IP Library Granted Patent US 11,265,694
Granted Patent B2
US 11,265,694 · App. 16/752,498 · Granted Mar 1, 2022

Network repository function (NRF) discovery control

Inventor: Muhammad Adnan Farooq (Bothell, WA)
Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc.
H04W8/005H04L67/10H04L67/16H04L67/34H04L69/28H04W60/04H04W88/14H04W88/18
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,265,694
App. No.
16/752,498
Granted
Mar 1, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Controlling Network Repository Function (NRF) during discovery within a Fifth Generation (5G) network is described. In an example, the NRF can receive, from a Network Function (NF) consumer associated with the 5G network, a request for information associated with a NF producer type. The NRF can receive, from one or more NF producers associated with the NF producer type, indications of the NF producers and the NRF can generate a list of NF producers based at least in part on the indications. The NRF can select, based at least in part on a configurable parameter, a subset of the list of NF producers and send, responsive to receiving the request, the subset of the list of NF producers to the NF consumer.

Claims (41)

1. A method, implemented at a Network Repository Function (NRF) associated with a Fifth Generation (5G) network, the method comprising:

receiving, from a Network Function (NF) consumer associated with the 5G network, a discovery request for information associated with a NF producer type;

receiving, from NF producers associated with the NF producer type, indications of the NF producers;

generating a list of NF producers based at least in part on the indications;

selecting, based at least in part on a configurable parameter, a subset of the list of NF producers; and

sending, responsive to receiving the discovery request, the subset of the list of NF producers to the NF consumer,

wherein the configurable parameter is configured based at least in part on a number of service types available for the NF producer type and a redundancy threshold.

2. The method as claim 1 recites, further comprising:

associating the subset of the list of NF producers with a timer associated with a period of time after which the list of NF producers expires; and

sending the timer with the subset of the list of NF producers to the NF consumer.

3. The method as claim 2 recites, further comprising receiving, from the NF consumer, another discovery request for information associated with information associated with the NF producer type after a lapse of the period of time.

4. The method as claim 1 recites, wherein the configurable parameter is configured for the NF producer type.

5. The method as claim 1 recites, wherein the indications are received from the NF producers associated with the NF producer type in association with registration of the NF producers with the NRF.

6. The method as claim 1 recites, wherein the indications are received from the NF producers associated with the NF producer type responsive to a request from the NRF.

7. The method as claim 1 recites, wherein the NF consumer comprises at least one of an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), an Authentication Server Function (AUSF), a Network Exposure Function (NEF), a Policy Control Function (PCF), a Session Management Function (SMF), a Unified Data Management (UDM), a Charging Function (CHF), an Equipment Identity Register (EIR), a Location Management Function (LMF), or a Session Plane Function (SPF).

8. The method as claim 1 recites, wherein a NF producer comprises at least one of a Session Management Function (SMF), a Unified Data Management (UDM), an Authentication Server Function (AUSF), a Short Message Service Function (SMSF), a Location Management Function (LMF), a Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF), an Equipment Identity Register (EIR), a Unified Data Repository (UDR), a Charging Function (CHF), or a Network Exposure Function (NEF).

9. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a Network Function (NF) consumer associated with a Fifth Generation (5G) network, a request for information associated with a NF producer type;

receiving, from one or more NF producers associated with the NF producer type, indications of the NF producers;

generating a list of NF producers based at least in part on the indications;

selecting, based at least in part on a configurable parameter, a subset of the list of NF producers;

associating the subset of the list of NF producers with a period of time after which the list of NF producers expires; and

sending, responsive to receiving the request, the subset of the list of NF producers to the NF consumer, the sending including sending, along with the subset, an indicator of the period of time after which the list of NF producers expires, wherein the system receives another request for information associated with information associated with the NF producer type after a lapse of the period of time.

10. The system as claim 9 recites, wherein the configurable parameter is configured for the NF producer type and based at least in part on a number of services associated with the NF producer type or a redundancy threshold.

11. The system as claim 9 recites, wherein the system comprises a Network Repository Function (NRF) and the request is associated with a discovery event.

12. The system as claim 11 recites, wherein the indications are received from the NF producers associated with the NF producer type in association with registration of the NF producers with the NRF.

13. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause a Network Repository Function (NRF) of a Fifth Generation (5G) Network to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a Network Function (NF) consumer associated with the 5G network, a request for information associated with a NF producer type;

receiving, from one or more NF producers associated with the NF producer type, indications of the NF producers;

generating a list of NF producers based at least in part on the indications;

selecting, based at least in part on a configurable parameter, a subset of the list of NF producers;

associating the subset of the list of NF producers with a period of time after which the list of NF producers expires; and

sending, responsive to receiving the request, the subset of the list of NF producers to the NF consumer, the sending including sending, along with the subset, an indicator of the period of time after which the list of NF producers expires, wherein the system receives another request for information associated with information associated with the NF producer type after a lapse of the period of time.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as claim 13 recites, wherein the configurable parameter is configured for the NF producer type and based at least in part on a number of services associated with the NF producer type or a redundancy threshold.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as claim 13 recites, wherein the indications are received from the NF producers associated with the NF producer type in association with registration of the NF producers with the NRF.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as claim 13 recites, wherein:

the NF consumer comprises at least one of an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), an Authentication Server Function (AUSF), a Network Exposure Function (NEF), a Policy Control Function (PCF), a Session Management Function (SMF), a Unified Data Management (UDM), a Charging Function (CHF), an Equipment Identity Register (EIR), a Location Management Function (LMF), or a Session Plane Function (SPF);

the NF producers comprise at least one of a Session Management Function (SMF), a Unified Data Management (UDM), an Authentication Server Function (AUSF), a Short Message Service Function (SMSF), a Location Management Function (LMF), a Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF), an Equipment Identity Register (EIR), a Unified Data Repository (UDR), a Charging Function (CHF), or a Network Exposure Function (NEF); and

the NF consumer is different than the NF producers.

Assignments (3)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 23, 2022
From: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS
To: IBSV LLC; LAYER3 TV, LLC; PUSHSPRING, LLC; T-MOBILE CENTRAL LLC; T-MOBILE USA, INC.; ASSURANCE WIRELESS USA, L.P.; BOOST WORLDWIDE, LLC; CLEARWIRE COMMUNICATIONS LLC; CLEARWIRE IP HOLDINGS LLC; SPRINTCOM LLC; SPRINT COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY L.P.; SPRINT INTERNATIONAL INCORPORATED; SPRINT SPECTRUM LLC
Reel/Frame 062595/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 2, 2020
From: T-MOBILE USA, INC.; ISBV LLC; T-MOBILE CENTRAL LLC; LAYER3 TV, INC.; PUSHSPRING, INC.; BOOST WORLDWIDE, LLC; CLEARWIRE COMMUNICATIONS LLC; CLEARWIRE IP HOLDINGS LLC; CLEARWIRE LEGACY LLC; SPRINT COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY L.P.; SPRINT INTERNATIONAL INCORPORATED; SPRINT SPECTRUM L.P.; ASSURANCE WIRELESS USA, L.P.
To: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS
Reel/Frame 053182/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 24, 2020
From: FAROOQ, MUHAMMAD ADNAN
To: T-MOBILE USA, INC.
Reel/Frame 051617/0812 →
Continuity (1)
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