5G PDU Session Discovery for Enterprise-to-Device Application Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Enterprise applications struggle to connect with server applications on devices connected via a wireless transceiver to a 5G communication network due to the 'chicken-and-egg' problem of not knowing the IP address of the device application, leading to challenges in establishing a protocol data unit (PDU) session.
Innovation Solution
An automated method utilizing state-of-the-art publish-subscribe mechanisms and reverse session establishment, combined with modified 5G features, enables enterprise applications to query and establish PDU sessions by using unique device identifiers, such as GPSI or IPv6 addresses, ensuring secure communication without revealing device identifiers to the 5G network.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the device application acts as a server expecting connections, then the device application can serve enterprise applications, but the enterprise application cannot initiate connection because it does not know the IP address of the device application
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of the enterprise application initiating connection to the device application (traditional client-server model), the invention inverts the connection direction: the device application initiates a PDU session to the enterprise application's anchor IP address, effectively making the device application the client and the enterprise application the server. This inversion resolves the chicken-and-egg problem by allowing connection establishment without pre-known IP addresses.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces the 5G network infrastructure (specifically the SMF and UPF components) as an intermediary. The SMF receives session requests, allocates IP addresses, and manages PDU sessions, while the UPF provides anchoring functionality. This intermediary mechanism enables indirect connection establishment where the enterprise application provides an anchor IP that the device application connects to through the network infrastructure.
2Ease of operation
If the enterprise application requests a PDU session to the device application, then connection can be established, but the enterprise application needs to know the IP address of the device application which creates a circular dependency
Solution Approach 1:
The invention implements preliminary action by having the enterprise application pre-register its anchor IP address and application identifier with the 5G network (SMF) before any device connections are established. This pre-registration creates a lookup table in the network that maps device application identifiers to enterprise application anchor IPs, enabling subsequent connections without circular dependencies or complex provisioning.
3Ease of operation
If device identifiers are shared with the 5G network for connection purposes, then connection can be established, but device identifier privacy is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the device application identifier from the actual device identity (IMSI/MSISDN) and uses only the extracted identifier for network routing purposes. The SMF stores and processes only this extracted identifier rather than the full device identity, thereby enabling connection establishment while minimizing exposure of sensitive device identifier information.
Data Source
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Figure 2B
AI summary
The invention discloses an automated method for enabling an enterprise communication system (3) to contact a device application of a device (1) which comprises a (wireless) transceiver (1.1) and which is connected to a 5G communication network (3) via a (radio) communication access network, - whereby an enterprise application of the enterprise communication system (3) is subscribed to PDU updates from the 5G communication network (2), - whereby the device application has a unique device application identifier, - whereby a unique device identifier is provided to the device (1), and - whereby the device identifier is used by the device (1) during onboarding, characterized by the steps: i) a PDU (Protocol Data Unit) session is requested by the device (1) from the 5G communication network (2), ii) the requested PDU session is created by the 5G communication network (2), iii) information about the new PDU session is added by the session management function (SMF) to a data base of the 5G communication network (2), iv) the enterprise application is informed by the 5G communication network (2) about the new PDU session, v) the device identifier or the device application identifier is inferred by the enterprise application from the information provided by the session management function (SMF), vi) if the device application identifier and/or the device identifier matches a list of identifiers or application types, the enterprise application is contacting the device application by using the information contained in the received PDU event notification, whereby the list is stored in the enterprise communication system.