US 12,355,892 B2
Wireless communication network service using an application programming interface (API) and distributed ledger
Lyle Walter Paczkowski, Mission Hills, KS (US)
Assigned to T-MOBILE INNOVATIONS LLC, Overland Park, KS (US)
Filed by T-Mobile Innovations LLC, Overland Park, KS (US)
Filed on Dec. 8, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/545,551.
Prior Publication US 2023/0318842 A1, Oct. 5, 2023
Int. Cl. H04L 9/32 (2006.01); H04W 12/06 (2021.01); H04W 48/08 (2009.01); H04L 9/00 (2022.01)
CPC H04L 9/3239 (2013.01) [H04W 12/06 (2013.01); H04W 48/08 (2013.01); H04L 9/50 (2022.05)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of operating a wireless communication network to serve a User Equipment (UE) over wireless network circuitry and distributed ledger circuitry, the method comprising:
in the wireless network circuitry, an Application Function (AF) exposing an AF Application Programming Interface (API) for at least one of UE information requesting or UE service modification requesting to an external data system, and in response, receiving AF API calls from the external data system that comprise at least one of UE information requests or UE service modification requests, transferring AF API responses that comprise at least one of UE information indications or UE service modification indications to the external data system, and transferring AF API usage data that characterizes the AF API calls and the AF API responses to distributed ledger circuitry, wherein the AF API and the UE are separate;
the distributed ledger circuitry receiving the AF API usage data and storing the AF API usage data in data blocks that form a blockchain; and
the distributed ledger circuitry further terminating the blockchain, and in response, transferring a terminating one of the data blocks for delivery to a network data system that generates an API charge based on the AF API usage data in the terminating one of the data blocks.