US 11,895,536 B2
User plane function (UPF) load balancing based on special considerations for low latency traffic
Mehdi Alasti, Reston, VA (US); Kazi Bashir, Lewisville, TX (US); Ash Khamas, Goffstown, NH (US); Ashish Bansal, Frisco, TX (US); and Siddhartha Chenumolu, Broadlands, VA (US)
Assigned to DISH Wireless L.L.C., Englewood, CO (US)
Filed by DISH Wireless L.L.C., Englewood, CO (US)
Filed on Mar. 3, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/117,329.
Application 18/117,329 is a continuation of application No. 17/458,120, filed on Aug. 26, 2021, granted, now 11,627,492.
Prior Publication US 2023/0209403 A1, Jun. 29, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04W 28/02 (2009.01); H04W 28/088 (2023.01); H04W 28/08 (2023.01)
CPC H04W 28/088 (2023.05) [H04W 28/0908 (2020.05)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system, comprising:
a memory that stores computer instructions; and
a processor that executes the computer instructions to perform actions, the actions including:
maintaining a plurality of load thresholds for each user plane function (UPF) of a plurality of UPFs in a cellular telecommunication network, wherein:
the plurality of UPFs serve as anchor points between user equipment (UE) in the cellular telecommunication network and a data network (DN);
each UPF of the plurality of UPFs is a virtual network function responsible for interconnecting packet data unit (PDU) sessions between the user equipment (UE) and the DN by anchoring the PDU sessions on individual UPFs;
the plurality of load thresholds for each UPF depend on a respective capacity of each UPF to have PDU sessions anchored thereon; and
an amount of load put on a UPF by a UE appearing in the cellular telecommunication network is assumed to be identical for all UEs appearing in the cellular telecommunication network;
receiving a request to anchor on a UPF a PDU session of a new UE newly appearing on the cellular telecommunication network;
selecting a UPF of the plurality of UPFs on which to anchor the PDU session based on whether traffic of the PDU session is identified as low latency and a location of the new UE; and
anchoring the PDU session of the new UE to the selected UPF.