T-mobile Usa, Inc.

Texas Instruments Corporation

Muhammad Waqar Afzal

Suliman Albasheir

Rahul Pal

Suresh Thanneeru

Karunakalage Viraj Rakitha Silva

Khurram Ahmad Mirza

Nader Nabil Farouk Riad

Salvador Mendoza

Muhammad Adnan Farooq

Swetha Gopisetti

Saad Hamid

Shujaur Rehman Mufti

Robert L Engelhart

Charles Michael Campbell

Kevin Main

Nitin Bhakri

Harry W Hartjes

Omer Ocak

Kashif Nadeem

A solution for establishing a data traffic session for a user equipment (UE) on a network (e.g., a 4G or 5G cellular network) includes: receiving, by a session management node, from the UE, a request to set up the data traffic session; establishing the data traffic session with a first packet routing node; receiving, by the session management node, from a network repository or the first packet routing node, an indication of unavailability of the first packet routing node to handle UE data traffic; and based on at least a status of the first packet routing node changing from available to handle UE data traffic to unavailable to handle UE data traffic, moving the data traffic session to the available alternate packet routing node.

Status registration of packet routing nodes

Methods and systems to achieve complete redundancy for a subscriber data point are disclosed. The subscriber data point (SDP) may be implemented on an account balance management function (AMBF) of a 5G charging system. According to an implementation, a first computing device of the AMBF may be scheduled to perform an operation on subscriber data stored in a first database, and a second computing device of the AMBF may be scheduled to perform the same operation on subscriber data stored in a second database after a preset time period from the first computing device performing the operation. The first computing device may set a flag in the first database and the second database when the operation starts. The second computing device may check the flag status when starting the operation. Upon detecting the flag is on in the second database, the second computing device may terminate the operation.

Methods and systems to achieve complete redundancy for a subscriber data point system

Bandwidth-dependent selection of a packet routing node (e.g., user plane function (UPF) for 5G, packet data network gateway user plane function (PGW-U) for 4G) includes determining, for each of a plurality of packet routing nodes, a bandwidth capacity to an access network (e.g., a radio access node); receiving a request for a data traffic session; determining whether the data traffic session comprises a bandwidth priority; identifying a subset of the plurality of packet routing nodes having a higher bandwidth capacity than others of the plurality (e.g., the packet routing node having the highest capacity, or the top percentage); based on at least determining that the data traffic session comprises a bandwidth priority data traffic session, selecting a packet routing node for the data traffic session from the subset; and establishing the data traffic session through the selected packet routing node.

Bandwidth-dependent selection of a packet routing node

A solution for initiating a network session (e.g., a voice call) for a user equipment (UE) on a network includes: receiving a session initiation message at a first network node; appending, to the session initiation message, an identification of a policy node; passing the appended session initiation message to a session management node; selecting, by the session management node, the identified policy node; and based at least upon selecting the identified policy node, initiating the network session for the UE. This improves call setup reliability by reducing the risk that an error in the subscriber information at the session management node (e.g., proxy-call session control function (P-CSCF)) indicates the incorrect policy node (e.g., policy and charging rule function (PCRF) or policy charging function (PCF)). In some examples, the session initiation message may comprise a session initiation protocol (SIP) message.

Dynamic PCRF/PCF selection

A system uses deep packet inspection and a services policy database to select policy control functions based on services associated with a packet data session rather than an access point name or data network name. As a packet data session is initiated, a system management function (SMF) determines a service associated with the session and routes a policy request to one of several policy control functions (PCF or PCRF) depending on the service. Policies specific to the service may be chosen and enforced at the selected PCF/PCRF.

Service-based policy for cellular communications

A method for selecting a user plane function when a user equipment (UE) attaches to a wireless communication network may include determining a data throughput limit associated with the UE, identifying a first user plane function having a first data throughput capacity, and identifying a second user plane function having a second data throughput capacity, wherein the first throughput capacity is higher than the second throughput capacity. The method may further include selecting the first user plane function if the data throughput limit of the UE is above a predetermined threshold, selecting the second user plane function if the data throughput limit of the UE is below the predetermined threshold, and sending a session request to the selected first or second user plane function.

Methods and systems for selecting a user plane function in a wireless communication network

A method and system for content filtering. A network repository function unit registers a session management function unit. The session management function unit initiates a session in response to a session request from a user equipment. The session management function unit accesses a subscriber profile stored by a data management unit, and the subscriber profile includes one or more content filtering settings. In response to the session being established, the session management function unit is configured to determine data packets for the user equipment to be filtered based on the one or more content filtering settings. Absent triggering an instruction to be sent via a Gx interface, an access and mobility management function (AMF) unit is configured to select the session management function unit in compliance with the one or more content filtering settings for filtering the data packets for the user equipment.

Content filtering for packet data network gateway (PGW) and session management function (SMF) selection

In a cellular system having both 4-Generation (4G) and 5-Generation (5G) cellular networks, cellular device sends a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) INVITE message to initiate a voice call. The message is received and acted upon by a Proxy-Call Session Control Function (P-CSCF) of an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS). Cellular devices that support 5G services are configured to include an information element (IE) in the SIP INVITE message to indicate support for 5G services. When responding to a SIP INVITE message, the P-CSCF determines whether the SIP INVITE message includes such an IE. If the SIP INVITE message contains an IE indicating 5G support, the P-CSCF sends an Authorization Authentication Request (AAR) message to a 5G Policy Control Function (PCF) to initiate a 5G dedicated bearer. Otherwise, the P-CSCF sends the AAR to a 4G Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) to initiate a 4G dedicated bearer.

Capabilities-based network selection for cellular devices

Systems, methods, and devices can be utilized to provide charging function (CHF) fallback in a 5Generation Core (5GC). An example method is performed by a fail-open function (FOF), and includes receiving, from the CHF, information corresponding to a subscriber of a network. The information is stored in a database. Further, the example method includes receiving, from the CHF or a connected function, a request corresponding to the subscriber. The connected function is a session management function (SMF) and/or a policy control function (PCF). Based on the request, the information stored in the database is at least one of accessed or modified. Based on performing at least one of accessing or modifying the information stored in the database, a response is generated and transmitted to the CHF or the connected function.

Charging function fallback

Systems, devices, and techniques described herein relate to prioritizing access by first user equipment (UEs) connected to a first radio access technology (RAT) type over access by second UEs connected to a second RAT type responsive to a failure of a core network node. A node of the core network, such as a session management node, may determine that another node of the core network has failed based on a negative response or no response from that other node. The node may then prioritize access based on RAT types of requesting UEs.

Handling radio access technologies based on core network failures

Selecting local gateways for VoWiFi and/or ViWiFi calls (voice traffic sessions) for a user equipment (UE) includes: receiving, by an evolved packet data gateway (ePDG), a request to initiate the voice traffic session from a WiFi router outside a cellular network that is communicatively coupled with the UE; based on at least an internet protocol (IP) address of the WiFi router or the UE, determining a geographical location of the UE; based on at least the geographical location of the UE, determining a tracking area code; based on at least the tracking area code, determining an IP address of a network gateway proximate to the UE, wherein the network gateway comprises a user plane function (UPF) and a session management function (SMF) or a packet data gateway (PGW) user plane function (PGW-U) and a PGW control plane function (PGW-C); and establishing the voice traffic session using the network gateway.

Selecting local gateways for VoWiFi and ViWiFi

A telecommunication network associated with a wireless telecommunication provider can be configured to select user-plane functions (UPFs) for a user equipment (UE) in a network, and the handover of subscriber sessions. According to some configurations, a nearest UPF to the UE can be picked to service the UE. Choosing the nearest UPF may reduce latency to the UE when sending and receiving packets through a cellular network, such as a 5G network. Subscriber sessions can be handed over across multiple UPFs based on mobility of the UE. Subscriber sessions may be anchored on UPFs located either on edge locations or centralized data centers. Because of mobility of subscribers from a first location (e.g., x) to a second location (e.g., y), a subscriber's session can be moved from one user plane node to another user plane node seamlessly.

Selection of user plane functions and handover of subscriber sessions

A method for selecting a gateway node to support handover when a user equipment (UE) attaches to a 4G long-term evolution (LTE) network may include receiving a prediction from a machine learning engine predicting whether the UE is more likely to handover between the 4G LTE network and a 3G network or between the 4G LTE network and a 5G network based on handover data in the UE's location area. The method may further include selecting a first gateway node if the prediction indicates that the UE is more likely to handover between the 4G LTE network and the 3G network, and selecting a second gateway node if the prediction indicates that the UE is more likely to handover between the 4G LTE network and a 5G network. The first gateway node may support 4G and 3G sessions, and the second gateway node may support 4G and 5G sessions.

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Bellevue, WA, United States of America

Muhammad Waqar Afzal