# US 2019/0357301 A1 · Message and system for application function influence on traffic routing

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- Number: US 2019/0357301 A1
- Document ID: US20190357301A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/412,162
- Filed: 2019-05-14
- Published: 2019-11-21
- Earliest claimed: 2018-05-16
- Assignees: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Xu LI; Ngoc Dung DAO; Patrice HEDE; Hang ZHANG
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190357301A1

## CPC

- H04W 80/12: Application layer protocols, e.g. WAP [Wireless Application Protocol]
- H04L 12/14: Charging, metering or billing arrangements specially adapted for data communications, e.g. authentication, authorisation and accounting [AAA] framework
- H04L 12/1407: {Policy-and-charging control [PCC] architecture}
- H04L 45/74: Address processing for routing
- H04M 15/00: Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication {; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP}
- H04M 15/66: {Policy and charging system}
- H04W 40/20: based on geographic position or location
- H04W 40/34: Modification of an existing route
- H04W 80/10: adapted for {application} session management, e.g. SIP [Session Initiation Protocol] {(connection management H04W76/00; arrangements for session management H04L67/14)}
- H04W 40/24: Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update
- 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)
- H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08)

## Abstract

An aspect of the disclosure provides for a method for user equipment (UE) internet protocol (IP) address management. The method includes sending by an application function (AF), a request to a policy control function (PCF), the request including information identifying traffic and an indication that a UE IP address associated with the traffic should be preserved. The method further includes sending by the PCF, to a session management function (SMF) being responsible for managing a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session associated with the traffic, a policy and charging control (PCC) rule including the indication. In some embodiments, the request is sent by the AF to the PCF via a network exposure function (NEF). In some embodiments, the method further includes managing, by the SMF, the UE IP address according to the PCC rule. In some embodiments, the managing includes preserving the UE IP address for a PDU session associated with the traffic. In some embodiments, the preserving includes preventing reselection of a protocol data unit (PDU) session anchor (PSA) to which the UE IP address is associated.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for user equipment (UE) internet protocol (IP) address management, the method comprising:
sending by an application function (AF), a request to a policy control function (PCF), the request including information identifying traffic and an indication that a UE IP address associated with the traffic should be preserved;
sending by the PCF, to a session management function (SMF) being responsible for managing a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session associated with the traffic, a policy and charging control (PCC) rule including the indication.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the request is sent by the AF to the PCF via a network exposure function (NEF).

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: managing, by the SMF, the UE IP address according to the PCC rule.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein managing comprises preserving the UE IP address for the PDU session associated with the traffic.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein preserving comprises preventing reselection of a protocol data unit (PDU) session anchor (PSA) to which the UE IP address is associated.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein preventing reselection of the PSA comprises:
receiving a trigger to modify a path which would include a PSA reselection;
in response, selecting a new path which includes the PSA.

### Claim 7

A method for user equipment (UE) internet protocol (IP) address management, the method performed by a session management function (SMF) configured to manage a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session associated with traffic, the method comprising:
receiving a policy and charging control (PCC) rule from a policy control function (PCF), the PCC rule including an indication that a UE IP address associated with the traffic should be preserved; and
managing the UE IP address according to the PCC rule, the managing comprising at least one of:
preserving the UE IP address for a PDU session associated with the traffic; and
preventing reselection of a protocol data unit (PDU) session anchor (PSA) to which the UE IP address is associated.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method according to claim 7, wherein the PCC rule is associated with a request from an AF, the request comprising information identifying the traffic and the indication.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The method according to claim 7, wherein the PSA is a UPF through which a UP path of the PDU session is connected to a data network (DN).

### Claim 10

A network node comprising:
at least one network interface;
at least one processor;
a non-transient computer readable memory for storing instructions which when executed by the at least one processor configure the network node for:
receiving a policy and charging control (PCC) rule from a policy control function (PCF), the PCC rule including an indication that a user equipment (UE) internet protocol (IP) address associated with traffic should be preserved; and
managing the UE IP address according to the PCC rule, the managing comprising at least one of:
preserving the UE IP address for a protocol data unit (PDU) session associated with the traffic; and
preventing reselection of a protocol data unit (PDU) session anchor (PSA) to which the UE IP address is associated.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The network node according to claim 10, wherein the PCC rule is associated with a request from an AF, the request comprising information identifying the traffic and the indication.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The network node according to claim 10, wherein the PSA is a UPF through which a UP path of the PDU session is connected to a data network (DN).

### Claim 13

A system for user equipment (UE) internet protocol (IP) address management, the system comprising:
an application function (AF); and
a policy control function (PCF);
the AF configured to send a request to a PCF, the request including information identifying traffic and an indication that a UE IP address associated with the traffic should be preserved;
the PCF configured to send to a session management function (SMF) being responsible for managing a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session associated with the traffic, a policy and charging control (PCC) rule including the indication.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, further comprising a network exposure function (NEF); and wherein the AF is configured to send the request to the PCF via the NEF

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, further comprising the SMF, and wherein the SMF is configured for managing the UE IP address according to the PCC rule.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, further comprising the SMF, and wherein the SMF is configured for managing the UE IP address according to the PCC rule, including preserving the UE IP address for a PDU session associated with the traffic.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, further comprising the SMF, and wherein the SMF is configured for managing the UE IP address according to the PCC rule, including preventing reselection of a protocol data unit (PDU) session anchor (PSA) to which the UE IP address is associated.