Network Slice Selection and Association Method, Apparatus, Terminal, System and Medium

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for selecting a set of functions of a communication infrastructure (10), namely so-called network slices (TR1, TR2, TR3), for transmitting data related to at least one application (App1, App2, App3, App4, App5) installed on a user terminal (51, 53) attached to said infrastructure (10), the method being implemented by the terminal (51, 53) and comprising: a step of sending a request message to a rule management entity (40, 60), said request message comprising at least one application identifier and an identifier of the operating system of the user terminal; a step of receiving a response message from the rule management entity (40, 60), the response message comprising at least one rule related to the network slice (TR1, TR2, TR3) associated with the at least one application identifier and the identifier of the operating system; and a step of selecting the network slice (TR1, TR2, TR3) according to the obtained at least one rule.

Description

[0001] This patent application is a divisional application of the following invention patent application:

[0002] Application No.: 201880035894.4

[0003] Filing Date: May 25, 2018

[0004] Invention Title: Selection of Network Slices Related to Applications Technical Field

[0005] This patent application belongs to the technical field of telecommunication infrastructure and network slices. Background Art

[0006] The architecture of mobile telecommunication networks is standardized by a standardization group named 3GPP. This is especially true for the so-called "2G", "3G" and "4G" mobile networks, whose various architectures are defined in the technical specifications established by such an organization.

[0007] Up to the "4G" generation of mobile networks that are currently being deployed in most countries, various network architectures usually rely on very specific devices dedicated to certain precise functions, whether at the access network or core network level, especially for packet transmission from or to mobile terminals. So far, in the deployed network infrastructure, regardless of the type of traffic, a single set of functions is used. The various flows of a session are thus cycled by the same set of functions (routing, addressing, data flow control, naming, etc.).

[0008] The lack of flexibility and upgradability inherent in this type of traditional architecture makes it necessary to envision a more flexible architecture for the next generation of mobile networks (referred to as "5G") in order to be able to quickly respond to extremely diverse requirements in terms of traffic or quality of service. It should be noted that 5G networks are intended to cover both mobile networks and fixed networks. Therefore, the technologies inherent in the development of 5G networks involve both fixed infrastructure and mobile infrastructure.

[0009] Among the envisioned solutions, one of the most promising solutions relies on the network slicing technology specifically mentioned in the 3GPP Technical Report TR 23.799 v2.0.0 in December 2016.

[0010] The concept of network slicing aims to create multiple network instances, also known as "network slices" in English. Figure 1A simplified view of the layout of a communication infrastructure 10 according to the prior art is presented. The communication infrastructure includes network slices TR1, TR2, and TR3, where each network slice represents shared functions (routing, addressing, data flow control, naming, etc.) implemented, for example, in a data center. Terminals 50 are connected to two network slices TR1 and TR2, while terminal 51 is attached to slice TR2 and terminal 53 is attached to slice TR3. Slice TR1 provides access to data network 12, network slice TR2 provides access to network 22, and network slice TR3 provides access to network 32. In this example, the network slices provide access to different data networks, but the network slices can also provide access to the same communication network. These slices, which can be compared to different mobile networks, are determined by the characteristics of the data flows traveling through the network slices and exhibit commonalities in terms of destination, transmission, and security constraints jointly managed within the network slice.

[0011] Therefore, each of the slices is optimized for the needs of a specific type of service and / or a certain type of client or terminal.

[0012] Terminals (specifically mobile terminals) support an increasing number of applications proposed by various parties among network operators and application providers to which the terminals are connected. The traffic generated by these diverse applications must be carried on various network slices implemented in the communication infrastructure to which the terminals are connected. Network slices consist of network functions and configurations such that the requirements associated with the services, clients, or terminals related to the same slice can be met. Not all of the network slices deployed by the operator are configured with the same transmission characteristics, assuming the idea is to adapt the architecture and network slices to the needs of the usage scenarios associated with these network slices. For example, a network slice implemented for services associated with IoT (Internet of Things) services, if dealing with, for example, meter readings, may require managing a large number of terminals but with a relatively low bit rate associated with each terminal. Services provided for professional customers will require advanced security and availability features. The aim is to activate only the functions essential for a given network slice for the usage scenario corresponding to the network slice. The purpose of this network slice architecture is to provide greater flexibility for the operator and to provide services corresponding to the needs of the clients by activating the functions necessary for the requested services.

[0013] Therefore, this network slice technology allows operators of telecommunications networks to create "customized" networks, enabling them to provide optimized solutions for various scenarios with very diverse constraints in terms of functionality and performance.

[0014] It is possible to execute multiple network slices simultaneously within the same telecommunications network to provide various services for various customers on the same network.

[0015] When a terminal is connected to a telecommunications network, one or more network slices corresponding to the terminal or to the services activated on that terminal must be selected. As indicated above, the terminal has a large number of applications at its disposal, each of which is capable of requesting parameters for the transmission of data associated with these specific services and, therefore, a network slice suitable for its needs must be selected.

[0016] The 3GPP specification TR 23.799 (version 2.0.0 of December 2016) indicates that the network will be able to provide the terminal with rules that allow the terminal to select a network slice according to the services it wishes to use. This specification does not specify when or how the terminal generates and uses these rules to actually devise the problem of transmitting application data on the appropriate network slice.

[0017] The aim of the present invention is to remedy these drawbacks. Summary of the Invention

[0018] The present invention seeks to improve the situation by means of a method for selecting a set of functions of a communication infrastructure, namely so-called network slices, for the transmission of data associated with at least one application installed on a user terminal attached to said infrastructure, the method being implemented by the terminal and comprising:

[0019] - a step of sending a request message comprising at least one application identifier to a rules management entity,

[0020] - a step of receiving from the rules management entity a response message comprising at least one rule relating to the network slice associated with the at least one identifier,

[0021] - a step of selecting a network slice according to the at least one rule obtained.

[0022] The network slices can advantageously be implemented to transmit the data of one or more applications that share equivalent needs in terms of quality of service (latency, bit rate, priority). Thus, a network consisting of multiple network slices can transmit a diversified data stream that has different characteristics while providing a configuration for each type of data and transmission parameters suitable for the needs of the various data streams associated with the applications used.

[0023] The selection method advantageously enables the selection of a network slice that meets the needs of an application whose data circulates on the selected slice. The terminal on which the application runs transmits the identifier of the application (for which a network slice must be selected) to a rule management entity responsible for associating rules with the application. When a new application is installed on the terminal, the terminal determines the identifier of this application and transmits the identifier to the management entity in order to receive the rules that allow it to associate a network slice with this identifier. Upon receiving the rules, the terminal can determine the network slice, for example, by maintaining a table associating the rules with the network slice to be selected. This selection method makes it possible to obtain only the rules that are useful to it, that is, the rules corresponding to the applications installed on the terminal. According to an alternative, specifically, if the management entity knows that the terminal can support a large number of rules, the rule management entity returns to the terminal a set of rules, not limited to the rules corresponding to the received identifier. The transmitted rules can correspond, for example, to the parameter S-NSSAI (Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information in English), which the terminal uses to determine the network slice corresponding to the application.

[0024] According to the prior art, the need to structure a communication network as network slices has actually been identified. However, this prior art does not propose any means to associate the characteristics of the network slices with the application, so that the data stream of the terminal can be transmitted according to its characteristics by selecting a network slice suitable for these characteristics.

[0025] According to one aspect of the invention, in the selection method, the request message includes the identifier of the application installed on the terminal when the terminal is attached to the infrastructure.

[0026] A terminal attached to the network may have multiple applications installed. In this case, the terminal must obtain the set of rules corresponding to these various applications. Therefore, for the terminal, when it is attached to the network, it is necessary to obtain these different rules. Since the terminal does not have to call the rule management entity when it has to use an application, this allows the terminal to hold all the rules as soon as it is attached and then use the application more quickly thereafter. The protocol used to transmit the request message can be the protocol for attaching to the infrastructure or a protocol independent of the attachment, such as the API REST (Applications Programming Interface - Representational State Transfer in English) dedicated to the need to transmit the identifier to the rule server.

[0027] According to another aspect of the present invention, in the selection method, the request message is a message related to the attachment of the terminal.

[0028] In addition, the restoration of the rules during the attachment of the terminal can be implemented by using the communication protocol used during the attachment.

[0029] For example, when the terminal is connected to a mobile telecommunications network, the terminal can restore the rules in the data presented in the PCO (Protocol Configuration Option) during the establishment of a PDN (Packet Data Network) connection, and if the network is a fixed network, the terminal can obtain the rules in the DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) or PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol) messages for connecting to the fixed network.

[0030] According to another aspect of the present invention, in the selection method, the at least one application identifier further includes an information item related to the application version.

[0031] According to the deployment options of the network architecture and network slices, for the association of rules, an information item about the application version may be required. The version of the application can be associated with the network slice, for example, while the latest version integrating more transmission performance parameters or security parameters can be associated with the network slice according to higher-level parameters with better performance.

[0032] According to another aspect of the present invention, the at least one application identifier is determined by the terminal.

[0033] For an application, there may be a unique identifier that it dominates, and this unique identifier allows the rule management entity to clearly distinguish the application or actually clearly distinguish the version of the application based on this identifier. This is particularly the case if the application is loaded from an application server accessible from a terminal attached to any type of communication infrastructure. In some cases, the identifier of the application is not explicitly utilized by the management entity enough, and the terminal can determine the unique identifier of the application. Depending on the situation, a suffix or prefix can be added to the identifier that may not be explicit enough, for example. The suffix or prefix can identify, for example, the application server called to load the application, or the operating system of the terminal or actually the identifier of the terminal or a combination of such information. The determined identifier must be able to be explicitly displayed by the management entity so that the management entity can select the rules based on this identifier. The prefix or suffix that may be added must be interpretable by the management entity.

[0034] The various aspects of the selection method just described can be implemented independently of each other or in combination with each other.

[0035] The present invention also relates to a method for associating at least one rule related to a set of functions of a communication infrastructure, namely a so-called network slice, with an identifier of an application of a terminal attached to the infrastructure in a rule management entity, characterized in that the method comprises:

[0036] - a step of receiving, from the terminal, a request message comprising at least one application identifier,

[0037] - a step of determining at least one rule related to the network slice associated with the at least one identifier,

[0038] - a step of sending, to the terminal, a response message comprising the determined at least one rule.

[0039] The rule management entity implements this association method in a client-server type related to the terminal that requests rules for an application. To determine the rules associated with the identifier of the application, for this purpose, the terminal invokes the rule management entity, which may include a database inside the entity or a database outside the entity, in which the rules corresponding to the application identifiers are stored. During the attachment of the terminal to the communication infrastructure, this association method can advantageously make it possible to identify all the network slices corresponding to the diverse applications presented on the terminal or actually different versions of the application.

[0040] According to one aspect of the present invention, in this association method, a priority parameter is associated with at least one rule and is transmitted to the terminal.

[0041] Data associated with an application can be transmitted on multiple network slices. For example, depending on whether the terminal is in a situation of being attached to the visited network (the English is "roaming") or being attached to its "home" network, the data of the application can be transmitted on different network slices. According to another option, specifically depending on the availability of the network slice or the quality of service criteria at a given moment, the data of the application can be carried on different slices. For the management entity, it may be useful to transmit, in addition to the rules, a priority indicator. Thus, the terminal can determine which rule to preferentially adopt and which other rule should be considered if the latter is not available. In the case of roaming, the network slice with the highest priority corresponding to the home network's network slice may not be selected, and then the terminal selects one of the second network slices or network slices with lower priority according to the terminal selection algorithm.

[0042] According to another aspect of the present invention, in the association method, the rule associated with at least one identifier is related to a service category.

[0043] Network slicing can be advantageously implemented for applications that require the same treatment by the operator to meet specific quality of service standards. Thus, applications of the real-time type can be associated with one network slice, while applications with fewer constraints can be associated with another slice. Therefore, the service category can be determined based on the application identifier, and the terminal will select the appropriate network slice by calling the server or by using the received information about the service category based on an internal database.

[0044] According to another aspect of the present invention, in this association method, in the case where at least one application identifier is not associated with any rule, a default rule is determined and transmitted to the terminal.

[0045] A large number of applications or actually versions of applications are loaded onto the terminals of the operator's client, and it is difficult for the operator to associate explicit rules with each application or each application version. In fact, the management entity needs to be updated very regularly with new applications and analyze these applications so that they match the corresponding rules in a way that transmits the data of these applications according to the parameters of these applications and the operator's policies for the communication network slices. Therefore, it is advantageous to define explicit rules for the widest range of applications or application versions and associate default rules with applications that are the least common or least strategic for the operator responsible for associating the rules. Thus, a limited number of rules will be used to manage the diversity of applications, and the data of the applications that are the least significant for the operator will be transmitted on the network slice associated with the default rule.

[0046] According to another aspect of the present invention, in the association method, the rule management entity is implemented in the application server.

[0047] The rule management entity can be advantageously implemented in the application server. In fact, when the terminal downloads a new application, the rule management entity can also retrieve the rules corresponding to the downloaded application. Therefore, the acquisition of rules is optimized since there is no need to call another server when downloading an application, and furthermore, it seems beneficial to transmit, in addition to the application, one or more rules that allow it to be used on the communication infrastructure. Assuming that the architecture of the communication network is specific to the operator, it may be necessary to identify the operator's network or operator in order to provide the rules corresponding to the network or operator, thus ensuring the connection of the terminal, specifically the application server that is not specific to the operator involved.

[0048] The various aspects of the association method just described can be implemented independently of each other or in combination with each other.

[0049] The present invention also relates to a device for selecting a set of functions of a communication infrastructure, namely a so-called network slice, for transmitting data related to at least one application of a user terminal attached to said infrastructure, the device comprising:

[0050] - a transmitter capable of sending a request message comprising at least one application identifier to a rule management entity,

[0051] - a receiver capable of receiving from the rule management entity a response message comprising at least one rule related to the network slice associated with the at least one identifier,

[0052] - a selection module capable of selecting a network slice according to the at least one obtained rule.

[0053] This device, which can implement the selection method just described in all its embodiments, is intended to be implemented in a terminal.

[0054] The present invention also relates to a device for associating rules related to a set of functions of a communication infrastructure, namely a so-called network slice, with identifiers of applications of a terminal attached to said infrastructure, which is to be implemented in a rule management entity, the device comprising:

[0055] - a receiver capable of receiving from a terminal a request message comprising at least one application identifier,

[0056] - a determination module capable of determining at least one rule related to the network slice associated with the at least one identifier,

[0057] - a transmitter capable of sending to the terminal a response message comprising the at least one determined rule.

[0058] This device, which can implement the association method just described in all its embodiments, is intended to be implemented in a rule management entity.

[0059] The present invention also relates to a system for selecting a network slice, the system comprising a terminal comprising a selection device and a rule management entity comprising an association device.

[0060] The present invention also relates to a computer program comprising instructions for implementing the steps of the selection method just described when this program is executed by a processor.

[0061] The present invention also relates to a computer program comprising instructions for implementing the steps of the association method just described when this program is executed by a processor.

[0062] These programs can be in any programming language and can be in the form of source code, object code, or code intermediate between source code and object code, such as partially compiled form, or any other desired form.

[0063] The present invention provides an information medium readable by a computer and including instructions of the above-mentioned computer program.

[0064] The information medium can be any entity or device capable of storing a program. For example, the medium can include storage devices such as ROM (e.g., CD ROM or microelectronic circuit ROM), or magnetic recording devices (e.g., magnetic disk (floppy disk) or hard disk).

[0065] In addition, the information medium can be a transmissible medium such as an electrical signal or an optical signal that can be transmitted via a cable or an optical fiber, by radio, or by other means. The program according to the present invention can be specifically downloaded via a network of the Internet type.

[0066] Alternatively, the information medium can be an integrated circuit incorporating the program, the circuit being adapted to execute or for executing the method under discussion.

[0067] The present invention also relates to a method for selecting a set of functions of a communication infrastructure (10), namely a so-called network slice (TR1, TR2, TR3), for transmitting data related to at least one application (App1, App2, App3, App4, App5) installed on a user terminal (51, 53) attached to the infrastructure (10), the method being implemented by the terminal (51, 53) and including: - a step of sending a request message to a rule management entity (40, 60), the request message including at least one application identifier and an identifier of the operating system of the user terminal, - a step of receiving a response message from the rule management entity (40, 60), the response message including at least one rule related to the network slice (TR1, TR2, TR3) associated with the at least one application identifier and the identifier of the operating system, - a step of selecting the network slice (TR1, TR2, TR3) according to the obtained at least one rule.

[0068] The present invention also relates to a method for associating at least one rule related to a set of functions of a communication infrastructure (10), namely a so-called network slice (TR1, TR2, TR3), with an identifier of an application (App1, App2, App3, App4, App5) of a terminal (51, 53) attached to the infrastructure (10) in a rule management entity (40, 60), characterized in that the method comprises: - a step of receiving a request message from the terminal (51, 53), the request message including at least one application identifier and an identifier of the operating system of the user terminal, - a step of determining at least one rule related to the network slice (TR1, TR2, TR3) associated with the at least one application identifier and the identifier of the operating system, - a step of sending a response message including the determined at least one rule to the terminal (51, 53).

[0069] The present invention also relates to a device (100) for selecting a set of functions of a communication infrastructure (10), namely a so-called network slice (TR1, TR2, TR3), for transmitting data related to at least one application (App1, App2, App3, App4, App5) of a user terminal (51, 53) attached to the infrastructure (10), the device comprising: - a transmitter (110) capable of sending a request message to a rule management entity, the request message including at least one application identifier and an identifier of the operating system of the user terminal, - a receiver (120) capable of receiving from the rule management entity a response message including at least one rule related to the network slice associated with the at least one application identifier and the identifier of the operating system, - a selection module (101) capable of selecting a network slice according to the obtained at least one rule.

[0070] The present invention also relates to a device (200) for associating a rule related to a set of functions of a communication infrastructure (10), namely a so-called network slice (TR1, TR2, TR3), with an identifier of an application (App1, App2, App3, App4, App5) of a terminal (51, 53) attached to the infrastructure (10) in a rule management entity (40, 60), the device comprising: - a receiver (220) capable of receiving a request message from a terminal, the request message including at least one application identifier and an identifier of the operating system of the user terminal, - a determination module (201) capable of determining at least one rule related to the network slice associated with the at least one application identifier and the identifier of the operating system, - a transmitter (210) capable of sending a response message including the determined at least one rule to the terminal.

[0071] The present invention also relates to a terminal, comprising the selection means just described.

[0072] The present invention also relates to a system for selecting a network slice, the system comprising: - the terminal (51, 53) just described, - a rule management entity (40, 60), the rule management entity comprising the association means (200) just described.

[0073] The present invention also relates to a computer-readable recording medium having stored thereon a computer program, the computer program comprising instructions for performing the steps of the method just described when run by a processor. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0074] Other advantages and features of the present invention will become more clearly apparent after reading the following description of specific embodiments of the present invention given by way of simple illustrative and non-limiting examples and the description of the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0075] - Figure 1 A simplified view of the layout of a communication infrastructure according to the prior art is presented.

[0076] - Figure 2 A communication infrastructure according to an aspect of the present invention is presented.

[0077] - Figure 3 An overview of a method for selecting a network slice according to a first embodiment of the present invention is presented.

[0078] - Figure 4 An overview of a method for selecting a network slice according to a second embodiment of the present invention is presented.

[0079] - Figure 5 An exemplary structure of a device for selecting a network slice according to an aspect of the present invention is presented.

[0080] - Figure 6 An exemplary structure of a device for associating rules according to an aspect of the present invention is presented. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0081] In the following description, examples of several embodiments of the present invention in a mobile communication infrastructure are presented, but the present invention can also be implemented in a fixed network infrastructure.

[0082] First, reference is made to Figure 2 , which presents a communication infrastructure according to an aspect of the present invention.

[0083] The terminal 51 supports applications App1, App2, and App3, while the terminal 53 supports applications App2 and App4. In this example, it is considered that applications App1 and App2 are an audio application and a video application respectively, while applications App3 and App4 are so-called non-real-time applications for text transmission, for example. The operator of the communication infrastructure 10 constructs its infrastructure by deploying three network slices TR1, TR2, and TR3 for transmitting audio data, video data, and non-real-time data respectively. These three slices TR1, TR2, and TR3 are implemented in the same communication infrastructure 10 and instantiated using the software resources of a common data center, but provide capabilities and performance in terms of the transmission of data streams suitable for the corresponding applications. Specifically, the network slice TR1 provides somewhat unremarkable transmission capabilities, but has a very low latency. The network slice TR2 requires significant transmission capabilities to circulate the video data stream, and requires a relatively low latency. In addition, this slice has the ability for temporary memory buffering. Finally, the last slice TR3 is characterized by relatively significant capabilities and relatively significant latency. This infrastructure can be supplemented with other network slices not shown in the figure according to the needs of the operator. Specifically, a default network slice can be envisioned for unidentifiable application flows or flows that do not require specific needs in terms of transmission.

[0084] The network slices TR1 and TR2 provide access to a service platform hosted in a communication network 22 included in the operator's communication infrastructure 10, while the slice TR3 provides access to a data network 32 not included in the infrastructure 10. This data network can be, for example, a service provider's network or a corporate network.

[0085] The communication infrastructure also includes a rules server 40, whose role is to provide rules for associating network slices with the applications of the terminals.

[0086] It should be noted that, according to an alternative, a network slice can include the functions of a separate access network, the functions of a separate core network, or the functions of an access network and a core network. In fact, a selection method can be implemented for any type of network slice considered.

[0087] Combined Figure 3 Shown is an overview of a method for selecting a network slice according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0088] In the steps not shown in the figure, the terminal 51 attaches to the network according to a known process specified in the prior art, specifically, when the terminal 51 is attached to a mobile network, it attaches to the network through the 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) organization, or when the terminal is attached to a fixed network, it attaches to the network through the BBF (BroadBand Forum) organization.

[0089] During step E1, during the attachment process or according to an option, once the terminal has attached to the communication infrastructure, the terminal 51 transmits a request message M1 to the rules server 40. This request message includes the identifiers of the applications installed on the terminal 51. This message can be a specific message, or a message specifically related to the attachment of the terminal 51 in the case where the rules server 40 is co-located with another server called by the terminal 51 for attachment to the communication infrastructure, such as an AAA (Authentication Authorization Accounting) server or a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server. The protocol used for transmitting the message can be, for example, the HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol). It should be noted that the terminal 51 can transmit all identifiers in a single message, or according to an alternative method, dispatch one identifier per message.

[0090] According to a variant, the terminal 51 can transmit a message to the rules server 40 that includes not only the application but also the application version. And in this case, an appropriate network slice corresponding not only to the application but also to the application version can be associated. Thus, the latest version of the application can benefit from the transmission parameters of a better-performing network slice. In addition, the prospect of providing a network slice suitable for the application version may represent an argument for encouraging users to use the latest version of the application and thus limiting the complex management of different application versions.

[0091] There are several possibilities for notifying a terminal about the identity and / or address of a rules server to be called to obtain rules. In the case where the terminal has a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module), the information can be configured on this card. According to an alternative, the terminal can obtain the information via protocols such as OMA-DM (Open Mobile Alliance - Device Management) or DHCP. Another alternative is to obtain information about the rules server in a message in the control plane when the terminal attaches to an access network. According to another aspect, information about the rules server can be derived from a part of the application identifier. For example, for rules applicable to an application whose identifier starts with com.example, the rules server can be reached at the address slice.com.xample.

[0092] When the rules server 40 receives a request message M1 from the terminal 51 during step F1, it determines the rules corresponding to the received application identifier during step E20. To accomplish this task, the rules server 40 can use an internal database or a database located outside the rules server. According to one option, the rules server can call a management server to obtain the rules.

[0093] During step E2, the rules server 40 transmits the rules to the terminal 51 in a response message M2. The rules server can choose to transmit one rule per message or choose to transmit all the rules in a single message.

[0094] The terminal 51 receives the response message M2 in step F2 and, based on the received rules, determines the network slice associated with the diversified installed applications during step E21. The terminal 51 can, for example, maintain a table associating each application with a network slice and can refer to this table when the application is used to cycle the data stream related to this application, or, according to an option, the terminal can add information about the network slice in the software of each application so that the network slice is directly identified when the application is started. It should be noted that the determination of the network slice is independent of the use of the application and can be performed before the application is actually activated.

[0095] During step E3, for example, after the action of the end user, the application is activated on the terminal 51. During step E21, the network slice TR2 has been determined for this application. In this example, it is considered that the terminal 51 has not associated any application with the network slice TR2. So far, the applications activated on the terminal 51 do not actually need to select the slice TR2. The terminal 51 transmits a message M3 attaching to the network slice TR2 using the parameter S-NSSAI (English: Single-Network Slice Selection Assistance Information), which specifically identifies the network slice TR2, according to the prior art described in the 3GPP specification TS23.502 (version 0.3.0 in March 2017).

[0096] If the attachment process is successful, specifically according to the authentication process, the device of the slice TR2 (such as a mobile gateway or a device of the BNG (English: Broadband Network Gateway) type) receives the message M3 during step F3, and transmits a connection confirmation message M4 to the terminal 51 during step E4, and from this moment on, when the terminal 51 receives the message M4 during step F4, the data of the application can be actually transmitted on the slice TR2.

[0097] During step E5, the terminal 51 invokes the application server 70 to load a new application. Thus, the terminal 51 transmits a message M5 requesting the application, for example, by using the HTTP protocol. The server 70 can equally well be a public application server or a server specific to the operator responsible for the communication infrastructure in which the network slice is implemented. When the application server receives the message M5 during step F5 and, in the case where the application server agrees to dispatch the new application requested by the terminal 51, the application server transmits the requested application in the message M6 to the terminal 51 during step E6. When the terminal 51 receives the message M6 during step F6, it then holds the new application for which no network slice has been selected.

[0098] Then, during step E7, the terminal invokes the rule server 40 by transmitting a message M7 that includes the identifiers of the applications loaded during steps E5, F5, E6, and F6. The identifiers of the applications may have been transmitted by the application server 40, specifically when the application is a common application with a clear identifier or when the terminal has itself defined an identifier, typically by adding the identifier of the terminal or the terminal's operating system to the application's identifier, thus making it clear and exploitable by the rule server. After the rule server 40 has received the request message M7 during step F7, it associates the rule with the identifier received during step E22 and transmits the rule to the terminal 51 in message M8 during step E8.

[0099] Once the rule has been received in message M8 during step F8, the terminal 51 determines, during step E23, the network slice for this application based on the rule received in message M8. Here, it is considered that the network slice TR2 has been determined for this application activated on the terminal, and the terminal 51 does not need to attach to this network slice again because this has already been done during steps E3, F3, E4, and F4.

[0100] The terminal 51 can store the rules received for the application in such a way that the terminal can avoid having to call the rule server again to obtain the rules in cases where it needs to associate the rules with the application, which may have been uninstalled or the rule server may have lost the obtained rules. On the one hand, this storage step makes it possible to avoid overloading the network due to rule requests and reception messages, and on the other hand, it allows for repeated calls to the management entity. Additionally, since there is no longer a need to recover the rules from the management entity, storing the obtained rules enables faster use of the application. According to an alternative, this storage can avoid the terminal having to call the rule server, including in cases involving different applications. If the application has a normalized identifier, the terminal can infer the rules to be applied to a second application based on the first rule obtained for the first application. For example, if the first application is App1.tpsreel.com and the terminal has retrieved rule A, the terminal can reuse this rule for all applications of the type %.tpsreel.com, where % can take any value.

[0101] The terminal 53 can also load a new application, which can be the same as or different from the applications loaded by the terminal 51 during steps E9, F9 and E10, F10 according to the progress of steps E5, F5, E6, F6 of the terminal 51.

[0102] Once the application has been received in message M10 during step F10, the terminal 53 calls the rule server 40 during step E11 to obtain the rules for associating the network slice with this application by dispatching the identifier of this application in the request message M11. The rule server 40 receives message M11 during step F11. During step E24, since the identifier transmitted by the terminal 53 does not correspond to any specific slice, or according to the entity responsible for the rules, the data of the application does not require specific processing for a specific network slice, the server 40 associates the rules for determining the default slice during step E24. The server transmits this rule in message M12 during step E12. The terminal receives the response message M12 during step F12. When the terminal 53 receives the rule from the server 40, the terminal selects the default slice TR1 during step E25 and connects to this default slice during application activation if the terminal is not already connected to this default slice. Except for the different network slices, this connection is established during steps E13, F13, E14, F14 according to the description of steps E3, F3, E4, F4.

[0103] Now refer to Figure 4 , which presents an overview of a method for selecting a network slice according to a second embodiment of the present invention. This second embodiment is distinguished from the first embodiment by the fact that the application server itself contacts the authorization server to obtain the rules related to the application, so as to subsequently transmit the application and the associated rules to the terminal that wishes to install the application.

[0104] During step E’1, the terminal 51 transmits a request message M’1 for loading a new application to the application server 70. The application server 70 is also a rules server, but obtains rules from an authorization server specific to the operator of the network to which the terminal 51 is connected. When the server 70 receives the request message M’1 during step F’1, it associates the rules with the application requested by the terminal 51 by invoking the rules server 40. If the application server is a non-operator-specific server, in the case where the terminal has established an identifier by adding, for example, an operator prefix or suffix, the server 70 identifies the rules server 40 to be invoked based on an option, based on the application identifier transmitted by the terminal 51. According to another option, the server 70 identifies the server 40 based on the IP (Internet Protocol) address used by the terminal 51 to transmit the message M’1, or according to another option, the server is identified by a configuration that associates the rules server with the parameters (IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) code, IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity) code) of the terminal 51. During step E’2, the server 70 invokes the authorization server 40 by transmitting a message M’2 to obtain one or more rules associated with the application requested by the terminal 51. When the authorization server 40 receives the message M’2 during step F’2, it transmits multiple rules with priority parameters specific to each rule in the message M’3 to the application server 70 during step E’3. The rules server 70 obtains the message M’3 during step F’3.

[0105] During step E’4, the rules server 70 transmits the application, the received rules, and the associated priority parameters to the terminal 51 in a response message M’4. When the terminal 51 receives this message M’4 during step F’4, it determines the network slice to be used for the received application during step E’21. The terminal 51 attaches to its “parent” network, considering the rule with the highest priority to determine the network slice corresponding to the application. Thereafter, the terminal 51 attaches during steps E’5, F’5, E’6, F’6, which are equivalent to Figure 3 steps E3, F3, E4, F4.

[0106] During step E’7, the terminal 51 calls the server 70 to load a new application by transmitting a message M’7. Except for the different application, this message is the same as message M’1. The server 70 receives the message M’7 during step F’7 and associates one or more rules with this application requested by the terminal 51. The server 70 has associated the rules with this application during a previous call and has stored this rule. Therefore, the server associates the requested application with the rules stored during step E’22 without calling the authorization server and transmits the application and the rules to the terminal 51 in message M’8 during step E’8. The terminal 51 receives the message M’8 during step F’8 and selects the network slice TR2 based on this rule and does not connect to this network slice during application startup because the terminal has previously attached to this network slice.

[0107] It is considered that the terminal 53 is attached to a network that is actually the visited network, and thus the terminal is in a roaming situation. The terminal 53 invokes the application server 70 during step E’11 to obtain an application by transmitting a message M’11. The server receives the request message M’11 during step F’11. During step E’12, the server 70 initiates an association phase by dispatching the message M’12 to a rules server 60 corresponding to the terminal 53 or to the operator ensuring the connection of the terminal 53 to the communication infrastructure. The rules server 60 receives the message M’12 during step F’12 and transmits, during step E’13, to the application server 70, in a message M’13, the rules associated with the identifier of the application requested by the terminal 53. A priority parameter is also transmitted. During step F’13, the server 70 receives the message M’13 including the rules and the priority parameter and stores these information items related to the identifier of the application for which the server has requested these rules. When these information items are transmitted by the authorization server 60, they are actually valid and the rules are transmitted to the terminal 53, either together with the application or in a specific message M’14 different from the message including the application during step E’14. The application server 70 stores the rules according to the rules server in such a way that the rules server transmits the rules without sending invalid or inconsistent rules to terminals that call the same application but are based on a communication infrastructure different from the previous one. During step F’14, the terminal 53 receives the message M’14 including the rules and the optional application. During step E’25, since the terminal 53 is located on the visited network, the terminal 53 selects a rule according to the obtained rules and its priority parameter corresponding to the roaming situation. The terminal 53 determines, during step E’25, from the obtained rules, a network slice TR1 corresponding to the rule with a lower priority. When the application is activated, the terminal 53 then connects to the network slice TR1 during steps E’15, F’15, E’16 and F’16 equivalent to steps E’5, F’5, E’6 and F’6, except for this time difference when the terminal is connected to the visited network.

[0108] According to another embodiment, the terminal selection rule can be executed in two phases. In the first two embodiments, the terminal obtains the rule from a rule server or an application server that has previously obtained the rule from an authorization server. In the third embodiment, the rule server transmits to the terminal an information item regarding the service category corresponding to the received application identifier. When receiving the information regarding the service category, the terminal matches the service category with the corresponding slice identifier by calling a server or by using an internal base station that associates the service category with a network slice. In the case where this internal base station contacts the server to associate the service category with the slice, the server can be the same server as the one called to obtain the service category, or a different server. The obtained information regarding the service category corresponds to the rule related to the requested network slice, but the selection of the slice is different from the first two embodiments. This embodiment is specifically suitable for contexts where the operator has constructed its communication network by deploying network slices suitable for transmitting data according to characteristics related to their service categories (such as, for example, defined and not only defined by the Diffserv (Differentiated Services) method).

[0109] In combination Figure 5 Shown is an exemplary structure of an apparatus for selecting a network slice according to an aspect of the present invention.

[0110] An apparatus 100 for selecting a set of functions of a communication infrastructure (so-called network slices) implements the selection method, and various embodiments of this selection method have just been described.

[0111] Such an apparatus 100 can be implemented in a terminal. The terminal can be a mobile terminal or a fixed terminal.

[0112] For example, the apparatus 100 includes a processing unit 106, which is equipped with, for example, a microprocessor μP and is driven by a computer program 105, which is stored in a memory 107 and implements the selection method according to the present invention. At initialization, before the code instructions of the computer program 105 are executed by the processor of the processing unit 106, these code instructions are loaded into, for example, a RAM memory.

[0113] Such an apparatus 100 includes:

[0114] - A transmitter 110 capable of sending an identifier Ident of at least one application of the terminal to a rule management entity,

[0115] - A receiver 120 capable of receiving from the rule management entity at least one rule Reg related to a network slice associated with the identifier received for the at least one application,

[0116] - Determination module 101, which can determine a network slice according to the at least one obtained rule Reg.

[0117] Combined Figure 6 Shown is an exemplary structure of a device for associating rules according to an aspect of the present invention.

[0118] The device 200 for associating rules related to a set of functions of a communication infrastructure (so-called network slices) implements the selection method, and various embodiments of the selection method have just been described.

[0119] Such a device 200 can be implemented in a terminal that can be a mobile terminal or a fixed terminal.

[0120] For example, the device 200 includes a processing unit 206, which is equipped with, for example, a microprocessor μP and is driven by a computer program 205, which is stored in a memory 207 and implements the selection method according to the present invention. At initialization, before the code instructions of the computer program 205 are executed by the processor of the processing unit 206, these code instructions are loaded into, for example, a RAM memory.

[0121] Such a device 200 includes:

[0122] - A receiver (220), which can receive an identifier Ident of at least one application from the terminal,

[0123] - An association module 201, which can associate at least one rule Reg related to the identifier received by the at least one application,

[0124] - A transmitter 220, which can send the at least one associated rule Reg to the terminal.

[0125] Combined Figure 5 And Figure 6 The described modules can be hardware modules or software modules.

[0126] The exemplary embodiments of the present invention presented just now are only some of the embodiments that can be conceived. The method for selecting network slices and the method for associating rules with a set of functions of the communication infrastructure make it possible to improve the quality of experience of the client. In fact, network slices can be matched with specific characteristics of a set of applications that have common characteristics and request the same or similar processing. Therefore, an operator of the communication infrastructure can implement different mobile networks (identified herein as network slices) within the same infrastructure to carry data streams with the same characteristics. Depending on whether the operator takes into account, for example, the service category, the application version, an application or a set of applications, this structure of the communication infrastructure can be more or less good. According to another example, the operator can also associate network slices according to the service provider that provides the application. For example, depending on whether the application is provided by provider A, provider B, or the operator itself, the data of the application can be associated with slices that specifically implement more or less guarantees regarding the quality of service.

Claims

1. A method for selecting a set of functions of a communication infrastructure (10), namely a so-called network slice (TR1, TR2, TR3), for transmitting data related to at least one application (App1, App2, App3, App4, App5) installed on a user terminal (51, 53) attached to the infrastructure (10), the method being implemented by the user terminal (51, 53) and comprising: - a step of sending a request message to a rule management entity (40, 60), the request message including at least one application identifier and an identifier of the operating system of the user terminal, - a step of receiving a response message from the rule management entity (40, 60), the response message including at least one rule related to the network slice (TR1, TR2, TR3) associated with the at least one application identifier and the identifier of the operating system, - a step of selecting a network slice (TR1, TR2, TR3) according to the obtained at least one rule.

2. The selection method according to claim 1, wherein The request message includes identifiers of applications (App1, App2, App3, App4, App5) installed on the user terminal (51, 53) when the user terminal (51, 53) is attached to the infrastructure (10).

3. The selection method according to claim 2, wherein The request message is a message related to the attachment of the user terminal (51, 53) to the infrastructure (10).

4. The selection method according to claim 1, wherein, The at least one identifier further includes an information item related to the version of the application (App1, App2, App3, App4, App5).

5. The selection method according to claim 1, wherein The at least one application identifier is determined by the user terminal (51, 53).

6. A method for associating at least one rule related to a set of functions of a communication infrastructure (10), namely a so-called network slice (TR1, TR2, TR3), with an identifier of an application (App1, App2, App3, App4, App5) of a user terminal (51, 53) attached to the infrastructure (10), to be implemented in a rule management entity (40, 60), characterized in that, The method includes: - a step of receiving a request message from the user terminal (51, 53), the request message including at least one application identifier and an identifier of the operating system of the user terminal, - a step of determining at least one rule related to the network slice (TR1, TR2, TR3) associated with the at least one application identifier and the identifier of the operating system, - a step of sending a response message including the determined at least one rule to the user terminal (51, 53).

7. The association method according to claim 6, wherein, A priority parameter is associated with the at least one rule and is transmitted to the user terminal (51, 53).

8. The association method according to claim 6, wherein, The rule associated with the at least one identifier is related to a service class.

9. The association method according to claim 6, wherein In the case where the at least one application identifier is not associated with any rule, a default rule is determined and transmitted to the user terminal (51, 53).

10. The association method according to claim 6, wherein, The rule management entity (40, 60) is implemented in an application server (70).

11. A device (100) for selecting a set of functions of a communication infrastructure (10), namely a so-called network slice (TR1, TR2, TR3), for transmitting data related to at least one application (App1, App2, App3, App4, App5) of a user terminal (51, 53) attached to the infrastructure (10), the device comprising: - A transmitter (110) capable of sending a request message to a rule management entity, the request message including at least one application identifier and an identifier of the operating system of the user terminal. - A receiver (120) capable of receiving from the rule management entity a response message including at least one rule related to the network slice associated with the at least one application identifier and the identifier of the operating system. - A selection module (101) capable of selecting a network slice according to the obtained at least one rule.

12. An apparatus (200) for associating rules related to a set of functions of a communication infrastructure (10), namely a so-called network slice (TR1, TR2, TR3), with identifiers of applications (App1, App2, App3, App4, App5) of user terminals (51, 53) attached to the infrastructure (10) in a rule management entity (40, 60). The apparatus includes: - A receiver (220) capable of receiving a request message from the user terminal (51, 53), the request message including at least one application identifier and an identifier of the operating system of the user terminal. - A determination module (201) capable of determining at least one rule related to the network slice associated with the at least one application identifier and the identifier of the operating system. - A transmitter (210) capable of sending a response message including the determined at least one rule to the user terminal.

13. A terminal including the selection means according to claim 11.

14. A system for selecting a network slice, the system including: - A user terminal (51, 53) according to claim 13. - A rule management entity (40, 60) including the association apparatus (200) according to claim 12.

15. A computer-readable recording medium having stored thereon a computer program, the computer program including instructions for performing the steps of the method according to claims 1 - 10 when run by a processor.

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