SMF-Controlled MAC Address Reporting in 5G Ethernet PDU Sessions

Solution Overview

Problem

The existing 5G communication systems face challenges in managing high signaling loads and storage requirements due to the large number of MAC addresses used in Ethernet PDU sessions, particularly when connecting multiple devices with unique MAC addresses, which can overwhelm network resources.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a method in the SMF to manage policy requests associated with MAC addresses by configuring the UPF to report MAC addresses only when allowed, thereby reducing unnecessary signaling and storage demands by ensuring that MAC address-based policy requests are permitted only when agreed upon by the network operator and DN owner.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If MAC addresses are reported for all devices in Ethernet PDU sessions, then complete device identification and policy control is achieved, but signaling load and storage requirements increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice identification accuracyVSAvoidsignaling load

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by making MAC address reporting selective rather than universal. The UPF reports MAC addresses only for specific devices or under specific conditions agreed upon by the network operator and DN owner, rather than reporting all MAC addresses. This localized approach maintains necessary device identification accuracy while significantly reducing the overall signaling load and storage requirements in the network.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Measurement precision

If MAC addresses are reported for all devices in Ethernet PDU sessions, then complete device identification and policy control is achieved, but storage requirements increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice identification accuracyVSAvoidstorage requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by making MAC address reporting selective rather than universal. The UPF reports MAC addresses only for specific devices or under specific conditions agreed upon by the network operator and DN owner, rather than reporting all MAC addresses. This localized approach maintains necessary device identification accuracy while significantly reducing the overall signaling load and storage requirements in the network.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Adaptability or versatility

If MAC address-based policy requests are permitted for all sessions, then comprehensive policy control is achieved, but network resource overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepolicy control capabilityVSAvoidnetwork resource overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making the MAC address reporting mechanism flexible and adaptive. The system dynamically adjusts whether MAC addresses are reported based on per-session agreements between the network operator and DN owner. Some sessions may have MAC address reporting enabled while others have it disabled, allowing the network to optimize resource usage while maintaining comprehensive policy control capability where needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3756333B1Method, apparatus and computer program

Publication Date: 2025.11.26 NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY

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AI summary

There is provided a method comprising determining, at a functional entity of a core network, whether policy requests associated with at least one address used within a session are allowed for the session and, if so, configuring a first associated functional entity of the core network to provide at least one address used within the session for a user equipment associated with the session, receiving the at least one address from the first associated functional entity and providing the at least one address to a second associated functional entity of the core network for storage.