Method and apparatus for operating an on-demand video gateway

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a user device that attaches to a radio access network of a mobile network and requests services. The user device creates a virtual network function on the device to support the service. The virtual network function may include a user plane virtual network function, a control plane virtual network function, or both. Other embodiments are disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mobile device, comprising:
 a processing system including a processor; and   a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
 attaching the mobile device to a radio access network of a mobile network; 
 receiving authorization from the mobile network to create a user plane virtual network function on the mobile device; 
 creating the user plane virtual network function on the mobile device attached to the radio access network of the mobile network, wherein the user plane virtual network function supports a service; and 
 creating a blockchain entry on the mobile device to record creation of the user plane virtual network function on the mobile device. 
   
     
     
         2 . The mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving data related to the service at the user plane virtual network function on the mobile device attached to the radio access network of the mobile network. 
     
     
         3 . The mobile device of  claim 2 , wherein the receiving the data related to the service further comprises receiving data from the mobile network. 
     
     
         4 . The mobile device of  claim 2 , wherein the receiving the data related to the service further comprises receiving data from a source other than the mobile network. 
     
     
         5 . The mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise requesting, by the mobile device, the service from the mobile network. 
     
     
         6 . The mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving control plane communications from a control plane virtual network function within the mobile network to provide control to the user plane virtual network function on the mobile device. 
     
     
         7 . The mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise creating a control plane user function on the device. 
     
     
         8 . The mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein the user plane virtual network function comprises a 5G user plane function (UPF) or a 4G user plane serving gateway (SGW-U). 
     
     
         9 . The mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein the memory has a decryption key stored therein used to decrypt video streams encrypted by an encryption key. 
     
     
         10 . The mobile device of  claim 9 , wherein the receiving the authorization from the mobile network further comprises receiving the encryption key, and wherein the creating the blockchain entry on the mobile device further comprises including the encryption key in the blockchain entry. 
     
     
         11 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
 receiving, at a control plane function in a mobile network, a request, from a mobile device attached to a radio access network of the mobile network, to create a user plane virtual network function on the mobile device attached to the radio access network of the mobile network;   authorizing creation of the user plane virtual network function on the mobile device attached to the radio access network of the mobile network; and   causing a blockchain entry to be issued to the mobile device attached to the radio access network of the mobile network to create a ledger entry recording creation of the user plane virtual network function on the mobile device attached to the radio access network of the mobile network.   
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise facilitating control plane communication across the radio access network. 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the operations further comprise providing control to the user plane virtual network function on the mobile device attached to the radio access network of the mobile network. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the receiving the request to create the user plane virtual network function comprises receiving a request for a service to be supported by the user plane virtual network function, and wherein the operations further comprise determining that the mobile device is provisioned for the service responsive to the receiving the request for the service. 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the user plane virtual network function comprises a 4G user plane serving gateway (SGW-U). 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise authorizing creation of a control plane virtual network function on the mobile device. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 16  wherein the user plane virtual network function comprises a 5G user plane function (UPF) and the control plane virtual network function comprises a 5G function (SWF). 
     
     
         18 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, by a processing system including a processor, authorization from a mobile network to create a user plane virtual network function on a mobile device attached to a radio access network on the mobile network;   creating, by the processing system, the user plane virtual network function on the mobile device attached to the radio access network of the mobile network, wherein the user plane virtual network function supports a service; and   creating, by the processing system, a blockchain entry on the mobile device to record creation of the user plane virtual network function on the mobile device.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising attaching, by the processing system, the mobile device to a radio access network of a mobile network. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising receiving, by the processing system, control plane communications from a control plane virtual network function within the mobile network to provide control to the user plane virtual network function on the mobile device.