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Apple patents method to split phone network connection tasks

Patent drawing
Patent drawing from the official filing.

Apple describes a way to handle wireless connections by splitting the management of a phone's network link across multiple servers. Instead of one central server handling all data, the system sends information directly to other network nodes to manage the connection.

Why it mattersThis is a technical update to how mobile networks manage data flow, which could help reduce delays or improve efficiency for users, though it is not a consumer-facing feature.

In the filing’s own words

This disclosure relates to techniques for performing wireless communication in a system with distributed non-access stratum termination. A radio access network element may receive information from a wireless device indicating that network-side non-access stratum termination for the wireless device can be distributed. The radio access network element may provide an indication to a core network anchor node that network-side non-access stratum termination for the wireless device can be distributed. The radio access network element may receive mobility management context information for the wireless device from the core network anchor node, which may include addressing information for one or more other core network nodes. The radio access network element may receive uplink data from the wireless device, and may forward the uplink data directly to at least one other core network node using the addressing information included in the mobility management context information for the wireless device.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. An apparatus, comprising: a processor configured to cause a radio access network element to: receive information from a wireless device indicating that network-side non-access stratum (NAS) termination for the wireless device can be distributed; provide an indication to a core network anchor node that network-side NAS termination for the wireless device can be distributed; receive mobility management context information for the wireless device from the core network anchor node, wherein the mobility management context information for the wireless device includes addressing information for one or more other core network nodes; receive uplink data from the wireless device; and forward the uplink data directly to at least one of the one or more other core network nodes using the addressing information included in the mobility management context information for the wireless device.

Facts

Company
Apple (Apple Inc.)
Official title
Distributed Non-Access Stratum Termination
Publication number
US20260304228A1
Application number
19479236
Filed
Jun 26, 2023
Published
Oct 1, 2026
Inventors
4
Claims
20

Classified under

H04W 28/12 Electricity & electronicsH04W 36/0033 Electricity & electronics

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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.