an enhanced N26 interface to the MME using a second REST API.

17. A method, comprising:
detecting, by a processing system including a processor, user equipment (UE) in a fifth generation (5G) network;
determining, by the processing system, that the UE has crossed a threshold and is leaving a coverage area of the 5G network;
discovering, by the processing system, a mobile management entity (MME) in a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network covering an area that the UE is within, wherein a Packet Data Network Gateway Control/Session Management Function (PGW-C/SMF) in the LTE network provides access to a Packet Data Network (PDN) through a user data plane function (UPF);
transferring, by the processing system, metadata associated with the UE to the MME;
handing over, by the processing system, cellular services to the LTE network; and
providing access, by the processing system, to the PDN through the PGW-C/SMF and through a Serving Gateway (SGW), after the handing over.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein a network repository function (NRF) discovers the MME responsive to a message received from an access mobility management function (AMF) in the 5G network.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the NRF and the AMF are virtual network elements and wherein the metadata comprises status, heartbeat timer, Internet Protocol address, capacity, priority, load, locality, services supported, or a combination thereof.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the NRF discovers the MME without using a domain name service (DNS) protocol.

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Kodaypak Rajendra Prasad
• Seenappa Vikram

Classifications

• H04W8/24

  Transfer of terminal data · CPC title

• H04W48/16

  Discovering, processing access restriction or access information · CPC title

• H04W36/14 Primary

  Reselecting a network or an air interface · CPC title

• H04W36/144

  over a different radio air interface technology · CPC title

• H04W36/00222 Primary

  between different packet switched [PS] network technologies, e.g. transferring data sessions between LTE and WLAN or LTE and 5G · CPC title