UPF Discovery via N6 Interface for Lower-Latency 5G Service Management

The patent introduces the NEF (Network Exposure Function) as an intermediary entity that mediates between the AF (Application Function) and UPF (User Plane Function). The NEF receives discovery requests from the AF, translates them into appropriate control plane messages, and manages the interaction with the UPF. This intermediary approach allows the control plane to maintain reliability and service management capabilities while reducing the latency overhead by optimizing the message translation and routing process through the NEF.

The patent extracts the discovery request translation and message routing functions from the general control plane processing and places them in the specialized NEF (Network Exposure Function). By taking out these specific functions and handling them in a dedicated entity, the overall control plane overhead is reduced. The NEF pre-processes and optimizes the messages before they enter the main control plane routing, thereby reducing the computational and signaling overhead across the entire network while maintaining reliable service management.

The NEF (Network Exposure Function) serves as a protocol intermediary that enables direct communication between the AF and UPF while ensuring protocol compatibility. The NEF receives discovery requests from the AF using application-layer protocols, translates them into appropriate control plane messages (such as PFCP or GTP protocols), and forwards them to the UPF. This intermediary translation layer allows efficient direct communication paths to be established while maintaining compatibility across different protocol layers and network functions.