US 12,317,070 B2
Device authentication and network function registration and discovery for 5G vertical networks
Ravi Shekhar, Maharastra (IN); and Vimal Srivastava, Bangalore (IN)
Assigned to Cisco Technology, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by Cisco Technology, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Jul. 20, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/813,845.
Prior Publication US 2024/0031803 A1, Jan. 25, 2024
Int. Cl. H04W 12/06 (2021.01); H04W 12/08 (2021.01); H04W 60/00 (2009.01)
CPC H04W 12/06 (2013.01) [H04W 12/08 (2013.01); H04W 60/00 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
receiving, at network controller of an operator network and from an end terminal, a request for access to a network function (NF) of a vertical network, the request including a type of the NF in the vertical network, the operator network being configured to authenticate the end terminal and enable the end terminal to access the NF of the vertical network, the vertical network having a limited number of dedicated NFs with remaining NFs being provided by the operator network;
authenticating, at the network controller, the end terminal;
upon authenticating the end terminal, identifying, at the network controller, the NF requested by the end terminal based at least on the type of the NF included in the request; and
facilitating, by the network controller, access to the NF in the vertical network by the end terminal.