UPF FRER Session Handling for URLLC Redundancy Without DN Devices

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Solution Overview

Problem

The dual-connection end-to-end redundancy solution in URLLC requires a FRER device to be deployed on the data network side, increasing equipment costs at the DN side.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a session processing method and apparatus that enables FRER session attribute information elements to instruct UPFs to perform downlink replication or uplink elimination on associated FRER sessions, eliminating the need for additional FRER devices on the DN side by performing these operations on the core network side.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a dual-connection end-to-end redundancy solution is adopted to improve data transmission reliability, then reliability is improved, but equipment cost at the DN side increases due to requiring FRER device deployment

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata transmission reliabilityVSAvoidequipment cost at DN side
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the FRER function from the DN side and relocates it to the core network side. Specifically, the FRER session attribute information element is added to session messages processed by the SMF and UPF, enabling the core network to perform frame replication and elimination without requiring FRER devices at the data network endpoint, thus reducing DN equipment costs while maintaining reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces the core network (SMF and UPF) as an intermediary to perform FRER functions. The SMF manages FRER sessions by adding session attribute information elements to session messages, and the UPF executes frame replication and elimination based on these attributes, serving as a mediator between the terminal and the data network to eliminate the need for FRER devices at the DN side

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP4723531A1Session processing method and apparatus, and communication device
Publication Date: 2026.04.08 ZTE CORP
  • EP4723531A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4723531A1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4723531A1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

Provided in the embodiments of the present application are a session processing method and apparatus, and a communication device. The method comprises: an SMF sending a session message to a UPF, wherein the session message comprises an FRER session attribute cell, the FRER session attribute cell is used for instructing the UPF to perform at least one of the following operations on messages corresponding to at least two FRER sessions: downlink replication and uplink elimination for reliability, and there is an association relationship between the at least two FRER sessions.