# US 12,010,642 B2 · Entities for providing an external service to a network > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,010,642 B2 - Document ID: US12010642B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/404,624 - Filed: 2021-08-17 - Published: 2022-01-27 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2019-02-18 - Assignees: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Qing Wei; Riccardo Trivisonno; Clarissa Marquezan; Runze Zhou - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12010642B2 ## CPC - H04L 67/51: Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services - H04W 60/00: Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration - H04L 67/56: Provisioning of proxy services (store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54) - H04W 8/00: Network data management - H04W 48/16: Discovering, processing access restriction or access information - H04L 67/303: Terminal profiles - 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 A method supports transfer of service traffic between an external network entity and a second network entity. The method includes: sending, by the second network entity, a first transfer request to a first network entity, wherein the transfer request includes first service traffic; receiving, by the first network entity, the first transfer request from the second network entity, and sending, by the first network entity, a second transfer request to the external network entity, the second transfer request including the first service traffic; and receiving, by the second network entity, a fourth transfer request from the first network entity, the fourth transfer request including second service traffic. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for supporting transfer of service traffic between an external network entity and a second network entity, the method comprising: receiving, by a first network entity, a first transfer request from the second network entity, wherein the first transfer request includes first service traffic; and sending, by the first network entity, a second transfer request to the external network entity, wherein the second transfer request includes the first service traffic, and wherein the second transfer request further includes correlation information between the first network entity and the first service traffic or the external network entity. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising: exposing, to other network entities, the second transfer request based on a configuration information. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein the configuration information includes at least one of: an identification (ID) or address of a source/destination network entity, an ID of a service, a bit rate, a traffic volume, or a time duration. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein: the first network entity is a network exposure function (NEF); the second network entity is a network function (NF); or the external network entity is an application function (AF). ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the first transfer request further includes at least one of: an identification (ID) of a service; an ID of the first transfer request; an ID of the external network entity; or a container with the to be transferred service traffic. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising: receiving, by the first network entity, a third transfer request from the external network entity, wherein the third transfer request includes second service traffic; and sending, by the first network entity, a fourth transfer request to the second network entity, wherein the fourth transfer request includes the second service traffic. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising: obtaining, by the first network entity, a first registration information of the external network entity, wherein the first registration information includes a profile of the external network entity; providing, by the first network entity, a second registration information, to the second network entity, wherein the second registration information includes profile information based on the profile of the external network entity; obtaining, by the first network entity, a first registration response from the second network entity; and providing, by the first network entity, a second registration response to the external network entity. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein the first registration information further includes addressing information related to the external network entity to be used for invoking the service of the external network entity. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein the second registration information further includes at least one of: information about one or more network entities serving as a proxy for the external network entity; Ssingle network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI) associated with the service of the external network entity; a data network name (DNN) associated with the service of the external network entity; or an identification (ID) of one or more user equipment (UE) associated with the external network entity. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising: obtaining, by the first network entity, a discovery request from the external network entity for discovering one or more network services; providing, by the first network entity, the discovery request to the second network entity; obtaining, by the first network entity, a discovery response from the second network entity; and providing, by the first network entity, the discovery response to the external network entity. ### Claim 11 A method for consuming a service provided by an external network entity, the method comprising: sending, by a second network entity, a first transfer request to a first network entity, wherein the first transfer request includes first service traffic; receiving, by the second network entity, a fourth transfer request from the first network entity, wherein the fourth transfer request includes second service traffic; obtaining, by the second network entity, a second registration information from the first network entity, wherein the second registration information includes profile information based on a profile of the external network entity; and providing, by the second network entity, a first registration response to the first network entity. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, further comprising: discovering, by the second network entity, the service by invoking a service discovery at another network entity, wherein the service discovery at another network entity comprises a service discovery at a network repository function (NRF). ### Claim 13 A computer program product comprising non-transitory computer readable storage medium, wherein the non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprises instructions, which when executed by a computer, cause the computer to: receive a first transfer request from a second network entity, wherein the first transfer request includes first service traffic; send a second transfer request to an external network entity, wherein the second transfer request includes the first service traffic; obtain a first registration information of the external network entity, wherein the first registration information includes a profile of the external network entity; provide a second registration information to the second network entity, wherein the second registration information includes profile information based on the profile of the external network entity; obtain a first registration response from the second network entity; and provide a second registration response to the external network entity. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The computer program product according to claim 13, wherein the instructions, which when executed by the computer, further cause the computer to: expose to other network entities the second transfer request based on a configuration information. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The computer program product according to claim 14, wherein the configuration information includes at least one of: an identification (ID) or address of a source/destination network entity, an ID of a service, a bit rate, a traffic volume, or a time duration. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The computer program product according to claim 13, wherein the first transfer request further includes at least one of: an identification (ID) of a service; an ID of the first transfer request; an ID of the external network entity; or a container with the to be transferred service traffic. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The computer program product according to claim 13, wherein the instructions, which when executed by the computer, further cause the computer to: obtain, a discovery request from the external network entity for discovering one or more network services; provide the discovery request to the second network entity; obtain a discovery response from the second network entity; and provide the discovery response to the external network entity.