US 12,069,506 B2
Systems and methods for network function discovery in a segmented network
Hossein M. Ahmadi, Parsippany, NJ (US); Violeta Cakulev, Milburn, NJ (US); Ali Imdad Malik, East Brunswick, NJ (US); Ye Huang, San Ramon, CA (US); and Lalit R. Kotecha, San Ramon, CA (US)
Assigned to Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc., Basking Ridge, NJ (US)
Filed by Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc., Basking Ridge, NJ (US)
Filed on Jun. 7, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/340,373.
Prior Publication US 2022/0394540 A1, Dec. 8, 2022
Int. Cl. H04W 28/02 (2009.01); H04L 41/12 (2022.01)
CPC H04W 28/0268 (2013.01) [H04L 41/12 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A device, comprising:
one or more processors configured to:
receive a first network function (“NF”) discovery request that includes an identifier of a particular User Equipment (“UE”);
determine, based on the identifier of the particular UE, whether a first segment of a core network includes a particular instance of the NF that is associated with the particular UE, wherein the first segment includes a first set of instances of the NF;
determine, based on determining whether the first segment of the core network includes the particular instance of the NF that is associated with the particular UE, that the first set of instances of the NF, associated with the first segment of the core network, do not include the particular instance of the NF that is associated with the particular UE; and
output, based on determining that the first set of instances of the NF do not include the particular instance of the NF that is associated with the particular UE, a second NF discovery request to a second segment of the core network, the second NF discovery request including the identifier of the particular UE,
wherein the second segment of the core network determines that a second set of instances of the NF, associated with the second segment of the core network, include the particular instance of the NF that is associated with the particular UE.