IP Library › Granted Patent US 12665952
Granted Patent B2
US 12665952 · App. 18/708,443 · Granted Jun 23, 2026

Discovery of edge application server across networks

Inventors: Dario Serafino Tonesi (San Diego, CA); Sunghoon Kim (San Diego, CA); Nishant Gupta (Bangalore, IN); Alan Soloway (Frederick, CO); Tom Chin (San Diego, CA); Hong Cheng (Basking Ridge, NJ)
Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
H04L67/51H04L67/56
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12665952
App. No.
18/708,443
Granted
Jun 23, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatuses for discovery, by a user connected to a first network, of an edge application server (EAS) associated with a second network. In some aspects, techniques described herein provide a shared EAS discovery function (EASDF), which allows users connected to different home networks to discover EASs across a plurality of networks. Some techniques described herein provide communication between EASDFs of different networks. Thus, a user connected to a first network can discover an EAS of a second network, which enables sharing of EASs across networks. Furthermore, techniques described herein provide communication between a UE connected to a first network and an edge data network (EDN) (such as an EAS hosted by the EDN) of a second network, such as by establishing a connection between a user plane function of the first network associated with the UE and a network entity of the second network.

Claims (65)

1 . A network entity for wireless communication, comprising:

a processing system that includes one or more processors and one or more code-storing memories coupled with the one or more processors, the processing system configured to cause the network entity to:

output, to a first edge application server (EAS) discovery function (EASDF) of a first network to which the network entity belongs, filtering information indicating a set of network addresses;

obtain, from the first EASDF, an indication that a discovery message, received by the first EASDF, includes a network address of the set of network addresses; and

output at least part of the discovery message to a second EASDF associated with a second network to which the network entity does not belong,

wherein the second EASDF is different from the first EASDF, and

wherein the second EASDF is a shared EASDF that facilitates discovery of EASs of the second network to which the network entity does not belong.

2 . The network entity of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the network entity to:

select, in accordance with the indication, the second EASDF.

3 . The network entity of claim 1 , wherein the network address is associated with an EAS of the EASs of the second network to which the network entity does not belong.

4 . The network entity of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the network entity to:

obtain, from the second EASDF via the first EASDF, access information associated with an EAS of the EASs of the second network to which the network entity does not belong; and

establish a connection to the second network to which the network entity does not belong based at least in part on the access information.

5 . The network entity of claim 4 , wherein the connection is between a first user plane function of the first network and another network entity of the second network to which the network entity does not belong.

6 . The network entity of claim 5 , wherein the other network entity is a second user plane function of the second network to which the network entity does not belong.

7 . The network entity of claim 6 , wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the network entity to:

output, to the second user plane function based at least in part on the first user plane function of the first network being a session anchor of the connection, information indicating an Internet Protocol address of a user equipment associated with the connection.

8 . The network entity of claim 6 , wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the network entity to:

obtain, from the second user plane function based at least in part on the second user plane function being a session anchor of the connection, information indicating an Internet Protocol address of a user equipment associated with the connection.

9 . The network entity of claim 5 , wherein the first user plane function is designated for communication with the EASs of the second network to which the network entity does not belong.

10 . The network entity of claim 5 , wherein the access information is specific to the first user plane function.

11 . The network entity of claim 5 , wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the network entity to:

configure the first user plane function based at least in part on the access information, wherein the first user plane function is accessible to an edge data network of the second network to which the network entity does not belong.

12 . The network entity of claim 5 , wherein the other network entity is associated with an edge data network of the second network to which the network entity does not belong.

13 . The network entity of claim 4 , wherein the processing system, to establish the connection, is configured to cause the network entity to:

communicate with a session management function of the second network, to which the network entity does not belong, to configure the connection.

14 . An apparatus of a first edge application server (EAS) discovery function (EASDF) for wireless communication associated with a first network, comprising:

a processing system that includes one or more processors and one or more code-storing memories coupled with the one or more processors, the processing system configured to cause the apparatus to:

obtain, from a network entity, filtering information indicating a set of network addresses;

obtain a discovery message including a network address of the set of network addresses;

output at least part of the discovery message to a second EASDF associated with a second network to which the network entity does not belong,

wherein the second EASDF is a shared EASDF that facilitates discovery of EASs of the second network to which the network entity does not belong; and

obtain, from the second EASDF in accordance with the network address, access information associated with an EAS of the EASs of the second network to which the network entity does not belong.

15 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the apparatus to:

select, in accordance with the discovery message, the second EASDF.

16 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the filtering information indicates that the set of network addresses are associated with one or more of the EASs of the second network to which the network entity does not belong.

17 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the second EASDF is associated with the first network and with the second network to which the network entity does not belong.

18 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the filtering information is associated with a public land mobile network (PLMN) identifier of the second network to which the network entity does not belong, and wherein providing at least part of the discovery message to the second EASDF is based at least in part on the second EASDF being associated with the second network to which the network entity does not belong.

19 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the apparatus to:

output the access information and the PLMN identifier to a session management function (SMF) of the first network.

20 . A method of wireless communication performed by a network entity, comprising:

providing, to a first edge application server (EAS) discovery function (EASDF) of a first network to which the network entity belongs, filtering information indicating a set of network addresses;

receiving, from the first EASDF, an indication that a discovery message, received by the first EASDF, includes a network address of the set of network addresses; and

transmitting at least part of the discovery message to a second EASDF associated with at least a second network to which the network entity does not belong,

wherein the second EASDF is different from the first EASDF, and

wherein the second EASDF is a shared EASDF that facilitates discovery of EASs of the second network to which the network entity does not belong.

21 . The method of claim 20 , further comprising:

selecting, in accordance with the indication, the second EASDF.

22 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the network address is associated with an EAS of the EASs of the second network to which the network entity does not belong.

23 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the second EASDF is associated with a plurality of networks including the second network to which the network entity does not belong.

24 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the filtering information is associated with a public land mobile network (PLMN) identifier of the second network to which the network entity does not belong, and wherein providing at least part of the discovery message to the second EASDF further comprises providing at least part of the discovery message to the second EASDF based at least in part on the second EASDF being associated with the second network to which the network entity does not belong.

25 . The method of claim 20 , further comprising:

obtaining EAS deployment information indicating the filtering information from a network exposure function (NEF) of the first network.

26 . A method of wireless communication performed by a first edge application server (EAS) discovery function (EASDF) associated with a first network, comprising:

receiving, from a network entity, filtering information indicating a set of network addresses;

receiving a discovery message including a network address of the set of network addresses;

providing at least part of the discovery message to a second EASDF associated with a second network to which the network entity does not belong,

wherein the second EASDF is a shared EASDF that facilitates discovery of EASs belonging toof the second network to which the network entity does not belong; and

obtaining, from the second EASDF in accordance with the network address, access information associated with an EAS of the EASs of the second network to which the network entity does not belong.

27 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the discovery message is a domain name service query message.

28 . The network entity of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the network entity to:

select the second EASDF based at least in part on the second EASDF being associated with a public land mobile network (PLMN) identifier indicated by a domain name system (DNS) query associated with the second network to which the network entity does not belong.

29 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the apparatus to:

select the second EASDF based at least in part on the second EASDF being associated with a public land mobile network (PLMN) identifier indicated by a domain name system (DNS) query associated with the second network to which the network entity does not belong.

30 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the discovery message is a domain name system (DNS) query.