# US 2021/0176166 A1 · Mtc service selection in the (s)gi-lan > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0176166 A1 - Document ID: US20210176166A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/181,812 - Filed: 2021-02-22 - Published: 2021-06-10 - Earliest claimed: 2015-07-31 - Assignees: Convida Wireless, LLC - Applicants: Convida Wireless, LLC - Inventors: Michael F. STARSINIC; Ahmed MOHAMED; Qing LI - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210176166A1 ## CPC - H04L 45/306: {Route determination based on the nature of the carried application} - H04L 41/0893: Assignment of logical groups to network elements - H04L 41/0894: Policy-based network configuration management - H04L 41/0895: Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements - H04L 45/566: {Routing instructions carried by the data packet, e.g. active networks} - H04W 4/70: Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] - H04W 28/0268: {using specific QoS parameters for wireless networks, e.g. QoS class identifier [QCI] or guaranteed bit rate [GBR] (negotiating SLA or negotiating QoS H04W28/24)} - H04W 88/16: Gateway arrangements - H04W 28/0263: {involving mapping traffic to individual bearers or channels, e.g. traffic flow template [TFT]} - H04W 76/10: Connection setup - Y04S 40/00: Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them - 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) - Y04S: SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS ## Abstract Various nodes in a 3GPP network, including a user equipment (UE), can be used to insert metadata in uplink traffic so that the network and/or an (S)Gi-LAN can make traffic steering decisions based on the metadata. For example, the UE can insert metadata into its uplink traffic so that the services in the (S)Gi-LAN can be better leveraged. Network nodes are able to insert metadata that relates directly to the UE and that relates to the operating conditions of the network nodes that the UE is using to send uplink data, so that the services in the (S)Gi-LAN can be better leveraged. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A user equipment (UE) comprising a processor, a memory, and communication circuitry, the UE being connected to a network via its communication circuitry, the UE further comprising computer-executable instructions stored in the memory of the UE which, when executed by the processor of the UE, cause the UE to perform operations comprising: inserting metadata in an uplink message, the metadata comprising information associated with at least one metric, wherein the at least one metric comprises at least one of an active timer, a periodic TAU timer, a DRX cycle length, a radio access technology (RAT) type, a status, a sleep schedule, a location, a battery level, a connection quality, a communication schedule, a caching policy, or a power restriction; receiving a message indicating that metadata may be provided to the network; and sending the uplink message with the metadata to a function in a packet data network. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The UE as recited in claim 1, wherein the metadata is indicative of a status, and the status indicates at least one preference of the UE. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The UE as recited in claim 1, wherein the message indicating that metadata may be provided to the network is a non-access stratum (NAS) message. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The UE as recited in claim 1, wherein the UE is configured via a graphical user interface to allow certain applications to send metadata to the network or to allow certain types of metadata to be sent to the network. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The UE as recited in claim 1, wherein the metadata is appended to an IP data packet. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The UE as recited in claim 1, wherein the uplink message with the metadata is sent inside of a tunnel. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The UE as recited in claim 1, wherein the function steers traffic based on the at least one metric in the metadata. ### Claim 8 In a network comprising a user equipment (UE), an eNodeB, a serving gateway (S-GW), and a packet data network (PDN) gateway (P-GW), wherein at least one of the UE, the eNodeB, the S-GW, or the P-GW performs a method, the method comprising: inserting metadata in an uplink message, the metadata comprising information associated with at least one metric, wherein the at least one metric comprises at least one of an active timer, a periodic TAU timer, a DRX cycle length, a radio access technology (RAT) type, a status, a sleep schedule, a location, a battery level, a connection quality, a communication schedule, a caching policy, or a power restriction; receiving a message indicating that metadata may be provided to the network; and sending the uplink message with the metadata to a function in a packet data network. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the metadata is indicative of a status, and the status indicates at least one preference of the UE. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the message indicating that metadata may be provided to the network is a non-access stratum (NAS) message. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the UE is configured via a graphical user interface to allow certain applications to send metadata to the network or to allow certain types of metadata to be sent to the network. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method as recited in claim 8, the method further comprising: sending the uplink traffic with the metadata inside of a tunnel. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method as recited in claim 8, the method further comprising: appending the metadata to an IP packet. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the NAS message is based on at least one of a Traffic Flow Template (TFT) information element of a session management message or a protocol configuration options information element of an EP session management message. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the NAS message is based on at least one of a Traffic Flow Template (TFT) information element of an session management message or a protocol configuration options information element of an session management message. ### Claim 16 (depends on 8) The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the function steers traffic based on the at least one metric in the metadata. ### Claim 17 A computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a user equipment (UE) connected to a network via its communication circuitry, cause the UE to perform operations comprising: inserting metadata in an uplink message, the metadata comprising information associated with at least one metric, wherein the at least one metric comprises at least one of an active timer, a periodic TAU timer, a DRX cycle length, a radio access technology (RAT) type, a status, a sleep schedule, a location, a battery level, a connection quality, a communication schedule, a caching policy, or a power restriction; and receiving a message indicating that metadata may be provided to the network; and sending the uplink message with the metadata to a function in a packet data network. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 17, wherein the metadata is indicative of a status, and the status indicates at least one preference of the UE. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 17, wherein the metadata is appended to an IP data packet. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 17, wherein the uplink message with the metadata is sent inside of a tunnel.