/Patent Tracker
AppleGranted patentNetworks & wirelessInterest 3/10

Apple patents smarter 5G network selection for specific services

Patent drawing
Patent drawing from the official filing.

Apple describes a method where a phone receives specific instructions from a cell tower about which frequency bands to use for certain types of network connections. The phone checks its location and these instructions to pick the right signal band before connecting to a specific service.

Why it mattersThis helps ensure that critical services like emergency calls or high-speed data get a stable connection by prioritizing the right network slice based on where you are.

In the filing’s own words

A user equipment (UE) is configured to receive cell information including related frequency and network slice information. The UE receives network slice based dedicated priority information for the UE from a currently camped cell, selects a frequency band for camping based on a configured network slice and the network slice based dedicated priority information and establishes a protocol data unit (PDU) session with the configured network slice when camped on the frequency band.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. A processor of a user equipment (UE) configured to perform operations comprising: receiving a radio resource control (RRC) release message comprising network slice based dedicated priority information for the UE from a currently camped cell, wherein the network slice based dedicated priority information comprises a list of frequencies and one or more physical cell identifications (PCIs) corresponding to a network slice; receiving geographic location information, wherein the network slice based dedicated priority information is only applicable when the current UE location is encompassed by the geographic location information; selecting a frequency band for camping based on a configured network slice and the network slice based dedicated priority information when the current UE location is encompassed by the geographic location information; and establishing a protocol data unit (PDU) session with the configured network slice when camped on the frequency band.

Facts

Company
Apple (Apple Inc.)
Official title
Radio access network connectivity enhancements for network slicing
Patent number
US12764643B2
Application number
17593601
Filed
Oct 22, 2020
Granted
Oct 13, 2026
Inventors
12
Claims
13

Classified under

H04W 48/18 Electricity & electronicsH04W 72/02 Electricity & electronicsH04W 72/0453 Electricity & electronicsH04W 72/56 Electricity & electronicsH04W 76/30 Electricity & electronics
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

More from Apple in Networks & wireless

Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.