Base Station Edge Offloading via User Plane Instance Matching
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Solution Overview
Problem
The deployment of UPF sinks in toB industry applications is costly due to the need for independent hardware and complex resource approvals, and existing solutions fail to interface with 5GC when using UPF from other manufacturers, leading to high complexity and slow service activation.
Innovation Solution
A local edge offloading method that establishes an offloading user plane instance based on user plane bearer information, using a base station-connected offloading service to determine data forwarding to a core network or local server, reducing deployment costs and complexity by integrating with existing infrastructure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If UPF sink solution is adopted for local edge offloading, then data security and low latency are improved, but deployment cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an offloading service as an intermediary component that mediates between the base station and the core network. This service handles the complexity of UPF management, rule matching, and data forwarding without requiring direct deployment of independent UPF hardware at the edge, thus maintaining data security while reducing deployment complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The offloading service is designed to perform multiple functions including user plane instance management, rule matching, data forwarding, and coordination with both base stations and core networks. This multi-functional approach consolidates what would otherwise require separate specialized components, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining the security benefits of local edge offloading
2Adaptability or versatility
If independent hardware UPF is deployed, then local edge offloading capability is improved, but deployment cost and resource approval complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential UPF functionality from the traditional hardware-based UPF sink solution and implements it as a virtualized offloading service that can be deployed on existing infrastructure. This extraction eliminates the need for independent hardware deployment, rack resources, and complex approval processes while maintaining edge offloading capability
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of deploying physical UPF hardware, the solution creates a virtual copy of UPF functionality through the offloading service software layer. This virtualization allows the system to replicate UPF capabilities without the physical hardware overhead, simplifying deployment while maintaining functional equivalence
3Adaptability or versatility
If UPF from different manufacturers is deployed, then vendor flexibility is improved, but interface compatibility with 5GC deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The offloading service acts as a standardized intermediary layer between diverse UPF implementations and the 5GC core network. It provides uniform interfaces and protocols for communication, allowing UPF units from different manufacturers to integrate seamlessly with the core network without compatibility issues
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a local edge offloading method and system, and an offloading service apparatus and a base station. The local edge offloading method includes: an offloading service receiving user plane bearer information sent from a base station, and establishing an offloading user plane instance according to the user plane bearer information; upon reception of an uplink data service package sent from the base station, the offloading service determining whether there is a corresponding offloading user plane instance for the uplink data service package; and in a case where there is a corresponding offloading user plane instance in the uplink data service package, matching the uplink data service package with an offloading matching rule, and determining to forward the uplink data service package to a core network or a local server.