Network segmentation for hosting of roaming partner networks and services
AssigneeVodafone IP Licensing Limited
InventorAdrian Neal
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
System and method for providing cellular services to a roaming subscriber comprising a visited public land mobile network, VPLMN. At least one processor within the VPLMN. Memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to instantiate one or more network functions as software processes performing data plane packet processing within a network functions virtualisation, NFV, environment hosted by the VPLMN and associated with a home public land mobile network, HPLMN, wherein the network functions provide the roaming subscriber with network services associated with the HPLMN.
Claims13
A system for providing cellular services to a roaming subscriber comprising:
- a visited public land mobile network (VPLMN);
- at least one processor within the VPLMN;
- and
- memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:
- instantiate one or more network functions as processes performing data plane packet processing within a network functions virtualization (NFV) environment hosted by the VPLMN and associated with a home public land mobile network (HPLMN) wherein the network functions provide the roaming subscriber with network services associated with the HPLMN,
- wherein the NFV environment hosted by the VPLMN includes a policy and charging rules function (PCRF) of the HPLMN, and
- wherein the PCRF within the NFV environment is configured to synchronize with a PCRF within the HPLMN.
A method for providing cellular services to a roaming subscriber outside of a home public land mobile network (HPLMN) from a visited public land mobile network (VPLMN) the method comprising the steps of:
- instantiating one or more network functions as processes performing data plane packet processing within a network functions virtualization (NFV) environment hosted by the VPLMN and associated with the HPLMN, wherein the network functions provide the roaming subscriber with network services associated with the HPLMN, and wherein the NFV environment hosts one or more network functions selected from the group comprising:
- subscription profile repository (SPR);
- online charging system (OCS), and offline charging system (OFCS), and
- synchronizing any one or more of the SPR, OCS, and/or OFCS within the NFV environment with a corresponding network function within the HPLMN.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.