IP Library Granted Patent US 11,425,557
Granted Patent B2
US 11,425,557 · App. 17/014,079 · Granted Aug 23, 2022

Monitoring in a 5G non-standalone architecture to determine bearer type

Inventors: Antoine Vallée (Rennes, FR); Francois Daunay (Noyal Châtillon sur Seiche, FR)
Assignee: EXFO Solutions SAS
H04W8/30H04W24/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,425,557
App. No.
17/014,079
Granted
Aug 23, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods include obtaining monitored messages between a Mobility Management Entity (MME) and a Serving Gateway (SGW) in a 5G Non-Standalone (NSA) system; detecting base stations that are gNodeB base stations based on the monitored messages; and storing the detected gNodeB base stations in a database of known gNodeB base stations in the 5G NSA system. The systems and methods can include identifying a bearer as utilizing 5G Radio Access Technology based on a presence of an address associated with the detected gNodeB base stations in the database of known gNodeB base stations. The systems and methods can further include identifying a bearer as utilizing 4G Radio Access Technology based on a lack of the presence of the address in the database of known gNodeB base stations.

Claims (39)

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for programming a processor to perform the steps of:

obtaining monitored messages between a Mobility Management Entity (MME) and a Serving Gateway (SGW) in a 5G Non-Standalone (NSA) system;

detecting base stations that are gNodeB base stations based on the monitored messages that are from an S11 control plane interface; and

storing identifiers of the detected gNodeB base stations in a database of known gNodeB base stations in the 5G NSA system.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions program the process to further perform the steps of

identifying a bearer as utilizing 5G Radio Access Technology based on a presence of an address associated with the detected gNodeB base stations in the database of known gNodeB base stations.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 2 , wherein the instructions program the process to further perform the steps of

identifying a bearer as utilizing 4G Radio Access Technology based on lack of the presence of the address in the database of known gNodeB base stations.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the detecting is based on a second Modify Bearer Request or Response message after a first Modify Bearer Request or Response message and a Create Session Request or Response message.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4 , wherein the second Modify Bearer Request or Response message is one of i) without an eNodeB identifier and ii) with an eNodeB identifier from the corresponding Create Session Request or Response message, each indicating a new address associated with the second Modify Bearer Request or Response message is a gNodeB base station.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the monitored messages are associated with establishing tunnels with Tunnel Endpoint Identifiers (TEID) between the SGW and the base stations.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the monitored messages are obtained at the SGW.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions program the process to further perform the steps of

providing the database of known gNodeB base stations to a monitoring system for use in identification of bearer type.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the monitored messages that are on an S11 control plane interface are sent between the SGW and the MME.

10. A method comprising:

obtaining monitored messages between a Mobility Management Entity (MME) and a Serving Gateway (SGW) in a 5G Non-Standalone (NSA) system;

detecting base stations that are gNodeB base stations based on the monitored messages that are from an S11 control plane interface; and

storing identifiers of the detected gNodeB base stations in a database of known gNodeB base stations in the 5G NSA system.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising

identifying a bearer as utilizing 5G Radio Access Technology based on a presence of an address associated with the detected gNodeB base stations in the database of known gNodeB base stations.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising

identifying a bearer as utilizing 4G Radio Access Technology based on lack of the presence of the address in the database of known gNodeB base stations.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the detecting is based on a second Modify Bearer Request or Response message after a first Modify Bearer Request or Response message and a Create Session Request or Response message.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second Modify Bearer Request or Response message is one of i) without an eNodeB identifier and ii) with an eNodeB identifier from the corresponding Create Session Request or Response message, each indicating a new address associated with the second Modify Bearer Request or Response message is a gNodeB base station.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the monitored messages are associated with establishing tunnels with Tunnel Endpoint Identifiers (TEID) between the SGW and the base stations.

16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising

providing the database of known gNodeB base stations to a monitoring system for use in identification of bearer type.

17. A system comprising:

a processor; and

memory comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to

obtain monitored messages between a Mobility Management Entity (MME) and a Serving Gateway (SGW) in a 5G Non-Standalone (NSA) system;

detect base stations that are gNodeB base stations based on the monitored messages that are from an S11 control plane interface; and

store identifiers of the detected gNodeB base stations in a database of known gNodeB base stations in the 5G NSA system.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to

identify a bearer as utilizing 5G Radio Access Technology based on a presence of an address associated with the detected gNodeB base stations in the database of known gNodeB base stations, and

identify a bearer as utilizing 4G Radio Access Technology based on lack of the presence of the address in the database of known gNodeB base stations.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the base stations are detected based on a second Modify Bearer Request or Response message after a first Modify Bearer Request or Response message and a Create Session Request or Response message.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the second Modify Bearer Request or Response message is one of i) without an eNodeB identifier and ii) with an eNodeB identifier from the corresponding Create Session Request or Response message, each indicating a new address associated with the second Modify Bearer Request or Response message is a gNodeB base station.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 29, 2025
From: EXFO SOLUTIONS SAS
To: TC FRANCE S.A.S.
Reel/Frame 073329/0624 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 28, 2020
From: VALLÉE, ANTOINE; DAUNAY, FRANÇOIS
To: EXFO SOLUTIONS S.A.S.
Reel/Frame 053897/0350 →