# US 10,771,325 B2 · System and method for access network configuration

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- Number: US 10,771,325 B2
- Document ID: US10771325B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/861,177
- Filed: 2018-01-03
- Published: 2018-07-05
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2017-01-05
- Assignees: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Hamidreza Farmanbar; Nimal Gamini Senarath; William Anthony Gage
- Inventors: Hamidreza Farmanbar; Nimal Gamini Senarath; William Anthony Gage
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10771325B2

## CPC

- H04L 41/0803: Configuration setting
- H04L 41/0816: the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
- H04L 41/0843: {based on generic templates}
- H04W 48/18: Selecting a network or a communication service
- H04L 41/085: Retrieval of network configuration; Tracking network configuration history
- H04W 76/10: Connection setup
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

Methods for configuring user plane functions associated with a network slice. The methods include: creating a user plane configuration profile specific to at least one of an access technology and a user plane function; associating the user plane configuration profile with a network slice instance; selecting the network slice in response to a service request; and communicating the user plane configuration profile associated with the selected network slice instance to a control plane function.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A configuration management function comprising:
at least one processor;
a non-transitory computer readable storage medium including software instructions configured to control the at least one processor to implement steps of:
forwarding, to an access network function (ANF), at least one access network (AN) configuration profile, each AN configuration profile including parameters defining a respective configuration of access network resources and protocols corresponding to a network slice instance; and
forwarding, to a core network function (CNF), information identifying each AN configuration profile for use by the CNF to:
identify one or more AN configuration profiles associated with a network slice instance selected from a plurality of network slice instances; and
forward to the ANF information comprising a protocol data unit (PDU) session resource setup indication including a respective AN configuration identifier (ANCID) for each of the identified AN configuration profiles.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The configuration management function as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information forwarded to the ANF further comprises a network slice identifier (NSID) associated with the selected network slice instance.

### Claim 3

A core network function comprising:
at least one processor;
a non-transitory computer readable storage medium including software instructions configured to control the at least one processor to implement steps of:
receiving information identifying, for each one of a plurality of network slice instances, at least one respective access network (AN) configuration profile of an access network;
identifying one or more of the AN configuration profiles associated with a network slice instance selected from the plurality of network slice instances; and
forwarding, to an access network function, information comprising a protocol data unit (PDU) session resource setup indication including a respective AN configuration identifier (ANCID) for each of the identified one or more AN configuration profiles.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The core network function as claimed in claim 3, wherein the core network function comprises any one or more of a gateway and a server of the core network.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The core network function as claimed in claim 3, wherein identifying one or more of the AN configuration profiles comprises:
receiving, from the access network function, information identifying one or more attributes of the access network; and
identifying, based on the received information identifying one or more attributes of the access network, AN configurations that are appropriate for a particular network slice instance.

### Claim 6

A method comprising:
a core network function receiving information identifying, for each one of a plurality of network slice instances, at least one respective access network (AN) configuration profile of an access network;
the core network function identifying one or more of the AN configuration profiles associated with a network slice instance selected from the plurality of network slice instances; and
the core network function forwarding, to an access network function, information comprising a protocol data unit (PDU) session resource setup indication including a respective AN configuration identifier (ANCID) for each of the identified one or more AN configuration profiles.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the core network function comprises any one or more of a gateway and a server of the core network.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein identifying one or more of the AN configuration profiles comprises:
receiving, from the access network function, information identifying one or more attributes of the access network; and
identifying, based on the received information identifying one or more attributes of the access network, AN configurations that are appropriate for a particular network slice instance.