IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,543,244
Granted Patent B2
US 12,543,244 · App. 18/489,247 · Granted Feb 3, 2026

Method and apparatus for improving service reliability in wireless communication system

Inventors: Sangsoo Jeong (Suwon-si, KR); Sangjun Moon (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
H04W80/10H04W8/08H04W24/08H04W48/16H04W76/11
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,543,244
App. No.
18/489,247
Granted
Feb 3, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method, performed by a first Session Management Function (SMF), for providing a continuous service to a user equipment (UE) includes: identifying, by the first SMF, triggering of an SMF change operation; transmitting, to an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), a message indicating a change in a status of a Packet Data Unit (PDU) session of the UE so as to request a procedure of changing an SMF; receiving a context request message requesting a context of the UE from a second SMF that is a target SMF; and transmitting a context request response message to the second SMF.

Claims (40)

1 . A method performed by a first session management function (SMF) for providing a continuous service to a user equipment (UE), the method comprising:

identifying triggering of an SMF change operation;

performing a subscription procedure with an access and mobility management function (AMF) for an event in which a status of the UE becomes an idle or an inactive;

in case that the status of the UE becomes the idle or the inactive, receiving, from the AMF, a notification message to report the event;

transmitting, to the AMF, a message indicating a change in a status of a protocol data unit (PDU) session so as to request a procedure of an SMF change, wherein the message indicating the change in the status of the PDU session includes context identification (ID);

transmitting a service context request to a second SMF, based on the identification, wherein the service context request is part of a push procedure and includes a context being transferred; and

receiving, from the second SMF, a service context response indicating a result of the SMF change operation, as a response for the service context request, wherein the service context response is part of the push procedure,

wherein the result of the SMF change operation indicates whether the SMF change operation is successful or not successful.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second SMF is registered in a Unified Data Management (UDM).

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the SMF change operation is triggered in response to a request by operations, administration and maintenance (OAM), and

wherein the request by the OAM comprises identification information of the second SMF.

4 . A method performed by a second session management function (SMF) for providing a continuous service to a user equipment (UE), the method comprising:

in case that an SMF change operation is identified at a first SMF, receiving a service context request from the first SMF, wherein the service context request is part of a push procedure and includes a context being transferred; and

transmitting, to the first SMF, a service context response indicating a result of the SMF change operation, as a response for the service context request, wherein the service context response is part of the push procedure, wherein the result of the SMF change operation indicates whether the SMF change operation is successful or not successful, and wherein the service context request is received from the first SMF in response to the first SMF performing a subscription procedure with an access and mobility management function (AMF) for an event in which a status of the UE becomes an idle or an inactive;

receiving, from the AMF, a notification message to report the event, in case that the status of the UE becomes the idle or the inactive; and

transmitting, to the AMF, a message indicating a change in a status of a protocol data unit (PDU) session so as to request a procedure of an SMF change, wherein the message indicating the change in the status of the PDU session includes context identification (ID).

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the second SMF is registered in a Unified Data Management (UDM).

6 . A first session management function (SMF) for providing a continuous service to a user equipment (UE), the first SMF comprising:

a transceiver; and

at least one processor coupled with the transceiver and configured to:

identify triggering of an SMF change operation,

perform a subscription procedure with an access and mobility management function (AMF) for an event in which a status of the UE becomes an idle or an inactive,

in case that the status of the UE becomes the idle or the inactive, receive, from the AMF, a notification message to report the event,

transmit, to the AMF, a message indicating a change in a status of a protocol data unit (PDU) session so as to request a procedure of an SMF change, wherein the message indicating the change in the status of the PDU session includes context identification (ID),

transmit a service context request to a second SMF, based on the identification, wherein the service context request is part of a push procedure and includes a context being transferred, and

receive, from the second SMF, a service context response indicating a result of the SMF change operation, as a response for the service context request, wherein the service context response is part of the push procedure,

wherein the result of the SMF change operation indicates whether the SMF change operation is successful or not successful.

7 . The first SMF of claim 6 , wherein the second SMF is registered in a Unified Data Management (UDM).

8 . The first SMF of claim 6 , wherein the SMF change operation is triggered in response to a request by operations, administration and maintenance (OAM), and

wherein the request by the OAM comprises identification information of the second SMF.

9 . A second session management function (SMF) for providing a continuous service to a user equipment (UE), the second SMF comprising:

a transceiver; and

at least one processor coupled with the transceiver and configured to:

in case that an SMF change operation is identified at a first SMF, receive a service context request from the first SMF, wherein the service context request is part of a push procedure and includes a context being transferred; and

transmit, to the first SMF, a service context response indicating a result of the SMF change operation, as a response for the service context request, wherein the service context response is part of the push procedure, wherein the result of the SMF change operation indicates whether the SMF change operation is successful or not successful, and wherein the service context request is received from the first SMF in response to the first SMF performing a subscription procedure with an access and mobility management function (AMF) for an event in which a status of the UE becomes an idle or an inactive,

receive, from the AMF, a notification message to report the event, in case that the status of the UE becomes the idle or the inactive, and

transmit, to the AMF, a message indicating a change in a status of a protocol data unit (PDU) session so as to request a procedure of an SMF change, wherein the message indicating the change in the status of the PDU session includes context identification (ID).

10 . The second SMF of claim 9 , wherein the second SMF is registered in a Unified Data Management (UDM).

11 . The second SMF of claim 9 , wherein the SMF change operation is triggered in response to a request by operations, administration and maintenance (OAM), and

wherein the request by the OAM comprises identification information of the second SMF.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 18, 2023
From: JEONG, SANGSOO; MOON, SANGJUN
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD
Reel/Frame 065264/0890 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2019-0068265 · Jun 10, 2019 · national
Continuity (3)
Continuation 17811392 · Jul 8, 2022
Continuation 16946163 · Jun 8, 2020
Related Publication 20240049357A1 · Feb 8, 2024
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Cited By (1)
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