Method and apparatus for traffic routing and path optimization for peer-to-peer communications

    公开(公告)号:US11895033B2

    公开(公告)日:2024-02-06

    申请号:US16185795

    申请日:2018-11-09

    摘要: Application Function (AF) influenced routing for peer-to-peer (P2P) communications is provided. Core network elements correlate PDU sessions and optimize the UP path for peer-to-peer traffic. UP selection, reselection, configuration or reconfiguration can be performed in support of P2P traffic routing. P2P traffic between a pair of UEs is routed or rerouted through a bridge. The bridge may be established between the first UP and the second UP, and/or between associated RAN nodes. One or more application functions can be included along the bridge path. A policy control function (PCF) directs underlying resources to route P2P traffic via the bridge, for example in response to a trigger from the AF. A session management function (SMF) directs underlying resources to configure or reconfigure user plane data paths to route P2P traffic via the bridge. First and second SMFs of the first and second UPs can cooperate to establish the desired traffic routing. One or more UPFs can be configured to support P2P traffic detection.

    Method and system of packet aggregation

    公开(公告)号:US11368873B2

    公开(公告)日:2022-06-21

    申请号:US16217923

    申请日:2018-12-12

    摘要: Methods, systems and architectures are described which provide at least one aggregated tunnel protocol, in addition to the existing per PDU session tunnel protocols (1, 2, . . . N). When the UE requests a new PDU session or a new QoS flow, the SMF may establish a Per PDU Session Tunnel to serve this PDU session. Alternatively, an Aggregated Tunnel may be selected to serve the PDU session or to serve the QoS flow. When a packet from a UE arrives, the receiving network function can send this packet either using a per PDU session tunnel protocol or aggregated tunnel protocol.

    Method and system for supporting edge computing

    公开(公告)号:US10972575B2

    公开(公告)日:2021-04-06

    申请号:US15989863

    申请日:2018-05-25

    摘要: A method, apparatus and system for supporting Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) in a network such as a 5G communication network. Application Function (AF) request data is received from an AF operating in the network in support of MEC, stored in memory, and transmitted from the memory to one or more Policy Control Functions (PCFs) operating in the network. Subscribing PCFs may be notified of the receipt and storage of the data and request retrieval of the data. The data may be stored and handled by a function referred to as the Application Data Repository, or by another data repository. The operations may be performed by a network function such as but not limited to an Application Data Repository function. The function can store the AF request data and notify the PCFs. The function can handle AF requests associated with roaming UEs.

    Message and system for application function influence on traffic routing

    公开(公告)号:US10999892B2

    公开(公告)日:2021-05-04

    申请号:US16665345

    申请日:2019-10-28

    摘要: An aspect of the disclosure provides for a method for user equipment (UE) internet protocol (IP) address management. The method includes sending by an application function (AF), a request to a policy control function (PCF), the request including information identifying traffic and an indication that a UE IP address associated with the traffic should be preserved. The method further includes sending by the PCF, to a session management function (SMF) being responsible for managing a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session associated with the traffic, a policy and charging control (PCC) rule including the indication. In some embodiments, the request is sent by the AF to the PCF via a network exposure function (NEF). In some embodiments, the method further includes managing, by the SMF, the UE IP address according to the PCC rule. In some embodiments, the managing includes preserving the UE IP address for a PDU session associated with the traffic. In some embodiments, the preserving includes preventing reselection of a protocol data unit (PDU) session anchor (PSA) to which the UE IP address is associated.

    Method and system for user plane path selection

    公开(公告)号:US10972552B2

    公开(公告)日:2021-04-06

    申请号:US15712820

    申请日:2017-09-22

    摘要: Aspects of the disclosure provide a system and method used for allowing a path selection or reselection (hereby (re)selection). In some embodiments data packets for a session between a UE and an application system (AS) can utilize a pre-established user plane path between the AS and an access node (AN) which serves the UE. This can allow for faster session set-up times as a new user plane (UP) path need not be established for every new session if existing UP paths can be utilized. Some embodiments allow an application aware (re)selection of the user plane.