User Plane Function Multicast to Unicast Conversion for UDN Cellular Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
User-defined networks (UDNs) currently lack seamless integration with cellular networks, leading to disruptions in user experience when devices switch from Wi-Fi to cellular coverage, as there is no entity to forward discovery packets in cellular coverage, causing devices to move out of the UDN and lose connectivity with other registered devices.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of UDN cellular access logic on the control plane and user plane functions of cellular networks, which allows user equipment to join a multicast group and convert multicast packets to unicast packets, enabling continued connectivity and discovery of registered devices across both Wi-Fi and cellular networks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If UDNs are segmented within Wi-Fi networks using multicast groups, then device discovery and connectivity within the same network type is improved, but seamless integration with cellular networks is lost causing disruptions when devices switch networks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a unicast tunnel between the user plane function and user equipment as an intermediary mechanism. This tunnel enables direct unicast communication to bridge the gap between multicast-based Wi-Fi UDNs and unicast-based cellular networks, allowing seamless device discovery and connectivity across different network types without requiring devices to maintain membership in multiple multicast groups.
2Ease of operation
If devices rely on multicast group membership for UDN access, then device discovery works within Wi-Fi networks, but no entity forwards discovery packets in cellular coverage causing devices to move out of the UDN
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the multicast-based discovery mechanism (which works in Wi-Fi) with a unicast-based discovery mechanism for cellular networks. The user plane function establishes unicast tunnels to user equipment and forwards discovery packets through these unicast channels, substituting the multicast group membership model with a unicast tunnel model that is natively supported by cellular networks.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the system supports both Wi-Fi and cellular network access for UDNs, then user experience is improved, but the complexity of handling multicast traffic across different network types increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the traffic handling by creating separate processing paths: multicast group management for Wi-Fi networks and unicast tunnel management for cellular networks. The user plane function maintains separate data structures and processing logic for each network type, allowing independent optimization and simplifying the overall system by avoiding the need to handle both multicast and unicast traffic through a single complex mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are described herein for providing cellular access of a user-defined network. In one example, a user plane function of a cellular network obtains, from a control plane function of the cellular network, an indication that a first user equipment is attempting to connect to a user-defined network via the cellular network. The user plane function joins a multicast group configured to include a second user equipment connected to the user-defined network via a wireless local area network. The user plane function obtains a multicast packet that is transmitted between the first user equipment and the second user equipment and that is addressed to the multicast group, and converts the multicast packet to a unicast packet.