US 11,388,098 B2 · Method of providing network slice packet flow descriptors to a session management function in a telecommunication network

Abstract

A method is disclosed for providing a Packet Flow Descriptor, PFD, to a session management function, SMF, in a telecommunication network that supports network slicing and that includes a Packet Flow Description Function, PFDF, for hiding a topology of the telecommunication network from Application Service Providers, ASP, where the PFDF is shared among slices of the telecommunication network. The method includes receiving a PFD from an ASP, and storing the PFD in a Unified Data Repository, UDR. The method further includes receiving, from the SMF, a request for PFDs that apply to a particular slice, retrieving, from the UDR, the PFD that applies to the particular slice, and providing the retrieved PFD to the SMF.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A method of providing a Packet Flow Descriptor (PFD) to a session management function (SMF) in a telecommunication network, wherein said telecommunication network is able to support network slicing, wherein said telecommunication network comprises a Packet Flow Description Function (PFDF) for hiding a topology of said telecommunication network from Application Service Providers (ASPs) and wherein said PFDF is shared among slices of said telecommunication network, said method comprises the steps of:

receiving, by said PFDF, from an ASP, a PFD;
storing, by said PFDF, said PFD in a Unified Data Repository (UDR) comprised by said telecommunication network, wherein said PFD is stored with identifications of corresponding applicable slices in said UDR;
receiving, by said PFDF, from a Session Management Function (SMF) a request for PFDs that apply to a particular slice, wherein said received request comprises an identification of said particular slice;
retrieving, by said PFDF, from said UDR said PFD that applies to said particular slice;
and
providing, by said PFDF, said retrieved PFD to said SMF.

3 more elements

A Packet Flow Description Function (PFDF) arranged for providing a Packet Flow Descriptor (PFD) to a session management function (SMF) in a telecommunication network, wherein said telecommunication network is able to support network slicing, wherein PFDF is arranged for hiding a topology of said telecommunication network from Application Service Providers (ASPs) and wherein said PFDF is arranged to be shared among slices of said telecommunication network, wherein said PFDF comprises:

receive equipment arranged for receiving from an ASP, a PFD;
store equipment arranged for storing said PFD in a Unified Data Repository (UDR) comprised by said telecommunication network, wherein said store equipment is further arranged for storing said PFD with identifications of corresponding applicable slices in said UDR;
wherein said receive equipment is further arranged for receiving from a Session Management Function (SMF) a request for PFDs that apply to a particular slice, wherein said received request comprises an identification of said particular slice and wherein said PFDF further comprises:
retrieve equipment arranged for retrieving from said UDR said PFD that applies to said particular slice, and
provide equipment arranged for providing said retrieved PFD to said SMF.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method of providing network slice packet flow descriptors to a session management function in a telecommunication network

Life of this patent

Method of providing network slice packet flow descriptors to a session management function in a telecommunication network

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10