Providing multi-resident unit fixed wireless access mechanism

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to providing a multi-dwelling unit fixed wireless access mechanism. A device may configure a network address in the device that accesses a gateway function, and may receive an uplink packet from one or more routing gateways. The device may encapsulate the uplink packet using an identifier of the layer 2 channel based on the network address to generate an encapsulated uplink packet, and may provide the encapsulated uplink packet to the access gateway function via the layer 2 channel and based on the network address and the identifier. The device may receive the encapsulated downlink packet from the access gateway function, and may de-encapsulate the encapsulated downlink packet to generate a downlink packet. The device may provide downlink packets to one or more routing gateways.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This patent application claims the priority of Indian Patent Application No. 202341072782 filed on October 26, 2023, entitled “PROVIDING A MULTIPLEDWELLING UNIT FIXED WIRELESS ACCESS MECHANISM”. The disclosure of the prior application is deemed to be a part of this patent application, and its entire contents are incorporated into this patent application by reference. Background Art

[0003] Fixed wireless access (FWA) uses the fourth generation (4G) or fifth generation (5G) radio spectrum to provide wireless broadband connections between two fixed points (e.g., between a network base station and a FWA device in a customer's home). FWA uses radio waves to send high-speed signals that provide data transfer to and from consumer devices (e.g., user equipment). A FWA system may include a base station that is connected to a core network and a large number of FWA devices (e.g., customer premises equipment (CPE)) distributed over a wide area. The base station uses radio waves to communicate with the FWA device, making it possible for consumers to connect to the core network and access high-speed data services. Summary of the invention

[0004] Some implementations described herein relate to a method. The method may include configuring a network address of an access gateway function in a device and receiving an uplink packet from one or more routing gateways. The method may include encapsulating the uplink packet using an identifier of a layer 2 tunnel based on the network address to generate an encapsulated uplink packet, and providing the encapsulated uplink packet to the access gateway function via the layer 2 tunnel and based on the network address and the identifier.

[0005] Some implementations described herein relate to a device. The device may include one or more memories and one or more processors. The one or more processors may be configured to configure a network address of a broadband network gateway in the device and receive an uplink packet from one or more routing gateways. The one or more processors may be configured to encapsulate an uplink packet using an identifier of a layer 2 channel based on the network address to generate an encapsulated uplink packet, and provide the encapsulated uplink packet to the network device via the layer 2 channel and based on the network address and the identifier.

[0006] Some implementations described herein relate to a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions. The set of instructions, when executed by one or more processors of a device, may cause the device to provide a rule identifying a first network device and a second network device to the device, and receive an encapsulated uplink packet, the encapsulated uplink packet being associated with one or more routing gateways and being encapsulated into a general packet radio service channel protocol (GTP). The set of instructions, when executed by one or more processors of the device, may cause the device to decapsulate the GTP from the encapsulated uplink packet to generate an uplink packet, and encapsulate the uplink packet using an identifier of a layer 2 channel to generate an encapsulated uplink packet. The set of instructions, when executed by one or more processors of the device, may cause the device to provide the encapsulated uplink packet to the first network device and the second network device via a layer 2 channel and based on the identifier. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Figures 1A to 1D is a diagram of an example associated with providing a multi-dwelling unit (MDU) FWA mechanism.

[0008] Figure 2 is a diagram of an example environment in which the systems and / or methods described herein may be implemented.

[0009] Figure 3 and Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A diagram of example components of one or more devices.

[0010] Figure 5 and Figure 6 is a flow chart of an example process for providing an MDU FWA mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] The following detailed description of example implementations refers to the accompanying drawings.The same reference numbers in different drawings may identify the same or similar elements.

[0012] FWA devices, such as FWA residential gateways (RGs), and the user plane function (UPF) of the core network need to support Ethernet packet data unit (PDU) sessions. For example, the FWA RG and UPF need to identify subscribers based on addresses (e.g., media access control (MAC) addresses) to identify the MAC address of the fixed network (FN) RG behind the FWA RG. The FWA RG and UPF also need to associate multiple MAC addresses with a single PDU session. However, the Ethernet PDU session cannot provide details on how to handle Layer 2 (L2) packets after the General Packet Radio Service Channel Protocol (GTP) is terminated in the UPF. Current technology expects that L2 packets originating from subscribers are sent from the UPF to the Access Gateway Function (AGF) on the N6 interface. However, the N6 interface is a Layer 3 (L3) interface and cannot support the forwarding of L2 broadcast packets (e.g., Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) discovery packets, Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE) Active Discovery Initiation (PADI) packets, etc.). Therefore, current technologies for managing FWA for multi-dwelling units (MDUs) consume computing resources (e.g., processing resources, memory resources, communication resources, etc.), networking resources, and / or other resources that are associated with an inability to support forwarding L2 packets from the UPF to the AGF, an inability to process PDU sessions associated with the L2 packets, loss of business due to an inability to process PDU sessions, providing a poor user experience due to an inability to process PDU sessions, and the like.

[0013] Some implementations described herein provide a device that provides an MDU FWA mechanism. For example, the device may configure a network address of an access gateway function in the device, and may receive an uplink packet from one or more routing gateways. The device may encapsulate an uplink packet using an identifier of a Layer 2 channel based on the network address to generate an encapsulated uplink packet, and may provide the encapsulated uplink packet to the access gateway function via the Layer 2 channel and based on the network address and the identifier. The device may receive an encapsulated downlink packet from the access gateway function, and may decapsulate the encapsulated downlink packet to generate a downlink packet. The device may provide the downlink packet to one or more routing gateways.

[0014] In this way, the device provides an MDU FWA mechanism. For example, a data processing unit (DPU) or FWA RG may be configured with an Internet Protocol (IP) address of a broadband network gateway (BNG) (e.g., for converged use cases) and an AGF (e.g., for pure fifth generation (5G) use cases). The DPU or FWA RG may utilize a virtual extensible local area network (VxLAN) channel, with each subscriber having a channel identifier (e.g., a VxLAN identifier (VID)). Alternatively, the DPU or FWA RG may utilize a soft generic routing encapsulation (SoftGRE) channel or a layer 2 virtual private network (L2VPN) channel, with each subscriber having a channel identifier. The DPU may act as a DHCP relay agent or a PPPoE broker agent, and may add a line identifier to the corresponding control packet (e.g., for authentication). The FWA RG may use a wireless interface to establish an IP version 4 (IPv4), IP version 6 (IPv6), or IPv4v6 PDU session with the 5G core network. Subscriber RG packets may be encapsulated in a VxLAN header by the DPU or FWA RG before being sent to the PDU session over the FWA radio interface destined for the BNG or AGF. In the downstream, the BNG or AGF may encapsulate subscriber traffic using VxLAN encapsulation and may route the traffic back to the UPF, which may route the traffic to the subscriber over the N3 interface. The DPU or FWA RG may decapsulate the VxLAN channel header before delivering the packet to the subscriber. The BNG and AGF may be configured to provide subscriber management over VxLAN.

[0015] Therefore, the equipment (e.g., DPU, FWA RG, UPF, AGF and / or BNG) can save computing resources, networking resources and / or other resources that would otherwise be consumed due to the inability to support forwarding of L2 packets from UPF to AGF, the inability to process PDU sessions associated with L2 packets, the loss of business due to the inability to process PDU sessions, the provision of poor user experience due to the inability to process PDU sessions, etc.

[0016] Figures 1A to 1D is a diagram of an example 100 associated with providing an MDU FWA mechanism. Figures 1A to 1DAs shown in , example 100 includes a DPU 105 and / or a FWA RG 110 associated with a plurality of FN RGs, 5G RGs, or RGs. The DPU 105 and / or the FWA RG 110 may be associated with a base station 115 that communicates with a core network 120 and / or a data network. The core network 120 may include a UPF, an AGF, a Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS) device, and / or a BNG. More details of the DPU 105, the FWA RG 110, the FN RG, the 5G RG, the RGs, the base stations 115, the core network 120, the data network, the UPF, the AGF, the RADIUS device, and the BNG are provided elsewhere herein.

[0017] like Figure 1A As further shown in , the DPU or FWA RG 110 may be connected to multiple FN RGs and may communicate wirelessly with the base station 115. The base station 115 may be connected to one of the UPFs via an N3 interface, and the UPF may be connected to the AGF via an N6 interface. The UPF may be connected to the core network 120 (e.g., a 5G control plane session management function (SMF)) via an N4 interface, and may be connected to the data network via an N6 interface. The AGF may be in adaptive mode and may be connected to the core network 120 (e.g., a 5G control plane access and mobility management function (AMF)) via an N2 interface.

[0018] like Figure 1A As further shown in the figure and by reference number 125, the DPU 105 can be configured with the network address of the AGF (e.g., for a pure 5G use case). For example, to communicate with the AGF, the DPU 105 can be configured with the IP address of the AGF. The DPU 105 can utilize an L2 channel, where each subscriber has an identifier. In some implementations, the L2 channel can include a VxLAN channel (e.g., a pseudowire (PW)), a network virtualization using SoftGRE) channel, an L2VPN channel, and the like. The DPU 105 can utilize an identifier to identify the L2 channel for each subscriber. The identifier can include a VxLAN identifier (VID), a service provider network VLAN (SVLAN) identifier, a customer network VLAN (CVLAN) identifier, and the like.

[0019] like Figure 1AAs further shown in and by reference number 130, the DPU 105 can encapsulate uplink packets (e.g., from the FN RG) and can provide the uplink packets to the AGF using an L2 tunnel based on the identifier. For example, the DPU 105 can encapsulate the uplink packets using an L2 tunnel header (e.g., a VxLAN header, a SoftGRE header, or an L2VPN header) directed to the AGF. In some implementations, the DPU 105 can act as a DHCP relay agent or a PPPoE broker agent and can add a line identifier to a corresponding control packet (e.g., for authentication). The FWA RG 110 can use the FWA radio interface to establish an IPv4, IPv6, or IPv4v6 PDU session with the core network 120. The DPU 105 can encapsulate the uplink packets before providing them to the AGF via the PDU session and through the FWA radio interface.

[0020] like Figure 1A As further shown in FIG. 1 and by reference numeral 135, the AGF may encapsulate a downstream packet (e.g., destined for the FN RG) and may use an L2 tunnel to provide the downstream packet to the DPU 105. For example, the AGF may encapsulate the downstream packet using an L2 tunnel header (e.g., a VxLAN header, a SoftGRE header, or an L2VPN header) directed to the DPU 105. The AGF may encapsulate the downstream packet before providing the downstream packet to the DPU 105 via the PDU session and over the FWA radio interface. In some implementations, the AGF may route the downstream packet to the UPF over the N6 interface, and the UPF may route the downstream packet to the DPU 105 over the N3 interface. In some implementations, the AGF may be configured to provide subscriber management over the L2 tunnel.

[0021] like Figure 1B As shown in FIG. 1 , the DPU 105 or FWA RG 110 may be connected to multiple 5GRGs instead of multiple FN RGs, as described above in conjunction with Figure 1A In addition, the AGF can be in direct mode instead of adaptive mode, as described above in conjunction with Figure 1A As shown, an L2 channel may be provided between the DPU 105 and the AGF via the base station 115 and the UPF. Services (eg, packets) may be provided via the L2 channel.

[0022] like Figure 1BAs further shown in FIG. 1 and by reference number 140, the DPU 105 can be configured with the network address of the AGF (e.g., for a pure 5G use case). For example, to communicate with the AGF, the DPU 105 can be configured with the IP address of the AGF. The DPU 105 can utilize an L2 channel, where each subscriber has an identifier. In some implementations, the L2 channel can include a VxLAN channel, a SoftGRE channel, an L2VPN channel, and the like. The DPU 105 can utilize an identifier to identify the L2 channel for each subscriber. The identifier can include a VID, an SVLAN identifier, a CVLAN identifier, and the like.

[0023] like Figure 1B As further shown in and by reference number 145, the DPU 105 can encapsulate uplink packets (e.g., from the 5G RG) and can provide the uplink packets to the AGF using an L2 tunnel based on the identifier. For example, the DPU 105 can encapsulate the uplink packets using an L2 tunnel header (e.g., a VxLAN header, a SoftGRE header, or an L2VPN header) directed to the AGF. In some implementations, the DPU 105 can act as a DHCP relay agent or a PPPoE broker agent and can add a line identifier to a corresponding control packet (e.g., for authentication). The FWA RG 110 can use the FWA radio interface to establish an IPv4, IPv6, or IPv4v6 PDU session with the core network 120. The DPU 105 can encapsulate the uplink packets before providing them to the AGF via the PDU session and through the FWA radio interface.

[0024] like Figure 1B As further shown in FIG. 1 and by reference number 150, the AGF may encapsulate a downlink packet (e.g., destined for a 5G RG) and may use an L2 tunnel to provide the downlink packet to the DPU 105. For example, the AGF may encapsulate the downlink packet using an L2 tunnel header (e.g., a VxLAN header, a SoftGRE header, or an L2VPN header) directed to the DPU 105. The AGF may encapsulate the downlink packet before providing the downlink packet to the DPU 105 via a PDU session and over a FWA wireless interface. In some implementations, the AGF may route the downlink packet to the UPF over an N6 interface, and the UPF may route the downlink packet to the DPU 105 over an N3 interface. In some implementations, the AGF may be configured to provide subscriber management over an L2 tunnel.

[0025] like Figure 1CAs shown in , one of the AGF and UPF can be removed and replaced with a RADIUS device and a BNG. The BNG can be connected to the data network via the A10 interface. In this arrangement, an L2 channel can be provided between the DPU 105 and the BNG via the base station 115 and the UPF. Services (e.g., packets) can be provided via the L2 channel.

[0026] like Figure 1C As further shown in FIG. 1 and by reference numeral 155, the DPU 105 can be configured with a network address of the BNG (e.g., for a converged use case). For example, to communicate with the BNG, the DPU 105 can be configured with an IP address of the BNG. The DPU 105 can utilize an L2 channel with each subscriber having an identifier. In some implementations, the L2 channel can include a VxLAN channel, a SoftGRE channel, an L2VPN channel, and the like. The DPU 105 can utilize an identifier to identify the L2 channel for each subscriber. The identifier can include a VID, an SVLAN identifier, a CVLAN identifier, and the like.

[0027] like Figure 1C As further shown in and by reference number 160, the DPU 105 can encapsulate uplink packets (e.g., from the FN RG) and can provide the uplink packets to the BNG using an L2 tunnel based on the identifier. For example, the DPU 105 can encapsulate the uplink packets using an L2 tunnel header (e.g., a VxLAN header, a SoftGRE header, or an L2VPN header) directed to the BNG. In some implementations, the DPU 105 can act as a DHCP relay agent or a PPPoE broker agent and can add a line identifier to a corresponding control packet (e.g., for authentication). The FWA RG 110 can use the FWA radio interface to establish an IPv4, IPv6, or IPv4v6 PDU session with the core network 120. The DPU 105 can encapsulate the uplink packets before providing them to the BNG via the PDU session and over the FWA radio interface.

[0028] like Figure 1CAs further shown in FIG. 1 and by reference number 165, the BNG may encapsulate a downlink packet (e.g., destined for the FN RG) and may use an L2 tunnel to provide the downlink packet to the DPU 105. For example, the BNG may encapsulate the downlink packet using an L2 tunnel header (e.g., a VxLAN header, a SoftGRE header, or an L2VPN header) directed to the DPU 105. The BNG may encapsulate the downlink packet before providing the downlink packet to the DPU 105 via the PDU session and over the FWA wireless interface. In some implementations, the BNG may route the downlink packet to the UPF over the N6 interface, and the UPF may route the downlink packet to the DPU 105 over the N3 interface. In some implementations, the BNG may be configured to provide subscriber management over the L2 tunnel.

[0029] like Figure 1D As shown in , a RADIUS device and a BNG may be included with an AGF, and both a UPF and a RG may be connected to the DPU 105. Figure 1D As further shown in FIG. 1 and by reference numeral 170, the FWA RG 110 may establish an Ethernet PDU session with the UPF. The core network 120 may configure each FWA RG 110 with the IP addresses of the BNG and AGF.

[0030] like Figure 1D As further shown in FIG. 1 and by reference number 175, the UPF may be provisioned with rules identifying the AGF and the BNG. For example, during an Ethernet PDU session, the UPF may be provisioned with a forwarding action rule (FAR) indicating the BNG, the AGF, and a unique identifier (e.g., VID) for the FWA RG 110. The UPF may also be provisioned with a FAR for upstream packets that associates a GTP fully qualified tunnel endpoint identifier (FTEID) with the BNG, the AGF, and the unique identifier for the FWA RG 110; a FAR for upstream packets that provides the above information as an encapsulation string toward the N6 interface; a FAR for downstream packets that associates the BNG, the AGF, and the unique identifier with the GTP FTEID; and a FAR for downstream packets that provides the above information as an encapsulation string toward the N3 interface. In some implementations, the DPU 105 may act as a DHCP relay agent or a PPPoE broker agent and may add a line identifier to a corresponding control packet (e.g., for authentication).

[0031] like Figure 1DAs further shown in and by reference number 180, the uplink packet can be provided from the RG to the AGF and / or BNG via the UPF. In some implementations, the FWA RG 110 can encapsulate the uplink packet into the GTP and can provide the encapsulated uplink packet to the UPF via the base station 115. The UPF can decapsulate the GTP from the encapsulated uplink packet and can apply the service to the uplink packet. The UPF can encapsulate the uplink packet using an L2 tunnel header (e.g., a VxLAN header, a SoftGRE header, or a L2VPN header) directed to the AGF and / or BNG. The UPF can encapsulate the uplink packet before providing the uplink packet to the AGF and / or BNG.

[0032] like Figure 1D As further shown in FIG. 1 , and by reference number 185, a downlink packet may be provided from the AGF and / or BNG to the RG via the UPF and the base station 115. The AGF or BNG may encapsulate a downlink packet (e.g., the destination is the RG) and may use an L2 channel to provide the downlink packet to the UPF. For example, the AGF or BNG may encapsulate the downlink packet using an L2 channel header (e.g., a VxLAN header, a SoftGRE header, or an L2VPN header) pointing to the UPF. The AGF or BNG may encapsulate the downlink packet before providing the downlink packet to the UPF. In some implementations, the AGF or BNG may be configured to provide subscriber management via an L2 channel, where each MDU may be considered a unique subscriber based on a line identifier inserted by the DPU 105. The UPF may decapsulate the encapsulated downlink packet and may apply a service to the downlink packet. The UPF may encapsulate the downlink packet into a GTP and may provide the encapsulated downlink packet toward the RG via the base station 115. In some implementations, uplink packets and downlink packets may be provided via an L2 channel via IP and / or multi-protocol label switching (MPLS).

[0033] In this way, the device provides an MDU FWA mechanism. For example, the DPU 105 or FWA RG 110 can be configured with the IP address of the BNG (e.g., for a converged use case) and the IP address of the AGF (e.g., for a pure 5G use case). The DPU 105 or FWARG 110 can utilize a VxLAN channel, a SoftGRE channel, or an L2VPN channel, where each subscriber has a channel identifier. The DPU 105 can act as a DHCP relay agent or a PPPoE broker agent, and can add a line identifier to the corresponding control packet (e.g., for authentication). The FWA RG 110 can use the wireless interface to establish an IPv4, IPv6, or IPv4v6 PDU session with the 5G core network. The subscriber RG packet can be encapsulated into a VxLAN header by the DPU 105 or FWA RG 110 before being sent to the PDU session through the FWA wireless interface whose destination is the BNG or AGF. In the downstream, the BNG or AGF can encapsulate the subscriber traffic using VxLAN encapsulation and can route the traffic back to the UPF, which will route the traffic to the subscriber over the N3 interface. The DPU or FWA RG will decapsulate the VxLAN tunnel header before delivering the packet to the subscriber. The BNG and AGF can be configured to provide subscriber management over VxLAN.

[0034] Therefore, the equipment (e.g., DPU, FWA RG, UPF, AGF and / or BNG) can save computing resources, network resources and / or other resources that would otherwise be consumed due to the inability to support forwarding of L2 packets from UPF to AGF, the inability to process PDU sessions associated with L2 packets, the loss of business due to the inability to process PDU sessions, the provision of poor user experience due to the inability to process PDU sessions, etc.

[0035] As indicated above, Figures 1A to 1D are provided as examples. Other examples may be found in relation to Figures 1A to 1D Different than described. Figures 1A to 1D The number and arrangement of devices shown in the figure are provided as examples. In practice, there may be more than Figures 1A to 1D Additional devices, fewer devices, different devices, or differently arranged devices may be those shown in FIG. Figures 1A to 1D Two or more of the devices shown in the figure may be implemented in a single device, or Figures 1A to 1D The single device shown in can be implemented as multiple distributed devices. Additionally or alternatively, Figures 1A to 1D The device collection (eg, one or more devices) shown in FIG. 1 may execute as indicated by Figures 1A to 1D Another set of devices shown in the figure performs one or more functions described.

[0036] Figure 2 2 is a diagram of an example environment 200 in which the systems and / or methods described herein may be implemented. Figure 2 As shown in FIG, example environment 200 may include DPU 105, FWA RG 110, base station 115, core network 120, and data network 265. Devices and / or networks of example environment 200 may be interconnected via wired connections, wireless connections, or a combination of wired and wireless connections.

[0037] The DPU 105 includes one or more devices capable of receiving, generating, storing, processing, and / or providing information, such as the information described herein. For example, the DPU 105 may include an infrastructure processing unit (IPU), an intelligent network interface card (NIC), a NIC based on a system on a chip (SoC), which may perform network processing and analysis, security, storage for data sets, and the like. The DPU 105 may include a programmable computer processor that tightly integrates a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU) with network interface hardware. The DPU 105 may be used to relieve the main CPU of complex networking responsibilities and other infrastructure functions, to perform encryption / decryption, to act as a firewall, to process protocols, to process network requests, to act as a hypervisor or storage controller, and the like, in place of a traditional NIC.

[0038] The FWA RG 110 includes one or more devices capable of receiving, generating, storing, processing, and / or providing information, such as the information described herein. For example, the FWA RG 110 may include a mobile hotspot device, a FWA device, a customer premises equipment (CPE), a FWA channel service unit, a FWA data service unit, a FWA router, a FWA wireless access point (WAP) device, a FWA modem, a FWA set-top box, or a similar type of device. The FWA RG 110 may provide wireless connectivity via a radio link between two fixed points. In other words, the FWA RG 110 may provide wireless Internet access to homes or businesses without laying fiber and cables to provide last-mile connectivity.

[0039] The base station 115 includes one or more devices capable of transmitting services (such as audio, video, text, and / or other services) that are sent to or received from a user device. For example, the base station 115 may include an eNodeB (eNB) associated with a long-term evolution (LTE) network (the eNodeB receives services from a core network and / or sends services to a core network), a gNodeB (gNB) associated with a radio access network (RAN) of a 5G network, a base transceiver station, a radio base station, a base station subsystem, a cell site, a cell tower, an access point, a transmit receive point (TRP), a radio access node, a macrocell base station, a microcell base station, a picocell base station, a femtocell base station, and / or another network entity capable of supporting wireless communications. For example, the base station 115 may support a cellular radio access technology (RAT). The base station 115 may transmit services between a user device (e.g., using a cellular RAT), one or more other base stations 115 (e.g., using a wireless interface or a backhaul interface, such as a wired backhaul interface), and / or a core network. The base station 115 may provide one or more units covering a geographic area.

[0040] In some implementations, the base station 115 may perform scheduling and / or resource management for the FWA RG 110 covered by the base station 115 (e.g., the FWA RG 110 covered by the cell provided by the base station 115). In some implementations, the base station 115 may be controlled or coordinated by a network controller, which may perform load balancing, network-level configuration, and / or other operations. The network controller may communicate with the base station 115 via a wireless or wired backhaul. In some implementations, the base station 115 may include a network controller, a self-organizing network (SON) module or component, or a similar module or component. In other words, the base station 115 may perform network control, scheduling, and / or network management functions (e.g., for uplink, downlink, and / or sidelink communications of the FWA RG 110 covered by the base station 115).

[0041] In some implementations, the core network 120 may include an example functional architecture in which the systems and / or methods described herein may be implemented. For example, the core network 120 may include an example architecture of a 5G next generation (NG) core network included in a 5G wireless telecommunications system. Figure 2 The example architecture of the core network 120 shown in may be an example of a service-based architecture, but in some implementations, the core network 120 may be implemented as a reference point architecture and / or a 4G core network, among other examples.

[0042] like Figure 2As shown in , the core network 120 may include several functional elements. For example, the functional elements may include a network slice selection function (NSSF) 205, a network exposure function (NEF) 210, an authentication server function (AUSF) 215, a unified data management (UDM) component 220, a policy control function (PCF) 225, an application function (AF) 230, an access and mobility management function (AMF) 235, a session management function (SMF) 240, a UPF 245, an AGF 250, and / or a BNG 255. These functional elements may be communicatively connected via a message bus 260. Figure 2 Each of the functional elements shown in is implemented on one or more devices associated with the wireless telecommunications system. In some implementations, one or more of the functional elements can be implemented on a physical device, such as an access point, a base station, and / or a gateway. In some implementations, one or more of the functional elements can be implemented on a computing device of a cloud computing environment.

[0043] NSSF 205 includes one or more devices that select a network slice instance for FWA RG 110. By providing network slicing, NSSF 205 allows operators to deploy multiple substantially independent end-to-end networks that may have the same infrastructure. In some implementations, each slice can be customized for different services.

[0044] NEF 210 includes one or more devices that support exposing capabilities and / or events in a wireless telecommunication system to help other entities in the wireless telecommunication system discover network services.

[0045] The AUSF 215 comprises one or more devices that act as an authentication server and support the process of authenticating the FWA RG 110 in the wireless telecommunications system.

[0046] The UDM 220 includes one or more devices that store user data and profiles in a wireless telecommunications system. The UDM 220 may be used for fixed access and / or mobile access in the core network 120.

[0047] PCF 225 includes one or more devices that provide a policy framework that incorporates network slicing, roaming, packet processing, and / or mobility management, among other examples.

[0048] AF 230 includes one or more devices that support application influence on traffic routing, access to NEF 210 and / or policy control, among other examples.

[0049] The AMF 235 includes one or more devices that act as a termination point for non-access stratum (NAS) signaling and / or mobility management, among other examples.

[0050] SMF 240 includes one or more devices that support the establishment, modification, and release of communication sessions in a wireless telecommunications system. For example, SMF 240 can configure service steering policies at UPF 245 and / or can enforce user equipment IP address allocation and policies, among other examples.

[0051] UPF 245 includes one or more devices that serve as anchor points for intra-RAT and / or inter-RAT mobility. UPF 245 may apply rules to packets, such as rules related to packet routing, traffic reporting, and / or handling user plane QoS, among other examples.

[0052] The AGF 250 includes one or more devices that provide authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) services as well as hierarchical traffic shaping and supervision for the FNs and 5G RGs served from the UPF 245.

[0053] BNG 255 includes one or more devices that provide subscribers with access to broadband networks and connect subscribers to service provider networks. BNG 255 can aggregate traffic from multiple subscribers and can route traffic to the service provider network.

[0054] The message bus 260 represents a communication structure for communication between functional elements. In other words, the message bus 260 can permit communication between two or more functional elements.

[0055] Data network 265 includes one or more wired and / or wireless data networks. For example, data network 265 may include an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS), a public land mobile network (PLMN), a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a private network (such as an enterprise intranet), an ad hoc network, the Internet, a fiber-based network, a cloud computing network, a third-party service network, an operator service network, and / or a combination of these or other types of networks.

[0056] Figure 2 The number and arrangement of devices and networks shown in the figure are provided as examples. In practice, there may be more than Figure 2 Additional devices and / or networks, fewer devices and / or networks, different devices and / or networks, or differently arranged devices and / or networks than those shown in . In addition, Figure 2 Two or more of the devices shown in the figure may be implemented in a single device, or Figure 2 The single device shown in can be implemented as multiple distributed devices. Additionally or alternatively, a set of devices (eg, one or more devices) of the example environment 200 can perform one or more functions described as being performed by another set of devices of the example environment 200.

[0057] Figure 3 2 is a diagram of example components of a device 300, which may correspond to a DPU 105, a FWA RG 110, a base station 115, a NSSF 205, a NEF 210, an AUSF 215, a UDM 220, a PCF 225, a AF 230, an AMF 235, a SMF 240, a UPF 245, an AGF 250, and / or a BNG 255. In some implementations, the DPU 105, the FWA RG 110, the base station 115, the NSSF 205, the NEF 210, the AUSF 215, the UDM 220, the PCF 225, the AF 230, the AMF 235, the SMF 240, the UPF 245, the AGF 250, and / or the BNG 255 may include one or more of the devices 300 and / or one or more components of the device 300. Figure 3 As shown in , device 300 may include a bus 310 , a processor 320 , a memory 330 , an input component 340 , an output component 350 , and a communication component 360 .

[0058] The bus 310 includes one or more components that enable wired and / or wireless communications between components of the device 300. The bus 310 may be coupled to the device 300 via an operational coupling, a communicative coupling, an electronic coupling, and / or an electrical coupling. Figure 3 Two or more components in are coupled together. Processor 320 includes a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and / or another type of processing component. Processor 320 is implemented in hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. In some implementations, processor 320 includes one or more processors that can be programmed to perform one or more operations or processes described elsewhere herein.

[0059] Memory 330 includes volatile and / or non-volatile memory. For example, memory 330 may include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), a hard drive, and / or another type of memory (e.g., flash memory, magnetic memory, and / or optical memory). Memory 330 may include internal memory (e.g., RAM, ROM, or hard drive) and / or removable memory (e.g., removable via a universal serial bus connection). Memory 330 may be a non-transient computer-readable medium. Memory 330 stores information, instructions, and / or software (e.g., one or more software applications) related to the operation of device 300. In some implementations, memory 330 includes one or more memories, which are coupled to one or more processors (e.g., processor 320), such as via bus 310.

[0060] Input assembly 340 enables device 300 to receive input, such as user input and / or sensed input. For example, input assembly 340 may include a touch screen, keyboard, keypad, mouse, button, microphone, switch, sensor, global positioning system sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope and / or actuator. Output assembly 350 enables device 300 to provide output such as via a display, speaker and / or light emitting diode. Communication assembly 360 enables device 300 to communicate with other devices via wired connection and / or wireless connection. For example, communication assembly 360 may include a receiver, a transmitter, a transceiver, a modem, a network interface card and / or an antenna.

[0061] The device 300 may perform one or more operations or processes described herein. For example, a non-transient computer-readable medium (e.g., memory 330) may store an instruction set (e.g., one or more instructions or codes) for execution by a processor 320. The processor 320 may execute the instruction set to perform one or more operations or processes described herein. In some implementations, execution of the instruction set by one or more processors 320 causes one or more processors 320 and / or the device 300 to perform one or more operations or processes described herein. In some implementations, a hardwired circuit device may be used instead of or in combination with an instruction to perform one or more operations or processes described herein. Additionally or alternatively, the processor 320 may be configured to perform one or more operations or processes described herein. Therefore, the implementation described herein is not limited to any particular combination of hardware circuit devices and software.

[0062] Figure 3 The number and arrangement of components shown in FIG. 3 are provided as examples. Figure 3Additional components, fewer components, different components, or differently arranged components than those shown in . Additionally or alternatively, a set of components (e.g., one or more components) of device 300 may perform one or more functions as described for execution by another set of components of device 300.

[0063] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 400. The example components may be included in device 400. Device 400 may correspond to DPU 105, FWA RG 110, AGF 250, and / or BNG 255. In some implementations, DPU 105, FWA RG 110, AGF 250, and / or BNG 255 may include one or more devices 400 and / or one or more components of device 400. Figure 4 As shown in , the device 400 may include one or more input components 410-1 to 410-B (B≥1) (hereinafter collectively referred to as input component 410, and individually referred to as input component 410), a switching component 420, one or more output components 430-1 to 430-C (C≥1) (hereinafter collectively referred to as output component 430, and individually referred to as output component 430) and a controller 440.

[0064] The input component 410 can be one or more attachment points for a physical link and can be one or more entry points for incoming traffic (such as packets). The input component 410 can process incoming traffic, such as by performing data link layer encapsulation or decapsulation. In some implementations, the input component 410 can transmit and / or receive packets. In some implementations, the input component 410 may include an input line card that includes one or more packet processing components (e.g., in the form of an integrated circuit), such as one or more interface cards (IFCs), a packet forwarding component, a line card controller component, an input port, a processor, a memory, and / or an input queue. In some implementations, the device 400 may include one or more input components 410.

[0065] The switching component 420 can interconnect the input component 410 with the output component 430. In some implementations, the switching component 420 can be implemented via one or more crossbar switches, via a bus, and / or using a shared memory. The shared memory can act as a temporary buffer to store packets from the input component 410 before the packets are ultimately arranged for delivery to the output component 430. In some implementations, the switching component 420 can enable the input component 410, the output component 430, and / or the controller 440 to communicate with each other.

[0066] The output component 430 can store packets and can arrange for the transmission of packets on the output physical link. The output component 430 can support data link layer encapsulation or decapsulation and / or various higher-level protocols. In some implementations, the output component 430 can transmit packets and / or receive packets. In some implementations, the output component 430 may include an output line card, which includes one or more packet processing components (e.g., in the form of an integrated circuit), such as one or more IFCs, packet forwarding components, line card controller components, output ports, processors, memories, and / or output queues. In some implementations, the device 400 may include one or more output components 430. In some implementations, the input component 410 and the output component 430 can be implemented by the same set of components (e.g., the input / output component can be a combination of the input component 410 and the output component 430).

[0067] Controller 440 includes a processor, such as in the form of a CPU, GPU, APU, microprocessor, microcontroller, DSP, FPGA, ASIC, and / or another type of processor. The processor is implemented in hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. In some implementations, controller 440 may include one or more processors that can be programmed to perform functions.

[0068] In some implementations, the controller 440 may include RAM, ROM, and / or another type of dynamic or static storage device (e.g., flash memory, magnetic storage, optical storage, etc.) that stores information and / or instructions for use by the controller 440.

[0069] In some implementations, the controller 440 can communicate with other devices, networks, and / or systems connected to the device 400 to exchange information about the network topology. The controller 440 can create a routing table based on the network topology information, can create a forwarding table based on the routing table, and can forward the forwarding table to the input component 410 and / or the output component 430. The input component 410 and / or the output component 430 can use the forwarding table to perform routing lookups for incoming and / or outgoing packets.

[0070] The controller 440 may perform one or more processes described herein. The controller 440 may perform these processes in response to executing software instructions stored by a non-transient computer readable medium. A computer readable medium is defined herein as a non-transient memory device. A memory device includes a memory space within a single physical storage device or a memory space distributed across multiple physical storage devices.

[0071] The software instructions may be read from another computer-readable medium or from another device via a communication interface into a memory and / or storage component associated with the controller 440. When executed, the software instructions stored in the memory and / or storage component associated with the controller 440 may cause the controller 440 to perform one or more processes described herein. Additionally or alternatively, hardwired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions to perform one or more processes described herein. Therefore, the implementations described herein are not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software.

[0072] Figure 4 The number and arrangement of components shown in FIG. 4 are provided as examples. In practice, device 400 may include more Figure 4 Additional components, fewer components, different components, or differently arranged components than those shown in . Additionally or alternatively, a set of components (e.g., one or more components) of device 400 may perform one or more functions as described for execution by another set of components of device 400.

[0073] Figure 5 is a flow chart of an example process 500 for providing an MDU FWA mechanism. In some implementations, Figure 5 One or more process blocks of may be performed by a device (e.g., DPU 105). In some implementations, Figure 5 One or more process blocks of may be performed by another device or a group of devices separate from or including the device, such as a FWA RG (e.g., FWA RG110), a UPF (e.g., UPF 245), an AGF (e.g., AGF 250), a BNG (e.g., BNG 255), etc. Additionally or alternatively, Figure 5 One or more process blocks of may be performed by one or more components of device 300, such as processor 320, memory 330, input component 340, output component 350, and / or communication interface 360. Additionally or alternatively, Figure 5 One or more process blocks of may be performed by one or more components of device 400 , such as input component 410 , switching component 420 , output component 430 , and / or controller 440 .

[0074] like Figure 5 As shown in , process 500 may include configuring the network address of the access gateway function or the broadband network gateway in the device (block 510). For example, the device may configure the network address of the access gateway function or the broadband network gateway in the device as described above. In some implementations, the access gateway function operates in one of an adaptive mode or a direct mode.

[0075] like Figure 5As further shown in FIG. 5 , process 500 may include receiving an uplink packet from one or more routing gateways (block 520). For example, the device may receive an uplink packet from one or more routing gateways, as described above. In some implementations, each of the one or more routing gateways is a fixed network routing gateway or a fifth generation routing gateway. In some implementations, the one or more routing gateways are associated with a plurality of dwelling units.

[0076] like Figure 5 As further shown in , process 500 may include encapsulating the uplink packet using an identifier of the Layer 2 channel based on the network address to generate an encapsulated uplink packet (box 530). For example, the device may encapsulate the uplink packet using an identifier of the Layer 2 channel based on the network address to generate an encapsulated uplink packet, as described above. In some implementations, the destination of the encapsulated uplink packet is a core network. In some implementations, the Layer 2 channel is a virtual extensible local area network channel, a network virtualization using a generic routing encapsulation channel, or a Layer 2 virtual private network channel. In some implementations, the identifier of the Layer 2 channel includes an identifier of a virtual extensible local area network identifier, a service provider network virtual local area network (VLAN) identifier, or a customer network VLAN identifier.

[0077] like Figure 5 As further shown in FIG. 5 , process 500 may include providing the encapsulated upstream packet to the access gateway function or the broadband network gateway via a layer 2 tunnel and based on the network address and identifier (block 540). For example, the device may provide the encapsulated upstream packet to the access gateway function via a layer 2 tunnel and based on the network address and identifier, as described above.

[0078] In some implementations, process 500 includes receiving an encapsulated downstream packet from an access gateway function or a broadband network gateway, decapsulating the encapsulated downstream packet to generate a downstream packet, and providing the downstream packet to one or more routing gateways.

[0079] Although Figure 5 Example blocks of process 500 are shown, but in some implementations, process 500 may include more Figure 5 Additional blocks, fewer blocks, different blocks, or differently arranged blocks may be included in the process 500 as those depicted in FIG. Additionally or alternatively, two or more of the blocks of process 500 may be executed in parallel.

[0080] Figure 6 is a flow chart of an example process 600 for providing an MDU FWA mechanism. In some implementations, Figure 6 One or more process blocks of may be performed by a device (e.g., UPF 245). In some implementations, Figure 5One or more process blocks of may be performed by another device or a group of devices separate from or including the device, such as a DPU (e.g., DPU 105), a FWA RG (e.g., FWA RG 110), an AGF (e.g., AGF 250), a BNG (e.g., BNG 255), etc. Additionally or alternatively, Figure 6 One or more process blocks of may be performed by one or more components of device 300, such as processor 320, memory 330, input component 340, output component 350, and / or communication interface 360. Additionally or alternatively, Figure 6 One or more process blocks of may be performed by one or more components of device 400 , such as input component 410 , switching component 420 , output component 430 , and / or controller 440 .

[0081] like Figure 6 As shown in , process 600 may include supplying a rule identifying a first network device and a second network device to a device (block 610). For example, the device may supply a rule identifying a first network device and a second network device to the device, as described above. In some implementations, the first network device is an access gateway function, and the second network device is a broadband network gateway. In some implementations, the device is a user plane function.

[0082] like Figure 6 As further shown in , process 600 may include receiving an encapsulated uplink packet, the encapsulated uplink packet associated with one or more routing gateways and encapsulated into a general packet radio service channel protocol (GTP) (block 620). For example, the device may receive an encapsulated uplink packet, the encapsulated uplink packet associated with one or more routing gateways and encapsulated into the GTP, as described above. In some implementations, the one or more routing gateways are associated with a multi-dwelling unit. In some implementations, each of the one or more routing gateways is a fixed network routing gateway or a fifth generation routing gateway.

[0083] like Figure 6 As further shown in FIG. 6 , process 600 may include decapsulating GTP from the encapsulated uplink packet to generate an uplink packet (block 630). For example, the device may decapsulate GTP from the encapsulated uplink packet to generate an uplink packet, as described above.

[0084] like Figure 6 As further shown in FIG. 6 , process 600 may include encapsulating the upstream packet using the identifier of the layer 2 channel to generate an encapsulated upstream packet (block 640). For example, as described above, the device may encapsulate the upstream packet using the identifier of the layer 2 channel to generate an encapsulated upstream packet.

[0085] like Figure 6As further shown in FIG. 6 , process 600 may include providing the encapsulated upstream packet to the first network device and the second network device via a layer 2 tunnel and based on the identifier (block 650). For example, as described above, the device may provide the encapsulated upstream packet to the first network device and the second network device via a layer 2 tunnel and based on the identifier.

[0086] In some implementations, process 600 includes receiving an encapsulated downlink packet from a first network device or a second network device via a Layer 2 channel, decapsulating an identifier of the Layer 2 channel from the encapsulated downlink packet to generate a downlink packet, encapsulating the downlink packet into a general packet radio service channel protocol to generate an encapsulated downlink packet, and providing the encapsulated downlink packet toward one or more routing gateways.

[0087] The foregoing disclosure provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the implementations to the precise form disclosed. Modifications may be made in light of the above disclosure or may be acquired from practice of the implementations.

[0088] As used herein, the term "component" is intended to be broadly interpreted as hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. Obviously, the systems and / or methods described herein can be implemented in different forms of hardware, firmware, and / or a combination of hardware and software. The actual specialized control hardware or software code used to implement these systems and / or methods does not limit the implementation. Therefore, the operation and behavior of the systems and / or methods are described herein without reference to specific software codes-it should be understood that software and hardware can be used to implement the systems and / or methods based on the description herein.

[0089] Although particular combinations of features are recited in the claims and / or disclosed in the specification, these combinations are not intended to limit the disclosure of the various implementations. In fact, many of these features may be combined in ways not specifically recited in the claims and / or disclosed in the specification. Although each dependent claim listed below may directly depend on only one claim, the disclosure of the various implementations includes each dependent claim in combination with all other claims in the claim set.

[0090] Unless so clearly described, any element, action or instruction used herein should not be interpreted as critical or necessary. In addition, as used herein, the articles "one" and "an" are intended to include one or more items and can be used interchangeably with "one or more". In addition, as used herein, the article "the" is intended to include one or more items quoted in relation to the article "the" and can be used interchangeably with "the one or more". In addition, as used herein, the term "set" is intended to include one or more items (e.g., related items, unrelated items, combinations of related and unrelated items, etc.), and can be used interchangeably with "one or more". When only intended to an item, the phrase "only one" or similar language is used. In addition, as used herein, the terms "have", "have", "have", etc. are intended to be open terms. In addition, unless otherwise clearly stated, the phrase "based on" is intended to mean "based at least in part". In addition, as used herein, the term "or" is intended to be inclusive when used in a series, and can be used interchangeably with "and / or", unless otherwise clearly stated (e.g., if used in combination with "any" or "only one in ...").

[0091] In the foregoing description, various example embodiments have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it will be apparent that various modifications and changes may be made thereto, and additional embodiments may be implemented, without departing from the broader scope of the invention as set forth in the claims. Accordingly, the description and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative, rather than a restrictive, sense.

Claims

1. A method comprising: Configure the network address of the access gateway function in the device; Receiving, by the device, an uplink packet from one or more routing gateways; Encapsulating the uplink packet by the device based on the network address using an identifier of the layer 2 channel to generate an encapsulated uplink packet; as well as The encapsulated upstream packet is provided by the device to the access gateway function via the layer 2 tunnel and based on the network address and the identifier.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: receiving an encapsulated downstream packet from the access gateway function; Decapsulating the encapsulated downlink packet to generate a downlink packet; as well as The downstream packets are provided to the one or more routing gateways.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more routing gateways is one of: a fixed network routing gateway or a fifth generation routing gateway.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the access gateway function operates in one of the following: adaptive mode or direct mode. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the destination of the encapsulated uplink packet is a core network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the layer 2 tunnel is one of: a virtual extensible local area network tunnel, a network virtualization using generic routing encapsulation tunnel, or a layer 2 virtual private network tunnel.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier of the layer 2 tunnel comprises one of: a virtual extensible local area network identifier, a service provider network virtual local area network (VLAN) identifier, or a customer network VLAN identifier.

8. A device comprising: one or more memories; as well as One or more processors to: Configure the network address of the broadband network gateway in the device; receiving an upstream packet from one or more routing gateways; encapsulating the upstream packet using an identifier of a layer 2 channel based on the network address to generate an encapsulated upstream packet; as well as The encapsulated upstream packet is provided to the broadband network gateway via the layer 2 tunnel and based on the network address and the identifier.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: receiving an encapsulated downstream packet from the broadband network gateway; decapsulating the encapsulated downlink packet to generate a downlink packet; and The downstream packets are provided to the one or more routing gateways.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein each of the one or more routing gateways is a fixed network routing gateway.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein a destination of the encapsulated uplink packet is a core network.

12. The device of claim 8, wherein the layer 2 tunnel is one of: a virtual extensible local area network tunnel, a network virtualization using generic routing encapsulation tunnel, or a layer 2 virtual private network tunnel.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the identifier of the layer 2 tunnel comprises one of: a virtual extensible local area network identifier, a service provider network virtual local area network (VLAN) identifier, or a customer network VLAN identifier.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the one or more routing gateways are associated with a plurality of dwelling units.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions, the set of instructions comprising: One or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a device, cause the device to: providing the device with a rule identifying a first network device and a second network device; Receiving an encapsulated uplink packet, the encapsulated uplink packet being associated with one or more routing gateways and being encapsulated into a general packet radio service tunnel protocol GTP; decapsulating the GTP from the encapsulated uplink packet to generate an uplink packet; encapsulating the upstream packet using an identifier of the layer 2 channel to generate an encapsulated upstream packet; as well as The encapsulated upstream packet is provided to the first network device and the second network device via the layer 2 tunnel and based on the identifier.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more instructions further cause the device to: receiving an encapsulated downstream packet from the first network device or the second network device via the layer 2 channel; decapsulating the identifier of the layer 2 tunnel from the encapsulated downstream packet to generate a downstream packet; encapsulating the downlink packet into a general packet radio service channel protocol to generate an encapsulated downlink packet; as well as The encapsulated downstream packet is provided towards the one or more routing gateways.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first network device is an access gateway function and the second network device is a broadband network gateway.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the device is a user plane function.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more routing gateways are associated with a plurality of dwelling units.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein each of the one or more routing gateways is a fixed network routing gateway or a fifth generation routing gateway.

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