US 11,889,361 B2
Methods providing anchor change for ethernet PDU sessions and related network entities/nodes
György Miklós, Pilisborosjenö (HU)
Assigned to Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ), Stockholm (SE)
Filed by Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ), Stockholm (SE)
Filed on May 24, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/751,908.
Application 17/751,908 is a continuation of application No. 16/476,386, granted, now 11,375,415, previously published as PCT/IB2019/050444, filed on Jan. 18, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/686,898, filed on Jun. 19, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0286925 A1, Sep. 8, 2022
Int. Cl. H04L 12/28 (2006.01); H04L 1/00 (2006.01); H04W 36/00 (2009.01); H04W 36/12 (2009.01)
CPC H04W 36/0069 (2018.08) [H04W 36/0033 (2013.01); H04W 36/12 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of operating a session management function (SMF) entity of a wireless communication network, the method comprising: receiving an Ethernet context for a wireless terminal from a first user plane function(UPF) entity, wherein the Ethernet context is provided for an Ethernet Protocol Data Unit, PDU, Session for the wireless terminal using the first UPF entity, wherein the first UPF entity acts as a first PDU Session Anchor (PSA) for the Ethernet PDU Session for the wireless terminal using the Ethernet context including a Medium Access Control (MAC) address for the wireless terminal, and wherein the Ethernet context includes the MAC address for the wireless terminal; selecting a second UPF entity to act as a second PSA for the Ethernet PDU Session for the wireless terminal using the Ethernet context including the MAC address for the wireless terminal; and responsive to selecting the second UPF entity, transmitting the Ethernet context including the MAC address for the wireless terminal to the second UPF entity, wherein transmitting the ethernet context comprises transmitting the ethernet context including the MAC address for the wireless terminal to the second UPF to change from the first PSA of the PDU Session to the second PSA of the PDU Session using the Ethernet context without releasing the PDU Session.