# US 12,193,078 B2 · Network slice support of respective transport protocols > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,193,078 B2 - Document ID: US12193078B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/480,488 - Filed: 2021-09-21 - Published: 2022-01-06 - Granted: 2025-01-07 - Earliest claimed: 2019-06-19 - Assignees: Cisco Technology, Inc. - Applicants: Cisco Technology, Inc. - Inventors: Ravi Shekhar; Aeneas Sean Dodd-Noble - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12193078B2 ## CPC - H04W 76/10: Connection setup - H04W 76/12: Setup of transport tunnels - H04L 67/10: in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46) - H04W 16/02: Resource partitioning among network components, e.g. reuse partitioning - H04W 76/11: Allocation or use of connection identifiers - H04W 80/06: Transport layer protocols, e.g. TCP [Transport Control Protocol] over wireless {(transmission control protocol/Internet protocol [TCP/IP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16)} - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Techniques are described herein for network slice support of respective transport protocols. In one example, a session management function obtains, from a user equipment, a request for a network slice identifier in a network that includes a plurality of network slices each configured to support a respective transport protocol. In response to the request, the session management function identifies a first transport protocol of the respective transport protocols by which the user equipment is to communicate. Based on the first transport protocol, the session management function identifies a first network slice of the plurality of network slices by which the user equipment is to communicate. The first network slice is configured to support the first transport protocol. The session management function provides the network slice identifier to the user equipment. The network slice identifier corresponds to the first network slice. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: obtaining, from a user equipment, a request for a network slice identifier in a network that includes a first network slice including a first plurality of user plane functions configured to support a first transport protocol, and a second network slice including a second plurality of user plane functions configured to support a second transport protocol; determining that the user equipment is to establish a session with the network utilizing the first transport protocol based, at least in part, on determining, for a location of the user equipment, that the first plurality of user plane functions support the first transport protocol at the location of the user equipment; providing the network slice identifier to the user equipment to enable the user equipment to communicate over the first network slice using the first transport protocol; and exposing, to an application function (AF), that the first plurality of user plane functions support the first transport protocol at the location of the user equipment to enable the AF to influence traffic routing in the first network slice. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: identifying the first network slice based on the first transport protocol. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: identifying the first network slice based on a latency provided by the first network slice for communications associated with the user equipment. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: identifying the first network slice based on the first network slice supporting exposure of metadata of the first transport protocol. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: obtaining an indication that the first transport protocol is no longer available for the user equipment; and in response to the indication, selecting the second network slice to enable the user equipment to communicate using the second transport protocol. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first transport protocol includes a first one of a segment routing protocol or a general packet radio service tunneling protocol, and the second transport protocol includes a second one of the segment routing protocol or the general packet radio service tunneling protocol. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: obtaining, from the AF, a subscription indicating that the AF is to be notified if the user equipment leaves the location at which the first plurality of user plane functions support the first transport protocol. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising: obtaining an indication that the first transport protocol is no longer available for the user equipment based on the user equipment moving to a location at which the first transport protocol is not supported; and in response to the indication, providing an indication to the AF that the user equipment has moved to a location at which the first transport protocol is not supported. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: selecting the second network slice to enable the user equipment to communicate using the second transport protocol. ### Claim 10 An apparatus comprising: a network interface configured to facilitate network communications; and one or more processors coupled to the network interface, wherein the one or more processors are configured to: obtain, from a user equipment, a request for a network slice identifier in a network that includes a first network slice including a first plurality of user plane functions configured to support a first transport protocol, and a second network slice including a second plurality of user plane functions configured to support a second transport protocol; determine that the user equipment is to establish a session with the network utilizing the first transport protocol based, at least in part, on determining, for a location of the user equipment, that the first plurality of user plane functions support the first transport protocol at the location of the user equipment; provide the network slice identifier to the user equipment to enable the user equipment to communicate over the first network slice using the first transport protocol; and exposing, to an application function (AF), that the first plurality of user plane functions support the first transport protocol at the location of the user equipment to enable the AF to influence traffic routing in the first network slice. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: identify the first network slice based on the first transport protocol. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: identify the first network slice based on a latency provided by the first network slice for communications associated with the user equipment. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: identify the first network slice based on the first network slice supporting exposure of metadata of the first transport protocol. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: obtain an indication that the first transport protocol is no longer available for the user equipment; and in response to the indication, select the second network slice to enable the user equipment to communicate using the second transport protocol. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first transport protocol includes a first one of a segment routing protocol or a general packet radio service tunneling protocol, and the second transport protocol includes a second one of the segment routing protocol or the general packet radio service tunneling protocol. ### Claim 16 One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media encoded with instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: obtain, from a user equipment, a request for a network slice identifier in a network that includes a first network slice including a first plurality of user plane functions configured to support a first transport protocol, and a second network slice including a second plurality of user plane functions configured to support a second transport protocol; determine that the user equipment is to establish a session with the network utilizing the first transport protocol based, at least in part, on determining, for a location of the user equipment, that the first plurality of user plane functions support the first transport protocol at the location of the user equipment; provide the network slice identifier to the user equipment to enable the user equipment to communicate over the first network slice using the first transport protocol; and exposing, to an application function (AF), that the first plurality of user plane functions support the first transport protocol at the location of the user equipment to enable the AF to influence traffic routing in the first network slice. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to: identify the first network slice based on the first transport protocol. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to: identify the first network slice based on a latency provided by the first network slice for communications associated with the user equipment. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to: identify the first network slice based on the first network slice supporting exposure of metadata of the first transport protocol. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to: obtain an indication that the first transport protocol is no longer available for the user equipment; and in response to the indication, select the second network slice to enable the user equipment to communicate using the second transport protocol.