FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970 (39 of 1970) THE PATENTS RULES, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See section 10; rule 13)
TITLE OF THE INVENTION
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING STALE SESSION IN WIRELESS NETWORK
APPLICANT
JIO PLATFORMS LIMITED
of Office-101, Saffron, Nr. Centre Point, Panchwati 5 Rasta, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad -
380006, Gujarat, India; Nationality : India
The following specification particularly describes
the invention and the manner in which
it is to be performed

RESERVATION OF RIGHTS
[001] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains
material, which is subject to intellectual property rights such as, but are not limited to, copyright, design, trademark, integrated circuit (IC) layout design, and/or trade dress protection, belonging to Jio Platforms Limited (JPL) or its affiliates (hereinafter referred as owner). The owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all rights whatsoever. All rights to such intellectual property are fully reserved by the owner.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[002] The present disclosure relates to a field of Policy Control Function
(PCF) in a wireless network, and specifically to a system and a method for managing stale sessions in a wireless network.
DEFINITION
[003] As used in the present disclosure, the following terms are generally
intended to have the meaning as set forth below, except to the extent that the context in which they are used to indicate otherwise.
[004] The term PCF as used herein, refers to Policy Control Function. The
PCF is a key component of the 5G architecture and plays a crucial role in enforcing policy decisions related to Quality of Service (QoS), traffic management, and network resource allocation.
[005] The term SMF as used herein, refers to Session Management
Function. The SMF plays a crucial role in establishing, managing, and terminating
communication sessions between User Equipment (UE) and 5G network services.
[006] The term SCP as used herein, refers to service communication
proxy. The SCP facilitates communication between various services in 5G network. The SCP acts as an intermediary between service consumers and providers,

handling message routing, protocol translation, security enforcement, and other communication-related tasks.
BACKGROUND
[007] The following description of related art is intended to provide
background information pertaining to the field of the disclosure. This section may include certain aspects of the art that may be related to various features of the present disclosure. However, it should be appreciated that this section be used only to enhance the understanding of the reader with respect to the present disclosure, and not as admissions of prior art.
[008] Wireless communication technology has rapidly evolved over the
past few decades. The first generation of wireless communication technology was
analog technology that offered only voice services. Further, when the second-
generation (2G) technology was introduced, text messaging and data services
became possible. The 3G technology marked the introduction of high-speed
internet access, mobile video calling, and location-based services. The fourth
generation (4G) technology revolutionized the wireless communication with faster
data speeds, improved network coverage, and security. Currently, the fifth
generation (5G) technology is being deployed, with even faster data speeds, low
latency, and the ability to connect multiple devices simultaneously.
[009] As wireless technologies are advancing, there is a need to cope with
the 5G requirements and deliver a high level of service to the subscribers. A Policy Control Function (PCF) as one of the key Network Functions (NF) in the 5th Generation Core (5GC) is responsible for session management-related functionality. As part of this functionality, the PCF stores Access Mobility (AM)/Session Management (SM)/Binding Support Function (BSF)/Spending Limit/Slice Differentiator (SD)/Rx interface/Subscription Profile Repository (SPR) session data in Level 1 cache (L1 cache) or Shared Data Layer (SDL) or both. The SDL facilitates the sharing and management of data among different modules, components, or services within a system.

[0010] Stale sessions are those which are inactive for a longer time. If due
to network fluctuations, terminate messages get dropped and result in a stale
session. Conventionally, to audit the stale session, PCF sends an update-notify, and
based on the node's successful error response, PCF clears/retains the sessions.
[0011] In the normal course of action, as the session terminates as a part of
delete/deregister operations, the session data are removed automatically from the
L1 cache and SDL. But there may be various network conditions such as packet
loss, sync loss, node restart, switchover, overload, etc., which may result in a case
where deregister/delete message is either not received by the PCF or the PCF may
be unable to process the message. This may result in cluttering of the L1 cache and
SDL with the session data, which is no longer valid or is stale and may clutter the
L1 cache and SDL, which may cause functional problems in the long run.
[0012] There is, therefore, a need in the art to improve the state of avoiding
cluttering of L1 cache and SDL with session data by overcoming the deficiencies of the prior arts.
OBJECTS OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE
[0013] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system to manage
stale sessions in a wireless network.
[0014] It is an object of the present disclosure to avoid cluttering of L1
cache and Shared Data Layer (SDL) with session data.
[0015] It is an object of the present disclosure to update a timestamp for a
session record present in SDL/L1 for all interfaces based on the last message
received.
[0016] It is an object of the present disclosure to handle stale sessions based
on different error codes received from a Service Communication Proxy (SCP) or
timeouts received from a Session Management Function (SMF).
[0017] It is an object of the present disclosure to hold a diameter session
even after a Session termination request - session termination answer (STR-STA)
for configured request timeout value.

[0018] It is an object of the present disclosure to stagger update-notify
messages as per configurable value to avoid surge traffic to end nodes.
SUMMARY
[0019] The present disclosure discloses a system for managing stale
sessions in a wireless network. The system includes a memory and a processing
engine. The processing engine is configured for establishing at least one session
with at least one node and maintaining a session record that includes session data
corresponding to at least one established session. The processing engine is
configured for provisioning a runtime stale session timer for the maintained session
record. The processing engine is configured for updating the runtime stale session
timer based on defined criteria corresponding to at least one node and identifying
at least one stale session based on the updated runtime stale session timer.
[0020] In an embodiment, the system is further configured for generating
updated session data by provisioning a flag related to the updated runtime stale
session timer for the session data.
[0021] In an embodiment, the runtime stale session timer is a user
configurable timer having a defined time period range.
[0022] In an embodiment, the flag is set as true if the updated runtime stale
session timer has expired within the defined time period range.
[0023] In an embodiment, the flag is set as false if the updated runtime stale
session timer has not expired within the defined time period range.
[0024] In an embodiment, the defined criteria include identifying a recent
message received by a policy control function (PCF) from at least one node.
[0025] In an embodiment, the PCF is configured to handle the at least one
identified stale session based on at least one or more error codes received from a
service communication proxy (SCP), or a plurality of timeout messages received
from a session management function (SMF).
[0026] In an embodiment, the generated updated session data is replicated
in a standby PCF or a spare PCF.

[0027] In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention discloses a
method of managing stale sessions in a wireless network. The method includes
establishing at least one session with at least one node. The method includes
maintaining a session record having a session data corresponding to the at least one
established session. The method includes provisioning a runtime stale session timer
for the maintained session record. The method includes updating the runtime stale
session timer based on a defined criteria corresponding to the at least one node. The
method includes identifying at least one stale session based on the updated runtime
stale session timer.
[0028] In an embodiment, the method further includes a step of generating
an updated session data by provisioning a flag related to the updated runtime stale
session timer for the session data.
[0029] In an embodiment, the runtime stale session timer is a user
configurable timer having a defined time period range.
[0030] In an embodiment, the flag is set as true the updated runtime stale
session timer has expired within the defined time period range.
[0031] In an embodiment, the flag is set as false if the updated runtime stale
session timer has not expired within the defined time period range.
[0032] In an embodiment, the defined criteria includes identifying a recent
message received by a policy control function (PCF) from the at least one node.
[0033] In an embodiment, the PCF is configured to handle the at least one
identified stale session based on at least one or more error codes received from a
service communication proxy (SCP), or a plurality of timeout messages received
from a session management function (SMF).
[0034] In an embodiment, the generated updated session data is replicated
in a standby PCF or a spare PCF.
[0035] In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention discloses user
equipment (UE) communicatively coupled with a wireless network. The coupling
includes steps of receiving, by the wireless network, a connection request from the
UE, sending, by the wireless network, an acknowledgment of the connection
request to the UE and transmitting a plurality of signals in response to the

connection request. The stale sessions are maintained in the wireless network by a system. The system includes a memory and a processing engine. The processing engine is configured for establishing at least one session with at least one node and maintaining a session record having a session data corresponding to the at least one established session. The processing engine is configured for provisioning a runtime stale session timer for the maintained session record. The processing engine is configured for updating the runtime stale session timer based on a defined criteria corresponding to the at least one node and identifying at least one stale session based on the updated runtime stale session timer.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0036] In the figures, similar components and/or features may have the
same reference label. Further, various components of the same type may be
distinguished by following the reference label with a second label that distinguishes
among the similar components. If only the first reference label is used in the
specification, the description is applicable to any one of the similar components
having the same first reference label irrespective of the second reference label.
[0037] The diagrams are for illustration only, which thus is not a limitation
of the present disclosure, and wherein:
[0038] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary network architecture in or with which
a system for managing stale sessions in a wireless network is implemented, in
accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0039] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a stale session
management system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0040] FIG. 3 illustrates a non-limiting example of details of computing
hardware used in the system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present
disclosure.
[0041] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram for a method for
managing stale sessions in the wireless network, in accordance with an embodiment
of the present disclosure.

[0042] The foregoing shall be more apparent from the following more
detailed description of the disclosure.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
100 – Network Architecture
102-1, 102-2…102-N – Users
104-1, 104-2…104-N – Computing device(s) / User Equipments (UEs)
106 – Network
108 – System (Stale session management system)
110 – Centralized Server
202 – One or more processor(s)
204 – Memory
206 – A Plurality of Interfaces
208 – Processing Engine
210 – Database
212 – Session Management Engine
214 – Update Engine
216 – Other Engines(s)
300- A computer system
310 – External Storage Device
320 – Bus
330 – Main Memory
340 – Read Only Memory
350 – Mass Storage Device
360 – Communication Port
370 – Processor
400 – Flow diagram
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0043] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various
specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of

embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. Several features described hereafter can each be used independently of one another or with any combination of other features. An individual feature may not 5 address any of the problems discussed above or might address only some of the problems discussed above. Some of the problems discussed above might not be fully addressed by any of the features described herein. Example embodiments of the present disclosure are described below, as illustrated in various drawings in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the different
10 drawings.
[0044] The ensuing description provides exemplary embodiments only, and
is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the disclosure. Rather, the ensuing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing an exemplary
15 embodiment. It should be understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as set forth.
[0045] Specific details are given in the following description to provide a
thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be understood by one
20 of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. For example, circuits, systems, networks, processes, and other components may be shown as components in block diagram form in order not to obscure the embodiments in unnecessary detail. In other instances, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques may be shown without
25 unnecessary detail in order to avoid obscuring the embodiments.
[0046] Also, it is noted that individual embodiments may be described as a
process that is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a data flow diagram, a structure diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart may describe the operations as a sequential process, many of the operations can be performed in
30 parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may be re-arranged. A process is terminated when its operations are completed but could have additional
9

steps not included in a figure. A process may correspond to a method, a function, a
procedure, a subroutine, a subprogram, etc. When a process corresponds to a
function, its termination can correspond to a return of the function to the calling
function or the main function.
5 [0047] The word “exemplary” and/or “demonstrative” is used herein to
mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. For the avoidance of doubt, the subject matter disclosed herein is not limited by such examples. In addition, any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” and/or “demonstrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or
10 designs, nor is it meant to preclude equivalent exemplary structures and techniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “includes,” “has,” “contains,” and other similar words are used in either the detailed description or the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive like the term “comprising” as an open transition word without precluding any additional or other
15 elements.
[0048] Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an
embodiment” or “an instance” or “one instance” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, the appearances of the
20 phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout
this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.
Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined
in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.
[0049] The terminology used herein is to describe particular embodiments
25 only and is not intended to be limiting the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or
30 components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
10

As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It should be noted that the terms “mobile device”, “user equipment”, “user device”, “communication device”, “device” and similar terms are used interchangeably for the purpose of describing the invention. These terms 5 are not intended to limit the scope of the invention or imply any specific functionality or limitations on the described embodiments. The use of these terms is solely for convenience and clarity of description. The invention is not limited to any particular type of device or equipment, and it should be understood that other equivalent terms or variations thereof may be used interchangeably without
10 departing from the scope of the invention as defined herein.
[0050] As used herein, an “electronic device”, or “portable electronic
device”, or “user device” or “communication device” or “user equipment” or “device” refers to any electrical, electronic, electromechanical, and computing device. The user device is capable of receiving and/or transmitting one or
15 parameters, performing function/s, communicating with other user devices, and transmitting data to the other user devices. The user equipment may have a processor, a display, a memory, a battery, and an input-means such as a hard keypad and/or a soft keypad. The user equipment may be capable of operating on any radio access technology including but not limited to IP-enabled communication, Zig Bee,
20 Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, Near Field Communication, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi direct, etc. For instance, the user equipment may include, but not limited to, a mobile phone, smartphone, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, laptop, a general-purpose computer, desktop, personal digital assistant, tablet computer, mainframe computer, or any other device as may be obvious to a
25 person skilled in the art for implementation of the features of the present disclosure.
[0051] Further, the user device may also comprise a “processor” or
“processing unit” includes processing unit, wherein processor refers to any logic circuitry for processing instructions. The processor may be a general-purpose processor, a special purpose processor, a conventional processor, a digital signal
30 processor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in association with a DSP core, a controller, a microcontroller, Application Specific
11

Integrated Circuits, Field Programmable Gate Array circuits, any other type of integrated circuits, etc. The processor may perform signal coding data processing, input/output processing, and/or any other functionality that enables the working of the system according to the present disclosure. More specifically, the processor is 5 a hardware processor.
[0052] As portable electronic devices and wireless technologies continue to
improve and grow in popularity, the advancing wireless technologies for data transfer are also expected to evolve and replace the older generations of technologies. In the field of wireless data communications, the dynamic
10 advancement of various generations of cellular technology are also seen. The
development, in this respect, has been incremental in the order of second generation
(2G), third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), and now fifth generation (5G),
and more such generations are expected to continue in the forthcoming time.
[0053] While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the
15 components and component parts of the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the disclosure. These and other changes in the preferred embodiment as well as other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the
20 disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the disclosure and not as a limitation.
[0054] Generally, Policy Control Function (PCF) as one of a key Network
Function (NF) in 5th Generation Core (5GC) is responsible for session management
25 related functionality. As part of this functionality, the PCF stores Access Mobility
(AM)/Session Management (SM)/Binding Support Function (BSF)/Spending
Limit/Slice Differentiator (SD)/Rx interface/Subscription Profile Repository (SPR)
session data in a first level (L1) cache or in a Shared Data Layer (SDL) or both.
[0055] In a normal course of action, as the session terminates as a part of
30 delete/deregister operations, the session data are removed automatically from the L1 cache and the SDL. But there may be various network conditions such as packet
12

loss, sync loss, node restart, switchover, overload, etc., which may result in cases where a deregister/delete message is either not received by the PCF or the PCF may be unable to process the message. This may result in cluttering of the L1 cache and SDL with the session data, which is no longer valid or is stale and may clutter L1 5 cache and SDL, which may cause functional problems in the long run.
[0056] The present disclosure is configured to manage stale sessions in a
wireless network and avoids cluttering of the L1 cache and SDL with the session data. The present disclosure is configured to update a timestamp (session time) for a session record present in SDL/L1 for all interfaces based on a last message
10 received from a node. The present disclosure is configured to handle stale sessions based on different error codes received from a Service Communication Proxy (SCP) or timeouts received from a Session Management Function (SMF). The present disclosure is configured to hold a diameter session for a configured request timeout value even after the session termination request-session termination answer
15 (STR-STA) message is received. The STR message is a signaling message sent by a network element to request the termination of a user session. This message is part of the session management procedures within a 5G system and is used to initiate the process of releasing resources associated with a particular user session. The STA message is an answer to the STR command and is sent from a 3GPP
20 Authentication, Authorisation, Accounting (AAA) server /Proxy to a trusted non-3GPP access network. The present disclosure is configured to stagger update-notify messages as per configurable value to avoid surge traffic to end nodes. The update-notify refers to a signaling procedure used to inform network entities about updates or changes in network configurations, parameters, or states. The update-notify
25 ensures that all network elements are synchronized and aware of relevant updates
to maintain efficient network operation and service delivery.
[0057] The various embodiments throughout the disclosure will be
explained in more detail with reference to FIG. 1- FIG. 4.
[0058] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary network architecture (100) in which
30 a system (108) for managing stale sessions in a wireless network is implemented, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.
13

[0059] Referring to FIG. 1, the network architecture (100) includes one or
more computing devices or user equipments (104-1, 104-2…104-N) associated with one or more users (102-1, 102-2…102-N) in an environment. A person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that one or more users (102-1, 102-2…102-5 N) may be individually referred to as the user (102) and collectively referred to as the users (102). Similarly, a person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that one or more user equipments (104-1, 104-2…104-N) may be individually referred to as the user equipment (104) and collectively referred to as the user equipment (104). A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the terms “computing 10 device(s)” and “user equipment” may be used interchangeably throughout the disclosure. Although three user equipments (104) are depicted in FIG. 1, however any number of the user equipments (104) may be included without departing from the scope of the ongoing description.
[0060] In an embodiment, the user equipment (104) includes smart devices
15 operating in a smart environment, for example, an Internet of Things (IoT) system.
In such an embodiment, the user equipment (104) may include, but is not limited
to, smart phones, smart watches, smart sensors (e.g., mechanical, thermal,
electrical, magnetic, etc.), networked appliances, networked peripheral devices,
networked lighting system, communication devices, networked vehicle accessories,
20 networked vehicular devices, smart accessories, tablets, smart television (TV),
computers, smart security system, smart home system, other devices for monitoring
or interacting with or for the users (102) and/or entities, or any combination thereof.
A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the user equipment (104)
may include, but is not limited to, intelligent, multi-sensing, network-connected
25 devices, that can integrate seamlessly with each other and/or with a central server
or a cloud-computing system or any other device that is network-connected.
[0061] In an embodiment, the user equipment (104) includes, but is not
limited to, a handheld wireless communication device (e.g., a mobile phone, a smartphone, a phablet device, and so on), a wearable computer device(e.g., a head-30 mounted display computer device, a head-mounted camera device, a wristwatch computer device, and so on), a Global Positioning System (GPS) device, a laptop
14

computer, a tablet computer, or another type of portable computer, a media playing device, a portable gaming system, and/or any other type of computer device with wireless communication capabilities, and the like. In an embodiment, the user equipment (104) includes, but is not limited to, any electrical, electronic, electro-5 mechanical, or an equipment, or a combination of one or more of the above devices such as virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, laptop, a general-purpose computer, desktop, personal digital assistant, tablet computer, mainframe computer, or any other computing device, wherein the user equipment (104) may include one or more in-built or externally coupled accessories including,
10 but not limited to, a visual aid device such as a camera, an audio aid, a microphone, a keyboard, and input devices for receiving input from the user (102) such as touchpad, touch enabled screen, electronic pen, and the like. A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the user equipment (104) may not be restricted to the mentioned devices and various other devices may be used.
15 [0062] Referring to FIG. 1, the user equipment (104) communicates with
the system (108) (also referred to as a stale session management system) through a network (106). In an embodiment, the network (106) includes at least one of a Fifth Generation (5G) network, 6G network, or the like. The network (106) enables the user equipment (104) to communicate with other devices in the network
20 architecture (100) and/or with the system (108). The network (106) includes a wireless card or some other transceiver connection to facilitate this communication. In another embodiment, the network (106) is implemented as, or include any of a variety of different communication technologies such as a wide area network (WAN), a local area network (LAN), a wireless network, a mobile network, a
25 Virtual Private Network (VPN), the Internet, the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), or the like. The UE (104) may be communicatively coupled with the network (106). The communicative coupling includes receiving, from the UE (104), a connection request by the network (106), sending an acknowledgment of the connection request to the UE (104), and transmitting a plurality of signals in
30 response to the connection request.
15

[0063] In another exemplary embodiment, the centralized server (110)
includes or comprise, by way of example but not limitation, one or more of: a stand¬
alone server, a server blade, a server rack, a bank of servers, a server farm, hardware
supporting a part of a cloud service or system, a home server, hardware running a
5 virtualized server, one or more processors executing code to function as a server,
one or more machines performing server-side functionality as described herein, at
least a portion of any of the above, some combination thereof.
[0064] In 5G technology, a first-level (L1) cache serves as a crucial
hardware component within base stations and network equipment, optimizing data
10 access for signal processing tasks and reducing latency in radio access and network control functions. On the other hand, Shared Data Layer (SDL) refers to a software architecture concept enabling efficient data sharing among various network functions, services, and applications. SDL facilitates features like network slicing and dynamic resource allocation, enhancing network flexibility and supporting
15 advanced services such as network automation and quality of service (QoS) management.
[0065] In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, the
system (108), via a policy control function (PCF), is configured to avoid cluttering of the first level (L1) cache or the SDL with session data corresponding to each
20 session established between the PCF and a plurality of node.
[0066] The system (108) is configured to establish at least one session with
at least one node. In an example, the plurality of sessions includes an Access and Mobility management (AM) session, a Session Management (SM) session, and a receive (Rx) session. The AM session provides user access and mobility, ensuring
25 seamless handovers between cells and networks. The SM session oversees the establishment, maintenance, and termination of user sessions, managing the flow of data and signaling between users and services. On the other hand, the Rx session is responsible for receiving and processing data packets or messages within the network, ensuring efficient data delivery and integrity.
30 [0067] In an operative aspect, the system (108) maintains a runtime user-
configurable stale session timer corresponding to each session of the plurality of
16

sessions based on the last message received. In an aspect, the runtime user configurable stale session timer is stored in the SDL, in a database, or in the first level (L1) cache.
[0068] The system (108) identifies, by the PCF, at least one stale session
5 based on the runtime user configurable stale session timer and generates a session data corresponding to each session. The session data includes a flag indicating whether the session is stale or not. The system (108) transmits at least one update request and the session data to a specific node based on the determined session timer of the specific node. In an example, the at least one update request is
10 transmitted to the specific node through a hypertext transfer protocol 2 (HTTP2)
interface. In an embodiment, the at least one update request is transmitted based on
a configurable value. For example, the configurable value includes a predefined
time, after the system is able to send the update request automatically.
[0069] The system (108) receives a response from the at least one node. The
15 system performs at least one operation on the session based on the received
response. The at least one operation includes termination of the session or retention
of the session. The at least one node may include at least one user equipment (UE)
or at least one gNodeB.
[0070] In an aspect, the system (108) may be a dedicated apparatus or may
20 be embedded with or within the PCF. In an embodiment, the system (108), in communication with the PCF, sends an abort-session-request (ASR) indicating the termination of the stale session to the at least one node.
[0071] In an embodiment, the system (108) is configured to handle the stale
sessions based on different error codes received from a service communication
25 proxy (SCP) or timeouts received from the SMF.
[0072] In an embodiment, the system (108) is configured to hold a diameter
session even after receiving the STR-STA message.
[0073] In an example, the system (also known as stale session management
system (108)) is able to operate with a plurality of PCFs. In another example, the
30 system is configured to maintain separate counters for each PCF including an active PCF, a standby PCF, and a spare PCF. The system is further configured to identify
17

how many stale sessions were identified by each PCF within a predefined time period along with a specific interface.
[0074] Although FIG. 1 shows exemplary components of the network
architecture (100), in other embodiments, the network architecture (100) may 5 include fewer components, different components, differently arranged components, or additional functional components than depicted in FIG. 1. Additionally, or alternatively, one or more components of the network architecture (100) may perform functions described as being performed by one or more other components of the network architecture (100).
10 [0075] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary block diagram (200) of the stale
session management system (108), in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0076] In an aspect, the system (108) includes one or more processor(s)
(202). The one or more processor(s) (202) are implemented as one or more
15 microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, edge or fog microcontrollers, digital signal processors, central processing units, logic circuitries, and/or any devices that process data based on operational instructions. Among other capabilities, one or more processor(s) (202) are configured to fetch and execute computer-readable instructions stored in a memory (204) of the system (108). The
20 memory (204) is configured to store one or more computer-readable instructions or routines in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, which may be fetched and executed to create or share data packets over a network service. The memory (204) comprises any non-transitory storage device including, for example, volatile memory such as Random-Access Memory (RAM), or non-volatile memory
25 such as Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM), flash memory, and the like.
[0077] In an embodiment, the system (108) includes an interface(s) (206).
The interface(s) (206) may include a variety of interfaces, for example, interfaces for data input and output devices, referred to as I/O devices, storage devices, and
30 the like. The interface(s) (206) facilitates communication of the system (108). The interface(s) (206) also provides a communication pathway for one or more
18

components of the system (108). Examples of such components include but are not
limited to, processing unit/engine(s) (208) and a database (210).
[0078] The processing unit/engine(s) (208) is implemented as a
combination of hardware and programming (for example, programmable 5 instructions) to implement one or more functionalities of the processing engine(s) (208). In examples described herein, such combinations of hardware and programming may be implemented in several different ways. For example, the programming for the processing engine(s) (208) is processor-executable instructions stored on a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, and the
10 hardware for the processing engine(s) (208) includes a processing resource (for example, one or more processors), to execute such instructions. In the present examples, the machine-readable storage medium may store instructions that, when executed by the processing resource, implement the processing engine(s) (208). In such examples, the system (108) includes the machine-readable storage medium
15 storing the instructions and the processing resource to execute the instructions, or
the machine-readable storage medium may be separate but accessible to the system
(108) and the processing resource. In other examples, the processing engine(s)
(208) may be implemented by an electronic circuitry.
[0079] The processing engine is configured for provisioning a runtime stale
20 session timer for the maintained session record. The processing engine is configured for updating the runtime stale session timer based on a defined criteria corresponding to the at least one node and identifying at least one stale session based on the updated runtime stale session timer. In an embodiment, the defined criteria include identifying a recent message received by a policy control function
25 (PCF) from at least one node.
[0080] The system is further configured to generate updated session data by
provisioning a flag related to the updated runtime stale session timer for the session data. In an embodiment, the flag is set as true if the updated runtime stale session timer has expired within the defined time period range. The generated updated
30 session data is replicated in a standby PCF or a spare PCF.
19

[0081] In an embodiment, the runtime stale session timer is a user
configurable timer having a defined time period range. In another embodiment, the
flag is set as false if the updated runtime stale session timer has not expired within
the defined time period range.
5 [0082] In an embodiment, the PCF is configured to handle the at least one
identified stale session based on at least one or more error codes received from a service communication proxy (SCP), or a plurality of timeout messages received from a session management function (SMF).
[0083] In an embodiment, the processing engine (208) is configured to hold
10 the diameter session even after STR-STA for configured request timeout value. In an embodiment, the processing engine (208) is configured to hold the diameter session during a race-around condition where an Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) message is received after STR-STA on an Rx interface. The processing engine (208) is configured to avoid hampering of Key Performance Indicator (KPI) 15 when the diameter session is released after STA.
[0084] In an embodiment, the processing engine (208) is configured to
stagger update-notify messages (update messages) as per configurable value to
avoid surge traffic to the end nodes, during network fluctuations.
[0085] Currently, PCF is not able to either identify or remove stale sessions
20 from the L1 cache and SDL database (DB) efficiently. To identify or remove stale sessions from L1 cache and SDL DB, the stale session management system (108) is configured to perform following steps by using the session management engine (212), the update engine (214), and the other engines (216):
a. Update a timestamp (session timer) for the session record present in SDL/L1
25 for all interfaces based on the last message received. Updated records are
replicated to L1 cache and SDL for standby PCF and spare PCF in cluster.
In case of session data replication failure towards standby or spare L1/SDL,
the system is configured to generate an alarm. In an aspect, the session timer
lies in a defined time period range. In an embodiment, the defined time
30 period range is a user-configurable range and may vary depending on the
requirements.
20

b. Include separate runtime user configurable stale session timers for Access
and Mobility management (AM), Session Management (SM) and Rx
interface for individual sessions based on which individual sessions need to
be marked as stale or not. Session data has a flag, which is used to identify
5 if the session is marked stale or not, i.e., the flag is configured to be set to
“true” if the session timer has expired and set to “false” if the session timer
has not expired. Updated session data with the stale flag is replicated to
standby and spare (alternatively, standby and spare may also have the same
timer running for checking and updating the stale session flag in standby
10 and spare as well). Separate counters are maintained for the active PCF, the
standby PCF, and the spare PCF to identify how many sessions are marked “stale” within a given period with specific interfaces.
c. Send stale session challenges towards SMF and AMF in a staggered manner
with a configurable Time-sensitive Packet Switch (TPS).
15 d. Handle stale sessions based on different error codes received from the SCP
or timeouts received from the SMF. e. Automatically remove subscriber data received from SPR that is placed in PCF L1/ SDL, if all session data for other interfaces are removed from PCF for specific Subscription Permanent Identifier (SUPI).
20 f. Contain user commands for the following:
1. Session removal for specific SUPI for all or specific interfaces.
2. Session removal for all sessions with “stale session” flag set to “true”
with a challenge flag for specific interface to true or false for all or specific interface. Deleting a specific session may also trigger
25 session deletion process for related interfaces i.e., if the SM session
is removed, removal for Slice Differentiator (SD)/Spending Limit/
Binding Support Function (BSF) sessions may be automatically
triggered.
[0086] In an embodiment, the database (210) includes data that is either
30 stored or generated as a result of functionalities implemented by any of the
21

components of the processor(s) (202) or the processing engine(s) (208) or the system (108).
[0087] Although FIG. 2 shows an exemplary block diagram (200) of the
system (108), in other embodiments, the system (108) may include fewer
5 components, different components, differently arranged components, or additional
functional components than depicted in FIG. 2. Additionally, or alternatively, one
or more components of the system (108) may perform functions described as being
performed by one or more other components of the system (108).
[0088] FIG. 3 is an illustration (300) of a non-limiting example of details of
10 computing hardware used in the system (108), in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3, the system (108) may include an external storage device (310), a bus (320), a main memory (330), a read only memory (340), a mass storage device (350), a communication port (360), and a processor (370). A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the system (100)
15 may include more than one processor (370) and communication ports (360). Processor (370) may include various modules associated with embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0089] In an embodiment, the communication port (360) is any of an RS-
232 port for use with a modem-based dialup connection, a 10/100 Ethernet port, a
20 Gigabit or 10 Gigabit port using copper or fiber, a serial port, a parallel port, or
other existing or future ports. The communication port (360) is chosen depending
on a network, such a Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), or
any network to which the system (108) connects.
[0090] In an embodiment, the memory (330) is Random Access Memory
25 (RAM), or any other dynamic storage device commonly known in the art. Read-only memory (340) is any static storage device(s) e.g., but not limited to, a Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM) chips for storing static information e.g., start-up or Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) instructions for the processor (370).
30 [0091] In an embodiment, the mass storage (350) is any current or future
mass storage solution, which is used to store information and/or instructions.
22

Exemplary mass storage solutions include, but are not limited to, Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment (PATA) or Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) hard disk drives or solid-state drives (internal or external, e.g., having Universal Serial Bus (USB) and/or Firewire interfaces), one or more optical discs, 5 Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) storage, e.g., an array of disks (e.g., SATA arrays).
[0092] In an embodiment, the bus (320) communicatively couples the
processor(s) (370) with the other memory, storage, and communication blocks. The bus (320) is, e.g., a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI)/PCI Extended (PCI-10 X) bus, Small Computer System Interface (SCSI), Universal Serial Bus (USB) or the like, for connecting expansion cards, drives and other subsystems as well as other buses, such a front side bus (FSB), which connects the processor (370) to the system (108).
[0093] Optionally, operator and administrative interfaces, e.g., a display,
15 keyboard, joystick, and a cursor control device, may also be coupled to the bus (320) to support direct operator interaction with the system (108). Other operator and administrative interfaces are provided through network connections connected through the communication port (360). Components described above are meant only to exemplify various possibilities. In no way should the aforementioned 20 exemplary illustration (300) limit the scope of the present disclosure.
[0094] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram for method (400) for
managing stale sessions in the wireless network (106).
[0095] At step 402, the method (400) comprises establishing at least one
session with at least one node. The at least one node may include at least one user 25 equipment (UE) or at least one gNodeB.
[0096] At step 404, the method (400) comprises maintaining a session
record comprising session data corresponding to at least one established session.
[0097] At step 406, the method (400) comprises provisioning a runtime stale
session timer for the maintained session record.
30 [0098] At step 408, the method (400) comprises updating the runtime stale
session timer based on defined criteria corresponding to at least one node.
23

[0099] At step 410, the method (400) comprises identifying at least one stale
session based on the updated runtime stale session timer.
[00100] In an embodiment, the method further comprises generating updated
session data by provisioning a flag related to the updated runtime stale session timer 5 for the session data.
[00101] In an embodiment, the runtime stale session timer is a user
configurable timer having a defined time period range.
[00102] In an embodiment, the flag is set as true the updated runtime stale
session timer has expired within the defined time period range.
10 [00103] In an embodiment, the flag is set as false if the updated runtime stale
session timer has not expired within the defined time period range.
[00104] In an embodiment, the defined criteria include identifying a recent
message received by a policy control function (PCF) from at least one node.
[00105] In an embodiment, the PCF is configured to handle the at least one
15 identified stale session based on at least one or more error codes received from a service communication proxy (SCP), or a plurality of timeout messages received from a session management function (SMF).
[00106] In an embodiment, the generated updated session data is replicated
in a standby PCF or a spare PCF.
20 [00107] In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention discloses user
equipment (UE) communicatively coupled with a wireless network. The coupling comprises steps of receiving, by the wireless network, a connection request from the UE, sending, by the wireless network, an acknowledgment of the connection request to the UE and transmitting a plurality of signals in response to the
25 connection request. The stale sessions are maintained in the wireless network by a system. The system comprises a memory and a processing engine. The processing engine is configured for establishing at least one session with at least one node and maintaining a session record comprising a session data corresponding to the at least one established session. The processing engine is configured for provisioning a
30 runtime stale session timer for the maintained session record. The processing engine is configured for updating the runtime stale session timer based on defined criteria
24

corresponding to at least one node and identifying at least one stale session based on the updated runtime stale session timer.
[00108] The present disclosure is configured to provide a system (108), and
a method for managing a plurality of stale sessions in a wireless network. The 5 system (108) is configured to check or clean up processes to identify and remove stale session data from the L1 cache and SDL. In a 5G network, there are several use cases where automatic deletion of session data by the Policy Control Function (PCF) is necessary for efficient network management and to ensure the delivery of quality services. For example, a user establishes a session but remains idle without
10 any data transfer for an extended period. The present system (108) automatically deletes the session data when an idle session timeout is reached, ensuring that network resources are not unnecessarily occupied. In another example, the network elements or devices are experiencing various technical issues, such as failures or restarts. In the event of failures or restarts, the present system (108) ensures that
15 any lingering session data associated with the affected elements is deleted to prevent inconsistencies and maintain system stability. The present disclosure is configured to enhance the functionalities of PCF by deleting session data of stale sessions on its own. The present system provides a seamless and optimized experience for a specific 5G service. The dynamic nature of 5G networks, coupled
20 with the capabilities of PCF and SMF, allows for intelligent and real-time adaptation to varying conditions, ensuring efficient resource utilization and a high-quality user experience. The system (108) is placed within a 5G communication network or with various network elements that may involve various algorithms, protocols, or mechanisms to enhance the efficiency and reliability of triggering
25 events, ensuring a smoother operation of user equipment and network elements in 5G networks.
[00109] The method and system of the present disclosure may be
implemented in a number of ways. For example, the methods and systems of the present disclosure may be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or any
30 combination of software, hardware, and firmware. The above-described order for the steps of the method is for illustration only, and the steps of the method of the
25

present disclosure are not limited to the order specifically described above unless specifically stated otherwise. Further, in some embodiments, the present disclosure may also be embodied as programs recorded in a recording medium, the programs including machine-readable instructions for implementing the methods according 5 to the present disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure also covers a recording medium storing a program for executing the method according to the present disclosure.
[00110] While the foregoing describes various embodiments of the present
disclosure, other and further embodiments of the present disclosure may be devised
10 without departing from the basic scope thereof. The scope of the present disclosure is determined by the claims that follow. The present disclosure is not limited to the described embodiments, versions, or examples, which are included to enable a person having ordinary skill in the art to make and use the present disclosure when combined with information and knowledge available to the person having ordinary
15 skill in the art.
ADVANTAGES OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE
[00111] The present disclosure provides a system to manage stale session in
a wireless network.
[00112] The present disclosure avoids cluttering of L1 cache and Shared
20 Data Layer (SDL) with session data.
[00113] The present disclosure updates a timestamp for a session record
present in SDL/L1 for all interfaces based on the last message received.
[00114] The present disclosure handles stale sessions based on different error
codes received from a Service Communication Proxy (SCP) or timeouts received 25 from a Session Management Function (SMF).
[00115] The present disclosure holds a diameter session even after the
Session termination request - Session termination answer (STR-STA) for
configured request timeout value.
[00116] The present disclosure staggers update-notify messages as per
30 configurable value to avoid surge traffic to end nodes.
26

We Claim:
1. A system (108) for managing stale sessions in a wireless network (106), the
system (108) comprising:
a memory (204); and
a processing engine (208) configured to execute instructions comprising:
establishing at least one session with at least one node;
maintaining a session record comprising a session data corresponding to the at least one established session;
provisioning a runtime stale session timer for the maintained session record;
updating the runtime stale session timer based on a defined criteria corresponding to the at least one node; and
identifying at least one stale session based on the updated runtime stale session timer.
2. The system (108) as claimed in claim 1, is further configured to generate an updated session data by provisioning a flag related to the updated runtime stale session timer for the session data.
3. The system (108) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the runtime stale session timer is a user configurable timer having a defined time period range.
4. The system (108) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the flag is set as true if the updated runtime stale session timer has expired within the defined time period range.
5. The system (108) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the flag is set as false if the updated runtime stale session timer has not expired within the defined time period range.

6. The system (108) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the defined criteria includes identifying a recent message received by a policy control function (PCF) from the at least one node.
7. The system (108) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the PCF is configured to handle the at least one identified stale session based on at least one or more error codes received from a service communication proxy (SCP), or a plurality of timeout messages received from a session management function (SMF).
8. The system (108) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the generated updated session data is replicated in a standby PCF or a spare PCF.
9. A method (400) for managing stale sessions in a wireless network (106), the method (400) comprising:
establishing (402) at least one session with at least one node;
maintaining (404) a session record comprising a session data corresponding to the at least one established session;
provisioning (406) a runtime stale session timer for the maintained session record;
updating (408) the runtime stale session timer based on a defined criteria corresponding to the at least one node; and
identifying (410) at least one stale session based on the updated runtime stale session timer.
10. The method (400) as claimed in claim 9, further comprising generating an updated session data by provisioning a flag related to the updated runtime stale session timer for the session data.
11. The method (400) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the runtime stale session timer is a user configurable timer having a defined time period range.

12. The method (400) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the flag is set as true if the updated runtime stale session timer has expired within the defined time period range.
13. The method (400) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the flag is set as false if the updated runtime stale session timer has not expired within the defined time period range.
14. The method (400) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the defined criteria includes identifying a recent message received by a policy control function (PCF) from the at least one node.
15. The method (400) as claimed in claim 14, wherein the PCF is configured to handle the at least one identified stale session based on at least one or more error codes received from a service communication proxy (SCP), or a plurality of timeout messages received from a session management function (SMF).
16. The method (400) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the generated updated session data is replicated in a standby PCF or a spare PCF.
17. A user equipment (UE) (104) communicatively coupled with a wireless network (106), the coupling comprises steps of:
receiving, by the wireless network (106), a connection request from the UE (104);
sending, by the wireless network (106), an acknowledgment of the connection request to the UE (104); and
transmitting a plurality of signals in response to the connection request, wherein stale sessions are managed in the wireless network (106) by a system (108), as claimed in claim 1.