UPF Packet Marking for Selective Protocol Execution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless communication systems face challenges in efficiently managing user plane functions (UPFs) within complex network architectures, particularly in scenarios involving multiple technologies and releases, leading to suboptimal performance and resource utilization.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a flexible and configurable architecture for user plane functions (UPFs) that can adapt to various criteria, such as device capabilities and traffic loads, allowing selective protocol execution and optimized resource allocation across diverse wireless devices and base stations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed architecture for user plane functions is used, then implementation is simpler, but adaptability to different device capabilities and traffic loads deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic protocol execution where the UPF selectively executes protocols based on real-time criteria including device capabilities and traffic load conditions. The architecture transitions from static to dynamic by enabling the UPF to adapt its operational behavior, selecting which protocols to execute and which to skip based on current network conditions and device requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes operational parameters of the UPF by introducing configurable criteria that determine protocol execution. These parameters include device capability levels, traffic load thresholds, and protocol priority settings that can be adjusted to optimize performance for different scenarios without changing the fundamental architecture.
2Productivity
If all protocols are executed in user plane functions, then compatibility is improved, but processing overhead and latency increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes unnecessary protocol execution from the UPF by implementing selective protocol skipping. Based on evaluated criteria such as device capabilities and traffic conditions, the UPF identifies and excludes protocols that are not needed for specific data units, thereby reducing processing overhead and latency while maintaining compatibility where required.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by executing only the necessary subset of protocols rather than all protocols uniformly. The UPF performs partial protocol execution tailored to each data unit's requirements, avoiding excessive processing of redundant protocols and optimizing the balance between compatibility and processing efficiency.
3Productivity
If user plane functions are optimized for specific scenarios, then performance in those scenarios improves, but versatility across different wireless technologies deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal UPF architecture capable of handling multiple wireless technologies and scenarios through configurable criteria. The same UPF can be adapted to optimize for different technologies (4G, 5G, etc.) and scenarios (eMBB, URLLC, mMTC) by adjusting the execution criteria without requiring separate specialized implementations, thereby achieving multi-functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the protocol execution decision-making process into evaluable criteria that can be independently configured for different scenarios. By dividing the optimization problem into separable criteria (device capabilities, traffic load, protocol priorities), the system can selectively apply different criterion combinations for different wireless technologies while maintaining a unified architecture.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2D
Figure 3
AI summary
A user plane function (UPF) sends, to an access node, a general packet radio service tunneling protocol (GTP) container comprising a first packet and a GTP header comprising a field indicating that the first packet is one of one or more packets associated with a first data unit of a data flow.