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US-20260129690-A1 - SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING QUALITY-OF-SERVICE FLOW CONTINUITY

US20260129690A1US 20260129690 A1US20260129690 A1US 20260129690A1US-20260129690-A1

Abstract

A device may include a processor. The processor may be configured to: receive, from a core network, a first notification of a path change to a network traffic associated with a User Equipment (UE) device; determine whether the UE is to receive a Quality-of-Service (QoS) flow continuity service by looking up traffic influence information for the UE in a table; and when it is determined that the UE is to receive the QoS flow continuity service, send a message to the core network to provide QoS flow continuity service. The QoS flow continuity service may set a QoS, of a first QoS flow for the UE after the path change, to a QoS of a second QoS flow for the UE prior the path change.

Inventors

  • Ye Huang
  • Sudhakar Reddy PATIL
  • Ambreen Habib
  • Lixia Yan

Assignees

  • VERIZON PATENT AND LICENSING INC.

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20241104

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . A device comprising a processor configured to: receive, from a core network, a first notification of a path change to a network traffic associated with a User Equipment (UE) device; determine whether the UE is to receive a Quality-of-Service (QoS) flow continuity service by looking up traffic influence information for the UE in a table; and when it is determined that the UE is to receive the QoS flow continuity service, send a message to the core network to provide QoS flow continuity service, wherein the QoS flow continuity service sets a QoS, of a first QoS flow for the UE after the path change, to a QoS of a second QoS flow for the UE prior the path change.
  2. 2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the device includes a Network Exposure Function (NEF), and wherein, when the processor receives the first notification, the processor is further configured to: receive, from a Unified Data Management (UDM) or a Unified Data Repository (UDR), a second notification of the path change.
  3. 3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein, when the processor sends the message to the core network, the processor is configured to: send a request to a Policy Control Function (PCF) to create an authorization for a policy pertaining to the path change to direct the network traffic from the UE to a new User Plane Function (UPF).
  4. 4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the table includes at least one of: an identifier for the UE; an identifier for the second QoS flow; or an identifier for a QoS for the second QoS flow.
  5. 5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein, prior to receipt of the first notification, the processor is further configured to: receive a request from an Application Function (AF) for the core network to create a session having a QoS flow that meets one or more QoS requirements; subscribe with a Unified Data Management (UDM) or a Unified Data Repository (UDR) to receive a path change notification; and request a Policy Control Function (PCF) to create an authorization for a policy to be associated with a creation of QoS flow, for the UE, that meets the QoS requirements.
  6. 6 . The device of claim 5 , wherein the processor is further configured to: subscribe with a Session Management Function (SMF) to be notified of an establishment of a session that includes the first QoS flow; receive a second notification from the SMF that the session is established; and store parameters associated with the first QoS flow in the table.
  7. 7 . The device of claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to: notify the AF of a successful creation of the first QoS flow.
  8. 8 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to: receive, from an Application Function (AF), a request to create a traffic influence; and store traffic steering rules, at a Unified Data Repository (UDR), in response to the request to create the traffic influence.
  9. 9 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the UDR is configured to: provide the traffic steering rules to a Policy Control Function (PCF); and provide static traffic steering rules to a Session Management Function (SMF).
  10. 10 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to: send an update notification to provide updated session information associated with the path change.
  11. 11 . A method comprising: receiving, from a core network, a first notification of a path change to a network traffic associated with a User Equipment (UE) device; determining whether the UE is to receive a Quality-of-Service (QoS) flow continuity service by looking up traffic influence information for the UE in a table; when it is determined that the UE is to receive the QoS flow continuity service, sending a message to the core network to provide QoS flow continuity service, wherein the QoS flow continuity service sets a QoS, of a first QoS flow for the UE after the path change, to a QoS of a second QoS flow for the UE prior the path change.
  12. 12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein receiving the first notification includes: receiving, from a Unified Data Management (UDM) or a Unified Data Repository (UDR), a second notification of the path change.
  13. 13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein sending the message to the core network includes: sending a request to a Policy Control Function (PCF) to create an authorization for a policy pertaining to the path change to direct the network traffic from the UE to a new User Plane Function (UPF).
  14. 14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the table includes at least one of: an identifier for the UE; an identifier for the second QoS flow; or an identifier for a QoS for the second QoS flow.
  15. 15 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising, prior to receiving the first notification: receiving a request from an Application Function (AF) for the core network to create a session having a QoS flow that meets one or more QoS requirements; subscribing with a Unified Data Management (UDM) or a Unified Data Repository (UDR) to receive a path change notification; and requesting a Policy Control Function (PCF) to create an authorization for a policy to be associated with a creation of QoS flow, for the UE, that meets the QoS requirements.
  16. 16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising: subscribing with a Session Management Function (SMF) to be notified of an establishment of a session that includes the first QoS flow; receiving a second notification from the SMF that the session is established; and storing parameters associated with the first QoS flow in the table.
  17. 17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising: notifying the AF of a successful creation of the first QoS flow.
  18. 18 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising: receiving, from an Application Function (AF), a request to create a traffic influence; and storing traffic steering rules, at a Unified Data Repository (UDR), in response to the request to create the traffic influence.
  19. 19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the UDR is configured to: provide the traffic steering rules to a Policy Control Function (PCF); and provide static traffic steering rules to a Session Management Function (SMF).
  20. 20 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising processor-executable instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: receive, from a core network, a first notification of a path change to a network traffic associated with a User Equipment (UE) device; determine whether the UE is to receive a Quality-of-Service (QoS) flow continuity service by looking up traffic influence information for the UE in a table; and when it is determined that the UE is to receive the QoS flow continuity service, send a message to the core network to provide QoS flow continuity service, wherein the QoS flow continuity service sets a QoS, of a first QoS flow for the UE after the path change, to a QoS of a second QoS flow for the UE prior the path change.

Description

BACKGROUND INFORMATION Fifth Generation (5G) networks offer many technological features unavailable in predecessor networks. For example, through use of network slicing, 5G networks may provide application and subscriber-specific Quality-of-Service (QoS) services for a variety of applications. Other benefits of 5G networks include service-based architecture (SBA) application programming interfaces (APIs) for facilitating traffic steering and interfacing with Multiaccess Edge Computing (MEC) clusters. Such mechanisms may provide improved network resource utilization, faster rollout times for new services without significant modifications to the existing network infrastructure, increased security, and decreased latency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 illustrates an overview of a system described herein. FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary network environment in which systems and methods described herein may be implemented. FIG. 3 depicts exemplary Fifth Generation (5G) core network components, according to an implementation. FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of an exemplary process that is associated with an initial setup for providing Quality-of-Service (QoS) flow continuity. FIG. 5 shows a diagram illustrating example messages exchanged between different components of a system to set up providing QoS flow continuity. FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of an exemplary process that is associated with establishing a new QoS flow by a system for providing QoS flow continuity. FIG. 7 shows a diagram illustrating example messages exchanged between different components of a system for providing QoS flow continuity. FIG. 8 shows an example traffic influence table, according to an implementation. FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of an exemplary process that is associated with reestablishing a QoS flow by a system for providing QoS flow continuity. FIG. 10 shows a diagram illustrating example messages exchanged between different components of a system for providing QoS flow continuity. FIG. 11 depicts exemplary functional components of a network device according to an implementation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers in different drawings may identify the same or similar elements. As used herein, the terms “service provider” and “provider network” may refer to, respectively, a provider of communication services and a network operated by the service provider. The network may be a cellular network. A cellular network may be uniquely identified by a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) Identifier (ID). Systems and methods described herein relate to Quality-of-Service (QoS) flow in general, and more particularly to providing Quality-of-Service (QoS) flow continuity. Typically it is desirable for networks to provide QoS continuity of services, for instance when the devices are mobile and rehomed to new gateways (e.g., User Plane Functions (UPFs)) to achieve the latency requirements. for example, QoS continuity ensures a smooth and uninterrupted user experience, which is particularly important for real-time applications such as video streaming, Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP), and online gaming, where disruptions can lead to noticeable performance degradation. In another example, maintaining consistent QoS guarantees that the network can reliably meet the service expectations of users, such as data rates, latency, and error rates. This is critical for business applications and remote work, where performance issues can affect productivity. Many applications, especially those sensitive to delays and packet loss, require a certain level of QoS to function properly. For example, video calls need low latency and steady bandwidth to avoid freezing and lag. For the Fifth Generation (5G) Standalone (SA) architecture and other advanced network architectures, repositioning of a user device raises significant QoS continuity issues. Specifically, when a User Equipment device (UE) is being relocated or re-anchored to the closest User Plane Function (UPF) in a 5G network (or a Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW) in a 4G network), while in a Service and Session Continuity mode 2 (SSC mode 2) session a with QoS flow (or a QoS (dedicated bearer), the UE receives a new Internet Protocol (IP) address. This repositioning and re-anchoring process present a potential change in the UE's optimal endpoint (e.g., a Multiaccess Edge Computing (MEC) application endpoint). If the UE was set up with a dedicated QoS session on the original UPF, the transition to a new UPF would cause an established Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session to be no longer used. The fundamental reason is the alteration in the network points of attachment and the assignment of the new IP address, essentially decoupling the dedicated QoS flow from the UE—and the existing cellular network does not have mechanism to re-establish a new dedicated QoS flow after the UE re-anchoring. Hence, changes in UE locations and UE re-