# US 2023/0054435 A1 · Requesting flexible user-plane services in a service-based architecture > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2023/0054435 A1 - Document ID: US20230054435A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/969,803 - Filed: 2022-10-20 - Published: 2023-02-23 - Earliest claimed: 2018-02-28 - Assignees: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ) - Applicants: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ) - Inventors: Dinand Roeland; András Zahemszky; Balázs Pinczel; Zoltán Turányi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230054435A1 ## CPC - H04W 4/50: Service provisioning or reconfiguring - H04L 41/5048: {Automatic or semi-automatic definitions, e.g. definition templates} - H04L 41/5054: Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components - H04L 45/306: {Route determination based on the nature of the carried application} - H04W 8/22: Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities - 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 Embodiments of a method of operation of a service requestor to request a service from a chain controller in a cellular communications network in which a user plane function is decomposed into a plurality of micro user plane functions are disclosed. In some embodiments, the method comprises sending, to the chain controller, a service description or a request to update a service description. The service description comprises one or more service template instances having respective service template definitions. Each service template definition of the respective service template definitions being data that defines a set of micro user plane functions that realize a service or a part of a service. Each service template instance of the one or more service template instances comprises data that defines a reference to the respective service template definition. The method further comprises receiving a reply from the chain controller. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of operation of a service requestor to request a service from a chain controller in a cellular communications network in which a user plane function is decomposed into a plurality of micro user plane functions, comprising: sending, to the chain controller, a service description or a request to update a service description, wherein: the service description comprises one or more service template instances, the one or more service template instances having respective service template definitions; each service template definition of the respective service template definitions being data that defines a set of micro user plane functions that realize a service or a part of a service; and each service template instance of the one or more service template instances comprises data that defines a reference to the respective service template definition; and receiving a reply from the chain controller. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising, prior to sending the service description to the chain controller: obtaining a plurality of service template instances for a wireless device, wherein the one or more service template instances comprised in the service description comprise some or all of the plurality of service template instances obtained for the wireless device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein obtaining the plurality of service template instances for the wireless device comprises: obtaining a profile of the wireless device, the profile comprising the plurality of service template instances for the wireless device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein each service template instance of the one or more service template instances further comprises one or more input values for one or more input parameters of the respective service template definition. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4 further comprising, prior to sending the service description to the chain controller: obtaining: a plurality of service template instances for a wireless device, wherein the one or more service template instances comprised in the service description comprise some or all of the plurality of service template instances obtained for the wireless device; and for each service template instance of at least a subset of the plurality of service template instances for the wireless device, one or more input values for one or more input parameters for the service template instance. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein obtaining the plurality of service template instances for the wireless device and the one or more input values for the one or more input parameters for each of the at least a subset of the plurality of service template instances for the wireless device comprises: obtaining a profile of the wireless device, the profile comprising the plurality of service template instances for the wireless device and the one or more input values for the one or more input parameters for each of the at least a subset of the plurality of service template instances for the wireless device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 further comprising, building the service description, wherein building the service description comprises selecting one or more of the plurality of service template instances for the wireless device as the one or more service template instances for the service description. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein building the service description further comprises mapping at least one parameter value for at least one of the one or more service template instances from information of incoming events. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein one of the one or more service template instances inherits another one of the one or more service template instances. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more service template instances comprise instances of at least two different service templates. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the reply comprises one or more output parameters. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 further comprising, processing the one or more output parameters. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the service requestor is a first network function implemented in a first network node comprised in a core network of a cellular communications system; and the chain controller and the plurality of micro user plane functions are implemented in one or more second network nodes comprised in the core network. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the service requestor is a Session Management Function, SMF, comprised in a core network of a Fifth Generation, 5G, cellular communications system; and the user plane function that is decomposed into the plurality of micro user plane functions is a User Plane Function, UPF, comprised in the core network of the 5G cellular communications system. ### Claim 15 A network node on which a service requestor is implemented in a cellular communications network in which a user plane function is decomposed into a plurality of micro user plane functions, the network node comprising: a network interface; one or more processors; and memory comprising instructions executable by the one or more processors whereby the network node is operable to implement the service requestor, wherein the service requestor is operable to: send, to a chain controller, a service description or a request to update a service description, wherein: the service description comprises one or more service template instances, the one or more service template instances having respective service template definitions; each service template definition of the respective service template definitions being data that defines a set of micro user plane functions that realize a service or a part of a service; and each service template instance of the one or more service template instances comprises data that defines a reference to the respective service template definition; and receive a reply from the chain controller. ### Claim 16 A method of operation of a chain controller in a cellular communications network in which a user plane function is decomposed into a plurality of micro user plane functions, comprising: receiving, from a service requestor, a service description comprising one or more service template instances, the one or more service template instances having respective service template definitions, wherein: each service template definition of the respective service template definitions comprises data that defines a set of micro user plane functions that realize a service or a part of a service; and each service template instance of the one or more service template instances comprises data that defines a reference to the respective service template definition; generating a service set based on the service description, the service set comprising a list of micro user plane functions; and assigning each micro user plane function in the list of micro user plane functions comprised in the service set to a user plane node. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein: the service requestor is a first network function implemented in a first network node comprised in a core network of a cellular communications system; and the chain controller and the plurality of micro user plane functions are implemented in one or more second network nodes comprised in the core network. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 further comprising, returning a reply to the service requestor. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the reply comprises one or more output parameters. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the service set further comprises one or more ordering constraints for the micro user plane functions comprised in the list of micro user plane functions.