Network slice quota management

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to network slice quota management. Apparatuses, systems, and methods are disclosed for performing network slice quota management. A network slice quota management function can store capacity information for one or more network slices. The network slice quota management function can receive a request for an indication of whether a network slice has additional capacity. The network slice quota management function can provide an indication of whether the network slice has additional capacity in response to the request. In various possibilities, the capacity information can relate to a capacity of the network slice with respect to a number of wireless devices registered for the network slice, or a capacity of the network slice with respect to a number of packet sessions established with the network slice, or both.

Description

[0001] Priority Information

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 62 / 956,713, filed January 3, 2020, entitled “Network Slice Quota Management,” which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety as if fully set forth in this document. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present application relates to wireless devices, and more particularly to apparatus, systems, and methods for performing network slice quota management in a wireless communication system. BACKGROUND

[0004] The use of wireless communication systems is increasing rapidly. In recent years, wireless devices such as smart phones and tablets have become increasingly sophisticated. In addition to supporting telephone calls, many mobile devices now also provide access to the Internet, email, text messaging, and navigation using the global positioning system (GPS), and are capable of operating sophisticated, complex applications that utilize these functions. In addition, there are many different wireless communication technologies and wireless communication standards. Some examples of wireless communication standards include GSM, UMTS (e.g., associated with the WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interfaces), LTE, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., lxRTT, lxEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), IEEE 802.11 (WLAN or Wi-Fi), BLUETOOTH TM and others.

[0005] The introduction of an ever-increasing number of features and functions in wireless communication devices also requires ever-improving wireless communications and improvements in wireless communication devices. To increase coverage and better serve the increasing demand and range of intended uses of wireless communications, in addition to the above-mentioned communication standards, there are wireless communication technologies being developed, including fifth generation (5G) new radio (NR) communications. Accordingly, there is a need for improvements in areas that support such development and design. SUMMARY

[0006] Embodiments relate to apparatus, systems, and methods for performing network slice quota management in a wireless communication system.

[0007] Network slice quota management can be supported by deploying a network slice quota management function as a cellular network element in a cellular core network. The network slice quota management function can store and track capacity information for one or more network slices in the cellular network. The capacity information can relate to the capacity of each network slice in the network slice with respect to any of a variety of possible characteristics, such as the number of wireless devices registered for each network slice, the number of packet sessions established for each network slice, and so on. For example, the capacity information can include information indicating the number of wireless devices allowed to be registered for each network slice and the number of wireless devices currently registered for each network slice, the number of packet sessions allowed to be established for each network slice and the number of packet sessions currently established for each network slice, and / or any of a variety of other possible information.

[0008] The capacity information maintained by the network slice quota management function can be accessed by one or more other network functions or elements in the cellular network, for example, in order to facilitate determining whether to accept a new wireless device registration request or packet session establishment request for a given network slice. For example, an access and management function receiving a request from a wireless device to register with a network slice or to establish a packet session with a network slice can send a request to the network slice quota management function for an indication of whether the network slice has capacity for the requested service. The network slice quota management function can respond accordingly, which in turn can enable the access and management function to determine whether accepting the registration request or the packet session establishment request would violate the capacity for the corresponding network slice.

[0009] Accordingly, the deployment and use of such a network slice quota management function can help support the possibility of introducing one or more quotas on the (e.g., maximum) capacity of a network slice with respect to any of a variety of possible characteristics, such as the number of wireless devices that can be registered with the network slice at the same time, the number of packet sessions that can be established with the network slice at the same time, and so on. At least according to some embodiments, among various possibilities, such quota management methods can allow for defining different quotas for different network slices and / or for different types of network slice capacity.

[0010] The techniques described herein can be implemented in and / or used with a number of different types of devices, including but not limited to cellular phones, tablet computers, wearable computing devices, portable media players, unmanned aerial vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicle controllers, automobiles and / or motor vehicles, network infrastructure equipment, and any of a variety of other computing devices.

[0011] This Summary is intended to provide a brief overview of some of the subject matter described in this document. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the above-described features are merely examples and should not be construed to narrow the scope or spirit of the subject matter described herein. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter described herein will become apparent from the following DETAILED DESCRIPTION, Figures, and Claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0012] A better understanding of the present subject matter will be obtained through consideration of the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

[0013] Figure 1 An exemplary wireless communications system in accordance with some embodiments is shown;

[0014] Figure 2 A base station (BS) in communication with a user equipment (UE) device in accordance with some embodiments is shown;

[0015] Figure 3 An exemplary block diagram of a UE in accordance with some embodiments is shown;

[0016] Figure 4 An exemplary block diagram of a BS in accordance with some embodiments is shown;

[0017] Figure 5 An exemplary block diagram of cellular communications circuitry in accordance with some embodiments is shown;

[0018] Figure 6 An exemplary block diagram of a network element in accordance with some embodiments is shown;

[0019] Figure 7 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method for performing network slice quota management in a wireless communications system in accordance with some embodiments;

[0020] Figure 8 Aspects of a possible exemplary cellular network architecture including a network slice quota management function in accordance with some embodiments are shown;

[0021] Figure 9 is a communication flow diagram illustrating possible signaling that can be used in a successful registration scenario when a network slice quota management function enforces quotas for registered UEs of a network slice in accordance with some embodiments;

[0022] Figure 10 is a communication flow diagram illustrating possible signaling that can be used in a rejected registration scenario when a network slice quota management function enforces quotas for registered UEs of a network slice in accordance with some embodiments;

[0023] Figure 11is a communication flow diagram illustrating possible signaling that can be used in scenarios where a previously rejected registration is allowed due to UE de-registration when a network slice quota management function implements a quota for registered UEs of a network slice, according to some embodiments;

[0024] Figure 12 is a communication flow diagram illustrating possible signaling that can be used in successful PDU session establishment scenarios when a network slice quota management function implements a quota for PDU sessions of a network slice, according to some embodiments;

[0025] Figure 13 is a communication flow diagram illustrating possible signaling that can be used in rejected PDU session establishment scenarios when a network slice quota management function implements a quota for PDU sessions of a network slice, according to some embodiments;

[0026] Figures 14A-14C is a communication flow diagram illustrating possible signaling that can be used in scenarios where a dormant PDU session is released to allow PDU session establishment when a network slice quota management function implements a quota for PDU sessions of a network slice, according to some embodiments;

[0027] Figure 15 is a communication flow diagram illustrating additional possible signaling that can be used in scenarios where a dormant PDU session is released to allow PDU session establishment when a network slice quota management function implements a quota for PDU sessions of a network slice, according to some embodiments;

[0028] Figure 16 is a table illustrating possible services that can be provided by a network slice quota management function, according to some embodiments; and

[0029] Figure 17 is a table illustrating possible services that can be provided by an access and management function in conjunction with the use of a network slice quota management function in a cellular network, according to some embodiments.

[0030] While the features described herein can be susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the subject matter defined by the appended claims. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] Terminology

[0032] The following is a glossary of terms used in the disclosure:

[0033] Memory Medium—any one of various types of memory devices or storage devices. The term "memory medium" is intended to include a single memory device, such as one of the types listed above, or multiple memory devices. Further, the memory medium can include a computer-readable medium, which can be a non-transitory computer-readable medium (e.g., a tangible physical medium that stores computer-executable instructions). The term "memory medium" can also include a transmission medium, which can be a non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores computer-executable instructions for transmission to a computing system or a device. The term "memory medium" can also include one or both of a computer-readable medium and a transmission medium.

[0034] Carrier Medium—a memory medium as described above, as well as a physical transmission medium, such as a bus, network, and / or other physical transmission medium that conveys signals such as electrical, electromagnetic, or digital signals.

[0035] Programmable Hardware Element—includes various hardware devices comprising multiple programmable function blocks connected via a programmable interconnect. Examples

[0036] Computer System—any of various types of computing or processing systems, including a personal computer system (PC), mainframe computer system, workstation, network appliance, internet appliance, personal digital assistant (PDA), television system, grid computing system, or other device or combinations of devices. In general, the term "computer system" can be broadly defined to encompass any device (or combination of devices) having at least one processor that executes instructions from a memory medium.

[0037] User Equipment (UE) (or "UE Device")—any of various types of computer systems or devices that a mobile or portable user can use to communicate over a wireless communication network. Examples of UE devices include mobile telephones or smart phones (e.g., iPhone, other TM , Android TMtelephones), portable gaming devices (e.g., Nintendo DS TM , PlayStation Portable TM , Gameboy Advance TM , iPhone TM ), laptop computers, wearable devices (e.g., smart watches, smart glasses), PDAs, portable Internet devices, music players, data storage devices, or other hand-held devices, automobiles and / or motor vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) (e.g., drones), UAV controllers (UAVs), etc. In general, the term “UE” or “UE device” can be broadly defined to encompass any electronic, computing, and / or

[0038] Wireless device - any of various types of computer systems or devices that performs wireless communication. A wireless device can be portable (or mobile) or can be stationary or fixed at a location. A UE is one example of a wireless device.

[0039] Communications device - any of various types of computer systems or devices that performs communication, which can be wired or wireless communication. A communications device can be portable (or mobile) or can be stationary or fixed at a location. A wireless device is one example of a communications device. A UE is another example of a communications device.

[0040] Base station - the term “base station” has the full breadth of its ordinary meaning and at least includes a wireless communication station installed at a fixed location and used to communicate as part of a wireless telephone system or radio system.

[0041] Processing element (or processor) - refers to various elements or combinations of elements that are capable of performing a function of a device such as a user equipment or a cellular network device. Processing elements can include, for example: processor(s) and associated memory, portions or circuits of

[0042] Channel - a medium used to convey information from a sender (transmiter) to a receiver. It is noted that the term "channel" can differ in its characteristics depending on the different wireless protocols, and thus the term "channel" as used by this disclosure can be taken to be used in a manner consistent with the standards of the type of device to which the term usage is referenced. In some standards, the channel width can be variable (e.g., depending on device capabilities, band conditions, etc.). For example, LTE can support scalable bandwidths of 1.4 MHz to 20 MHz. In contrast, a WLAN channel can be 22 MHz wide, while a Bluetooth channel can be 1 MHz wide. Other protocols and standards can include different definitions of a channel. Also, some standards can define and use multiple types of channels, e.g., different channels for uplink or downlink and / or different channels for different uses such as data, control information, etc.

[0043] Band - the term "band" has the full range of its ordinary meaning and at least includes a segment of spectrum (e.g., radio frequency spectrum) in which channels are used or set aside for the same purpose.

[0044] Automatic - refers to an action or operation performed by a computer system (e.g., software executed by a computer system) or a device (e.g., circuit, programmable hardware element, ASIC, etc.) without user input directly specifying or performing the action or operation. Thus the term "automatic" as used herein refers to an action or operation performed by a computer system or device without user input directly specifying or performing the action or operation. An automatic process can be started by user input, but the subsequent actions of the process are performed automatically by the computer system or device without further user input. For example, a user of a computer system can request that an action be performed (e.g., by selecting an icon, etc.), but the subsequent actions performed by the computer system to accomplish the request are automatic (e.g., performed without further user input). The term "automatic" also refers to a process performed by the computer system or device without user input at all. For example, a process can be entirely automatic when the computer system or device performs all actions of the process without any user input.

[0045] Approximately - means near or close to a correct or precise value. For example, approximately can mean a value that is within 1% to 10% of a precise (or desired) value. However, it should be noted that the actual threshold (or tolerance) can depend on the application. For example, in some embodiments, "approximately" can mean within 0.1% of some specified or desired value, while in various other embodiments, the threshold can be, e.g., 2%, 3%, 5%, etc., depending on the desires or requirements of the particular application.

[0046] Concurrent - means performed or implemented in parallel, where tasks, processes, or programs are executed in an at least partially overlapping manner. For example, concurrency can be implemented using "strong" or strict parallelism, where tasks are executed (at least partially) in parallel on respective computing elements; or using "weak parallelism," where tasks are executed in an interleaved manner (e.g., through time-multiplexing of execution threads).

[0047] Configured to - various components can be described as being "configured to" perform one or more tasks. In such contexts, "configured to" is a broad recitation generally meant to encompass "structured to" perform the one or more tasks during operation. Accordingly, a component can be configured to perform a task even when the component is not currently on or performing that task (e.g., a group of electrical conductors can be configured to electrically connect a module to another module even when the two modules are not connected). In some contexts, "configured to" can be a broad recitation meant to encompass "structured to" have circuitry that performs the one or more tasks during operation. Accordingly, a component can be configured to perform a task even when the component is not currently on or performing that task. In general, circuitry forming structure corresponding to "configured to" can include hardware circuitry.

[0048] For ease of description, various components can be described as performing one or more tasks. Such descriptions should be interpreted as including the phrase "configured to." A component that is configured to perform one or more tasks is expressly intended to invoke interpretation under 35 U.S.C. § 112(f).

[0049] Figure 1 and Figure 2 - communication system

[0050] Figure 1 A simplified exemplary wireless communication system according to some embodiments is illustrated. Note that Figure 1 The system of FIG. 1 is merely one example of a possible system, and features of this disclosure can be implemented in any of various systems as desired.

[0051] As shown, the example wireless communication system includes a base station 102A that communicates over a transmission medium with one or more user devices 106A, 106B, through 106N, etc. Each user device can be referred to herein as a "user equipment" (UE). Thus, the user devices 106 are referred to as UEs or UE devices.

[0052] The base station (BS) 102A can be a base transceiver station (BTS) or cell site (cellular base station) and can include hardware that enables it to communicate wirelessly with the UEs 106A through 106N.

[0053] The communication area (or coverage area) for the base station can be referred to as a "cell." The base station 102A and the UEs 106 can be configured to communicate over the transmission medium using any of a variety of radio access technologies (RATs), also referred to as wireless communication technologies, or telecommunication standards, such as GSM, UMTS (associated with, for example, WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interfaces), LTE, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), 5G New Radio (5G NR), HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., lxRTT, lxEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), etc. Note that if the base station 102A is implemented in the context of LTE, it can alternatively be referred to as an "eNodeB" or "eNB." Note that if the base station 102A is implemented in the context of 5G NR, it can alternatively be referred to as a "gNodeB" or "gNB."

[0054] As shown, the base station 102A can also be equipped to communicate with the network 100 (e.g., with a core network of a cellular service provider, a telecommunication network such as a public switched telephone network (PSTN), and / or the Internet, among various possibilities). Thus, the base station 102A can facilitate communication between the user devices and / or between the user devices and the network 100. In particular, the cellular base station 102A can provide UEs 106 with various communication capabilities, such as voice, SMS, and / or data services.

[0055] The base station 102A and other similar base stations (such as the base stations 102B through 102N) operating according to the same or a different cellular communication standard can thus be provided as a network of cells that together provide continuous or nearly continuous overlap service to the UEs 106A-N and similar devices via one or more cellular communication standards.

[0056] Thus, although the base station 102A can act as a base station for the UEs 106A-N, it can also act as a user device for other devices, such as one of the base stations connected to it (e.g., if it is implemented as a base station for a multi-carrier or carrier aggregation arrangement). Figure 1The UEs 106A-N are illustrated as a "serving cell" in the network 100, but each UE 106 can also be capable of receiving signals from one or more other cells (which can be provided by the base stations 102B-N and / or any other base stations), which can be referred to as "neighboring cells." Such cells can also facilitate communication between user equipment and / or between user equipment and the network 100. Such cells can include "macro" cells, "micro" cells, "pico" cells, and / or any of various other sizes of cells that provide varying sizes of service areas. For example, in Figure 1 The base stations 102A-B can be macro cells, while the base station 102N can be a micro cell, in the example illustrated in

[0057] In some embodiments, the base station 102A can be a next generation base station, e.g., a 5G New Radio (5G NR) base station or "gNB." In some embodiments, a gNB can connect to a traditional evolved packet core (EPC) network and / or to a NR core (NRC) / 5G core (5GC) network. Further, a gNB cell can include one or more transition and reception points (TRPs). Further, a UE capable of operating according to 5G NR can connect to one or more TRPs within one or more gNBs. For example, the base station 102A and one or more other base stations 102 can support joint transmission such that a UE 106 can be capable of receiving transmissions from multiple base stations (and / or multiple TRPs provided by the same base station).

[0058] Note that the UEs 106 can be capable of communicating using multiple wireless communication standards. For example, in addition to at least one cellular communication protocol (e.g., GSM, UMTS (associated with, e.g., WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interfaces), LTE, LTE-A, 5G NR, HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., lxRTT, lxEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), etc.), the UEs 106 can be configured to communicate using wireless networking (e.g., Wi-Fi) and / or peer-to-peer wireless communication protocols (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi peer-to-peer, etc.). If desired, the UEs 106 can also or alternatively be configured to communicate using one or more global navigation satellite systems (GNSS, e.g., GPS or GLONASS), one or more mobile television broadcasting standards (e.g., Advanced Television Systems Committee - Mobile / Handheld (ATSC-M / H)), and / or any other wireless communication protocol. Other combinations of wireless communication standards (including more than two wireless communication standards) are also possible.

[0059] Figure 2A user equipment 106 (e.g., one of devices 106A-106N) in communication with base station 102 in accordance with some embodiments is shown. UE 106 can be a device with cellular communication capability such as a mobile phone, a handheld device, a computer, a laptop, a tablet, a smart watch or other wearable device, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), an unmanned aerial controller (UAC), a car, or almost any type of wireless device.

[0060] UE 106 can include a processor (processing element) configured to execute program instructions stored in memory. The UE 106 can perform any of the method embodiments described herein by executing such stored instructions. Alternatively, or additionally, the UE 106 can include a programmable hardware element such as an FPGA (field programmable gate array), an integrated circuit, and / or any of various other possible hardware components that are configured to perform, either alone or in combination, any of the methods described herein or any portion thereof.

[0061] The UE 106 can include one or more antennas for communicating using one or more wireless communication protocols or technologies. In some embodiments, the UE 106 can be configured to communicate using, for example, NR or LTE using at least some shared radio components. As additional possibilities, the UE 106 can be configured to communicate using CDMA2000 (lxRTT / lxEV-DO / HRPD / eHRPD) or LTE using a single shared radio, and / or GSM or LTE using a single shared radio. The shared radio can be coupled to a single antenna, or can be coupled to multiple antennas (e.g., for MIMO) for performing wireless communication. In general, the radio(s) can include any combination of baseband processor, analog RF (radio frequency) signal processing circuitry (e.g., including filters, mixers, oscillators, amplifiers, etc.), or digital processing circuitry (e.g., for digital modulation as well as other digital processing). Similarly, the radio(s) can implement one or more receive and transmit chains using the aforementioned hardware. For example, the UE 106 can share one or more parts of a receive and / or transmit chain between multiple wireless communication technologies such as those discussed above.

[0062] In some embodiments, the UE 106 can include separate transmit and / or receive chains (e.g., including separate antennas and other radio components) for each wireless communication protocol with which it is configured to communicate. As another possibility, the UE 106 can include one or more radio components that are shared among multiple wireless communication protocols, as well as one or more radio components that are used exclusively by a single wireless communication protocol. For example, the UE 106 can include shared radio components for communicating using either of LTE or 5G NR (or, in various possibilities, either of LTE or lxRTT, or either of LTE or GSM), as well as separate radio components for communicating using each of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Other configurations are also possible.

[0063] Figure 3 - block diagram of a UE

[0064] Figure 3 An exemplary simplified block diagram of a communication device 106 according to some embodiments is shown. Note that the block diagram of a communication device Figure 3 The block diagram of a communication device is merely one example. A communication device 106 can be a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or mobile station, a wireless device or wireless station, a desktop computer or computing device, a mobile computing device (e.g., laptop, notebook, or portable computing device), a tablet and / or combinations of devices according to embodiments, among others. As shown, the communication device 106 can include a set of components 300 configured to perform core functions. For example, this set of components can be implemented as a system-on-a-chip (SOC) that can include portions for various purposes. Alternatively, this set of components 300 can be implemented to be separate or integrated components for the various purposes. This set of components 300 can be coupled (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) to various other circuitries of the communication device 106.

[0065] For example, the communication device 106 can include various types of memory (e.g., including NAND flash 310), input / output interfaces such as a connector I / F 320 (e.g., for connecting to a computer system; a dock; a charging station; an input device, such as a microphone, camera, keyboard; an output device, such as a speaker; and the like), a display 360 that can be integrated with or external to the communication device 106, and wireless communication circuitry 330 (e.g., for LTE, LTE-A, NR, UMTS, GSM, CDMA2000, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, GPS, and / or the like). In some embodiments, the communication device 106 can include wired communication circuitry (not shown), such as a network interface card, for example, for Ethernet.

[0066] The wireless communication circuitry 330 can be coupled (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) to one or more antennas, such as the antenna 335 as shown. The wireless communication circuitry 330 can include cellular communication circuitry and / or short-to-medium range wireless communication circuitry, and can include multiple receive chains and / or multiple transmit chains for receiving and / or transmitting multiple spatial streams, such as in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) configuration.

[0067] In some embodiments, the cellular communication circuitry 330 can include one or more receive chains for multiple RATs (including and / or coupled (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) to dedicated processors and / or radio components) (e.g., a first receive chain for LTE and a second receive chain for 5G NR), as further described below. Further, in some embodiments, the cellular communication circuitry 330 can include a single transmit chain that can be switched between radio components dedicated to particular RATs. For example, a first radio component can be dedicated to a first RAT (e.g., LTE) and can communicate with a dedicated receive chain and a transmit chain shared with a second radio component. The second radio component can be dedicated to a second RAT (e.g., 5G NR) and can communicate with a dedicated receive chain and the shared transmit chain.

[0068] The communication device 106 can also include and / or be configured for use with one or more user interface elements. User interface elements can include any of a variety of elements such as a display 360 (which can be a touch screen display), a keyboard (which can be a discrete keyboard or can be implemented as part of a touch screen display), a mouse, a microphone, and / or a speaker, one or more cameras, one or more buttons, and / or any of a variety of other elements capable of providing information to a user and / or receiving or interpreting user input.

[0069] The communication device 106 can also include one or more smart cards 345 having SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) functionality, such as one or more UICC cards (Universal Integrated Circuit Card) 345.

[0070] As shown, SOC 300 can include a processor 302 that can execute program instructions for the communication device 106 and a display circuit 304 that can perform graphics processing and provide a display signal to a display 360. The one or more processors 302 can also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 340, which can be configured to receive addresses from the one or more processors 302 and translate those addresses to locations in memory (e.g., memory 306, read only memory (ROM) 350, NAND flash memory 310) and / or to other circuits or devices, such as the display circuit 304, wireless communication circuit 330, connector I / F 320, and / or display 360. The MMU 340 can be configured to perform memory protection and page table translation or set up. In some embodiments, the MMU 340 can be included as a portion of the processor 302.

[0071] As described above, the communication device 106 can be configured to communicate using wireless and / or wired communication circuitry. As described herein, the communication device 106 can include hardware and software components for implementing any of the various features and techniques described herein. For example, the processor 302 of the communication device 106 can be configured to implement part or all of the features described herein by executing program instructions stored in a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively (or in addition), the processor 302 can be configured as a programmable hardware element, such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). Alternatively (or in addition) the processor 302 of the communication device 106 can be configured, in conjunction with one or more other components 300, 304, 306, 310, 320, 330, 340, 345, 350, 360, to implement part or all of the features described herein.

[0072] Further, as described herein, the processor 302 can include one or more processing elements. Thus, the processor 302 can include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) that are configured to perform the functions of the processor 302. In addition, each integrated circuit can include circuitry (e.g., first circuitry, second circuitry, etc.) that is configured to perform the functions of the one or more processors 302.

[0073] Further, as described herein, the wireless communication circuit 330 can include one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements can be included in the wireless communication circuit 330. Thus, the wireless communication circuit 330 can include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) that are configured to perform the functions of the wireless communication circuit 330. In addition, each integrated circuit can include circuitry (e.g., first circuitry, second circuitry, etc.) that is configured to perform the functions of the wireless communication circuit 330.

[0074] Figure 4 - block diagram of a base station

[0075] Figure 4 An exemplary block diagram of a base station 102 according to some embodiments is shown. It should be noted that... Figure 4 The base station shown is merely one example of a possible base station. As illustrated, base station 102 may include a processor 404 capable of executing program instructions specific to base station 102. Processor 404 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 440 or other circuitry or device, which may be configured to receive addresses from processor 404 and translate those addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 460 and read-only memory (ROM) 450).

[0076] Base station 102 may include at least one network port 470. Network port 470 may be configured to be coupled to a telephone network and provide access rights as described above. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The telephone network described herein includes multiple devices such as UE device 106.

[0077] Network port 470 (or an additional network port) may also be configured, or alternatively configured, to be coupled to a cellular network, such as the core network of a cellular service provider. The core network may provide mobility-related services and / or other services to multiple devices, such as UE device 106. In some cases, network port 470 may be coupled to a telephone network via the core network, and / or the core network may provide the telephone network (e.g., in other UE devices served by the cellular service provider).

[0078] In some implementations, base station 102 may be a next-generation base station, such as a 5G New Radio (5G NR) base station, or a “gNB”. In such implementations, base station 102 may be connected to a legacy evolved packet core (EPC) network and / or to an NR core (NRC) / 5G core (5GC) network. Furthermore, base station 102 may be considered a 5G NR cell and may include one or more transition and receive points (TRPs). Additionally, UEs capable of operating according to 5G NR may connect to one or more TRPs within one or more gNBs.

[0079] The base station 102 can include at least one antenna 434, and possibly multiple antennas. The at least one antenna 434 can be configured to function as a wireless transceiver and can be further configured to communicate with UE devices 106 via the radio 430. The antenna 434 communicates with the radio 430 via a communication chain 432. The communication chain 432 can be a receive chain, a transmit chain, or both. The radio 430 can be configured to communicate via various wireless communication standards, including but not limited to 5G NR, LTE, LTE-A, GSM, UMTS, CDMA2000, Wi-Fi, etc.

[0080] The base station 102 can be configured to communicate wirelessly using multiple wireless communication standards. In some cases, the base station 102 can include multiple radios that can enable the base station 102 to communicate according to multiple wireless communication technologies. For example, as one possibility, the base station 102 can include an LTE radio for performing communications according to LTE and a 5G NR radio for performing communications according to 5G NR. In this case, the base station 102 can be capable of operating as both an LTE base station and a 5G NR base station. As another possibility, the base station 102 can include a multi-mode radio capable of performing communications according to any of multiple wireless communication technologies, such as 5G NR and LTE, 5G NR and Wi-Fi, LTE and Wi-Fi, LTE and UMTS, LTE and CDMA2000, UMTS and GSM, etc.

[0081] As described further herein below, the base station 102 can include hardware and software components for implementing or supporting implementations of the features described herein. The processor 404 of the base station 102 can be configured to implement or support implementation of part or all of the methods described herein, e.g., by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively, the processor 404 can be configured as a programmable hardware element, such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit), or a combination thereof. Alternatively (or additionally) the processor 404, in conjunction with one or more of the other components 430, 432, 434, 440, 450, 460, 470, can be configured to implement or support implementation of part or all of the features described herein.

[0082] Furthermore, as described in this invention, one or more processors 404 may include one or more processing elements. Therefore, processor 404 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 404. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of one or more processors 404.

[0083] Furthermore, as described in this invention, the radio component 430 may include one or more processing elements. Therefore, the radio component 430 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the radio component 430. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the radio component 430.

[0084] Figure 5 Block diagram of a cellular communication circuit

[0085] Figure 5 An exemplary simplified block diagram of a cellular communication circuit according to some embodiments is shown. It should be noted that... Figure 5 The block diagram of the cellular communication circuit is merely one example of possible cellular communication circuits; other circuits, such as those including or coupled to sufficient antennas for different RATs to perform uplink activities using independent antennas, or those including or coupled to fewer antennas, such as those that can be shared among multiple RATs, are also possible. According to some embodiments, the cellular communication circuit 330 may be included in a communication device such as the communication device 106 described above. As mentioned above, among other devices, the communication device 106 may be a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or mobile station, a wireless device or wireless station, a desktop computer or computing device, a mobile computing device (e.g., a laptop, notebook, or portable computing device), a tablet computer, and / or a combination of devices.

[0086] Cellular communication circuitry 330 may be (e.g., communicatively grounded; directly or indirectly) coupled to one or more antennas, such as antennas 335a-b and 336 as shown in the figure. In some embodiments, cellular communication circuitry 330 may include dedicated receive chains for multiple RATs (including and / or (e.g., communicatively grounded; directly or indirectly) coupled to a dedicated processor and / or radio components) (e.g., a first receive chain for LTE and a second receive chain for 5G NR). For example, as Figure 5 As shown, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include a first modem 510 and a second modem 520. The first modem 510 may be configured for communication according to a first RAT (e.g., such as LTE or LTE-A), and the second modem 520 may be configured for communication according to a second RAT (e.g., such as 5G NR).

[0087] As shown, the first modem 510 can include one or more processors 512 and memory 516 in communication with the processors 512. The modem 510 can be in communication with a radio frequency (RF) front end 530. The RF front end 530 can include circuitry for transmitting and receiving radio signals. For example, the RF front end 530 can include receive circuitry (RX) 532 and transmit circuitry (TX) 534. In some embodiments, the receive circuitry 532 can be in communication with a downlink (DL) front end 550, which can include circuitry for receiving radio signals via the antenna 335a.

[0088] Similarly, the second modem 520 can include one or more processors 522 and memory 526 in communication with the processors 522. The modem 520 can be in communication with an RF front end 540. The RF front end 540 can include circuitry for transmitting and receiving radio signals. For example, the RF front end 540 can include receive circuitry 542 and transmit circuitry 544. In some embodiments, the receive circuitry 542 can be in communication with a DL front end 560, which can include circuitry for receiving radio signals via the antenna 335b.

[0089] In some embodiments, the switch 570 can couple the transmit circuitry 534 to an uplink (UL) front end 572. Further, the switch 570 can couple the transmit circuitry 544 to the UL front end 572. The UL front end 572 can include circuitry for transmitting radio signals via the antenna 336. Thus, when the cellular communication circuitry 330 receives an instruction to transmit according to a first RAT (e.g., supported via the first modem 510), the switch 570 can be switched to a first state that allows the first modem 510 to transmit signals according to the first RAT (e.g., via a transmit chain including the transmit circuitry 534 and the UL front end 572). Similarly, when the cellular communication circuitry 330 receives an instruction to transmit according to a second RAT (e.g., supported via the second modem 520), the switch 570 can be switched to a second state that allows the second modem 520 to transmit signals according to the second RAT (e.g., via a transmit chain including the transmit circuitry 544 and the UL front end 572).

[0090] As described herein, the first modem 510 and / or the second modem 520 can include hardware and software components for implementing any of the various features and techniques described herein. For example, the processors 512, 522 can be configured to implement part or all of the features described herein by executing program instructions stored in a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively (or additionally), the processors 512, 522 can be configured as programmable hardware elements, such as with firmware that can be upgraded to implement at least a part of the features described herein. Alternatively (or additionally), the processors 512, 522 can be configured to implement part or all of the features described herein in conjunction with one or more of the other components 530, 532, 534, 540, 542, 544, 550, 570, 572, 335, and 336.

[0091] Further, as described herein, the processors 512, 522 can include one or more processing elements. Thus, the processors 512, 522 can include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) that are configured to perform the functions of the processors 512, 522. In addition, each integrated circuit can include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the processors 512, 522.

[0092] In some embodiments, the cellular communication circuitry 330 can include only one transmit / receive chain. For example, the cellular communication circuitry 330 can not include the modem 520, the RF front end 540, the DL front end 560, and / or the antenna 335b. As another example, the cellular communication circuitry 330 can not include the modem 510, the RF front end 530, the DL front end 550, and / or the antenna 335a. In some embodiments, the cellular communication circuitry 330 can also not include the switch 570, and the RF front end 530 or the RF front end 540 can communicate, e.g., directly, with the UL front end 572.

[0093] Figure 6 Exemplary block diagram of a network element

[0094] Figure 6 An exemplary block diagram of a network element 600 is shown in accordance with some embodiments. The network element 600 can implement one or more logical functions / entities of a cellular core network, such as a mobility management entity (MME), a serving gateway (S-GW), an access and management function (AMF), a session management function (SMF), a network slice quota management (NSQM) function, etc., in accordance with some embodiments. It should be noted that the network element 600 can implement other logical functions / entities of a cellular core network, such as a home subscriber server (HSS), a policy control function (PCF), a user data management (UDM) function, a unified data management (UDM) function, a unified data repository (UDR) function, a network exposure function (NEF), a network repository function (NRF), a network slice selection function (NSSF), a network function virtualization (NFV) Orchestrator (NFVO), a network function virtualization (NFV) resource and Figure 6The core network element 600 shown in FIG. 6 is but one example of a possible core network element 600. As shown, the core network element 600 can include one or more processors 604 that can execute program instructions of the core network element 600. The processors 604 can also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 640, which can be configured to receive addresses from the processors 604 and translate those addresses to locations in a memory (e.g., a memory 660 and a read only memory (ROM) 650), or to other circuitry or devices.

[0095] The network element 600 can include at least one network port 670. The network port 670 can be configured to couple to one or more base stations and / or other cellular network entities and / or devices. The network element 600 can communicate with base stations (e.g., eNBs / gNBs) and / or other network entities / devices by means of any of a variety of communication protocols and / or interfaces.

[0096] As described further herein below, the network element 600 can include hardware and software components for implementing or supporting implementations of the features described herein. The processors 604 of the core network element 600 can be configured, e.g., by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium), to implement or support implementations of part or all of the methods described herein. Alternatively, the processors 604 can be configured as programmable hardware elements, such as FPGAs, or as ASICs, or a combination thereof.

[0097] Figure 7 - Network slice quota management

[0098] New cellular communication technologies are continually being developed to increase coverage, better meet various needs and use cases, and for various other reasons. As new cellular communication technologies are developed and deployed, they can include certain features that are new or different from previously developed and deployed cellular communication technologies.

[0099] One approach to cellular network architecture can include using various network slices to provide various services to users of a cellular network. At least according to some embodiments, this approach can enable a cellular network operator to virtually adjust its network infrastructure in order to provide a set of applications and services to users in a flexible and efficient manner. To support such adaptability in network slices deployed within a cellular network, it can be useful to provide mechanisms for configuring and operating within a specified capacity of each network slice, e.g., with respect to any of a variety of possible characteristics or parameters.

[0100] Thus, Figure 7 is a signal flow diagram illustrating an example of a method for performing network slice quota management in a wireless communication system, according to at least some embodiments. Figure 7Aspects of the methods of FIGS. 1-3 can be implemented by a wireless device such as the UE 106 shown in the figures herein, a base station such as the BS 102 shown in the figures herein, a network element such as the NSQM function, AMF, or SMF, and / or more generally can be implemented in accordance with any of the computer circuitry, systems, devices, elements, or components, etc. shown in the above figures as desired. For example, a processor (and / or other hardware) of such a device can be configured to cause the device to perform any combination of the method elements shown and / or other method elements.

[0101] In various embodiments, some of the method elements shown can be performed concurrently, in different orders, or omitted, and additional elements can be performed as desired. As shown, Figure 7 The method of FIG. 4 can operate as follows.

[0102] At 702, a first cellular network element can store capacity information for one or more network slices. According to at least some embodiments, the first cellular network element can comprise a Network Slice Quota Management (NSQM) function. For simplicity, the first network element can be referred to herein subsequently as the NSQM function; however, it should be noted that according to at least some embodiments, the functionality of the first network element can alternatively be implemented by any of a variety of other possible cellular network elements. For example, according to various embodiments, the NSQM function can be provided as part of a cellular network element that also implements one or more other network functions, such as an AMF, SMF, NRF, PCF, NSSF, etc. In other words, in some cases, another existing network element can provide the NSQM function in addition to its existing functionality, for example.

[0103] For each network slice for which the NSQM function stores capacity information, the capacity information can comprise a current number of registered wireless devices, and a number of wireless devices allowed to register. Additionally or alternatively, for each network slice for which the NSQM function stores capacity information, the capacity information can comprise a current number of active packet sessions, a current number of dormant packet sessions, and a number of packet sessions allowed. Note that according to at least some embodiments, active packet sessions can comprise packet sessions for which a radio connection is active (e.g., if the wireless device is in RRC connected mode), while dormant packet sessions can comprise packet sessions for which a radio connection is not active (e.g., if the wireless device is in RRC inactive or RRC idle mode). According to various embodiments, any of a variety of other parameters related to network slice capacity for each network slice for which the NSQM function stores capacity information can additionally or alternatively be included in the capacity information.

[0104] At 704, the second cellular network element can provide a request to the NSQM function for an indication of whether the network slice has additional capacity. According to some embodiments, the second cellular network element can be an access and management function (AMF). For simplicity, the second network element can be referred to hereafter as an AMF; however, it should be noted that the functionality of the second network element can alternatively be implemented by any of a variety of other possible cellular network elements, according to at least some embodiments. It should be noted that in some cases, the AMF and the NSQM can be provided by the same cellular network element, according to at least some embodiments, in which case the request can be provided from an AMF implemented by a cellular network to an NSQM implemented by the same cellular network element.

[0105] In some cases, the AMF can provide a request to another network element, such as a network function repository function (NRF), for an address of the NSQM function, e.g., in order to obtain the address of the NSQM function prior to providing the request for an indication of whether the network slice has additional capacity. In such a scenario, the NRF can respond with, e.g., an indication of the address of the NSQM function within the cellular network, which can be received by the AMF.

[0106] The request for an indication of whether the network slice has additional capacity can specify which of a variety of possible parameters the indication of whether the network slice has additional capacity is requested with respect to. For example, the request can be a request for an indication of whether the network slice has additional capacity for wireless devices to register with the network slice, or can be a request for an indication of whether the network slice has capacity to establish additional packet sessions with the network slice. Further, it should be noted that, according to at least some embodiments, a request can be provided to the NSQM function regarding whether additional capacity is available for multiple parameters and / or multiple network slices.

[0107] In at least some cases, the request for an indication of whether the network slice has additional capacity can be provided in response to a request (or requests) from a wireless device (or from multiple wireless devices) to register with the network slice or to establish a packet session with the network slice (and possibly with one or more other network slices).

[0108] At 706, the NSQM function can provide an indication of whether the network slice has additional capacity in response to the request by the AMF. Thus, as an example, if the request for an indication of whether the network slice has additional capacity includes a request for an indication of whether the network slice has additional capacity for wireless devices to register with the network slice, the response can indicate that the network slice has additional capacity for wireless devices to register with the network slice if the capacity information indicates that the number of wireless devices registered with the network slice is less than the number of wireless devices allowed to register with the network slice. In contrast, the response can indicate that the network slice does not have additional capacity for wireless devices to register with the network slice if the capacity information indicates that the number of wireless devices registered with the network slice is at least equal to the number of wireless devices allowed to register with the network slice.

[0109] As another example, at least according to some embodiments, if the request for an indication of whether the network slice has additional capacity includes a request for an indication of whether the network slice has capacity to establish additional packet sessions with the network slice, the response can indicate that the network slice has capacity to establish additional packet sessions with the network slice if the capacity information indicates that the number of packet sessions established with the network slice is less than the number of packet sessions allowed to be established with the network slice. In contrast, the response can indicate that the network slice does not have capacity to establish additional packet sessions with the network slice if the capacity information indicates that the number of packet sessions allowed to be established with the network slice is at least equal to the number of packet sessions allowed to be established with the network slice.

[0110] At least in some embodiments, if the indication of whether the network slice has additional capacity indicates that the network slice does have additional capacity with respect to the requested parameter, the AMF can accept the request from the wireless device to register with the network slice or to establish a packet session with the network slice. Note that, at least according to some embodiments, such a decision can be further based on or conditioned on one or more other consideration(s), such as whether the wireless device subscription supports registration with the network slice, among various other possibilities.

[0111] If the indication of whether the network slice has additional capacity indicates that the network slice does not have additional capacity with respect to the requested parameter, it can be the case that the AMF rejects the request from the wireless device to register with the network slice or to establish a packet session with the network slice, possibly including providing cause code information to the wireless device.

[0112] Alternatively, if the wireless device is requested to establish a packet session with a network slice, it can be the case that the indication of whether the network slice has additional capacity indicates that the network slice does not have capacity to establish an additional packet session with the network slice, but can also indicate that the network slice has at least one dormant packet session. In such a scenario, the AMF can release the dormant packet session with the network slice (e.g., based at least in part on the request from the wireless device to establish a packet session with the network slice and the indication that the network slice does not have capacity to establish an additional packet session with the network slice) and can accept the request from the wireless device to establish a packet session with the network slice (e.g., based at least in part on releasing the dormant packet session with the network slice). As one possibility, if the AMF does release the dormant packet session with the network slice, such release can be performed in an “immediate” manner, in which case the wireless device with the dormant packet session can be immediately notified that the dormant packet session has been released. As another possibility, such release can be performed in a “deferred” manner, in which case the wireless device with the dormant packet session can not be notified that the dormant packet session has been released until it attempts to resume the dormant packet session.

[0113] In some embodiments, the AMF (and / or one or more other cellular network elements, such as a session management function (SMF)) can provide updates to the NSQM function in order to facilitate accurate tracking of capacity information for various network slices for which the NSQM function maintains capacity information. For example, when a wireless device has registered (or de-registered) for a network slice, an indication can be provided to the NSQM function, which can be based on which the NSQM function increments (or decrements) capacity information indicating a current number of wireless devices registered for the network slice. As another example, an indication can be provided to the NSQM function when a number of active packet sessions for a network slice changes, and / or when a number of dormant packet sessions for a network slice changes, which can be based on which the NSQM function modifies capacity information indicating a current number of active and / or dormant packet sessions established with the network slice. Any of various other indications modifying capacity information for a network slice can similarly be provided as needed, which can be based on which the NSQM function modifies capacity information for the indicated network slice accordingly.

[0114] It should be noted that, at least according to some implementations, the NSQM function may check whether the indication of a wireless device registration or packet session actually represents a new wireless device registration or packet session before incrementing (or otherwise modifying) its capacity information. For example, there may be a situation where a wireless device has already registered to a network slice by one AMF, but due to wireless device mobility, a mobility registration update is performed via another AMF. In such a scenario, the NSQM function may implement one or more duplication detection techniques, for example, to determine whether a wireless device has been included in the count of wireless devices registered for the network slice, and may determine whether to modify the current number of wireless devices registered for the network slice, at least in part, based on whether the wireless device registration is a “duplicate” registration. The NSQM function may also, or alternatively, implement methods to determine whether a packet session (e.g., active or dormant) has been included in the count of packet sessions established for the network slice, and may determine whether to modify the current number of packet sessions established for the network slice, at least in part, based on whether the packet session is a “replica” session.

[0115] Therefore, at least according to some implementation schemes, when the network slicing method is applied to a cellular network architecture, Figure 7 The methods described herein can be used to support network slice quota management. As described herein, such quota management techniques can be particularly helpful in ensuring that network slice usage remains within the physical capacity of the hardware and / or software used to provide the network slice, and / or in at least some scenarios where it may be desirable to implement quotas on network slice capacity that may differ from the physical capacity of the hardware and / or software used to provide the network slice.

[0116] Figures 8-17 and additional information

[0117] Figures 8-17 Showing what can be combined if needed Figure 7 Another aspect of the method used. However, it should be noted that in Figures 8-17 The exemplary details shown and described with respect to these figures are not intended to limit this disclosure as a whole: many variations and alternative forms of the details provided below are possible and should be considered within the scope of this disclosure.

[0118] As noted previously, according to at least some embodiments, network slices can be used to serve users of a cellular network in an adaptive, flexible manner. Part of such adaptability and flexibility can include the ability to scale different network slices to various possible sizes, e.g., to support different sizes of user pools for different services and applications and / or for any of a variety of other reasons. According to at least some embodiments, providing a mechanism to configure and enforce quotas with respect to various capability parameters of each of the network slices deployed in a network can be one important aspect to support such adaptive scalability.

[0119] As one possible input or attribute that can be considered in determining the size to scale a network slice, the number of terminals (e.g., UEs) that are allowed to use the network slice simultaneously can be defined. For example, there can be a significant difference in the scale of a network slice used to serve 10 users simultaneously compared to the scale of a network slice used to serve 1,000,000 users simultaneously.

[0120] Accordingly, one key issue with respect to supporting network slices can include determining how to support a particular quota (e.g., as defined by a single-network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI)) for the (e.g., maximum) number of UEs allowed to be registered simultaneously for a network slice.

[0121] One possibility can include providing a network slice quota management (NSQM) function within a cellular network to maintain a count of the number of registered UEs in an S-NSSAI. Figure 8 Aspects of one possible cellular core network architecture including such a NSQM function 806 are shown in accordance with some embodiments. As shown, the cellular core network can also include a network slice selection function (NSSF) 802, a network function repository function (NRF) 804, one or more access and mobility functions (AMFs) 808, and one or more session management functions (SMFs) 810. The cellular network can be accessed by UEs 812 (among other possible wireless devices) via one or more radio access networks (RANs) 814, and can also provide access to one or more data networks (DNs) 818 via one or more user plane functions (UPFs) 816. Note that, Figure 8 The cellular network architecture shown in FIG. 8 is provided by way of example only, and many other cellular network architectures (and / or variations on the illustrated cellular network architecture) are possible.

[0122] The NSQM function can keep a count of the number of UEs registered and de-registered for a network slice (and possibly multiple network slices), and can provide various services to other cellular network elements based at least in part on this information. As an example of such tracking and service provision, Figure 9is a communication flow diagram illustrating possible signaling in a successful registration scenario when the network slice quota management function implements a quota for registered UEs of a network slice, according to some embodiments.

[0123] As shown, a communication flow can be performed between the UE 902, RAN 904, AMF 906, SMF 908, NRF 910, and NSQM 912. In 914, the UE 902 can send a registration request (e.g., indicating a requested S-NSSAI) to the AMF 906 via the RAN 904. In 916, the AMF 906 can send a network function discovery request to the NRF 910 to request the address of the NSQM 912 for the requested S-NSSAI. In 918, the NRF 910 can provide a network function discovery response to the AMF 906 including the address of the NSQM 912. In 920, the AMF 906 can request a UE registration count for the requested S-NSSAI from the NSQM 912, e.g., to determine if there is an available quota of registered UEs for that particular S-NSSAI. In 922, the NSQM 912 can check if a quota is available for registration of a new UE in the specified S-NSSAI. In Figure 9 In the scenario of a quota being available for registration of a new UE in the specified S-NSSAI, and thus in 924, the NSQM 912 can respond to the request for a UE registration count for the specified S-NSSAI with a success code for the S-NSSAI. The AMF 906 can also check the subscription of the UE 902 with a network slice selection function, which can confirm the subscription of the UE 902 in the illustrated scenario. In 926, the AMF 906 can respond to the registration request of the UE 902 with a registration accept message, where the specified S-NSSAI is added to the “allowed S-NSSAI” list. Note that the AMF 906 can also inform the NSQM 912 of the registration of the new UE in the network for the specified network slice.

[0124] As another example of such tracking and service provision, Figure 10is a communication flow diagram illustrating possible signaling in a reject registration scenario when the network slice quota management function implements a quota for registered UEs of a network slice, according to some embodiments. As shown, the communication flow can be performed between a UE 1002, a RAN 1004, an AMF 1006, an SMF 1008, an NRF 1010, and an NSQM 1012. In 1014, the UE 1002 can send a registration request (e.g., indicating a requested S-NSSAI) to the AMF 1006 via the RAN 1004. In 1016, the AMF 1006 can send a network function discovery request to the NRF 1010 to request the address of the NSQM 1012 for the requested S-NSSAI. In 1018, the NRF 1010 can provide a network function discovery response to the AMF 1006 including the address of the NSQM 1012. In 1020, the AMF 1006 can request a UE registration count for the requested S-NSSAI from the NSQM 1012, e.g., to determine whether there is an available quota of registered UEs for that particular S-NSSAI. In 1022, the NSQM 1012 can check whether there is a quota available for registration of a new UE in the specified S-NSSAI. In Figure 10 In the scenario of, it can be the case that there is no quota available for registration of a new UE in the specified S-NSSAI, and thus in 1024, the NSQM 1012 can respond to the request for a UE registration count for the specified S-NSSAI with a failure code for the S-NSSAI, indicating that the S-NSSAI has reached the maximum quota of registered UEs. In 1026, the AMF 1006 can respond to the registration request of the UE 1002 with a registration accept message, with the specified S-NSSAI added to the “rejected S-NSSAI” list.

[0125] Note that in the scenario where the UE sends a registration request for multiple S-NSSAIs and the AMF in turn provides a query for available quotas of registered UEs for the multiple S-NSSAIs, it can also be the case that the NSQM function indicates that there is an available quota of registered UEs for one or more S-NSSAIs, and also indicates that there is no available quota of registered UEs for one or more S-NSSAIs. In such a scenario, the AMF can respond to the registration request of the UE with a registration accept message, with the S-NSSAIs for which there is an available quota of registered UEs added to the “allowed S-NSSAI” list, and the S-NSSAIs for which there is no available quota of registered UEs added to the “rejected S-NSSAI” list.

[0126] For example, for a UE that was previously rejected due to reaching the maximum quota in an S-NSSAI, the NSQM can also trigger the addition of a new UE to the S-NSSAI. Figure 11is a communication flow diagram illustrating possible signaling that can be used in such scenarios according to some embodiments. As shown, the communication flow can be performed between UE 1102, RAN 1104, AMF 1106, SMF 1108, NRF 1110, and NSQM 1112. In 1114, NSQM 1112 can receive a de-registration request to remove a UE from an S-NSSAI. In 1116, the NSQM can decrement the quota for the S-NSSAI. In 1118, the NSQM can provide a UE add request to AMF 1106, indicating that there is quota availability for the S-NSSAI. In 1120, AMF 1106 can send a UE add response (ack) to NSQM 1112. In 1122, AMF 1106 can decide which UE (or UEs, if there is enough quota availability) to add to fill the quota for the S-NSSAI. Such decision can be based on first-in-first-out (FIFO) logic, and / or based on any of various other possible considerations, as desired. In 1124, AMF 1106 can provide a UE configuration update command for the S-NSSAI with “allowed S-NSSAI” to the selected UE 1102. In 1126, UE 1102 can provide a registration request (e.g., indicating the requested S-NSSAI) to AMF 1106 via RAN 1104. In 1128, AMF 1106 can request a UE registration count for the requested S-NSSAI from NSQM 1112, e.g., to determine whether there is available quota of registered UEs for that particular S-NSSAI. In 1130, NSQM 1112 can check whether there is quota available for registration of a new UE in the specified S-NSSAI. As a result of the previous de-registration, it can be the case that there is quota available for registration of a new UE in the specified S-NSSAI, and thus in 1132, NSQM 1112 can respond to the request for UE registration count for the specified S-NSSAI with a success code for the S-NSSAI. In 1134, AMF 1106 can respond to the registration request of UE 1102 with a registration accept message, with the specified S-NSSAI added to the “allowed S-NSSAI” list.

[0127] As another possible input or attribute that can be considered in determining the size of a scaled network slice, the number of sessions that can be supported by the network slice concurrently can be defined. Thus, another possible key question with respect to supporting a network slice can include determining how to support a particular quota (e.g., as defined by an S-NSSAI) of the (e.g., maximum) number of protocol data unit (PDU) sessions that can be established concurrently for the network slice.

[0128] NSQM functions, such as described herein, can also or alternatively be deployed within a cellular network to maintain a count of the number of PDU sessions active for a network slice. The NSQM function can, for example, store information indicating the number of active PDU sessions (e.g., PDU sessions corresponding to UEs with an RRC connection) and potentially also the number of dormant PDU sessions (e.g., PDU sessions corresponding to UEs with an RRC inactive or RRC idle, or PDU sessions with packet switched (PS) data off), and can provide various services to other cellular network elements based at least in part on this information. As an example of such tracking and service provision, Figure 12 is a communication flow diagram illustrating possible signaling in a successful PDU session establishment scenario when a network slice quota management function implements a quota of PDU sessions for a network slice, in accordance with some embodiments.

[0129] As shown, a communication flow can be performed between UE 1202, RAN 1204, AMF 1206, SMF 1208, NRF 1210, and NSQM 1212. In 1214, NSQM 1212 can subscribe to SMF 1208 and track the number of PDU sessions active for a particular S-NSSAI, data network name (DNN), or both, for one or more S-NSSAIs and / or DNNs. In 1216, UE 1202 can send a PDU session establishment request (e.g., indicating an S-NSSAI and a DNN) to AMF 1206 via RAN 1204. In 1218, AMF 1206 can send a network function discovery request to NRF 1210 to request the address of NSQM 1212 for the requested S-NSSAI. In 1220, NRF 1210 can provide a network function discovery response to AMF 1206 including the address of NSQM 1212. In 1222, AMF 1206 can request a PDU session count from NSQM 1212 for the requested S-NSSAI, e.g., to determine whether there is an available quota of PDU sessions for that particular S-NSSAI and DNN. In 1224, NSQM 1212 can check whether a quota is available for a new PDU session to be established in the specified S-NSSAI. In Figure 12In the scenario of FIG. 12, it can be the case that there is quota available for a new PDU session to be established in the specified S-NSSAI, so in 1226, NSQM 1212 can respond to the request for PDU session count for the specified S-NSSAI with a success code for the S-NSSAI and DNN. In 1228, AMF 1206 can provide a request to SMF 1208 to create a PDU session, e.g., including the S-NSSAI and PDU session ID. In 1230, SMF 1208 can respond to the PDU session setup request, indicating that the PDU session has been successfully established. In 1232, AMF 1206 can send a PDU session establishment accept message to UE 1202. Note that SMF 1206 can also notify NSQM 1212 that a new PDU session has been established for the specified network slice.

[0130] As another example of such tracking and service provision, Figure 13 is a communication flow diagram illustrating possible signaling in a PDU session establishment scenario when a network slice quota management function implements quota for PDU sessions of a network slice, according to some embodiments. As shown, the communication flow can be performed between UE 1302, RAN 1304, AMF 1306, SMF 1308, NRF 1310, and NSQM 1312. In 1314, NSQM 1312 can subscribe with SMF 1308 and track the number of PDU sessions that are active for a particular S-NSSAI, data network name (DNN), or both, for one or more S-NSSAIs and / or DNNs. In 1316, UE 1302 can send a PDU session establishment request (e.g., indicating an S-NSSAI and DNN) to AMF 1306 via RAN 1304. In 1318, AMF 1306 can send a network function discovery request to NRF 1310 to request the address of NSQM 1312 for the requested S-NSSAI. In 1320, NRF 1310 can provide a network function discovery response to AMF 1306 including the address of NSQM 1312. In 1322, AMF 1306 can request a PDU session count from NSQM 1312 for the requested S-NSSAI, e.g., to determine whether there is quota available for a PDU session of that particular S-NSSAI and DNN. In 1324, NSQM 1312 can check whether quota is available for a new PDU session to be established in the specified S-NSSAI. In Figure 13In the scenario of Figure 13, it can be the case that there is no quota available for a new PDU session to be established in the specified S-NSSAI, so in 1326, the NSQM 1312 can respond to the request for the PDU session count for the specified S-NSSAI with a failure code for the S-NSSAI and DNN, e.g., indicating that the maximum PDU session quota has been reached. In 1328, the AMF 1306 can send a PDU session establishment reject message to the UE 1302, e.g., including an appropriate cause code, and possibly configuring a back-off timer.

[0131] It is also possible that, when there is no quota available for a new PDU session and there is at least one dormant PDU session for the S-NSSAI, the dormant PDU session can be released to allow the establishment of the new PDU session. Figures 14A-14Cis a communication flow diagram illustrating possible signaling that can be used in such scenarios according to some embodiments. As shown, the communication flow can be performed between a first UE (UE “a”) 1402, a second UE (UE “x”) 1404, a RAN 1406, an AMF 1408, an SMF 1410, a NRF 1412, and an NSQM 1414. In 1416, the NSQM 1414 can subscribe to the SMF 1410 and track the number of PDU sessions that are active for a particular S-NSSAI, data network name (DNN), or both, for one or more S-NSSAIs and / or DNNs. In 1418, the AMF 1408 can learn when a UE transitions from RRC connected to RRC inactive state (e.g., from the RAN 1406). In 1420, the NSQM 1414 can further subscribe to the AMF 1408 and track the RRC state of the UE in its database. In 1422, the first UE 1402 can send a PDU session establishment request (e.g., indicating an S-NSSAI and a DNN) to the AMF 1408 via the RAN 1406. In 1424, the AMF 1408 can send a network function discovery request to the NRF 1412 to request the address of the NSQM 1414 for the requested S-NSSAI. In 1426, the NRF 1412 can provide a network function discovery response to the AMF 1408 including the address of the NSQM 1414. In 1428, the AMF 1408 can request PDU session count from the NSQM 1414 for the requested S-NSSAI, e.g., to determine whether there is an available quota of PDU sessions for that particular S-NSSAI and DNN. In 1430, the NSQM 1414 can check whether a quota is available for a new PDU session to be established in the specified S-NSSAI. In the scenario of FIG. 14, it can be the case that there is no quota available for a new PDU session to be established in the specified S-NSSAI, so in 1432, the NSQM 1414 can respond to the request for PDU session count for the specified S-NSSAI with a failure code for the S-NSSAI and the DNN, e.g., indicating that the maximum PDU session quota has been reached, and further indicating the number of dormant PDU sessions and the corresponding UE identities of the dormant PDU sessions.

[0132] Figure 14B Release of dormant PDU sessions to allow for establishment of new PDU sessions in Figure 14AThis is one possible (“active”) method for establishing a new PDU session after the communication process. As shown in the figure, in the illustrated scenario, in 1434, AMF 1408 can decide to release a dormant PDU session of a UE (e.g., the second UE 1404). AMF 1408 can determine which dormant PDU session to release in any of a variety of possible ways (e.g., based on any of a variety of possible considerations). For example, the dormant PDU session selected for release can be based on which PDU session has been dormant for the longest time, whether the PDU session has a guaranteed bit rate (GBR) or non-GBR, whether the PDU session is used for ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) UEs and / or network slicing, the subscription information of the UE associated with the PDU session, and / or any of a variety of other possibilities. In 1436, AMF 1408 can send a request to RAN 1406 to release the UE context of the second UE 1404. In step 1438, RAN 1406 can send an RRC release message to the second UE 1404, and in step 1440, it can confirm to AMF 1410 that the UE context of the second UE 1404 has been released. In step 1442, AMF 1408 can provide a request to SMF 1410 to create a PDU session, including, for example, S-NSSAI and PDU session ID. In step 1444, SMF 1410 can respond to the PDU session setup request, indicating that the PDU session has been successfully established. In step 1446, AMF 1408 can provide a PDU count modification request to NSQM 1414, for example, instructing to increment the active PDU session count by one and decrement the dormant PDU session count by one. In step 1448, NSQM 1414 can send a PDU count modification response to AMF 1408, for example, confirming the modification. In 1450, AMF 1408 can send a PDU session establishment accept message to the first UE 1402.

[0133] Figure 14C This demonstrates how to release a dormant PDU session to allow... Figure 14A Another possible (“delayed”) method for establishing a new PDU session after the communication process, such as as Figure 14Ban alternative to the communication flow of FIG. 14A. As shown, in the illustrated scenario, in 1452, the AMF 1408 can decide to reallocate the dormant PDU session resources of the second UE 1404 to the first UE 1402. The AMF 1408 can determine which dormant PDU session to release in any of a variety of possible ways (e.g., based on any of a variety of possible considerations). For example, the dormant PDU session selected for release can be based on which PDU session has been dormant for the longest duration, whether the PDU session is GBR or non-GBR, whether the PDU session is used for URLLC UEs and / or network slices, subscription information of the UE associated with the PDU session, and / or any of a variety of other possibilities. In 1454, the AMF 1408 can provide a request to create a PDU session to the SMF 1410, e.g., including the S-NSSAI and PDU session ID. In 1456, the SMF 1410 can respond to the PDU session setup request, indicating that the PDU session has been successfully established. In 1458, the AMF 1408 can provide a PDU count modification request to the NSQM 1414, e.g., indicating that one active PDU session is added and one dormant PDU session count is decreased. In 1460, the NSQM 1414 can send a PDU count modification response to the AMF 1408, e.g., acknowledging the modification. In 1462, the AMF 1408 can send a PDU session establishment accept message to the first UE 1402. In 1464, the second UE 1404 can attempt to resume its suspended PDU session. In 1466, the second UE 1404 can send an RRC resume request to the RAN 1406, and in 1468, can send a service request to the AMF 1408. In 1470, the AMF 1408 can send a service reject message to the second UE 1404 with a corresponding cause code since there can not be any available quota for the PDU session of the S-NSSAI. In 1472, the RAN can provide an RRC reject message to the second UE 1404.

[0134] Figure 15 is a communication flow diagram illustrating additional possible signaling that can be used in scenarios when a network slice quota management function implements quotas for PDU sessions of a network slice to release a dormant PDU session to allow PDU session establishment, according to some embodiments. In particular, Figure 15Communication flows in possible scenarios are shown in which another UE deregisters between a dormant PDU session being released and the UE with the dormant PDU session attempting to resume the suspended session, which in turn can allow the UE with the released dormant PDU session to be able to re-establish the released dormant PDU session. At least in some cases, this can result in less overall impact to the UE with the released dormant PDU session than the “proactive” approach.

[0135] As illustrated, a communication flow can be performed between a first UE (UE "a") 1502, a second UE (UE "x") 1504, a RAN 1506, an AMF 1508, an SMF 1510, a NRF 1512, an NSQM 1514, and a third UE (UE "y") 1516. In 1518, an active PDU session quota can reach a maximum at the NSQM 1514. In 1520, a dormant PDU session for the second UE 1504 can have been released on the core network side, e.g., without notifying the second UE 1504 that its PDU session has been released. In 1522, the first UE 1502, which can have an active PDU session, can have been provided with new PDU session resources (e.g., made available by releasing the PDU session for the second UE 1504). In 1524, the third UE 1516 can deregister from the network. This can include sending a deregistration request to the AMF 1508 in 1526. In 1528, the AMF 1508 can provide a PDU count modification request to the NSQM 1514, e.g., indicating to decrease the active PDU session count by one. In 1530, the NSQM 1514 can send a PDU count modification response to the AMF 1508, e.g., confirming the modification. In 1532, the AMF 1508 can send a deregistration accept message to the third UE 1516. In 1534, the second UE 1504 can attempt to resume its suspended PDU session. This can include sending an RRC resume request to the RAN 1506 in 1536, and a service request to the AMF 1508 in 1538. In 1542, the AMF 1508 can provide a request to create a PDU session to the SMF 1510, e.g., including the S-NSSAI and PDU session ID. In 1544, the SMF 1510 can respond to the PDU session setup request, indicating that the PDU session has been successfully established. In 1546, the AMF 1508 can provide a PDU count modification request to the NSQM 1514, e.g., indicating to increase the active PDU session count by one. In 1548, the NSQM 1514 can send a PDU count modification response to the AMF 1508, e.g., confirming the modification. In 1550, the RAN 1506 can provide an RRC setup message to the second UE 1504. Note that the RAN 1506 can send the RRC setup message (e.g., instead of an RRC resume message) at least in part because the dormant PDU session for the second UE 1504 was released at the core network in 1520. In 1552, the second UE 1504 can provide an RRC setup complete message to the RAN 1506. In 1554, the AMF 1508 can send a service accept message to the second UE 1504. In Figure 15Following the communication flow of FIG. 14, it can be the case that both the first UE 1402 and the second UE 1404 have ongoing active PDU sessions.

[0136] Accordingly, the NSQM function can be used in a cellular network to provide quota management for one or more network slices with respect to the number of registered and deregistered UEs, and / or with respect to the number of active and dormant PDU sessions. Figure 16 is a table illustrating possible services that can be provided by such a network slice quota management function, according to some embodiments. The illustrated services can include a NSQM registration count service, whose service operations can include subscribe, unsubscribe, and notify operations, as well as UE check, UE add, and UE remove operations. The illustrated services can also include a NSQM PDU count service, whose service operations can include subscribe, unsubscribe, and notify operations, as well as availability check and modify operations. At least according to some embodiments, the AMF and the NSSF can be consumers of such services.

[0137] In connection with the deployment of such a NSQM function, it can be the case that new AMF services are provided, e.g., to further support quota management in a cellular core network. Figure 17 is a table illustrating such possible services that can be provided by an AMF in connection with the use of a NSQM function in a cellular network, according to some embodiments. As illustrated, at least according to some embodiments, the illustrated services can include an AMF communication service, whose service operations can include a UE context release operation, with the NG-RAN as a potential consumer of such service. At least according to some embodiments, such service can be used to release the UE context of a UE for which the AMF has decided to release a dormant PDU session, e.g., in order to allow the establishment of a new active PDU session. Note that, at least according to some embodiments, this service can be provided by the AMF in addition to various other existing services provided by the AMF.

[0138] In the following, further example embodiments are provided.

[0139] A set of embodiments can include a cellular network element comprising: a network port; and a processor coupled to the network port; wherein the cellular network element is configured to: store capacity information for at least a first network slice; receive a request for an indication of whether the first network slice has additional capacity; and provide, in response to the request, an indication of whether the first network slice has additional capacity.

[0140] According to some embodiments, the capacity information for the first network slice comprises at least: a current number of wireless devices registered for the first network slice; and a number of wireless devices allowed to be registered for the first network slice.

[0141] According to some embodiments, the cellular network element is further configured to: receive an indication that the wireless device has been de-registered from the first network slice; and based at least in part on the indication that the wireless device has been de-registered from the first network slice, decrement the capacity information indicating the current number of wireless devices registered with the first network slice.

[0142] According to some embodiments, the cellular network element is further configured to: receive an indication that the wireless device has been de-registered from the first network slice; and based at least in part on the indication that the wireless device has been de-registered from the first network slice, decrement the capacity information indicating the current number of wireless devices registered with the first network slice.

[0143] According to some embodiments, the capacity information for the first network slice comprises at least: a current number of active packet sessions established with the first network slice; a current number of dormant packet sessions established with the first network slice; and a number of packet sessions allowed to be established with the first network slice.

[0144] According to some embodiments, the cellular network element is further configured to: receive an indication that an active packet session has been established with the first network slice; determine whether the active packet session is counted in the current number of active packet sessions established with the first network slice; and based at least in part on the indication that the active packet session has been established with the first network slice, increment the capacity information indicating the current number of active packet sessions established with the first network slice if the active packet session is not already counted in the current number of active packet sessions established with the first network slice.

[0145] According to some embodiments, the cellular network element is further configured to: receive an indication that an active packet session has been released with the first network slice; and based at least in part on the indication that the active packet session has been released with the first network slice, decrement the capacity information indicating the current number of active packet sessions established with the first network slice.

[0146] According to some embodiments, the cellular network element is further configured to: store capacity information for a plurality of network slices.

[0147] Another set of embodiments can include an apparatus comprising: a processor configured to cause a cellular network element to: store capacity information for a plurality of network slices; receive a request for an indication of whether a first network slice has additional capacity; and provide the indication of whether the first network slice has additional capacity in response to the request.

[0148] According to some embodiments, the request for an indication of whether the network slice has additional capacity comprises one or more of: a request for an indication of whether the network slice has additional capacity for wireless devices to register with the network slice; or a request for an indication of whether the network slice has capacity to establish additional packet sessions with the network slice.

[0149] According to some embodiments, the capacity information for each respective network slice of the plurality of network slices comprises one or more of: a current number of wireless devices registered for the respective network slice; a number of wireless devices allowed to register for the respective network slice; a current number of packet sessions established with the respective network slice; a current number of active packet sessions established with the respective network slice; a current number of dormant packet sessions established with the respective network slice; or a number of packet sessions allowed to be established with the respective network slice.

[0150] According to some embodiments, the processor is further configured to cause the cellular network element to: receive an indication to modify the capacity information for the network slice; and modify the capacity information for the network slice based at least in part on the indication to modify the capacity information for the network slice.

[0151] According to some embodiments, the indication to modify the capacity information for the network slice comprises one or more of: an indication to modify a registered wireless device count for the network slice; an indication to modify an active packet session count for the network slice; or an indication to modify a dormant packet session count for the network slice.

[0152] Yet another set of embodiments can include a cellular network element comprising: a network port; and a processor coupled to the network port; wherein the cellular network element is configured to: provide a request for an indication of whether a network slice has additional capacity, wherein the request is provided to a Network Slice Quota Management (NSQM) function; and receive an indication of whether the network slice has additional capacity in response to the request, wherein the indication is received from the NSQM function.

[0153] According to some embodiments, the request for an indication of whether the network slice has additional capacity comprises a request for an indication of whether the network slice has additional capacity for wireless devices to register with the network slice.

[0154] According to some embodiments, the request for an indication of whether the network slice has additional capacity comprises a request for an indication of whether the network slice has capacity to establish additional packet sessions with the network slice.

[0155] According to some embodiments, the cellular network element is further configured to: receive, from the wireless device, a request to register with the network slice or establish a packet session with the network slice, wherein the request for the indication of whether the network slice has additional capacity is provided based at least in part on the request from the wireless device to register with the network slice or establish the packet session with the network slice.

[0156] According to some embodiments, the indication of whether the network slice has additional capacity indicates that the network slice does not have additional capacity, wherein the cellular network element is further configured to: reject the request from the wireless device to register with the network slice or establish the packet session with the network slice based at least in part on the indication of whether the network slice has additional capacity; and provide, to the wireless device, a cause code indicating that the network slice does not have additional capacity based at least in part on the indication of whether the network slice has additional capacity.

[0157] According to some embodiments, the cellular network element is further configured to: configure a back-off timer for the wireless device for one or more of: registering with the network slice or establishing a packet session with the network slice.

[0158] According to some embodiments, the request from the wireless device includes a request to register with the network slice, wherein the cellular network element is further configured to: receive, at a later time, an indication that the network slice has additional capacity for the wireless device to register with the network slice; select the wireless device to register with the network slice based at least in part on the indication that the network slice has additional capacity for the wireless device to register with the network slice; and provide, to the wireless device, an indication that the wireless device is allowed to register with the network slice.

[0159] According to some embodiments, the indication of whether the network slice has additional capacity indicates that the network slice has additional capacity, wherein the cellular network element is further configured to: accept the request from the wireless device to register with the network slice or establish the packet session with the network slice based at least in part on the indication of whether the network slice has additional capacity; and provide an indication to modify capacity information for the network slice to the NSQM function based at least in part on accepting the request from the wireless device to register with the network slice or establish the packet session with the network slice.

[0160] According to some embodiments, the cellular network element is further configured to: receive, from the wireless device, a request to establish a packet session with the network slice, wherein the indication of whether the network slice has additional capacity indicates that the network slice does not have capacity to establish an additional packet session with the network slice, wherein the indication of whether the network slice has additional capacity further indicates a number of dormant packet sessions of the network slice; release a dormant packet session with the network slice based at least in part on the request from the wireless device to establish a packet session with the network slice and the indication that the network slice does not have capacity to establish an additional packet session with the network slice; and accept the request from the wireless device to establish a packet session with the network slice based at least in part on releasing the dormant packet session with the network slice.

[0161] According to some embodiments, the cellular network element is further configured to: responsive to releasing the dormant packet session, notify the wireless device associated with the dormant packet session that the dormant packet session has been released.

[0162] According to some embodiments, the wireless device associated with the dormant packet session is not notified that the dormant packet session has been released.

[0163] According to some embodiments, the cellular network element is further configured to: provide, to a network function repository function (NRF), a request for an address of the NSQM function; and receive, from the NRF, an indication of the address of the NSQM function.

[0164] Yet another example embodiment can include a method that comprises: by a device: performing any or all parts of the preceding examples.

[0165] Still another example embodiment can include a non-transitory computer- accessible memory medium comprising program instructions that, when executed at a device, cause the device to implement any or all parts of any of the preceding examples.

[0166] Yet another example embodiment can include a computer program comprising instructions for performing any or all parts of any of the preceding examples.

[0167] Still another example embodiment can include an apparatus comprising means for performing any or all elements of any of the preceding examples.

[0168] Yet another example embodiment can include an apparatus comprising a processor configured to cause a device to perform any or all elements of any of the preceding examples.

[0169] It is well understood that, when using personal identifiable information, privacy policies and practices shall be followed that are generally recognized as satisfying or exceeding industry or government requirements for maintaining the privacy of users. In particular, the personal identifiable information data should be managed and handled in a manner that minimizes the risks it faces from unauthorized or illegal access or use, and that specifically discloses the nature of the authorization and its implementation.

[0170] Embodiments of the present disclosure can be realized in any of various forms. For example, some embodiments can be realized as computer-implemented methods, computer-readable memory media, or computer systems. Other embodiments can be realized using one or more custom-designed hardware devices such as ASICs. Other embodiments can be realized using one or more programmable hardware elements such as FPGAs.

[0171] In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium can be configured such that it stores program instructions and / or data, where the program instructions, if executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to perform a method, for example any of the method embodiments described herein, or any combination of the method embodiments described herein, or any subset of any of the method embodiments described herein, or any combination of such subsets.

[0172] In some embodiments, a device (e.g., UE 106, BS 102, network element 600) can be configured to include a processor (or a set of processors) and a memory medium, where the memory medium stores program instructions, where the processor is configured to read and execute the program instructions from the memory medium, where the program instructions are executable to implement any of the various method embodiments described herein (or any combination of the method embodiments described herein, or any subset of any of the method embodiments described herein, or any combination of such subsets). The device can be realized in any of various forms.

[0173] Although the above embodiments have been described in considerable detail, variations and modifications are possible to those skilled in the art once they fully understand the basic principles under lying the above disclosure. The disclosure is intended to cover any and all such variations and modifications.

Claims

1. An apparatus for implementing cellular network functions, comprising: a processor configured to: store capacity information for at least a first network slice, wherein the capacity information for the first network slice comprises at least: a count of wireless devices registered for the first network slice, and a maximum number of wireless devices allowed to be registered for the first network slice; receive, from an access and mobility function (AMF), an indication that a first wireless device has registered for the first network slice; determine whether the first wireless device has been counted in the count; determine whether to modify the count based at least in part on whether the first wireless device has been counted in the count, wherein: the count is not incremented when the first wireless device has been counted in the count, and the count is incremented when the first wireless device has not been counted in the count and the count is less than the maximum number of wireless devices allowed to be registered for the first network slice.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: provide, to the AMF, an indication that the first network slice has capacity for the first wireless device to register with the first network slice in response to a request from the AMF; and wherein the processor is further configured to: receive an indication to modify the capacity information for the first network slice; and modify the capacity information for the first network slice based at least in part on the indication to modify the capacity information for the first network slice.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: receive an indication that a wireless device has been deregistered from the first network slice; and decrement the capacity information indicating the current number of wireless devices registered for the first network slice based at least in part on the indication that a wireless device has been deregistered from the first network slice.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the capacity information for the first network slice comprises at least: a current number of packet sessions established with the first network slice; a current number of active packet sessions established with the first network slice; a current number of dormant packet sessions established with the first network slice; and a number of packet sessions allowed to be established with the first network slice.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to: receive an indication that an active packet session has been established with the first network slice; determine whether the active packet session is counted in the current number of active packet sessions established with the first network slice; and increment the capacity information indicating the current number of active packet sessions established with the first network slice based at least in part on the indication that an active packet session has been established with the first network slice if the active packet session is not already counted in the current number of active packet sessions established with the first network slice.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to: receive an indication that an active packet session has been released with the first network slice; and decrement the capacity information indicating the current number of active packet sessions established with the first network slice based at least in part on the indication that an active packet session has been released with the first network slice. decrement the capacity information indicating the current number of active packet sessions established with the first network slice based at least in part on the indication that a wireless device has been deregistered from the first network slice.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: store capacity information for a plurality of network slices.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: receive a request for an indication of whether the first network slice has capacity to establish additional packet sessions with the first network slice.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is implemented as a cellular network element.

10. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the indication to modify the capacity information for the first network slice comprises one or more of: an indication of a count of registered wireless devices for the first network slice; an indication of a count of active packet sessions for the first network slice; or an indication of a count of dormant packet sessions for the first network slice.

11. A method for operating a cellular network function, comprising: storing capacity information for at least a first network slice, wherein the capacity information for the first network slice comprises at least: a count of wireless devices registered for the first network slice, and a maximum number of wireless devices allowed to be registered for the first network slice; receiving an indication from an access and mobility function (AMF) that a first wireless device has registered for the first network slice; determining whether the first wireless device is already counted in the count; determining whether to modify the count based at least in part on whether the first wireless device is already counted in the count, wherein: when the first wireless device is already counted in the count, the count is not incremented, and when the first wireless device is not counted in the count and the count is less than the maximum number of wireless devices allowed to be registered for the first network slice, the count is incremented.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising: in response to a request from the AMF, providing the AMF with an indication that the first network slice has capacity for the first wireless device to register with the first network slice; and the method further comprising: receiving an indication to modify the capacity information for the first network slice; and modifying the capacity information for the first network slice based at least in part on the indication to modify the capacity information for the first network slice.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising: receiving an indication that a wireless device has been deregistered from the first network slice; and decrementing the capacity information indicating the current number of wireless devices registered for the first network slice based at least in part on the indication that a wireless device has been deregistered from the first network slice.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the capacity information for the first network slice comprises at least: a current number of active packet sessions established with the first network slice; a current number of dormant packet sessions established with the first network slice; and ​ ​ a number of packet sessions established with the first network slice.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising: receiving an indication of an active packet session that has been established with the first network slice; determining whether the active packet session is counted in the current number of active packet sessions established with the first network slice; and if the active packet session is not already counted in the current number of active packet sessions established with the first network slice, incrementing the capacity information indicating the current number of active packet sessions established with the first network slice based at least in part on the indication of an active packet session that has been established with the first network slice.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising: receiving an indication of an active packet session that has been released with the first network slice; and decrementing the capacity information indicating the current number of active packet sessions established with the first network slice based at least in part on the indication of an active packet session that has been released with the first network slice.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising: storing capacity information for a plurality of network slices.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising: receiving a request for an indication of whether the first network slice has capacity to establish additional packet sessions with the first network slice.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the capacity information for the first network slice further comprises one or more of: a current number of packet sessions established with the first network slice; a current number of active packet sessions established with the first network slice; a current number of dormant packet sessions established with the first network slice; or a number of packet sessions established with the first network slice.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising: receiving an indication to modify the capacity information for the first network slice; and modifying the capacity information for the first network slice based at least in part on the indication to modify the capacity information for the first network slice.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the indication to modify the capacity information for the first network slice comprises one or more of: an indication to modify a count of registered wireless devices for the first network slice; an indication to modify a count of active packet sessions for the first network slice; or an indication to modify a count of dormant packet sessions for the first network slice.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to implement operations of the method of any one of claims 11 to 21.

23. A computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the method of any one of claims 11 to 21.

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