US 12,219,399 B2
Multiple user plane function supporting access traffic steering, switching, and splitting for multi-access packet data unit session
Georgios Gkellas, Petroupoli (GR); Rainer Liebhart, Munich (DE); Mu He, Munich (DE); Devaki Chandramouli, Plano, TX (US); Laurent Thiebaut, Antony (FR); and Lazaros Gkatzikis, Issy-les-Moulineaux (FR)
Assigned to NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY, Espoo (FI)
Filed by NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY, Espoo (FI)
Filed on Jan. 31, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/588,966.
Prior Publication US 2023/0247487 A1, Aug. 3, 2023
Int. Cl. H04W 28/12 (2009.01); H04W 28/02 (2009.01); H04W 40/12 (2009.01); H04W 76/10 (2018.01)
CPC H04W 28/12 (2013.01) [H04W 28/0236 (2013.01); H04W 40/12 (2013.01); H04W 76/10 (2018.02)] 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus, comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory comprising computer program code,
the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to
determine that an existing user plane function is sub-optimal in terms of routing and latency incurred with respect to traffic for a given packet data unit session of a user equipment;
establish, based on the determination, a new user plane function for the packet data unit session;
establish a branching point user plane function that interfaces with the existing user plane function, the new user plane function, and a plurality of network access types; and
update the user equipment by providing the user equipment with relevant multi-access traffic steering rules.