# US 12,192,052 B2 · End-to-end radio access network (RAN) deployment in open ran (O-RAN) > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,192,052 B2 - Document ID: US12192052B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/441,515 - Filed: 2020-06-10 - Published: 2022-05-19 - Granted: 2025-01-07 - Earliest claimed: 2019-06-10 - Assignees: Apple Inc. - Applicants: Apple Inc. - Inventors: Joey Chou; Niall Power; Jianli Sun - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12192052B2 ## CPC - H04L 41/0806: for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play - H04L 41/082: the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality - H04L 41/0895: Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements - H04W 24/02: Arrangements for optimising operational condition - H04L 41/0897: by horizontal or vertical scaling of resources, or by migrating entities, e.g. virtual resources or entities - H04L 41/28: Restricting access to network management systems or functions, e.g. using authorisation function to access network configuration - H04L 41/342: between virtual entities, e.g. orchestrators, SDN or NFV entities - H04L 41/40: using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities - 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, systems, and computer programs for configuring a network functions virtualization orchestrator (NFVO). In one aspect, a method can include actions of generating, by one or more computers, a message that includes data representing a request to upload a virtual network function (VNF) package, encoding, by the one or more computers, the generated message that includes the VNF package for transmission to a network functions virtualization orchestrator (NFVO), and transmitting, by the one or more computers, the encoded message to the NFVO. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: generating, for each virtual network function (VNF) of a plurality of VNFs comprising at least one distributed unit (DU) and at least one central unit (CU), a first request message that includes data representing a request to upload a VNF package for the VNF; transmitting, to a network functions virtualization orchestrator (NFVO), the generated first request message; receiving, from the NFVO, a first response message that includes data indicating that the VNF package upload was successful; generating, for each physical network function (PNF) of a plurality of PNFs comprising at least one radio unit (RU), a second request message that includes data representing a request to upload a PNF Descriptor (PNFD) for the PNF; transmitting the generated second request message to the NFVO; and receiving, from the NFVO, a second response message that includes data indicating that the PNFD upload was successful. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the NFVO is a component of an infrastructure management framework (IMFW). ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the generated first request message that includes the request to upload the VNF package includes an identifier of a VNF. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of (i) generating the first request message that includes the request to upload the VNF, or (ii) transmitting the generated first request message to the NFVO are performed using a service management and orchestration framework (SMOFW). ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, the method further comprising: generating a third request message that includes data representing a request to update a network service descriptor (NSD) associated with the VNF packages and the PNFD that were previously uploaded; transmitting, to the NFVO, the generated third request message; and receiving, from the NFVO, a third response message that includes data indicating the NSD update was successful. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, the method further comprising: generating a fourth request message that includes data representing a request to update a network service (NS) instance associated with the updated NSD; transmitting, to the NFVO, the generated fourth request message; receiving, from the NFVO, a fourth response message that includes data indicating that the NS instance update has been started; and receiving, from the NFVO, a fifth response message that includes data indicating a result of the NS instance update. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the result of the NS instance update includes (i) data indicating that the NS instance update was successful or (ii) data indicating that the NS instance update was not successful. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the VNF package includes a VNF descriptor for each VNF of the VNF package. ### Claim 9 A system comprising one or more processors configured to perform operations comprising: generating, for each virtual network function (VNF) of a plurality of VNFs comprising at least one distributed unit (DU) and at least one central unit (CU), a message that includes data representing a request to upload a VNF package for the VNF, wherein generated message that includes the request to upload the VNF package includes an identifier of a physical network function (PNF) of a plurality of PNFs comprising at least one radio unit (RU); encoding the generated message that includes the VNF package for transmission to a network functions virtualization orchestrator (NFVO); and transmitting the encoded message to the NFVO. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the NFVO is a component of an infrastructure management framework (IMFW). ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, the operations further comprising: receiving a message from the NFVO after transmission of the encoded message, wherein the received message includes data indicating that the VNF package has been uploaded successfully to the NFVO. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the generated message that includes the request to upload the VNF package includes an identifier of a VNF. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein one or more of (i) generating the message that includes the request to upload the VNF, (ii) encoding the generated message that includes the VNF package for transmission to the network functions virtualization orchestrator (NFVO), or (iii) transmitting the encoded message to the NFVO are performed using a service management and orchestration framework (SMOFW). ### Claim 14 One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing software comprising instructions executable by one or more computers which, upon such execution, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising: generating, for each virtual network function (VNF) of a plurality of VNFs comprising at least one distributed unit (DU) and at least one central unit (CU), a first request message that includes data representing a request to upload a VNF package for the VNF; transmitting, to a network functions virtualization orchestrator (NFVO), the generated first request message; receiving, from the NFVO, a first response message that includes data indicating that the VNF package upload was successful; generating, for each physical network function (PNF) of a plurality of PNFs comprising at least one radio unit (RU), a second request message that includes data representing a request to upload a PNF Descriptor (PNFD) for the PNF; transmitting the generated second request message to the NFVO; and receiving, from the NFVO, a second response message that includes data indicating that the PNFD upload was successful. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein the NFVO is a component of an infrastructure management framework (IMFW). ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein the generated first request message that includes the request to upload the VNF package includes an identifier of a VNF. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein one or more of (i) generating the first request message that includes the request to upload the VNF, or (ii) transmitting the generated first request message to the NFVO are performed using a service management and orchestration framework (SMOFW). ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The computer-readable media of claim 14, the operations further comprising: generating a third request message that includes data representing a request to update a network service descriptor (NSD) associated with the VNF packages and the PNFD that were previously uploaded; transmitting, to the NFVO, the generated third request message; and receiving, from the NFVO, a third response message that includes data indicating the NSD update was successful.