Method, network entity, device and computer program product for network slicing enhancement

Abstract

Apparatus, system and method for enhancing network slicing of UE. The UE may receive application-related information associated with network slice data routing of data associated with an application from the AMF of the network. The information may be provided to the network by a network slice client. The UE may determine traffic routing of data associated with the application in response to application initiation. Traffic routing may be based on the application-related information and a UE configuration associated with user privacy associated with the application (e.g., user privacy settings). When the user UE configuration is enabled, the data may be routed via a default network slice, and when the UE configuration is disabled, the data may be routed via a network slice indicated by the application-related information. The UE configuration may be indicated by the application via a Boolean flag and / or via a user interface setting.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to wireless communications, and more particularly to apparatuses, systems, and methods for enhancing network slicing for UEs, for example in 5G NR systems and beyond. Background Art

[0002] The use of wireless communication systems is rapidly increasing. In recent years, wireless devices such as smartphones and tablets have become increasingly sophisticated. In addition to supporting phone 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 applications that utilize these capabilities.

[0003] Long Term Evolution (LTE) is currently the technology of choice for most wireless network operators worldwide, enabling them to provide mobile broadband data and high-speed internet access to their subscriber base. LTE was first proposed in 2004 and standardized in 2008. Since then, as the use of wireless communication systems has grown exponentially, the demand on wireless network operators has risen to support higher capacity for the increasing density of mobile broadband users. Consequently, research on new radio access technologies began in 2015, and the first version of Fifth Generation New Radio (5G NR) was standardized in 2017.

[0004] Compared to LTE, 5G-NR (also referred to as NR) offers higher capacity for a higher density of mobile broadband users, while also supporting ultra-reliable and massive machine-type device-to-device communications, lower latency, and / or lower battery consumption. Furthermore, NR allows for more flexible UE scheduling than current LTE. Consequently, efforts are underway to leverage the higher throughput possible at higher frequencies in the ongoing development of 5G-NR. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The embodiments relate to wireless communications, and more particularly to apparatus, systems, and methods for enhancing network slicing for UEs, for example in 5G NR systems and beyond.

[0006] For example, in some embodiments, a user equipment device (UE) (such as UE 106) may be configured to receive application-related information associated with network slice data routing for data associated with an application from an AMF of a network. The UE may be configured to, in response to initiation of an application, determine traffic routing for data associated with the application. Traffic routing may be based at least in part on the application-related information and / or user privacy settings associated with the application and / or UE configuration associated with user privacy. In some embodiments, when the user privacy setting is enabled (and / or when the UE configuration associated with user privacy is set to not use network slice routing for the application), the data may be routed via a default network slice, and when the user privacy setting is disabled (and / or when the UE configuration associated with user privacy is set to use network slice routing for the application), the data may be routed via a network slice indicated by the application-related information. The user privacy setting (and / or UE configuration) may be indicated by the application via a Boolean flag and / or via a user interface setting.

[0007] In some embodiments, in order to receive application-related information from the AMF of the network, the UE is configured to transmit a registration request message to the AMF and receive application-related information from the AMF. The registration request message may include an indication of the network slicing capability associated with the UE. The network slicing capability may be indicated via a network slicing capability information element. The network slicing capability information element may include any one, any combination and / or all (e.g., at least one and / or one or more) of the following: application ID (APP ID) and operating system ID (OS ID) (APP ID + OS ID), IPv4 remote address, IPv6 remote address, protocol identifier and / or next header type parameter, remote port, security parameter index type, service type and / or traffic class type, flow label type, FQDN, DNN, APP ID and / or connection capability and other parameters associated with the network slice.

[0008] In some embodiments, to receive application-related information from the network's AMF, the UE may receive application-related information based on, for example, a Subscription Hidden Identifier (SUCI) provided by the UE to the application developer of the application. In some embodiments, to receive application-related information from the network's AMF, the UE may receive a policy message from the network's AMF. The policy message may include a mapping of application categories to network slice identifiers (IDs). In such embodiments, traffic routing for data associated with the application is further determined based at least in part on the mapping.

[0009] For another example, in some embodiments, a network entity of the network, such as the AMF 605, may be configured to receive a network slice traffic descriptor for an application associated with each of the one or more network slice customers (NSCs) (e.g., application developers). The network entity may be configured to provide application-related information associated with network slice data routing to a UE served by the network, such as the UE 106, based on the network slice traffic descriptor. The network slice traffic descriptor may be included in a request message, such as an AllocateNssi API parameter and / or a ServiceParameterCreate parameter included in an AllocateNssi request message.

[0010] The techniques described herein may be implemented in and / or used with a number of different types of devices, including, but not limited to, any of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), unmanned aerial controllers (UACs), UTM servers, base stations, access points, cellular telephones, tablet computers, wearable computing devices, portable media players, and various other computing devices.

[0011] This summary is intended to provide a brief overview of some of the subject matter described in this document. Therefore, it should be understood that the above-described features are merely examples and should not be construed as narrowing the scope or spirit of the subject matter described herein in any way. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter described herein will become apparent from the following detailed description, accompanying drawings, and claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] A better understanding of the present subject matter may be obtained when the following detailed description of various embodiments is considered in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0013] Figure 1A An exemplary wireless communication system is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0014] Figure 1B Examples of base stations and access points communicating with user equipment (UE) devices are shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0015] Figure 2 An exemplary block diagram of a base station according to some embodiments is shown.

[0016] Figure 3 An exemplary block diagram of a server according to some embodiments is shown.

[0017] Figure 4 An exemplary block diagram of a UE according to some embodiments is shown.

[0018] Figure 5 An example block diagram of cellular communication circuitry is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0019] Figure 6A An example of a 5G network architecture according to some embodiments is shown, which combines both 3GPP (e.g., cellular) access to the 5G CN and non-3GPP (e.g., non-cellular) access.

[0020] Figure 6B An example of a 5G network architecture is shown that combines both dual 3GPP (e.g., LTE and 5G NR) access to the 5G CN as well as non-3GPP access according to some embodiments.

[0021] Figure 7 An example of a baseband processor architecture for a UE according to some embodiments is shown.

[0022] Figure 8 An example of network slicing data routing is shown.

[0023] Figure 9A An example of signaling for indicating supported traffic descriptors to the network is shown according to some embodiments.

[0024] Figure 9B Examples of registration request messages are shown according to some embodiments.

[0025] Figure 9C Examples of network slice capability information elements according to some embodiments are shown.

[0026] Figure 10 Examples of network slice data routing according to some embodiments are shown.

[0027] Figure 11 Examples of signaling between a network slice customer and a network slice provider according to some embodiments are shown.

[0028] Figure 12A Examples are shown for signaling for determining network slices using application traffic categories according to some embodiments.

[0029] Figure 12B Examples of mapping application traffic categories to network slice IDs according to some embodiments are shown.

[0030] Figure 13 A block diagram illustrating an example of a method for determining a network slice for data associated with an application based on user privacy settings according to some embodiments is shown.

[0031] Figure 14A block diagram illustrating an example of a method for a network to receive network slice traffic descriptors from an application developer according to some embodiments.

[0032] While the features described herein are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and described in detail herein. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description thereof are not intended to limit this disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, are intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the subject matter as defined by the appended claims. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] Acronyms

[0034] Various acronyms are used throughout this disclosure. The definitions of the most prominent acronyms used that may appear throughout this disclosure are as follows:

[0035] •3GPP: Third Generation Partnership Project

[0036] •UE: User Equipment

[0037] •RF: Radio Frequency

[0038] •BS: Base Station

[0039] •DL: Downlink

[0040] •UL: Uplink

[0041] •LTE: Long Term Evolution

[0042] •NR: New Radio

[0043] •5GS: 5G system

[0044] •5GMM: 5GS Mobility Management

[0045] •5GC / 5GCN: 5G core network

[0046] •IE: Information Element

[0047] •CE: Control Element

[0048] •MAC: Media Access Control

[0049] •SSB: Synchronous Signal Block

[0050] • CSI-RS: Channel State Information Reference Signal

[0051] •PDCCH: Physical Downlink Control Channel

[0052] •PDSCH: Physical Downlink Shared Channel

[0053] •RRC: Radio Resource Control

[0054] • RRM: Radio Resource Management

[0055] • CORESET: Control resource set

[0056] •TCI: Transmission Configuration Indicator

[0057] •DCI: Downlink Control Indicator

[0058] the term

[0059] The following is a glossary of terms used in this disclosure:

[0060] Memory medium—Any of various types of non-transitory memory devices or storage devices. The term "memory medium" is intended to include installation media such as CD-ROMs, floppy disks, or tape devices; computer system memory or random access memory such as DRAM, DDR RAM, SRAM, EDO RAM, Rambus RAM, etc.; non-volatile memory such as flash memory; magnetic media such as hard drives or optical storage devices; registers or other similar types of memory elements; etc. Memory media may also include other types of non-transitory memory or a combination thereof. Furthermore, a memory medium may be located in a first computer system executing a program, or in a second, different computer system connected to the first computer system via a network, such as the Internet. In the latter case, the second computer system may provide program instructions to the first computer system for execution. The term "memory medium" may include two or more memory media that may reside in different locations in different computer systems, for example, connected via a network. A memory medium may store program instructions (e.g., represented as a computer program) that are executable by one or more processors.

[0061] Carrier Medium—storage media as described above, and physical transmission media such as a bus, network, and / or other physical transmission media that carry signals such as electrical, electromagnetic, or digital signals.

[0062] Programmable hardware elements—a broad range of hardware devices consisting of multiple programmable function blocks connected via programmable interconnects. Examples include FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays), PLDs (programmable logic devices), FPOAs (field programmable object arrays), and CPLDs (complex PLDs). Programmable function blocks can range in granularity (combinational logic units or lookup tables) to coarse granularity (arithmetic logic units or processor cores). Programmable hardware elements may also be referred to as "configurable logic units."

[0063] Computer system (or computer)—Any of various types of computing or processing systems, including personal computer systems (PCs), mainframe computer systems, workstations, network appliances, Internet appliances, personal digital assistants (PDAs), television systems, grid computing systems, or other devices or combinations of devices. Generally speaking, 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.

[0064] User Equipment (UE) (or "UE device") - any of various types of computer system devices that are mobile or portable and perform wireless communication. Examples of UE devices include mobile phones or smartphones (e.g., iPhones). ™ , based on Android ™ phones), portable gaming devices (e.g., Nintendo DS ™ PlayStation Portable ™ 、Gameboy Advance ™ , iPhone ™ ), laptops, wearable devices (e.g., smart watches, smart glasses), PDAs, portable Internet devices, music players, data storage devices, other handheld devices, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) (e.g., drones), UAV controllers (UACs), etc. In general, the term "UE" or "UE device" may be broadly defined to encompass any electronic, computing, and / or telecommunication device (or combination of devices) that is easily transportable by a user and capable of wireless communication.

[0065] Base Station—The term “base station” has the full breadth of its ordinary meaning and includes at least a wireless communication station that is installed at a fixed location and used to communicate as part of a wireless telephone system or radio system.

[0066] Processing element (or processor)—refers to any element or combination of elements capable of performing functions in a device such as user equipment or cellular network equipment. A processing element may include, for example, a processor and associated memory, portions or circuits of individual processor cores, entire processor cores, processor arrays, circuits such as ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits), programmable hardware elements such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and any combination thereof.

[0067] Channel—the medium used to transmit information from a sender (transmitter) to a receiver. It should be noted that, because the characteristics of the term "channel" can vary across different wireless protocols, the term "channel" as used herein should be considered to be used in a manner consistent with the standard for the type of device to which the term is referenced. In some standards, channel width can be variable (e.g., depending on device capabilities, frequency band conditions, etc.). For example, LTE supports scalable channel bandwidths from 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 may include different definitions of channels. Furthermore, some standards may define and use multiple types of channels, such as different channels for uplink or downlink and / or different channels for different purposes, such as data and control information.

[0068] Frequency band—The term “frequency band” has the full breadth of its ordinary meaning and includes at least a segment of the spectrum (eg, radio frequency spectrum) in which channels are used or set aside for the same purpose.

[0069] Wi-Fi—The term "Wi-Fi" (or WiFi) has the full scope of its common meaning and includes, at a minimum, wireless communication networks, or RATs, that are served by wireless LAN (WLAN) access points and provide connectivity to the Internet through those access points. Most modern Wi-Fi networks (or WLAN networks) are based on the IEEE 802.11 standard and are marketed under the name "Wi-Fi." Wi-Fi (WLAN) networks are distinct from cellular networks.

[0070] 3GPP access—refers to access (e.g., radio access technology) specified by the 3GPP standards. These accesses include, but are not limited to, GSM / GPRS, LTE, LTE-A, and / or 5G NR. Generally speaking, 3GPP access refers to various types of cellular access technologies.

[0071] Non-3GPP access refers to any access (e.g., radio access technology) not specified by 3GPP standards. These accesses include, but are not limited to, WiMAX, CDMA2000, Wi-Fi, WLAN, and / or fixed networks. Non-3GPP accesses can be categorized into two types: trusted and untrusted. Trusted non-3GPP accesses interact directly with the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) and / or 5G Core (5GC), while untrusted non-3GPP accesses interwork with the EPC / 5GC via network entities such as Evolved Packet Data Gateways and / or 5G NR Gateways. Generally speaking, non-3GPP accesses refer to various types of non-cellular access technologies.

[0072] Automatic—refers to an action or operation being performed by a computer system (e.g., software executed by the computer system) or a device (e.g., a circuit, a programmable hardware element, an ASIC, etc.) without requiring user input to directly specify or execute the action or operation. Thus, the term "automatically" is in contrast to an action being manually performed or specified by a user, where the user provides input to directly perform the action. An automatic process may be initiated by user input, but the subsequent actions performed "automatically" are not specified by the user, that is, they are not performed "manually," where the user specifies each action to be performed. For example, a user filling out an electronic form by selecting each field and providing input specifying information (e.g., by typing information, selecting checkboxes, radio selections, etc.) is not manually filling out the form, even though the computer system must update the form in response to the user's actions. The form can be automatically filled out by a computer system, where the computer system (e.g., software executing on the computer system) analyzes the form's fields and fills the form without requiring any user input to specify the answers to the fields. As indicated above, a user can invoke the automatic filling of a form without participating in the actual filling of the form (e.g., the user does not manually specify the answers to the fields; they are automatically completed). This specification provides various examples of operations that are automatically performed in response to actions that a user has taken.

[0073] About—refers to a value that is close to the correct or exact value. For example, about can refer to a value that is within 1% to 10% of the exact (or desired) value. However, it should be noted that the actual threshold (or tolerance) may depend on the application. For example, in some embodiments, "about" may mean within 0.1% of some specified or desired value, while in various other embodiments, the threshold may be, for example, 2%, 3%, 5%, etc., depending on the desires or requirements of a particular application.

[0074] Concurrency - refers to parallel execution or implementation, where tasks, processes, or programs are executed in an at least partially overlapping manner. For example, concurrency can be achieved 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., by time multiplexing of execution threads).

[0075] Various components may be described as being "configured to" perform one or more tasks. In such contexts, "configured to" is a broad statement that generally means "having the structure" to perform one or more tasks during operation. Thus, a component can be configured to perform a task even when the component is not currently performing the task (e.g., a set 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 statement that generally means "having the circuitry" to carry out one or more tasks during operation. Thus, a component can be configured to perform a task even when the component is not currently turned on. Generally, the circuitry that forms the structure corresponding to "configured to" may include hardware circuitry.

[0076] For ease of description, various components may be described as performing one or more tasks. Such descriptions should be interpreted as including the phrase "configured to." Representing a component as being configured to perform one or more tasks expressly intends that the component not be interpreted under 35 USC § 112(f).

[0077] Figure 1A and 1B :Communication System

[0078] Figure 1A 1 shows a simplified exemplary wireless communication system according to some embodiments. Note that Figure 1A The system is merely one example of a possible system, and features of the present disclosure may be implemented in any of a variety of systems, as desired.

[0079] As shown, the exemplary wireless communication system includes a base station 102A that communicates with one or more user devices 106A, 106B, 106N, etc. via a transmission medium. Each user device may be referred to herein as a "user equipment" (UE). Therefore, user device 106 is referred to as a UE or UE device.

[0080] Base station (BS) 102A may be a base transceiver station (BTS) or a cell site ("cellular base station") and may include hardware that enables wireless communications with UEs 106A through 106N.

[0081] The communication area (or coverage area) of a base station may be referred to as a "cell." Base station 102A and UE 106 may be configured to communicate over a transmission medium using any of a variety of radio access technologies (RATs), also known 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., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), and the like. It should be noted that if base station 102A is implemented in the context of LTE, it may alternatively be referred to as an "eNodeB" or "eNB." It should be noted that if base station 102A is implemented in the context of 5G NR, it may alternatively be referred to as a "gNodeB" or "gNB."

[0082] As shown, base station 102A may also be configured to communicate with network 100 (e.g., a cellular service provider's core network, a telecommunications network such as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), and / or the Internet, among other possibilities). Thus, base station 102A may facilitate communications between user devices and / or between user devices and network 100. In particular, cellular base station 102A may provide UE 106 with various communication capabilities, such as voice, SMS, and / or data services.

[0083] Base station 102A and other similar base stations (such as base stations 102B...102N) operating according to the same or different cellular communication standards can thus be provided as a network of cells that can provide continuous or nearly continuous overlapping service to UEs 106A-N and similar devices over a geographic area via one or more cellular communication standards.

[0084] Thus, while base station 102A may serve as a "serving cell" for UEs 106A-N as shown in FIG1 , each UE 106 may also be able to receive signals from (and potentially be within communication range of) one or more other cells (which may be provided by base stations 102B-N and / or any other base stations), which may be referred to as "neighboring cells." Such cells may also be able to facilitate communications between user devices and / or between user devices and network 100. Such cells may include "macro" cells, "micro" cells, "pico" cells, and / or cells of any other variety of granularity in terms of service area size. For example, base stations 102A-102B shown in FIG1 may be macro cells, while base station 102N may be a micro cell. Other configurations are also possible.

[0085] In some embodiments, base station 102A may be a next-generation base station, such as a 5G New Radio (5G NR) base station or "gNB." In some embodiments, a gNB may be connected to a legacy evolved packet core (EPC) network and / or to an NR core (NRC) network. Furthermore, a gNB cell may include one or more transition and reception points (TRPs). Furthermore, a UE capable of operating in accordance with 5G NR may connect to one or more TRPs within one or more gNBs.

[0086] It should be noted that UE 106 is 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, for example, WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interfaces), LTE, LTE-A, 5G NR, HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), etc.), UE 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, UE 106 can also or alternatively be configured to communicate using one or more global navigation satellite systems (GNSS, such as GPS or GLONASS), one or more mobile television broadcast standards (e.g., ATSC-M / H or DVB-H), and / or any other wireless communication protocols. Other combinations of wireless communication standards (including more than two wireless communication standards) are also possible.

[0087] Figure 1B A user equipment 106 (e.g., one of devices 106A through 106N) is shown in accordance with some embodiments in communication with a base station 102 and an access point 112. UE 106 may be a device having cellular and non-cellular communication capabilities (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, etc.), such as a mobile phone, handheld device, computer or tablet, or virtually any type of wireless device.

[0088] The UE 106 may include a processor configured to execute program instructions stored in a memory. The UE 106 may perform any of the method embodiments described herein by executing such stored instructions. Alternatively or in addition, the UE 106 may include a programmable hardware element, such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA), configured to perform any of the method embodiments described herein or any portion of any of the method embodiments described herein.

[0089] UE 106 may include one or more antennas for communicating using one or more wireless communication protocols or technologies. In some embodiments, UE 106 may be configured to communicate using, for example, CDMA2000 (1xRTT / 1xEV-DO / HRPD / eHRPD), LTE / LTE-Advanced, or 5G NR using a single shared radio, and / or GSM, LTE, LTE-Advanced, or 5G NR using a single shared radio. The shared radio may be coupled to a single antenna or to multiple antennas (e.g., for MIMO) to perform wireless communications. Generally, the radio may include any combination of a baseband processor, analog radio frequency (RF) signal processing circuitry (e.g., including filters, mixers, oscillators, amplifiers, etc.), or digital processing circuitry (e.g., for digital modulation and other digital processing). Similarly, the radio may implement one or more receive and transmit chains using the aforementioned hardware. For example, UE 106 may share one or more portions of a receive and / or transmit chain between multiple wireless communication technologies, such as those discussed above.

[0090] In some embodiments, the UE 106 may include a separate transmit chain and / or receive chain (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 may include one or more radio components shared between multiple wireless communication protocols, and one or more radio components used exclusively by a single wireless communication protocol. For example, the UE 106 may include a shared radio component for communicating using either LTE or 5GNR (or LTE or 1xRTT, or LTE or GSM), and a separate radio component for communicating using each of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Other configurations are also possible.

[0091] Figure 2 :Block diagram of base station

[0092] Figure 2 1 shows an exemplary block diagram of a base station 102 according to some embodiments. Figure 3 The base station of is only one example of a possible base station. As shown, the base station 102 may include a processor 204 that may execute program instructions for the base station 102. The processor 204 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 240 or other circuit or device that may be configured to receive addresses from the processor 204 and translate those addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 260 and read-only memory (ROM) 250).

[0093] The base station 102 may include at least one network port 270. The network port 270 may be configured to couple to a telephone network and provide access to a plurality of devices, such as the UE device 106, as described above in FIG. Figure 2 Access to the telephone network described in.

[0094] The network port 270 (or an additional network port) may also or alternatively be configured to couple to a cellular network, such as a core network of a cellular service provider. The core network may provide mobility-related services and / or other services to a plurality of devices, such as the UE device 106. In some cases, the network port 270 may couple to a telephone network via the core network, and / or the core network may provide a telephone network (e.g., in other UE devices served by the cellular service provider).

[0095] In some embodiments, base station 102 may be a next-generation base station, such as a 5G New Radio (5G NR) base station, or "gNB." In such embodiments, base station 102 may be connected to a legacy evolved packet core (EPC) network and / or to an NR core (NRC) network. Furthermore, base station 102 may be considered a 5G NR cell and may include one or more transition and reception points (TRPs). Furthermore, UEs capable of operating in accordance with 5G NR may connect to one or more TRPs within one or more gNBs.

[0096] Base station 102 may include at least one antenna 234 and possibly multiple antennas. The at least one antenna 234 may be configured to operate as a wireless transceiver and may be further configured to communicate with UE device 106 via radio 230. Antenna 234 communicates with radio 230 via communication chain 232. Communication chain 232 may be a receive chain, a transmit chain, or both. Radio 230 may be configured to communicate via various wireless communication standards, including but not limited to 5G NR, LTE, LTE-A, GSM, UMTS, CDMA2000, Wi-Fi, and the like.

[0097] Base station 102 may be configured to communicate wirelessly using multiple wireless communication standards. In some cases, base station 102 may include multiple radios that enable base station 102 to communicate according to multiple wireless communication technologies. For example, as one possibility, base station 102 may include an LTE radio component for communicating according to LTE and a 5G NR radio component for communicating according to 5G NR. In this case, base station 102 may be capable of operating as both an LTE base station and a 5G NR base station. As another possibility, base station 102 may include a multimode radio component capable of communicating according to any one of multiple wireless communication technologies (e.g., 5G NR and Wi-Fi, LTE and Wi-Fi, LTE and UMTS, LTE and CDMA2000, UMTS and GSM, etc.).

[0098] As further described later herein, BS 102 may include hardware and software components for implementing or supporting specific implementations of the features described herein. The processor 204 of base station 102 may be configured to implement or support implementation of some or all of the methods described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively, the processor 204 may 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 in addition), in conjunction with one or more of the other components 230, 232, 234, 240, 250, 260, 270, the processor 204 of BS 102 may be configured to implement or support implementation of some or all of the features described herein.

[0099] Furthermore, as described herein, processor 204 may be comprised of one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in processor 204. Thus, processor 204 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 204. Furthermore, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform one or more functions of processor 204.

[0100] Additionally, as described herein, radio 230 may be comprised of one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in radio 230. Thus, radio 230 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of radio 230. Furthermore, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of radio 230.

[0101] Figure 3 :Block diagram of the server

[0102] Figure 3 An exemplary block diagram of a server 104 according to some embodiments is shown. Note that Figure 3 The server 104 is just one example of a possible server. As shown, the server 104 may include a processor 344 that can execute program instructions for the server 104. The processor 344 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 374, which may be configured to receive addresses from the processor 344 and translate those addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 364 and read-only memory (ROM) 354) or to other circuits or devices.

[0103] Server 104 may be configured to provide a plurality of devices, such as base station 102 , UE device 106 , and / or UTM 108 , with access to network functionality, eg, as further described herein.

[0104] In some embodiments, server 104 may be part of a radio access network, such as a 5G New Radio (5G NR) access network. In some embodiments, server 104 may be connected to a legacy Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network and / or to a NR Core (NRC) network.

[0105] As further described later herein, the server 104 may include hardware and software components for implementing or supporting the features described herein. The processor 344 of the server 104 may be configured to implement or support the implementation of some or all of the methods described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored on a storage medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium). Alternatively, the processor 344 may 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 in addition), in combination with one or more of the other components 354, 364, and / or 374, the processor 344 of the server 104 may be configured to implement or support the implementation of some or all of the features described herein.

[0106] Furthermore, as described herein, processor 344 may be comprised of one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in processor 344. Thus, processor 344 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 344. Furthermore, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor 344.

[0107] Figure 4 : UE block diagram

[0108] Figure 41 shows an exemplary simplified block diagram of a communication device 106 according to some embodiments. Figure 4 The block diagram of the communication device 106 is merely one example of a possible communication device. Depending on the embodiment, 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, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a UAV controller (UAC), and / or a combination of devices, among other devices. As shown, the communication device 106 may include a set of components 400 configured to perform core functions. For example, the set of components may be implemented as a system on a chip (SOC), which may include parts for various purposes. Alternatively, the set of components 400 may be implemented as individual components or groups of components for various purposes. The set of components 400 may be coupled (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) to various other circuits of the communication device 106.

[0109] For example, the communication device 106 may include various types of memory (e.g., including NAND flash memory 410), input / output interfaces such as a connector I / F 420 (e.g., for connecting to a computer system; a docking station; a charging station; input devices such as a microphone, a camera, a keyboard; output devices such as a speaker; etc.), a display 460 that may be integrated with the communication device 106 or external to the communication device, and cellular communication circuitry 430 such as for 5G NR, LTE, GSM, etc., and short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 429 (e.g., Bluetooth ™ and WLAN circuitry). In some embodiments, the communication device 106 may include wired communication circuitry (not shown), such as, for example, a network interface card for Ethernet.

[0110] Cellular communication circuitry 430 may be (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to one or more antennas, such as antennas 435 and 436, as shown. Short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 429 may also be (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to one or more antennas, such as antennas 437 and 438, as shown. Alternatively, short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 429 may be (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to antennas 435 and 436, in addition to or in lieu of being (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to antennas 437 and 438. Short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 429 and / or cellular communication circuitry 430 may 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.

[0111] In some embodiments, as further described below, the cellular communication circuitry 430 can include dedicated receive chains (including and / or coupled to (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) dedicated processors and / or radios) for multiple RATs (e.g., a first receive chain for LTE and a second receive chain for 5G-NR). Furthermore, in some embodiments, the cellular communication circuitry 430 can include a single transmit chain that can switch between radios dedicated to specific RATs. For example, a first radio can be dedicated to a first RAT, such as LTE, and can communicate with a dedicated receive chain and a transmit chain shared with an additional radio, such as a second radio that can be dedicated to a second RAT (e.g., 5G NR) and can communicate with both the dedicated receive chain and the shared transmit chain.

[0112] The communication device 106 may also include and / or be configured for use with one or more user interface elements. The user interface elements may include various elements such as a display 460 (which may be a touch screen display), a keyboard (which may be a separate keyboard or may be implemented as part of a touch screen display), a mouse, a microphone and / or speakers, 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.

[0113] The communication device 106 may also include one or more smart cards 445 with SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) functionality, such as one or more UICC (Universal Integrated Circuit) cards 445. It should be noted that the term "SIM" or "SIM entity" is intended to include any of various types of SIM implementations or SIM functionality, such as one or more UICC cards 445, one or more eUICCs, one or more eSIMs, removable or embedded, etc. In some embodiments, the UE 106 may include at least two SIMs. Each SIM may execute one or more SIM applications and / or otherwise implement SIM functionality. Thus, each SIM may be a single smart card that may be embedded, for example, soldered to a circuit board within the UE 106, or each SIM 410 may be implemented as a removable smart card. Thus, the SIM may be one or more removable smart cards (such as UICC cards, sometimes referred to as "SIM cards"), and / or the SIM 410 may be one or more embedded cards (such as embedded UICCs (eUICCs), sometimes referred to as "eSIMs" or "eSIM cards"). In some embodiments (such as when the SIM includes an eUICC), one or more of the SIMs may implement embedded SIM (eSIM) functionality; in such embodiments, a single SIM in the SIM may execute multiple SIM applications. Each SIM may include components such as a processor and / or memory; instructions for performing SIM / eSIM functionality may be stored in the memory and executed by the processor. In some embodiments, UE 106 may include a combination of removable smart cards and fixed / non-removable smart cards (such as one or more eUICC cards implementing eSIM functionality), as needed. For example, UE 106 may include two embedded SIMs, two removable SIMs, or a combination of one embedded SIM and one removable SIM. Various other SIM configurations are also contemplated.

[0114] As described above, in some embodiments, the UE 106 may include two or more SIM cards. Including two or more SIM cards in the UE 106 may allow the UE 106 to support two different phone numbers and may allow the UE 106 to communicate on two or more corresponding networks. For example, the first SIM card may support a first RAT, such as LTE, and the second SIM card 410 may support a second RAT, such as 5G NR. Of course, other implementations and RATs are also possible. In some embodiments, when the UE 106 includes two SIM cards, the UE 106 may support Dual SIM Dual Active (DSDA) functionality. DSDA functionality may allow the UE 106 to connect to two networks simultaneously (using two different RATs), or to maintain two connections simultaneously on the same or different networks supported by two different SIM cards using the same or different RATs. DSDA functionality may also allow the UE 106 to receive voice calls or data traffic simultaneously on either phone number. In some embodiments, voice calls may be packet-switched communications. In other words, voice calls may be received using Voice over LTE (VoLTE) technology and / or Voice over NR (VoNR) technology. In some embodiments, UE 106 may support Dual SIM Dual Standby (DSDS) functionality. DSDS functionality allows either of the two SIM cards in UE 106 to be on standby for a voice call and / or data connection. In DSDS, while a call / data call is established on one SIM card, the other SIM card is no longer active. In some embodiments, DSDx functionality (DSDA or DSDS functionality) can be implemented using a single SIM card (e.g., an eUICC) that executes multiple SIM applications for different carriers and / or RATs.

[0115] As shown, SOC 400 may include a processor 402 that can execute program instructions for communication device 106 and display circuitry 404 that can perform graphics processing and provide display signals to display 460. Processor 402 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 440 (the MMU may be configured to receive addresses from processor 402 and translate those addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 406, read-only memory (ROM) 450, NAND flash memory 410)) and / or to other circuits or devices (such as display circuitry 404, short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 429, cellular communication circuitry 430, connector I / F 420, and / or display 460). MMU 440 may be configured to perform memory protection and page table translation or setup. In some embodiments, MMU 440 may be included as part of processor 402.

[0116] As described above, the communication device 106 may be configured to communicate using wireless and / or wired communication circuits. The communication device 106 may be configured to perform the method for enhancing network slicing of a UE as further described herein, for example, in a 5G NR system and above.

[0117] As described herein, the communication device 106 may include hardware and software components for implementing the aforementioned features of the communication device 106 to transmit a scheduling profile for power conservation to the network. The processor 402 of the communication device 106 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively (or additionally), the processor 402 may be configured as a programmable hardware element, such as an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit). Alternatively (or additionally), the processor 402 of the communication device 106 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein in conjunction with one or more of the other components 400, 404, 406, 410, 420, 429, 430, 440, 445, 450, and 460.

[0118] Furthermore, as described herein, processor 402 may include one or more processing elements. Thus, processor 402 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 402. Furthermore, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor 402.

[0119] Furthermore, as described herein, cellular communication circuitry 430 and short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 429 may each include one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in cellular communication circuitry 430, and similarly, one or more processing elements may be included in short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 429. Thus, cellular communication circuitry 430 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of cellular communication circuitry 430. Furthermore, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of cellular communication circuitry 430. Similarly, short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 429 may include one or more ICs configured to perform the functions of short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 429. Furthermore, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 429.

[0120] Figure 5 :Block diagram of cellular communication circuit

[0121] Figure 5An exemplary simplified block diagram of a cellular communication circuit according to some embodiments is shown. Note that Figure 5 The block diagram of the cellular communication circuitry is only one example of possible cellular communication circuitry. Depending on the embodiment, the cellular communication circuitry 530 (which may be the cellular communication circuitry 430) may be included in a communication device such as the communication device 106 described above. As described above, 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, among other devices.

[0122] Cellular communication circuitry 530 may be (eg, communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to one or more antennas, such as ( Figure 4 In some embodiments, the cellular communication circuit 530 may include dedicated receive chains (including and / or coupled to (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) dedicated processors and / or radio components) for multiple RATs (e.g., a first receive chain for LTE and a second receive chain for 5G-NR). For example, Figure 5 As shown, cellular communication circuitry 530 may include a modem 510 and a modem 520. Modem 510 may be configured for communication according to a first RAT (e.g., such as LTE or LTE-A), and modem 520 may be configured for communication according to a second RAT (e.g., such as 5G NR).

[0123] As shown, the modem 510 may include one or more processors 512 and a memory 516 in communication with the processors 512. The modem 510 may communicate with a radio frequency (RF) front end 530. The RF front end 530 may include circuitry for transmitting and receiving radio signals. For example, the RF front end 530 may include receive circuitry (RX) 532 and transmit circuitry (TX) 534. In some embodiments, the receive circuitry 532 may communicate with a downlink (DL) front end 550, which may include circuitry for receiving radio signals via antenna 335a.

[0124] Similarly, the modem 520 may include one or more processors 522 and a memory 526 in communication with the processor 522. The modem 520 may communicate with an RF front end 540. The RF front end 540 may include circuitry for transmitting and receiving radio signals. For example, the RF front end 540 may include receive circuitry 542 and transmit circuitry 544. In some embodiments, the receive circuitry 542 may communicate with a DL front end 560, which may include circuitry for receiving radio signals via the antenna 335b.

[0125] In some embodiments, the switch 570 can couple the transmit circuitry 534 to an uplink (UL) front end 572. Furthermore, 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 530 receives an instruction to transmit according to a first RAT (e.g., via a transmit chain including the transmit circuitry 534 and the UL front end 572), the switch 570 can be switched to a first state that allows the 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 530 receives an instruction to transmit according to a second RAT (e.g., via a transmit chain including the transmit circuitry 544 and the UL front end 572), the switch 570 can be switched to a second state that allows the 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).

[0126] In some embodiments, the cellular communication circuit 530 may be configured to perform methods for enhancing network slicing of UEs as further described herein, for example in 5G NR systems and beyond.

[0127] As described herein, the modem 510 may include hardware and software components for implementing the features described above or for time-division multiplexing UL data for NSA NR operation, as well as various other techniques described herein. The processor 512 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively (or additionally), the processor 512 may 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 additionally), the processor 512 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein in conjunction with one or more of the other components 530, 532, 534, 550, 570, 572, 335, and 336.

[0128] Furthermore, as described herein, processor 512 may include one or more processing elements. Thus, processor 512 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 512. Furthermore, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor 512.

[0129] As described herein, modem 520 may include hardware and software components designed to implement the aforementioned features for transmitting a scheduling profile for power conservation to a network, as well as various other techniques described herein. Processor 522 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively (or additionally), processor 522 may 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 additionally), processor 522 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein in conjunction with one or more of other components 540, 542, 544, 550, 570, 572, 335, and 336.

[0130] Furthermore, as described herein, processor 522 may include one or more processing elements. Thus, processor 522 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 522. Furthermore, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor 522.

[0131] Figure 6A 、 Figure 6B and Figure 7 : 5G Core Network Architecture—Interoperability with Wi-Fi

[0132] In some embodiments, the 5G core network (CN) may be accessed via (or through) a cellular connection / interface (e.g., via a 3GPP communication architecture / protocol) and a non-cellular connection / interface (e.g., a non-3GPP access architecture / protocol such as a Wi-Fi connection). Figure 6AAn example of a 5G network architecture, according to some embodiments, is shown, combining both 3GPP (e.g., cellular) and non-3GPP (e.g., non-cellular) access to a 5G CN. As shown, a user equipment device (e.g., such as UE 106) can access the 5G CN via both a radio access network (RAN, such as, for example, a gNB 604, which may be base station 102) and an access point (e.g., AP 612). AP 612 may include connectivity to the Internet 600 and to a non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF) 603 network entity. The N3IWF may include connectivity to the core access and mobility management function (AMF) 605 of the 5G CN. The AMF 605 may include an instance of the 5G Mobility Management (5G MM) function associated with the UE 106. Additionally, the RAN (e.g., gNB 604) may also have connectivity to the AMF 605. Thus, the 5G CN can support unified authentication across both connections and allow simultaneous registration of UE 106 access via both the gNB 604 and the AP 612. As shown, the AMF 605 may include one or more functional entities associated with the 5G CN (e.g., a network slice selection function (NSSF) 620, a short message service function (SMSF) 622, an application function (AF) 624, a unified data management (UDM) 626, a policy control function (PCF) 628, and / or an authentication server function (AUSF) 630). Note that these functional entities may also be supported by the 5G CN's session management function (SMF) 606a and SMF 606b. The AMF 605 may be connected to (or in communication with) the SMF 606a. Furthermore, the gNB 604 may communicate with (or be connected to) a user plane function (UPF) 608a, which may also communicate with the SMF 606a. Similarly, N3IWF 603 can communicate with UPF 608b, which can also communicate with SMF 606b. Both UPFs can communicate with data networks (e.g., DNs 610a and 610b) and / or the Internet 600 and the Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem / IP Multimedia Core Network Subsystem (IMS) Core Network 610.

[0133] Figure 6BAn example of a 5G network architecture, according to some embodiments, is shown, combining dual 3GPP (e.g., LTE and 5G NR) access to a 5G CN as well as non-3GPP access. As shown, a user equipment device (e.g., such as UE 106) can access the 5G CN via both a radio access network (RAN, e.g., gNB 604 or eNB 602, which may be base station 102) and an access point (e.g., AP 612). AP 612 may include a connection to the Internet 600 and to the N3IWF 603 network entity. The N3IWF may include a connection to the 5G CN's AMF 605. The AMF 605 may include an instance of the 5G MM function associated with the UE 106. Additionally, the RAN (e.g., gNB 604) may also have a connection to the AMF 605. Consequently, the 5G CN may support unified authentication across both connections and allow simultaneous registration of UE 106 access via both the gNB 604 and the AP 612. In addition, the 5G CN may support dual registration of UEs on both legacy networks (e.g., LTE via eNB 602) and 5G networks (e.g., via gNB 604). As shown, eNB 602 may have connections to a Mobility Management Entity (MME) 642 and a Serving Gateway (SGW) 644. MME 642 may have connections to both SGW 644 and AMF 605. Furthermore, SGW 644 may have connections to both SMF 606a and UPF 608a. As shown, AMF 605 may include one or more functional entities associated with the 5G CN (e.g., NSSF 620, SMSF 622, AF 624, UDM 626, PCF 628, and / or AUSF 630). Note that UDM 626 may also include Home Subscriber Server (HSS) functionality, and the PCF may also include a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF). Note that these functional entities are also supported by the 5G CN's SMF 606a and SMF 606b. The AMF 606 can connect to (or communicate with) the SMF 606a. Furthermore, the gNB 604 can communicate with (or connect to) the UPF 608a, which can also communicate with the SMF 606a. Similarly, the N3IWF 603 can communicate with the UPF 608b, which can also communicate with the SMF 606b. Both UPFs can communicate with data networks (e.g., DNs 610a and 610b) and / or the Internet 600 and the IMS core network 610.

[0134] Note that in various embodiments, one or more of the above-mentioned network entities may be configured to perform methods for improving security checks in 5G NR networks, including, for example, mechanisms for enhancing network slicing of UEs in 5G NR systems and higher versions, such as as further described herein.

[0135] Figure 7 An example of a baseband processor architecture for a UE (eg, such as UE 106 ) is shown according to some embodiments. Figure 7 The baseband processor architecture 700 described in

[15] may be implemented on one or more radio components (e.g., radio components 429 and / or 430 described above) or modems (e.g., modems 510 and / or 520) as described above. As shown, the non-access stratum (NAS) 710 may include a 5G NAS 720 and a legacy NAS 750. The legacy NAS 750 may include a communication connection with a legacy access stratum (AS) 770. The 5G NAS 720 may include a communication connection with a 5G AS 740, a non-3GPP AS 730, and a Wi-Fi AS 732. The 5G NAS 720 may include functional entities associated with both access strata. Thus, the 5G NAS 720 may include multiple 5G MM entities 726 and 728, as well as 5G session management (SM) entities 722 and 724. The traditional NAS 750 may include functional entities such as a short message service (SMS) entity 752, an evolved packet system (EPS) session management (ESM) entity 754, a session management (SM) entity 756, an EPS mobility management (EMM) entity 758, and a mobility management (MM) / GPRS mobility management (GMM) entity 760. In addition, the traditional AS 770 may include functional entities such as an LTE AS 772, a UMTS AS 774, and / or a GSM / GPRS AS 776.

[0136] Thus, baseband processor architecture 700 enables a common 5G-NAS for both 5G cellular and non-cellular (e.g., non-3GPP) accesses. Note that, as shown, 5G MM can maintain separate connection management and registration management state machines for each connection. Furthermore, a device (e.g., UE 106) can register to a single PLMN (e.g., 5G CN) using both 5G cellular access and non-cellular access. Furthermore, a device can be connected in one access and idle in the other, or vice versa. Finally, common 5G-MM procedures (e.g., registration, deregistration, identification, authentication, etc.) may exist for both accesses.

[0137] It should be noted that in various embodiments, one or more of the above-mentioned functional entities of 5G NAS and / or 5G AS may be configured to perform, for example, methods for enhancing network slicing of UEs as further described herein in 5G NR systems and higher.

[0138] Network slicing enhancements

[0139] New cellular communication technologies are continually being developed to, for example, increase coverage, better meet various needs and use cases, and for a variety of other reasons. As new cellular communication technologies are developed and deployed, they may include certain features that are new or different from previously developed and deployed cellular communication technologies.

[0140] For example, one approach to cellular network architecture may include using various network slices to provide various services to users of the cellular network. This approach may enable cellular network operators to virtually adapt their network infrastructure to offer a range of applications and services to users in a flexible and efficient manner. Different network slices may be established to provide enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC), and / or massive machine-type communications (mMTC / mIoT), and different public land mobile networks (PLMNs) may support specific types of these network slices. In particular, standards such as 3GPP TS 24.501 define certain standard network slices, such as eMBB (e.g., suitable for handling 5G enhanced mobile broadband), URLLC (e.g., suitable for handling ultra-reliable low-latency communications), MIoT (e.g., suitable for handling massive IoT services / communications), and V2X (e.g., suitable for handling vehicle-to-everything services), and operators (e.g., network operators) may define additional network slices.

[0141] More generally, different network slices may be associated with different data behaviors, bandwidth requirements, and / or Quality of Service (QoS) requirements, among other possibilities. Additionally and / or alternatively, a PLMN may serve multiple different network slices associated with a single service type. In these scenarios, network slice identification management may be performed using Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (NSSAI), where each NSSAI may include one or more Single NSSAIs (S-NSSAIs). Each S-NSSAI may have an S-NSSAI value comprising a set of bits that identify the service type of the slice and / or distinguish between multiple network slices with the same service type. Furthermore, each S-NSSAI may support one or more Protocol Data Unit (PDU) sessions for a UE.

[0142] In the current implementation, an operator of a network (e.g. an operator) may deploy network slices that differ in the features supported and / or provide exactly the same features but for different groups of UEs. Therefore, a single UE may be served by more than one network slice at the same time (e.g. by network slices #1 and #2). In such cases, the AMF serving a single UE may be common to all network slices. As mentioned above, a network slice is identified by an S-NSSAI (Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information) which consists of a Slice / Service Type (SST) and a Slice Differentiator (SD). A group of one or more S-NSSAIs is called an NSSAI (Network Slice Selection Assistance Information). It is further noted that multiple PDU sessions may share the same network slice. For example, if Figure 8 As shown, UE 801 can maintain multiple PDU sessions 813a-813c with Data Network Name (DNN) servers 811a-811c. PDU sessions 813a-813c can be supported by base station 803 and AMF 805 of core network 800. Furthermore, as shown, first network slice 807 of core network 800 can support PDU sessions 813a-813b, while second network slice 809 can support PDU session 813c. Specifically, SMF 817 and UPF 827 of network slice 807 can support PDU sessions 813a-813b, while SMF 819 and UPF 829 of network slice 809 can support PDU session 813c. In this way, AMF 805 of core network 800 can support multiple network slices of UE 801.

[0143] In practice, the network sends UE Routing Policy (URSP) rules to the UE, and the UE uses the URSP to determine whether the detected application can be associated with an established PDU Session, can be offloaded to a non-3GPP access outside of a PDU Session, or can trigger the establishment of a new PDU Session. The URSP rules include a traffic descriptor that specifies matching criteria and one or more routing descriptors that define the parameters of the PDU Session to be used to transport the traffic (including S-NSSAI). The traffic descriptor contains one or more of the following: an application identifier (e.g., application ID), an Internet Protocol (IP) 3-tuple, a non-IP descriptor, a data network name (DNN), connection capabilities, and / or a domain descriptor (e.g., a destination fully qualified domain name (FQDN)). The routing descriptor contains multiple elements, such as the PDU Session type, SSC mode, S-NSSAI, and DNN.

[0144] There are several issues with using application IDs (e.g., operating system (OS) ID + OS APP ID) as part of traffic descriptors. Using APP IDs can impose significant overhead due to the need for consistency between app developers and operators. Furthermore, using APP IDs can raise user privacy concerns, as the network can know which apps are running on the UE, including when the app was launched, how long the app has been running, and how much data is transferred between the app and the network.

[0145] Furthermore, network slices are defined based on DNN, IP / port, FQDN, and APP ID, all of which are useful to the network but not necessarily to the UE. For example, DNN-based slicing is very useful for vertical industries such as IoT and V2X, as the DNN maps to the network slice, while the UE uses a single DDN for all applications. Another example is that IP / port-based network slicing deployment is impossible because content is delivered from multiple CDNs. Consequently, the IP / port frequently changes for the same content on the Internet. Consequently, IP / port network slicing is only useful for very specific operator-provided applications, such as VoNR or MMS.

[0146] Furthermore, there's no proper definition of APP IDs in standards (e.g., APP IDs are not yet defined in standards such as those promulgated by 3GPP). Furthermore, user privacy is a major concern if the UE maps application data based on APP IDs or Full Qualified Domain Names (FQDNs) to network slices (e.g., this type of network slicing reveals to the operator when a user opens an app and how long they use it). Furthermore, the UE may require dynamic slice configuration based on application requirements, which is also undefined in standards (e.g., 3GPP Releases 15 and 16 do not provide the possibility of network slicing for UEs).

[0147] The embodiments described herein provide systems, methods, and mechanisms for enhancing network slicing for UEs, for example, in 5G NR systems and beyond. In some embodiments, a UE (such as UE 106) may have the opportunity to indicate supported traffic descriptors to the network for URSP purposes, for example, Figure 9A In some embodiments, this capability may allow the UE to indicate whether the UE supports the APP ID for network slice allocation. In some embodiments, the network may inform the UE (e.g., via a registration accept message) whether the UE will need to enforce the network slice traffic descriptor.

[0148] Steering Figure 9A , shows an example of signaling for indicating supported traffic descriptors to the network according to some embodiments. Among other devices, Figure 9AThe signaling shown in the figure can also be used with any of the systems, methods, or devices shown in the figure. In various embodiments, some of the signaling shown can be executed concurrently in an order different from the order shown, or can be omitted. Additional signaling can also be performed as needed. As shown in the figure, the signaling can adopt the following process.

[0149] As shown, a UE (such as UE 106) may send a Registration Request message 902 to an AMF (such as AMF 605) of a core network. Registration Request message 902 may include the UE's network slicing capabilities, e.g., whether the UE supports providing network slicing descriptors to the network, such as APP ID, DNN, IP / port information, etc. For example, UE 106 may use Registration Request message 902 to indicate whether UE 106 supports (and / or intends to support) the APP ID type. In other words, UE 106 may indicate via Registration Request message 902 that it does not intend (or desire) to support the APP ID type, e.g., due to user privacy concerns. Additionally, UE 106 may indicate supported traffic descriptors for URSP purposes via Registration Request message 902.

[0150] In some embodiments, the registration request message 902 (e.g., Figure 9B As shown in Figure 1) may include network slice capability information elements (IEs). Figure 9B As shown, the Network Slicing Capability IE may be an optional IE with a variable format and a length of 1 octet. Figure 9CAs shown, the network slice capability IE may include enumerated values ​​that include a list of various parameters / descriptors associated with network slicing that the UE is intended to support / not support. In other words, the UE may send a list of parameters / network slice descriptors that the UE is intended to support / not support, rather than the values ​​associated with the parameters / network slice descriptors. For example, the network slice capability IE may include an indication of support and / or non-support of any one, any combination, and / or all (e.g., at least one and / or one or more) of the following: application ID (APP ID) and operating system ID (OS ID) (APP ID + OS ID), IPv4 remote address, IPv6 remote address, protocol identifier and / or next header type parameter, remote port, security parameter index type, service type and / or traffic class type, flow label type, FQDN, DNN, APP ID, and / or connection capabilities, as well as other parameters associated with the network slice. In other words, the UE 106 may include supported and / or non-supported network slice descriptors in the network slice capability IE (rather than the values ​​associated with the network slice descriptors). For example, if the UE is not intended to support APP ID as a network slice descriptor, the UE may not send a network slice capability IE including an APP ID descriptor in the list of supported network slice descriptors. In this case, the network may then interpret the network slice capability IE to determine that the UE does not support APP ID as a network slice descriptor (e.g., based on excluding the APP ID descriptor from the list). For another example, if the UE is not intended to support APP ID as a network slice descriptor, the UE may send a network slice capability ID including an APP ID descriptor in the list of unsupported network slice descriptors. In this case, the network may then interpret the network slice capability IE to determine that the UE does not support APP ID as a network slice descriptor (e.g., based on including the APP ID descriptor in the list).

[0151] In response to the Registration Request message 902, the AMF 605 may send a Registration Accept message 904 to the UE 106. In some embodiments, the AMF 605 may indicate to the UE 106 whether the UE 106 will need to enforce network slice traffic descriptors. In some embodiments, the UE 106 operating system (OS) may only access FQDNs from applications if (and / or when) the application uses the OS's networking framework. Therefore, if and / or when the network device is configured with FQDN traffic descriptors, the OS may only support FQDN traffic descriptors for applications using the OS's networking framework. In other words, for applications using the OS's networking framework, the OS may enforce network connectivity mapping to specific network slices. Alternatively, the OS may expose the network slice configuration from the operator to the application via a Platform Service Provider Interface (SPI) and / or an Application Programming Interface (API). In such instances, the application may be required to review the network slice configuration and select the correct network slice configuration based on the application's requirements (e.g., according to current standard rules). Additionally, in such instances the OS will not be able to enforce network slice mapping.

[0152] In some embodiments, for example, Figure 10 As shown, the network can provide appropriate slice configuration / URSP to the UE (such as UE 106) based on the information received from the application server. Figure 10 The signaling shown in the figure can also be used with any of the systems, methods, or devices shown in the figure. In various embodiments, some of the signaling shown can be executed concurrently in an order different from the order shown, or can be omitted. Additional signaling can also be performed as needed. As shown in the figure, the signaling can adopt the following process.

[0153] As shown, an application developer and the network may agree on a network slice, for example, stored on an application server such as application server 1004 (e.g., a contractual obligation between the application developer and the network operator that the network operator provide a network slice for the network developer's application, typically at the network developer's expense), and the application server may supply application-related information (e.g., APP ID, domain, required QoS, and network-related attributes) to the network, for example, core network 100, via signaling 1050. In some embodiments, the application-related information may include traffic descriptors such as APP ID, FQDN, IP / port, etc., as well as routing information associated with the location and time validity of the application and / or network slice. Thus, in some embodiments, an interface from the network slice customer / application developer to the network slice provider / operator may be added, for example, as defined by a standard. In some embodiments, parameters such as AllocateNssi API and / or ServiceParameterCreate may be modified and / or extended to include any one, any combination, and / or all of the following: application ID + OS ID, IPv4 remote address, IPv6 remote address, protocol identifier / next header type, remote port, remote port range, security parameter index number type, service type and / or traffic class type, flow label type, FQDN, DNN, application ID, and / or connection capabilities. For example, as shown below with reference to Figure 11 As further described, such parameters may be signaled between the network slice customer and the network slice provider.

[0154] Once the core network 100 receives the application related information from the application server 1004, the core network 100 may provide and / or supply the application related information to the UE 106 via signaling 1052. In some embodiments, the signaling 1052 may include information such as that provided by reference to FIG. Figures 9A to 9C as described and / or as referenced FIG. 12A to FIG. 12B Signaling as described.

[0155] Then, at some later point in time (e.g., after the UE has received the URSP information), application 1016 may be launched on UE 106. Application 1016 may exchange data messages 1054 with UE 106's OS networking platform 1026. OS networking platform 1026 may then exchange data messages 1056 with modem 1036. Based on the application-related information supplied to modem 1036 by core network 1000, modem 1036 may initiate one or more PDU sessions supported by one or more network slices 1058a-1058c via carrier data network 1000. In other words, modem 1036 may route traffic to one or more of the DNNs (e.g., servers 1014, 1024, and 1034) via carrier data network 1000 according to the URSP based on the application connection information. This allows the application to utilize dedicated QoS (e.g., as supported by the specific network slice associated with the application). However, carrier data network 1000 may be able to capture user behavior.

[0156] The ability of the carrier data network 1000 to access user behavior may raise privacy concerns, at least for some users. For example, as described above, an application developer and the network may agree on network slicing, and the application developer may send application-related information (e.g., app ID, domain, required QoS, and / or network-related attributes) to the core network. The core network may then send this information (via the URSP) to all devices under its service. When a user opens the developer's application, the UE's operating system may map the application connection information to the network slice according to the URSP. Thus, whenever there is data on that network slice, the carrier data network will be aware that the user is actively interacting with that particular application. Furthermore, there may be scenarios where an application developer may wish to use a network slice only for premium users, where the subscription to the network slice is paid by the application developer to the operator. However, since the OS may not be aware of premium versus free users of the application, all data from the application may be mapped to the network slice, potentially resulting in a bill shock for the application developer.

[0157] Therefore, in some embodiments, when application 1016 is opened, application 1016 may set a Boolean flag to indicate to OS networking platform 1026 whether to use network slicing. Thus, when the Boolean flag is set, OS networking platform 1026 and / or modem 1036 may route traffic from application 1016 through a specific network slice, for example, based on URSP routing. In such instances, user activity associated with application 1016 may be captured by carrier data network 1000. However, when the Boolean flag is not set, OS networking platform 1026 and / or modem 1036 may route traffic from application 1016 through a default network slice, thereby preventing carrier data network 1000 from capturing user activity associated with application 1016. Alternatively and / or in addition, a user of UE 106 may determine whether to use a network slice associated with an application. For example, via a user interface (UI) setting, the UE may disclose whether a particular application, such as application 1016, is associated with a network slice. In such instances, the UE may be able to select whether to use the network slice for application 1016 (thereby allowing the carrier data network 1000 to obtain user behavior associated with application 1016) or to use the default network slice for the application (thereby not allowing the carrier data network 1000 to obtain user behavior associated with application 1016).

[0158] Furthermore, in some embodiments, when an application developer only wants to use the network slice for premium (e.g., paying) users, the application developer may, for example, collect a SUCI (Subscription Hidden Identifier) ​​from the UE when purchasing the application and / or when subscribing to the application, and provide the SUCI to the core network. The core network may then send the URSP for the application only to the UE associated with the SUCI received from the application developer.

[0159] In some implementations, a bundle ID can be used instead of the APP ID. In some implementations, to accommodate the use of the bundle ID, for example, in standards such as 3GPP TS 24.526, the APP ID can be changed from an octet parameter to a variable-length string. Alternatively, application developers interested in network slicing can generate a unique numeric APP ID from an app store. In such instances, the app store can maintain a mapping between the bundle ID and the numeric APP ID.

[0160] Figure 11 An example of signaling between a network slice customer and a network slice provider according to some embodiments is shown. Among other devices, Figure 11The signaling shown in the figure can also be used with any of the systems, methods, or devices shown in the figure. In various embodiments, some of the signaling shown can be executed concurrently in an order different from the order shown, or can be omitted. Additional signaling can also be performed as needed. As shown in the figure, the signaling can adopt the following process.

[0161] A network slice client (e.g., an application developer / server) such as NSC 1104 may transmit an AllocateNssi request message 1120 to a network slice provider (e.g., a carrier data network) such as NSP 1114. The AllocateNssi request message may include modified and / or extended parameters, such as the AllocateNssi API and / or ServiceParameterCreate, which may include fields defining information associated with the network slice of NSC 1104, e.g., as described above. Thus, the AllocateNssi request message 1120 may include any combination and / or all of the following: application ID + OS ID, IPv4 remote address, IPv6 remote address, protocol identifier / next header type, remote port, remote port range, security parameter index number type, service type and / or traffic class type, flow label type, FQDN, DNN, application ID, and / or connection capabilities.

[0162] NSP 1114 may send an AllocateNssi response message 1122, which may indicate an HTTP status, to NSC 1104. The HTTP status may include an accepted attribute list, a status indicator, and / or an nSS ID.

[0163] The network (core network 100) may send application-related information to all UEs / devices in the network (e.g., all UEs 106) (e.g., via the UOSP). Thus, as shown, the core network 100 may perform signaling with the modem 1036 of the UE 106, for example, to provide the UE with application-related information for the network slice. In some embodiments, the network may need to provide APP IDs and associated routing information for multiple OSs per application. This requirement increases the size of the URSP and may impose a significant amount of overhead on the network. Therefore, in some embodiments, a UE (e.g., such as UE 106) may include its OS-ID in a registration request message (e.g., such as the registration request message 902 described herein). Additionally, the UE may include the OS version in the registration request message.

[0164] In some embodiments, application traffic classes can be used to determine network slices. In other words, application traffic classes can be used as traffic descriptors, for example, in place of application (APP) IDs. In some embodiments, when an application requests to open a network connection, the UE (e.g., the UE's operating system) can examine the application's application traffic class and map the connection to a network slice based on the application class provided by the network. In some embodiments, if no mapping is available, the UE can use a default network slice.

[0165] For example, Figure 12A An example of signaling for determining network slicing using application traffic classes according to some embodiments is shown. Figure 12A The signaling shown in the figure can also be used with any of the systems, methods, or devices shown in the figure. In various embodiments, some of the signaling shown can be executed concurrently in an order different from the order shown, or can be omitted. Additional signaling can also be performed as needed. As shown in the figure, the signaling can adopt the following process.

[0166] As shown, a UE (such as UE 106) may send a registration request message 1202 to an AMF (such as AMF 605) of a core network. The registration request message 1202 may be similar to the registration request message 902 and may include UE network slicing capabilities, APP ID, DNN, IP / port information, etc. The UE 106 may use the registration request message 1202 to indicate whether the UE 106 supports (and / or is intended to support) the APP ID type. In other words, the UE 106 may indicate via the registration request message 1202 that it is not intended (or wants) to support the APP ID type, for example due to user privacy issues. In addition, the UE 106 may indicate the supported traffic descriptors for URSP purposes via the registration request message 1202. In some embodiments, the registration request message 1202 may include the information described above with reference to Figure 9B and Figure 9C Described network slicing capability information element (IE).

[0167] In response to the Registration Request message 1202, the AMF 605 may send a Registration Accept message 1204 to the UE 106. In some embodiments, the AMF 605 may indicate to the UE 106 whether the UE 106 will need to enforce network slice traffic descriptors. In some embodiments, the UE 106 operating system (OS) may only access FQDNs from applications if (and / or when) the application uses the OS's networking framework. Therefore, if and / or when the network device is configured with FQDN traffic descriptors, the OS may only support FQDN traffic descriptors for applications using the OS's networking framework. In other words, for applications using the OS's networking framework, the OS may enforce network connectivity mapping to specific network slices. Alternatively, the OS may expose the network slice configuration from the operator to the application via a Platform Service Provider Interface (SPI) and / or an Application Programming Interface (API). In such instances, the application may be required to review the network slice configuration and select the correct network slice configuration based on the application's requirements (e.g., according to current standard rules). Additionally, in such instances the OS will not be able to enforce network slice mapping.

[0168] Additionally, the AMF 605 may send a manage UE policy message 1206 to the UE 106. Figure 12B As shown, the management UE policy message 1206 may include a mapping of application traffic categories to network slice IDs. Figure 12B As shown, application traffic classes can be mapped to specific network slice IDs.

[0169] Then, when various applications (e.g., applications 1216a-1216b) are launched on UE 106, data traffic from a particular application can be routed to a particular network slice, for example, based on the application traffic class associated with each application. Thus, as shown, application 1216a can include an application traffic class that causes data 1208 to be sent via network slice 1, while application 1216b can include an application traffic class that causes data 1210 to be sent via network slice 2.

[0170] In some embodiments, the UE may support both Application ID (APP ID) and Application Traffic Class. In such embodiments, the APP ID information element may be modified to include a Boolean flag to indicate whether the Application ID or Application Traffic Class is being used by the network. In some embodiments, the Boolean flag may be application-specific. In some embodiments, the Boolean flag may be applied to URSPs.

[0171] Figure 13A block diagram illustrating an example of a method for determining a network slice for data associated with an application based on user privacy settings according to some embodiments. Figure 13 The method shown in the figure can also be used together with any one of the systems, methods or devices shown in the figure. In various embodiments, some of the method elements shown can be performed concurrently in an order different from the order shown, or can be omitted. Additional method elements can also be performed as needed. As shown in the figure, the method can be operated as follows.

[0172] At 1302, a UE (such as UE 106) may receive application-related information from an AMF (such as AMF 605) of a network (such as network 100). The application-related information may be associated with, for example, network slice data routing for data associated with an application executable on the UE. In some embodiments, the application-related information may include a combined package identifier (ID). The combined package identifier may indicate an application identifier (APP ID). In some embodiments, the application-related information may include a UE Routing Selection Policy (URSP) table. The URSP table may include an application (APP) identifier (ID). The APP ID may be a first type APP ID or a second type APP ID. A first type APP ID may identify a unique application in an application store associated with the UE's operating system (OS). A second type APP ID may identify an application network connection category level. In some embodiments, the URSP table may include a Boolean flag for each APP ID included in the URSP table, and the Boolean flag may indicate whether the APP ID is a first type APP ID or a second type APP ID. In some embodiments, the URSP table may include a Boolean flag, and the Boolean flag may indicate whether the APP ID included in the URSP table is a first type APP ID or a second type APP ID.

[0173] In some embodiments, to receive application-related information from the network's AMF, the UE may transmit a registration request message to the AMF and receive application-related information from the AMF. The registration request message may include an indication of the network slicing capabilities associated with the UE. The network slicing capabilities may indicate that the UE does not support application identifiers (APP IDs) as network slice descriptors. The network slicing capabilities may be indicated via a network slicing capability information element. The network slicing capability information element may include a list of network slice descriptors that the UE is intended to support and / or a list of network slice descriptors that the UE is not intended to support. The list of network slice descriptors may include any one, any combination, and / or all (e.g., at least one and / or one or more) of the following: application ID (APP ID) and operating system ID (OS ID) (APP ID + OS ID) descriptor, IPv4 remote address descriptor, IPv6 remote address descriptor, protocol identifier and / or next header type parameter descriptor, remote port descriptor, security parameter index type descriptor, service type and / or traffic class type descriptor, flow label type descriptor, FQDN descriptor, DNN descriptor, APP ID descriptor, and / or connection capability descriptor, as well as other descriptors associated with the network slice. Note that the UE does not send the actual value of the descriptor, but only sends a list of which descriptors are supported / not supported.

[0174] In some embodiments, to receive application-related information from the network's AMF, the UE may receive application-related information based on, for example, a Subscription Hidden Identifier (SUCI) provided by the UE to the application developer of the application. In some embodiments, to receive application-related information from the network's AMF, the UE may receive a policy message from the network's AMF. The policy message may include a mapping of application categories to network slice identifiers (IDs). In such embodiments, traffic routing for data associated with the application is further determined based at least in part on the mapping.

[0175] In some embodiments, the UE may provide the network with an operating system (OS) identifier (ID) before receiving application-related information. The application-related information may then be based on the OS-ID. In some embodiments, the UE may also provide the network with an OS version. In such embodiments, the application-related information may then be based on the OS-ID and OS version.

[0176] At 1304, the UE (e.g., a processor of the UE, such as a processor of the UE's modem and / or a baseband processor of the UE) may determine, in response to the initiation of the application, a traffic route for data associated with the application. The traffic route may be based at least in part on the application-related information and / or a user privacy setting associated with the application. In some embodiments, the user privacy setting associated with the application may be and / or be considered a UE configuration associated with user privacy. Thus, the traffic route may be based at least in part on the application-related information and / or the UE configuration associated with user privacy. In some embodiments, when the user privacy setting is enabled (and / or when the UE configuration associated with user privacy is set to not use network slice routing for the application), the data may be routed via a default network slice. In some embodiments, when the user privacy setting is disabled (and / or when the UE configuration associated with user privacy is set to use network slice routing for the application), the data may be routed via a network slice indicated by the application-related information. The user privacy setting (and / or the UE configuration associated with user privacy) may be indicated by the application via a Boolean flag and / or via a user interface setting. In some embodiments, an operating system (OS) network platform may receive a Boolean flag and / or user interface setting from an application and / or the OS and pass the Boolean flag and / or user interface to a baseband processor of the UE.

[0177] Figure 14 A block diagram illustrating an example of a method for a network to receive a network slice traffic descriptor from an application developer according to some embodiments. Figure 14 The method shown in the figure can also be used together with any one of the systems, methods or devices shown in the figure. In various embodiments, some of the method elements shown can be performed concurrently in an order different from the order shown, or can be omitted. Additional method elements can also be performed as needed. As shown in the figure, the method can be operated as follows.

[0178] At 1402, a network entity of a network, such as, for example, the AMF 605, may receive, from one or more network slice customers (NSCs) (e.g., application developers), a network slice traffic descriptor for an application associated with each of the one or more NSCs. For each application, the network slice traffic descriptor may include any combination and / or all of the following: application ID + OS ID, IPv4 remote address, IPv6 remote address, protocol identifier / next header type, remote port, remote port range, security parameter index number type, service type and / or traffic class type, flow label type, FQDN, DNN, application ID, and / or connection capabilities. In some embodiments, the network slice traffic descriptor may be included in an AllocateNssi request message. In some embodiments, the network slice traffic descriptor may be included in an AllocateNssi API parameter and / or a ServiceParameterCreate parameter included in the request message.

[0179] At 1404, the network entity may provide application-related information associated with network slice data routing to a UE served by the network, such as UE 106. The application-related information may be based at least in part on the network slice traffic descriptor received from one or more NSCs. For each application, the application-related information may include any combination and / or all of the following: application ID + OS ID, IPv4 remote address, IPv6 remote address, protocol identifier / next header type, remote port, remote port range, security parameter index number type, service type and / or traffic class type, flow label type, FQDN, DNN, application ID, and / or connection capabilities.

[0180] In some embodiments, before providing application-related information, the network entity may receive an operating system (OS) identifier (ID) from the UE. In such embodiments, the application-related information may be based on the OS-ID. In some embodiments, before providing application-related information, the network entity may receive the OS-ID and OS version from the UE. In such embodiments, the application-related information may be based on the OS-ID and OS version.

[0181] In some embodiments, the network entity may receive application-related information from one of the one or more NSCs based on one or more subscription concealment identifiers (SUCIs) provided to the NSC. In such embodiments, the application-related information may be based on the one or more SUCIs.

[0182] In some embodiments, application-related information may include a UE routing policy (URSP) table. The URSP table may include an application (APP) identifier (ID). The APP ID may be a first type APP ID or a second type APP ID. The first type APP ID may identify a unique application in an application store associated with the UE's operating system (OS). The second type APP ID may identify an application network connection category level. In some embodiments, the URSP table may include a Boolean flag for each APP ID included in the URSP table, and the Boolean flag may indicate whether the APP ID is a first type APP ID or a second type APP ID. In some embodiments, the URSP table may include a Boolean flag, and the Boolean flag indicates whether the APP ID included in the URSP table is a first type APP ID or a second type APP ID.

[0183] It is understood that the use of personally identifiable information should be subject to privacy policies and practices that are generally recognized to meet or exceed industry or government requirements for maintaining user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be clearly stated to users.

[0184] The embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in any of a variety of forms. For example, some embodiments may be implemented as computer-implemented methods, computer-readable storage media, or computer systems. Other embodiments may be implemented using one or more custom-designed hardware devices such as ASICs. Other embodiments may be implemented using one or more programmable hardware elements such as FPGAs.

[0185] In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be configured such that it stores program instructions and / or data, wherein the program instructions, if executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to perform a method, such as any one 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.

[0186] In some embodiments, a device (e.g., UE 106) may be configured to include a processor (or a group of processors) and a memory medium, wherein the memory medium stores program instructions, wherein the processor is configured to read and execute the program instructions from the memory medium, wherein 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 may be implemented in any of various forms.

[0187] By interpreting each message / signal X received by a user equipment (UE) in the downlink as a message / signal X transmitted by the base station, and interpreting each message / signal Y transmitted by the UE in the uplink as a message / signal Y received by the base station, any of the methods for operating a UE described herein may become the basis for the corresponding method for operating a base station.

[0188] Although the above embodiments have been described in considerable detail, numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully appreciated. It is intended that the following claims be interpreted to encompass all such variations and modifications.

Claims

1. A method for network slicing data routing, comprising: One or more network entities of the core network entity: receiving, from one or more network slice customers (NSCs), a traffic descriptor for an application associated with each of the one or more NSCs, associated routing information, and information based on one or more subscription concealment identifiers (SUCIs) provided to the NSCs; as well as providing application-related information associated with network slice data routing to one or more user equipment devices, UEs, served by a network associated with the one or more network entities of the core network entity, wherein the application-related information comprises a UE routing selection policy (URSP) and is based at least in part on the traffic descriptor received from the one or more NSCs, and wherein the URSP is provided only to UEs associated with the one or more SUCIs.

2. The method according to claim 1, in, For each application, the traffic descriptor includes at least one of the following: Application identifier (APP ID) and operating system ID (OS ID) (APP ID + OS ID); Internet Protocol (IP) version 4 (IPv4) remote address; IP version 6 (IPv6) remote address; Protocol identifier or next-header type parameter; Remote port; Security parameter index type; Type of service and / or traffic class type; Flow label type; Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN), Data Network Name (DNN); APP ID; or Connectivity.

3. The method according to claim 1, The traffic descriptor is included in the AllocateNssi request message.

4. The method according to claim 1, The traffic descriptor is included in the AllocateNssi API parameter or the ServiceParameterCreate parameter included in the request message.

5. The method according to claim 1, in, For each application, the application-related information includes at least one of the following: Application identifier (APP ID) and operating system ID (OS ID) (APP ID + OS ID); Internet Protocol (IP) version 4 (IPv4) remote address; IP version 6 (IPv6) remote address; Protocol identifier or next-header type parameter; Remote port; Security parameter index type; Type of service and / or traffic class type; Flow label type; Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN), Data Network Name (DNN); APP ID; or Connectivity.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The one or more network entities of the core network entity: Before providing the application related information, receiving an operating system identifier OS-ID from the UE; and The providing the application-related information to the UE includes providing the application-related information based on the OS-ID.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: The one or more network entities of the core network entity: Before providing the application-related information, receiving an OS version from the UE; and The providing the application-related information to the UE includes providing the application-related information based on the OS-ID and the OS version.

8. The method according to claim 1, The application-related information includes a URSP table, and the URSP table includes an application identifier APP ID, wherein the APP ID is a first type APP ID or a second type APP ID.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the first type of APP ID identifies a unique application in an application store associated with an operating system (OS) of the UE; and The second type of APP ID identifies the application network connection category level.

10. The method according to claim 8, The URSP table includes a Boolean flag for each APP ID included in the URSP table, wherein the Boolean flag indicates whether the APP ID is the first type of APP ID or the second type of APP ID.

11. The method according to claim 8, The URSP table includes a Boolean flag, wherein the Boolean flag indicates whether the APP ID included in the URSP table is the first type of APP ID or the second type of APP ID.

12. The method according to claim 1, in, The one or more network entities include at least an access and mobility management function and a policy control function.

13. One or more network entities of the core network entity, including: At least one network interface; At least access and mobility management functions and policy control functions; and One or more processors, the one or more processors being coupled to the at least one network interface, wherein the one or more processors are configured to cause the one or more network entities of the core network entity to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-12.

14. A core network entity device, comprising: Memory; and One or more processors in communication with the memory, wherein the one or more processors are configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-12.

15. A computer program product storing instructions executable by one or more processors of one or more network entities of a core network entity to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-12.

16. The computer program product according to claim 15, in, The one or more network entities include at least an access and mobility management function and a policy control function.

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