IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,574,808
Granted Patent B2
US 12,574,808 · App. 18/199,647 · Granted Mar 10, 2026

Handover for communication networks

Inventors: Weihua Qiao (Herndon, VA); Esmael Hejazi Dinan (McLean, VA); Kyungmin Park (Vienna, VA); Peyman Talebi Fard (Vienna, VA); Jinsook Ryu (Oakton, VA); Taehun Kim (Fairfax, VA); Hua Zhou (Vienna, VA); Yunjung Yi (Vienna, VA)
Assignee: Ofinno, LLC
H04W36/0033H04W36/0011
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,574,808
App. No.
18/199,647
Granted
Mar 10, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A second control plane function (CPF) receives, from a first CPF, a request for a handover for a session of a wireless device. The handover request indicates an internet protocol (IP) address, of the wireless device, used by a first user plane function (UPF). The handover request indicates to maintain the IP address of the wireless device. The second CPF sends, to a second UPF, a user plane session request message comprising the IP address.

Claims (41)

1 . A control plane function (CPF) comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the CPF to perform:

receiving, from a further CPF, a request for a handover for a session of a wireless device, the request for the handover indicating:

an internet protocol (IP) address, of the wireless device, used by a first user plane function (UPF); and

to maintain the IP address of the wireless device;

determining, based on the indicating to maintain the IP address, to maintain and/or reuse the IP address of the wireless device, wherein the determining is based on a CPF pool indication indicating that the IP address of the wireless device is used by CPFs in a CPF pool; and

sending, to a second UPF, a user plane session request message comprising the IP address.

2 . The CPF of claim 1 , wherein

the request for the handover comprises a parameter indicating to maintain and/or reuse the IP address of the wireless device.

3 . The CPF of claim 1 , wherein the request for the handover further comprises a CPF pool identifier of the CPF pool.

4 . The CPF of claim 1 , wherein the CPF pool indication is included in the request for the handover.

5 . The CPF of claim 1 , wherein the determining is based on a UPF pool indication indicating that the IP address of the wireless device is used by UPFs in a UPF pool.

6 . The CPF of claim 5 , wherein the UPF pool indication is included in the request for the handover.

7 . The CPF of claim 5 , wherein the UPF pool indication indicates that the IP address of the wireless device is used by both the first UPF and the second UPF.

8 . The CPF of claim 5 , wherein the UPF pool indication comprises a UPF pool identifier of the UPF pool.

9 . The CPF of claim 1 , wherein the determining is based on an IP pool indication indicating that the IP address of the wireless device is in an IP pool.

10 . The CPF of claim 9 , wherein the IP pool indication is received in the request for the handover.

11 . The CPF of claim 1 , wherein the user plane session request message comprises a user plane rule for the session.

12 . The CPF of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors further cause the CPF to perform:

receiving, from the second UPF, a user plane session response message, wherein the user plane session response message comprises a data forwarding address of the second UPF.

13 . The CPF of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors further cause the CPF to perform:

sending, to the further CPF, a handover acknowledgement, wherein the handover acknowledgement comprises a forwarding tunnel indication.

14 . A control plane function (CPF) comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the CPF to perform:

sending, to a second CPF, a request for a handover for a session of a wireless device, the request for the handover indicating:

an internet protocol (IP) address, of the wireless device, used by a first user plane function (UPF); and

to maintain the IP address of the wireless device, wherein the second CPF determines to maintain and/or reuse the IP address of the wireless device, and wherein the determining is based on a CPF pool indication indicating that the IP address of the wireless device is used by CPFs in a CPF pool; and

receiving, from the second CPF, a handover acknowledgement, wherein the handover acknowledgement comprises a forwarding tunnel indication.

15 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a second control plane function (CPF), cause the second CPF to perform:

receiving, from a first CPF, a request for a handover for a session of a wireless device, the request for the handover indicating:

an internet protocol (IP) address, of the wireless device, used by a first user plane function (UPF); and

to maintain the IP address of the wireless device;

determining, based on the indicating to maintain the IP address, to maintain and/or reuse the IP address of the wireless device, wherein the determining is based on a CPF pool indication indicating that the IP address of the wireless device is used by CPFs in a CPF pool; and

sending, to a second UPF, a user plane session request message comprising the IP address.

16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the request for the handover comprises a parameter indicating to maintain and/or reuse the IP address of the wireless device.

17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the request for the handover further comprises a CPF pool identifier of the CPF pool.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the CPF pool indication is included in the request for the handover.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the determining is based on a UPF pool indication indicating that the IP address of the wireless device is used by UPFs in a UPF pool.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the UPF pool indication is included in the request for the handover.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 20, 2023
From: QIAO, WEIHUA; DINAN, ESMAEL HEJAZI; PARK, KYUNGMIN; TALEBI FARD, PEYMAN; RYU, JINSOOK; KIM, TAEHUN; ZHOU, HUA; YI, YUNJUNG
To: OFINNO, LLC
Reel/Frame 063999/0037 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation PCTUS2021060012 · Nov 19, 2021
Provisional Application 63116517 · Nov 20, 2020
Related Publication 20230328596A1 · Oct 12, 2023
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