US 11,711,692 B2
Hardware-trusted ledger client for distributed ledgers that serve wireless network slices
Ronald R. Marquardt, Woodinville, WA (US); Arun Rajagopal, Leawood, KS (US); and Lyle Walter Paczkowski, Mission Hills, KS (US)
Assigned to T-MOBILE INNOVATIONS LLC, Overland Park, KS (US)
Filed by Sprint Communications Company L.P., Overland Park, KS (US)
Filed on Mar. 8, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/195,151.
Application 17/195,151 is a continuation of application No. 16/181,695, filed on Nov. 6, 2018, granted, now 10,986,500.
Prior Publication US 2021/0195421 A1, Jun. 24, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G06F 16/18 (2019.01); H04W 12/069 (2021.01); H04W 48/18 (2009.01); H04L 9/40 (2022.01); H04L 9/06 (2006.01); H04W 12/0431 (2021.01); H04L 9/00 (2022.01)
CPC H04W 12/069 (2021.01) [G06F 16/1805 (2019.01); H04L 9/0643 (2013.01); H04L 63/062 (2013.01); H04L 63/0823 (2013.01); H04W 12/0431 (2021.01); H04W 48/18 (2013.01); H04L 9/50 (2022.05)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of operating a wireless communication network to serve a wireless user device with a wireless communication service from a wireless network slice, the method comprising:
a Network Function Virtualization Infrastructure (NFVI) executing a Virtual Network Function (VNF) that comprises at least a portion of the wireless network slice;
the VNF maintaining hardware-trust with a distributed ledger;
the distributed ledger maintaining hardware-trust with the VNF;
a Radio Access Network (RAN) maintaining hardware-trust with the distributed ledger;
the distributed ledger maintaining hardware-trust with the RAN;
the VNF delivering the wireless communication service over the RAN to the wireless user device from the wireless network slice and generating slice data that characterizes the service delivery;
the RAN generating additional slice data that characterizes the service delivery;
when the VNF maintains the hardware-trust with the distributed ledger, the VNF transferring the slice data to the distributed ledger;
when the distributed ledger maintains the hardware-trust with the VNF, the distributed ledger storing the slice data;
when the RAN maintains the hardware-trust with the distributed ledger, the RAN transferring the additional slice data to the distributed ledger; and
when the distributed ledger maintains the hardware-trust with the RAN, the distributed ledger storing the additional slice data.