# US 12,010,758 B2 · Dynamic user equipment (UE) group creation to coordinate devices > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,010,758 B2 - Document ID: US12010758B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/319,737 - Filed: 2023-05-18 - Published: 2023-09-14 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2021-07-28 - Assignees: Cisco Technology, Inc. - Applicants: Cisco Technology, Inc. - Inventors: Aditya Prakash; Ravi Shekhar; Vimal Srivastava - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12010758B2 ## CPC - H04W 8/186: {Processing of subscriber group data} - H04W 4/08: User group management - H04W 8/20: Transfer of user or subscriber data - H04W 28/24: Negotiating SLA [Service Level Agreement]; Negotiating QoS [Quality of Service] - H04W 48/18: Selecting a network or a communication service - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A network function selectively supports a mobile device with network settings appropriate for the device context of the mobile device. The network function obtains a device profile for the mobile device, which identifies multiple device groups, with each device group being associated with a corresponding set of network settings. The network function selects a device group among the device groups in the device profile based on a device context of the mobile device. Responsive to a notification of the mobile device in a different device context, the network function supports the mobile device with a different set of network settings that cause a Session Management Function (SMF) to reconfigure the user plane for the mobile device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: obtaining a device profile for a mobile device, the device profile identifying a plurality of device groups, wherein each device group is associated with a corresponding set of network settings; selecting a first device group among the plurality of device groups for the mobile device based on a first device context of the mobile device; directing a Session Management Function (SMF) in a network to support the mobile device with a first set of network settings corresponding to the first device group; obtaining a notification of the mobile device in a second device context; and responsive to the notification, selecting a second device group among the plurality of device groups for the mobile device and directing the SMF to support the mobile device with a second set of network settings corresponding to the second device group, the second set of network settings causing the SMF to reconfigure a user plane for the mobile device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: obtaining one or more additional notifications that one or more additional mobile devices are in the second device context; and directing the SMF to support the one or more additional mobile devices with the second set of network settings corresponding to the second device group. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first device context comprises a first physical location and the second device context comprises a second physical location. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the second device context comprises participating in an online conference. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the notification of the mobile device in the second device context comprises obtaining the notification from an application function through a network exposure function. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the second set of network settings comprises an indication of a particular User Plane Function (UPF) to support a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session for the mobile device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the second set of network settings causes the SMF to reconfigure the user plane for the mobile device by directing the mobile device to communicate in the PDU session with the particular UPF. ### Claim 8 An apparatus comprising: a network interface configured to communicate with a plurality of computing devices in a wireless network system; and a processor coupled to the network interface, the processor configured to: obtain a device profile for a mobile device via the network interface, the device profile identifying a plurality of device groups, wherein each device group is associated with a corresponding set of network settings; select a first device group among the plurality of device groups for the mobile device based on a first device context of the mobile device; cause the network interface to direct a Session Management Function (SMF) in a network to support the mobile device with a first set of network settings corresponding to the first device group; obtain via the network interface, a notification of the mobile device in a second device context; and responsive to the notification, selecting a second device group among the plurality of device groups for the mobile device and causing the network interface to direct the SMF to support the mobile device with a second set of network settings corresponding to the second device group, the second set of network settings causing the SMF to reconfigure a user plane for the mobile device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to: obtain via the network interface, one or more additional notifications that one or more additional mobile devices are in the second device context; and cause the network interface to direct the SMF to support the one or more additional mobile devices with the second set of network settings corresponding to the second device group. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first device context comprises a first physical location and the second device context comprises a second physical location. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the second device context comprises participating in an online conference. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to obtain the notification of the mobile device in the second device context by obtaining the notification from an application function through a network exposure function. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the second set of network settings comprises an indication of a particular User Plane Function (UPF) to support a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session for the mobile device. ### Claim 14 One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media encoded with software comprising computer executable instructions and, when the software is executed on a processor of a network node of a network system, operable to cause the processor to: obtain a device profile for a mobile device, the device profile identifying a plurality of device groups, wherein each device group is associated with a corresponding set of network settings; select a first device group among the plurality of device groups for the mobile device based on a first device context of the mobile device; direct a Session Management Function (SMF) in the network system to support the mobile device with a first set of network settings corresponding to the first device group; obtaining a notification of the mobile device in a second device context; and responsive to the notification, selecting a second device group among the plurality of device groups for the mobile device and directing the SMF to support the mobile device with a second set of network settings corresponding to the second device group, the second set of network settings causing the SMF to reconfigure a user plane for the mobile device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 14, wherein the software is further operable to cause the processor to: obtain one or more additional notifications that one or more additional mobile devices are in the second device context; and direct the SMF to support the one or more additional mobile devices with the second set of network settings corresponding to the second device group. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 14, wherein the first device context comprises a first physical location and the second device context comprises a second physical location. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 14, wherein the second device context comprises participating in an online conference. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 14, wherein the software is further operable to cause the processor to obtain the notification of the mobile device in the second device context by obtaining the notification from an application function through a network exposure function. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 14, wherein the second set of network settings comprises an indication of a particular User Plane Function (UPF) to support a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session for the mobile device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 19, wherein the second set of network settings causes the SMF to reconfigure the user plane for the mobile device by directing the mobile device to communicate in the PDU session with the particular UPF.