AMF and SMF Usage Limit Control for UE Policy Enforcement

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing 3GPP standards fail to support usage limits for access and mobility management functions (AMF) and session management functions (SMF), leading to inefficient resource consumption and lack of network optimization.

Innovation Solution

Implementing network devices that support usage limits in AMF and SMF by interacting with a charging function (CHF) to determine and enforce policies based on usage limits during UE registration and session establishment procedures, allowing for network slice selection, radio access technology frequency selection, and quality-of-service characteristics.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If usage limits are not enforced in AMF and SMF, then network functions operate without restrictions, but computing and networking resources are consumed inefficiently

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork operation efficiencyVSAvoidcomputing and networking resource consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements usage limit enforcement mechanisms in AMF and SMF functions before resources are excessively consumed. The system pre-configures usage limits and proactively monitors and enforces these limits during network operations, preventing inefficient resource consumption before it occurs rather than reacting after waste has happened.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If usage limit enforcement is implemented in AMF and SMF, then resource allocation is optimized, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource allocation efficiencyVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent integrates usage limit enforcement capabilities into existing AMF and SMF network functions, making these multi-functional elements handle both traditional network management tasks and usage limit enforcement. This approach avoids creating separate dedicated enforcement systems, thereby optimizing resource allocation while minimizing the increase in overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Productivity

If usage limits are enforced based on subscriber data, then network optimization is achieved, but data processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork optimizationVSAvoiddata processing energy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements usage limit enforcement with local quality by applying different enforcement strategies and monitoring intensities based on specific subscriber characteristics, service types, and network conditions. Rather than uniformly processing all subscriber data with the same complexity, the system adapts data processing requirements to the specific context, achieving network optimization while minimizing unnecessary data processing energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS12550095B2Systems and methods for supporting usage limits in access and mobility management and session management functions

Publication Date: 2026.02.10 VERIZON PATENT & LICENSING INC

AI summary

A network device of a network may receive a registration request from a user equipment, and may generate, based on the registration request, a request for a usage limit control associated with the user equipment. The network device may provide the request for the usage limit control to another network device of the network, and may receive, based on the request, the usage limit control from the other network device. The network device may determine a policy for the user equipment based on the usage limit control, and may cause the policy to be implemented for the user equipment.