IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,641,132
Granted Patent B2
US 12,641,132 · App. 18/285,241 · Granted May 26, 2026

Methods and apparatuses for selecting a media resource function or a media gateway in an internet protocol session

Inventors: Emiliano Merino Vazquez (Madrid, ES); Susana Fernandez Alonso (Madrid, ES); Jesús Ángel De Gregorio Rodriguez (Madrid, ES); Miguel Angel Muñoz De La Torre Alonso (Madrid, ES)
Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
H04L65/1026H04L65/1045H04L65/1069H04L65/1073H04L65/1104
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,641,132
App. No.
18/285,241
Granted
May 26, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments described herein relate to methods and apparatuses for enabling selection of a media resource function or a media gateway in an IP session. A method in a Proxy Call Session Control Function, P-CSCF, includes receiving one or more Session Initiation Protocol, SIP, packets originating from a wireless device as part of the IP session; responsive to receiving the SIP packets, transmitting a request to a Policy Control Function, PCF, for an indication of a geographical service area for a User Plane Function, UPF associated with the IP session; receiving an indication of the geographical service area; and selecting a gateway node based on the geographical service area.

Claims (33)

1 . A method performed by a Proxy-Call Session Control Function, P-CSCF, for selecting a media gateway node for an IP session, the method comprising:

receiving one or more Session Initiation Protocol, SIP, packets originating from a wireless device as part of the IP session;

responsive to receiving the SIP packets, transmitting a request to a Policy Control Function, PCF, for an indication of a geographical service area for a User Plane Function, UPF associated with the IP session;

receiving an indication of the geographical service area; and

selecting a gateway node based on the geographical service area.

2 . The method as in claim 1 further comprising: registering a profile for the P-CSCF at a network repository function, NRF, wherein the profile comprises an indication of one or more geographical areas served by the P-CSCF.

3 . The method as in claim 1 further comprising: including the indication of the geographical service area in a header of the SIP packets; and forwarding the SIP packets to a S-CSCF.

4 . A method performed by an Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network function, the method comprising:

receiving one or more Session Initiation Protocol, SIP packets as part of an IP session;

obtaining, from a Policy Control Function, PCF, an indication of a geographical service area served by a current User Plane Function, UPF, associated with the IP session;

selecting a media resource function or a media gateway based on the geographical service area; and

initiating forwarding of one or more media packets to the selected media resource function or media gateway.

5 . The method as in claim 4 wherein the step of obtaining comprises: receiving the indication of the geographical service area in a header of the one or more Session Initiation Protocol packets.

6 . The method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the step of obtaining comprises: obtaining the indication of the geographical service area from a Policy Control Function, PCF.

7 . A method performed by a Session Management Function, SMF, for enabling selection of a media resource function or a media gateway in an IP session, the method comprising:

responsive to establishing a PDU session with a wireless device, transmitting a request to a Network Repository Function for an indication of a User Plane Function serving a tracking area identifier associated with the wireless device; and

responsive to transmitting the request, receiving an identification of at least one UPF and respective indications of geographical service areas served by the at least one UPF.

8 . The method as in claim 7 further comprising: selecting a first UPF from the at least one UPF to be used for the IP session with the wireless device; and transmitting an indication of a first geographical area served by the first UPF to a Policy Control Function, PCF.

9 . The method as in claim 8 further comprising: receiving a request from the PCF to provide an update to the PCF if a change in geographical service area associated with the IP session occurs; and responsive to a change in geographical service area for the IP session occurring, updating the PCF.

10 . A method performed by a Policy Control Function, PCF for enabling selection of a media resource function or a media gateway in an IP session, the method comprising:

receiving, from a session management function, SMF, an indication of a first geographical area served by a first UPF to be used in the IP session;

storing an indication of the first geographical service area;

receiving a request from a Proxy-Call Session Control Function, P-CSCF, for a geographical area associated with the IP session; and

responsive to receiving the request, transmitting an indication of the first geographical service area to the P-CSCF.

11 . The method as in claim 10 further comprising transmitting a request to the SMF to provide an update if a change in geographical service area for the IP session occurs; and responsive to a change in geographical service area for the IP session occurring, receiving an updated geographical service area from the SMF; and updating the first geographical service area with the updated geographical service area.

12 . A method performed by a user plane function, UPF, for enabling selection of a media resource function or a media gateway in an IP session, the method comprising:

registering a profile for the UPF at a network repository function, NRF, wherein the profile comprises an indication of one or more geographical service areas served by the UPF, wherein one or more tracking area identifiers served by the UPF are associated with each of the one or more geographical service areas.

13 . The method as claimed in claim 12 wherein the profile further comprises an indication of a priority associated with each of the one or more geographical service areas.

14 . A method performed by a network repository function, NRF, for enabling selection of a media resource function or a media gateway in an IP session, the method comprising:

receiving a first profile of a user plane function, UPF, wherein the profile comprises an indication of one or more geographical service areas served by the UPF, wherein one or more tracking area identifiers, TAIs, served by the UPF are associated with each of the one or more geographical service areas; and storing the first profile of the UPF.

15 . The method of claim 14 further comprising: receiving a discovery request for a UPF from a session management function comprising an indication of a first TAI; determining one or more UPFs capable of serving the first TAI based on stored profiles; and transmitting an indication of each of the one or more UPFs to the SMF along with an indication of one or more geographical service areas served by each of the one or more UPFs.

16 . The method of claim 14 further comprising: receiving a second profile of a Proxy-Call Session Control Function, P-CSCF, wherein the second profile comprises an indication of one or more geographical areas served by the P-CSCF; and storing the second profile.

17 . The method of claim 16 further comprising: receiving a discovery request for a Proxy-Call Session Control Function, P-CSCF, from a session management function, SMF, comprising an indication of first geographical service area; determining one or more P-CSCFs capable of serving the first geographical service area based on stored profiles; and transmitting an indication of each of the one or more P-CSCFs to the SMF along with an indication of one or more geographical service areas served by each of the one or more P-CSCFs.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 30, 2023
From: MERINO VAZQUEZ, EMILIANO; FERNANDEZ ALONSO, SUSANA; DE GREGORIO RODRIGUEZ, JESUS ANGEL; MUÑOZ DE LA TORRE ALONSO, MIGUEL ANGEL
To: TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)
Reel/Frame 065082/0621 →
Priority Claims (1)
EP 21382282 · Apr 5, 2021 · regional
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240187459A1 · Jun 6, 2024
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