Granted Patent B2

US 12,696,089 · App. 18/777,160 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Inventors: Marouane Balmakhtar (Fairfax, VA); Lyle Walter Paczkowski (Mission Hills, KS)

Assignee: T-MOBILE INNOVATIONS LLC

H04W12/069H04W8/20H04W12/08

Abstract

Claims (35)

1 . A method comprising:

generating, by a user device, a slice certificate having one or more slice characteristics for a wireless network slice;

encrypting, by the user device, the slice certificate with a wireless network key that the user device is configured with, wherein encrypting the slice certificate encrypts the one or more slice characteristics for the wireless network slice;

wirelessly transferring, by the user device, the encrypted slice certificate having the one or more encrypted slice characteristics to a wireless access node, and in response, wirelessly receiving user context for the wireless network slice from the wireless access node, wherein the wireless access node provides the encrypted slice certificate to a network control plane and the network control plane decrypts the encrypted slice certificate, authorizes the user device to use the wireless network slice based on one or more decrypted slice characteristics of the decrypted slice certificate, and provides the user context to the user device via the wireless access node; and

wirelessly exchanging, by the user device, wireless network slice data with the wireless access node based on the user context for the wireless network slice.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more slice characteristics indicate a slice identifier.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more slice characteristics indicate user application information.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more slice characteristics indicate Radio Access Network (RAN) information.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more slice characteristics indicate User Plane Function (UPF) information.

6 . The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more slice characteristics indicate Session Management Function (SMF) information.

7 . The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless network slice comprises a massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC) slice.

8 . The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless network slice comprises an Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) slice.

9 . The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless network slice comprises an enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) slice.

10 . A method of operating a sensor to use a massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC) network slice, the method comprising:

wirelessly transferring, by the sensor, encrypted mMTC slice characteristics for the mMTC network slice to a wireless communication network that decrypts and validates the encrypted mMTC slice characteristics, and in response, wirelessly transfers user context for the mMTC wireless network slice to the sensor; and

wirelessly receiving, by the sensor, the user context for the mMTC network slice from the wireless communication network; and

wirelessly transferring, by the sensor, sensor data to the mMTC network slice over the wireless communication network based on the user context.

11 . The method of claim 10 wherein the wireless communication network compares the decrypted mMTC slice characteristics to expected mMTC slice characteristics to validate the encrypted mMTC slice characteristics.

12 . A wireless communication device comprising:

a data processing system and a radio;

the data processing system configured to;

generate a slice certificate having one or more slice characteristics for a wireless network slice; and

encrypt the slice certificate with a wireless network key that the wireless communication device is configured with, wherein encrypting the slice certificate encrypts the one or more slice characteristics for the wireless network slice; and

the radio configured to:

wirelessly transfer the encrypted slice certificate having the one or more encrypted slice characteristics to a wireless access node, wherein the wireless access node provides the encrypted slice certificate to a network control plane and the network control plane decrypts the encrypted slice certificate and authorizes the wireless communication device to use the wireless network slice based on one or more decrypted slice characteristics of the decrypted slice certificate;

in response, wirelessly receive user context for the wireless network slice from the wireless access node, wherein the network control plane provides the user context to the wireless communication device via the wireless access node; and

wirelessly exchange wireless network slice data with the wireless access node based on the user context for the wireless network slice.

13 . The wireless communication device of claim 12 wherein the one or more slice characteristics indicate a slice identifier.

14 . The wireless communication device of claim 12 wherein the one or more slice characteristics indicate user application information.

15 . The wireless communication device of claim 12 wherein the one or more slice characteristics indicate Radio Access Network (RAN) information.

16 . The wireless communication device of claim 12 wherein the one or more slice characteristics indicate User Plane Function (UPF) information.

17 . The wireless communication device of claim 12 wherein the one or more slice characteristics indicate Session Management Function (SMF) information.

18 . The wireless communication device of claim 12 wherein the wireless network slice comprises a massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC) slice.

19 . The wireless communication device of claim 12 wherein the wireless network slice comprises an Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) slice.

20 . The wireless communication device of claim 12 wherein the wireless network slice comprises an enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) slice.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (31)