US 12,342,208 B2
Remote user plane deployment and configuration
David Midkiff, Port Angeles, WA (US); and Douglas Eng, Sammamish, WA (US)
Assigned to AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P., Atlanta, GA (US)
Filed by AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P., Atlanta, GA (US)
Filed on Jan. 25, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/422,528.
Application 18/422,528 is a continuation of application No. 17/097,879, filed on Nov. 13, 2020, granted, now 11,924,662.
Prior Publication US 2024/0172023 A1, May 23, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04W 24/10 (2009.01); H04W 8/04 (2009.01); H04W 8/06 (2009.01); H04W 12/033 (2021.01); H04W 88/10 (2009.01)
CPC H04W 24/10 (2013.01) [H04W 8/04 (2013.01); H04W 8/06 (2013.01); H04W 12/033 (2021.01); H04W 88/10 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
providing, by a processing system including a processor, a remote user plane function (UPF) deployment and controller function for a plurality of UPFs of a communication network, wherein respective UPFs of the plurality of UPFs comprises a respective proprietary configuration and control interfaces, each respective proprietary configuration and control interface being associated with a respective vendor, wherein the remote UPF deployment and control function communicates data for respective proprietary procedures for controlling the respective plurality of UPFs via the respective proprietary configuration and control interfaces; and
providing, by the processing system, a standard, service-based interface to facilitate communication between the remote UPF deployment and control function and the plurality of UPFs, wherein a first UPF and a second UPF of the plurality of UPFs are adapted to communicate with a session management function (SMF) via the standard, service-based interface and the remote UPF deployment and control function, and wherein the remote UPF deployment and control function facilitates communication between respective UPFs of the plurality of UPFs and the session management function via the standard, service-based interface.