Patent ID: 11924662
Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
Field: Digital communication (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 0:
1. A method comprising:
providing, by a processing system including a processor, a remote user plane function (UPF) deployment and controller function for a plurality of UPFs of a communication network,
wherein respective UPFs of the plurality of UPFs utilize respective proprietary configuration and control interfaces of a plurality of proprietary configuration and control interfaces, each respective proprietary configuration and control interface of the plurality of proprietary configuration and control interfaces being associated with a respective vendor of the respective proprietary configuration and control interface,
wherein the remote UPF deployment and control function is in data communication with the plurality UPFs to communicate data for respective proprietary procedures for controlling the respective plurality of UPFs via the respective proprietary configuration and control interfaces, wherein the controlling comprises at least one of authentication, deployment, configuration, testing, and controlling availability of respective UPFs of the plurality of UPFs, independent of a vendor of the plurality of respective UPFs, and
wherein first and second UPFs of the plurality of UPFs from different respective vendors, using different respective proprietary extensions to an N4 interface, are adapted to communicate with a session management function (SMF); and

providing, by the processing system, a standard, service-based interface to facilitate communication between the remote UPF deployment and control function and the plurality of UPFs,
wherein the first and second UPFs of the plurality of UPFs are adapted to communicate with the SMF via the standard, service-based interface and the remote UPF deployment and control function, and
wherein the remote UPF deployment and control function uses the standard, service-based interface to communicate data for the respective proprietary procedures for respective UPFs to facilitate communication between respective UPFs of the plurality of UPFs and the session management function via the standard, service-based interface.