Systems and methods for updating a policy of a user equipment in fourth-generation network coverage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12425948-B2
Application number	US-202318164726-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2023
Priority date	Feb 6, 2023
Publication date	Sep 23, 2025
Grant date	Sep 23, 2025

Abstract

A user equipment (UE) may store a default user equipment route selection policy (URSP) and may receive, from a fourth-generation (4G) core network, a default protocol configuration option (PCO) value for a default network slice of the 4G core network. The UE may utilize the default network slice based on the default URSP and the default PCO value and may receive a request to update the default URSP with a new URSP associated with a new network slice of the 4G core network. The UE may update the default URSP with the new URSP to generate an updated URSP and may receive, from the 4G core network, a new PCO value for the new network slice of the 4G core network. The UE may utilize the default network slice and the new network slice based on the updated URSP, the default PCO value, and the new PCO value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
storing, by a user equipment, a default user equipment route selection policy (URSP);
receiving, by the user equipment and from a fourth-generation (4G) core network, a default protocol configuration option (PCO) value for a default network slice of the 4G core network;
utilizing, by the user equipment, the default network slice based on the default URSP and the default PCO value;
receiving, by the user equipment, a request to update the default URSP with a new URSP associated with a new network slice of the 4G core network;
updating, by the user equipment and based on the request, the default URSP with the new URSP to generate an updated URSP;
receiving, by the user equipment and from the 4G core network, a new PCO value for the new network slice of the 4G core network; and
utilizing, by the user equipment, the default network slice and the new network slice based on the updated URSP, the default PCO value, and the new PCO value.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the new network slice is provisioned by a subscriber associated with the user equipment.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the new network slice is provisioned by a provisioning system associated with the user equipment.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the request to update the default URSP with the new URSP comprises:
receiving the request to update the default URSP with the new URSP from a subscriber identity module over-the-air system.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the request to update the default URSP with the new URSP comprises:
receiving the request to update the default URSP with the new URSP from a mobility management entity device of the 4G core network.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the default PCO value includes a first value when the default network slice is enabled or a second value when the default network slice is disabled.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the new PCO value includes a first value when the new network slice is enabled or a second value when the new network slice is disabled.

8. A user equipment, comprising:
one or more processors configured to:
store a default user equipment route selection policy (URSP);
receive, from a fourth-generation (4G) core network, a default protocol configuration option (PCO) value for a default network slice of the 4G core network;
utilize the default network slice based on the default URSP and the default PCO value;
receive a request to update the default URSP with a new URSP associated with a new network slice of the 4G core network,
wherein the new network slice is provisioned by one of a subscriber associated with the user equipment or a provisioning system associated with the user equipment;

update, based on the request, the default URSP with the new URSP to generate an updated URSP;
receive, from the 4G core network, a new PCO value for the new network slice of the 4G core network; and
utilize the default network slice and the new network slice based on the updated URSP, the default PCO value, and the new PCO value.

9. The user equipment of claim 8 , wherein one or more of the default URSP or the new URSP is received by the 4G core network from a fifth-generation core network.

10. The user equipment of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
receive, from the 4G core network, another PCO value for the new network slice based on the new network slice being paused; and
utilize the default network slice based on the default URSP, the default PCO, and the other PCO value.

11. The user equipment of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
receive, once again from the 4G core network, the new PCO value for the new network slice based on the new network slice being resumed; and
utilize the default network slice and the new network slice based on the updated URSP, the default PCO, and the new PCO value.

12. The user equipment of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
receive, from a fifth-generation (5G) core network, another URSP for a network slice of the 5G core network; and
utilize the network slice of the 5G core network based on the other URSP.

13. The user equipment of claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors, to receive the other URSP for the network slice of the 5G core network, are configured to:
receive the other URSP for the network slice of the 5G core network from a policy control function of the 5G core network.

14. The user equipment of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors, to store the default URSP, are configured to:
store the default URSP in a subscriber identity module of the user equipment.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions, the set of instructions comprising:
one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a user equipment, cause the user equipment to:
store a default user equipment route selection policy (URSP);
receive, from a fourth-generation (4G) core network, a default protocol configuration option (PCO) value for a default network slice of the 4G core network;
utilize the default network slice based on the default URSP and the default PCO value;
receive, from one of a subscriber identity module over-the-air system or a mobility management entity device of the 4G core network, a request to update the default URSP with a new URSP associated with a new network slice of the 4G core network;
update, based on the request, the default URSP with the new URSP to generate an updated URSP;
receive, from the 4G core network, a new PCO value for the new network slice of the 4G core network; and
utilize the default network slice and the new network slice based on the updated URSP, the default PCO value, and the new PCO value.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the default PCO value includes a first value when the default network slice is enabled or a second value when the default network slice is disabled.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the new PCO value includes a first value when the new network slice is enabled or a second value when the new network slice is disabled.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein one or more of the default URSP or the new URSP is received by the 4G core network from a fifth-generation core network.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more instructions further cause the user equipment to:
receive, from the 4G core network, another PCO value for the new network slice based on the new network slice being paused;
utilize the default network slice based on the default URSP, the default PCO, and the other PCO value;
receive, once again from the 4G core network, the new PCO value for the new network slice based on the new network slice being resumed; and
utilize the default network slice and the new network slice based on the updated URSP, the default PCO, and the new PCO value.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more instructions further cause the user equipment to:
receive, from a fifth-generation (5G) core network, another URSP for a network slice of the 5G core network; and
utilize the network slice of the 5G core network based on the other URSP.

Assignees

• Verizon Patent & Licensing Inc

Inventors

• Patel Samirkumar
• Nacer Jeremy
• Hallo De Wolf Axel
• De Melo Alexandre
• Williams Mary

Classifications

• H04W40/02

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

• H04W48/18 Primary

  Selecting a network or a communication service · CPC title

• H04W40/248 Primary

  Connectivity information update · CPC title