# US 12,010,610 B2 · Support for tunneling > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,010,610 B2 - Document ID: US12010610B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/962,263 - Filed: 2022-10-07 - Published: 2023-04-13 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2020-12-29 - Assignees: Ofinno, LLC - Applicants: Ofinno, LLC - Inventors: Weihua Qiao; Esmael Hejazi Dinan; Kyungmin Park; Peyman Talebi Fard; Jinsook Ryu; Taehun Kim - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12010610B2 ## CPC - H04W 48/16: Discovering, processing access restriction or access information - H04W 76/11: Allocation or use of connection identifiers - H04W 76/12: Setup of transport tunnels - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A session management function (SMF) sends, to a network repository function (NRF), a discovery request for at least one user plane function (UPF) that supports a layer 2 tunneling protocol (L2TP) tunnel. The SMF receives, from the NRF, a discovery response comprising an identity of a UPF that supports the L2TP tunnel. The SMF selects, based on the UPF supporting the L2TP tunnel, the UPF. The SMF sends, to the UPF, a session request message comprising tunnel information of the L2TP tunnel. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: sending, by a session management function (SMF) to a network repository function (NRF), a discovery request for at least one user plane function (UPF) that supports a layer 2 tunneling protocol (L2TP) tunnel; receiving, by the SMF from the NRF, a discovery response comprising an identity of a UPF that supports the L2TP tunnel; selecting, by the SMF and based on the UPF supporting the L2TP tunnel, the UPF; and sending, by the SMF to the UPF, a session request message comprising tunnel information of the L2TP tunnel. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the L2TP tunnel comprises at least one of: a generic routing encapsulation (GRE) tunnel; or an IP-in-IP tunnel. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the tunnel information of the L2TP tunnel comprises at least one of: a L2TP access concentrator (LAC) address; or a L2TP network server (LNS) address; a tunnel destination address of a generic routing encapsulation (GRE) tunnel; a tunnel destination address of an IP-in-IP tunnel; or a tunnel destination address of a GPRS tunnelling protocol (GTP) tunnel. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the discovery request comprises one or more of a tunnel type or a tunnel address. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the session request message comprises at least one of: a tunnel request indication requesting a tunnel; or the tunnel type indicating a type of the L2TP tunnel. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the tunnel type comprises at least one of: a L2TP tunnel version 2; a L2TP tunnel version 3; a generic routing encapsulation (GRE) tunnel; an IP-in-IP tunnel; or a GPRS tunnelling protocol (GTP) tunnel. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the tunnel address comprises a tunnel endpoint address. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the tunnel endpoint address comprises at least one of: a L2TP access concentrator (LAC) address; a L2TP network server (LNS) address; a tunnel destination address of a generic routing encapsulation (GRE) tunnel; a tunnel destination address of an IP-in-IP tunnel; or a tunnel destination address of a GPRS tunnelling protocol (GTP) tunnel. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the SMF from the UPF, a session response message. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the discovery request for the at least one UPF comprises a tunnel indication requesting discovery of the at least one UPF that supports the L2TP tunnel. ### Claim 11 A session management function (SMF) comprising: one or more processors; and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the SMF to perform operations comprising: sending, to a network repository function (NRF), a discovery request for at least one user plane function (UPF) that supports a layer 2 tunneling protocol (L2TP) tunnel; receiving, from the NRF, a discovery response comprising an identity of a UPF that supports the L2TP tunnel; selecting, based on the UPF supporting the L2TP tunnel, the UPF; and sending, to the UPF, a session request message comprising tunnel information of the L2TP tunnel. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The SMF of claim 11, wherein the L2TP tunnel comprises at least one of: a generic routing encapsulation (GRE) tunnel; or an IP-in-IP tunnel. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The SMF of claim 11, wherein the tunnel information of the L2TP tunnel comprises at least one of: a L2TP access concentrator (LAC) address; or a L2TP network server (LNS) address; a tunnel destination address of a generic routing encapsulation (GRE) tunnel; a tunnel destination address of an IP-in-IP tunnel; or a tunnel destination address of a GPRS tunnelling protocol (GTP) tunnel. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The SMF of claim 11, wherein the discovery request comprises one or more of a tunnel type or a tunnel address. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The SMF of claim 14, wherein the session request message comprises at least one of: a tunnel request indication requesting a tunnel; or the tunnel type indicating a type of the L2TP tunnel. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The SMF of claim 15, wherein the tunnel type comprises at least one of: a L2TP tunnel version 2; a L2TP tunnel version 3; a generic routing encapsulation (GRE) tunnel; an IP-in-IP tunnel; or a GPRS tunnelling protocol (GTP) tunnel. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The SMF of claim 14, wherein the tunnel address comprises a tunnel endpoint address. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The SMF of claim 17, wherein the tunnel endpoint address comprises at least one of: a L2TP access concentrator (LAC) address; a L2TP network server (LNS) address; a tunnel destination address of a generic routing encapsulation (GRE) tunnel; a tunnel destination address of an IP-in-IP tunnel; or a tunnel destination address of a GPRS tunnelling protocol (GTP) tunnel. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The SMF of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise receiving, by the SMF from the UPF, a session response message. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The SMF of claim 11, wherein the discovery request for the at least one UPF comprises a tunnel indication requesting discovery of the at least one UPF that supports the L2TP tunnel.