Dynamic allocation of network slice restrictions and on-demand network slices

Abstract

A primary network slice admission control function (NSACF) is configured to: determine a global quota comprising a first number of user equipment (UE) or protocol data unit (PDU) sessions allowed to register to a network slice; receiving, from a first local NSACF, an indication of a second number of UE or PDU sessions currently registered to the network slice by the first local NSACF, where the first local NSACF is configured with a first local quota comprising a third number of UE or PDU sessions allowed to be registered to the network slice by the first local NSACF; comparing the second number with a local quota usage threshold of the first local NSACF; and based on the comparison, determining whether to update the first local quota of the first local NSACF by reducing the third number.

Description

Background Art

[0001] A network slice refers to an end-to-end logical network that is configured to provide specific services and / or has specific network characteristics. A network operator may want to limit the number of devices registered to a specific network slice. The network may be equipped with a network slice admission control function (NSACF) to perform this task. For example, the NSACF may perform various operations related to managing the number of user equipment (UE) and / or sessions registered to a single network slice. However, there may be multiple NSACFs controlling access to a single slice. Therefore, when there is more than one NSACF for a slice, a way to implement restrictions is needed. Summary of the invention

[0002] Some exemplary embodiments relate to a master network slice admission control function (NSACF) configured to perform operations. The operations include: determining a global quota, the global quota including a first number of user equipment (UE) or protocol data unit (PDU) sessions allowed to be registered to a network slice; receiving an indication of a second number of UE or PDU sessions currently registered to the network slice by the first local NSACF from a first local NSACF, wherein the first local NSACF is configured with a first local quota, the first local quota including a third number of UE or PDU sessions allowed to be registered to the network slice by the first local NSACF; comparing the second number with a local quota usage threshold of the first local NSACF; and based on the comparison, determining whether to update the first local quota of the first local NSACF by reducing the third number.

[0003] Other exemplary embodiments relate to a local network slice admission control function (NSACF) configured to perform operations. The operations include: receiving a first update request from an access and mobility control function (AMF), the first update request indicating that a first number of user equipment (UE) or protocol data unit (PDU) sessions currently registered by the local NSACF to a network slice should be incremented; determining that the first number of UE or PDU sessions will exceed a local quota, the local quota including a second number of UE or PDU sessions allowed to be registered by the local NSACF to the network slice; and transmitting a second update request from a second local NSACF to a master NSACF, the second update request indicating that the first number should be incremented.

[0004] A further exemplary embodiment relates to a local network slice admission control function (NSACF) configured to perform operations. The operations include: receiving a request from a master NSACF indicating a first number of user equipment (UE) or protocol data unit (PDU) sessions currently registered by the local NSACF to a network slice, wherein the local NSACF is configured with a local quota, the local quota including a second number of UE or PDU sessions allowed to be registered by the local NSACF to the network slice; and transmitting a response to the master NSACF indicating the first number.

[0005] Additional exemplary embodiments relate to a master network slice admission control function (NSACF) configured to perform operations. The operations include: receiving a report from each local NSACF of a plurality of local NSACFs, the report indicating a first number of user equipment (UE) or protocol data unit (PDU) sessions currently registered by the local NSACF to a network slice; comparing the first number with a local quota usage threshold of each local NSACF of the local NSACFs, wherein the local quota usage threshold is based on a local quota of each local NSACF of the local NSACFs, the local quota including a second number of UE or PDU sessions allowed to be registered by the corresponding local NSACF to the network slice; and determining whether to update the local quota of one or more local NSACFs of the local NSACFs based on the comparison.

[0006] A further exemplary embodiment relates to a processor of a user equipment (UE), the processor being configured to perform operations. The operations include: receiving a list of configured network slices from an access and mobility function (AMF), wherein one or more of the configured network slices are identified as on-demand network slices; evaluating a user equipment routing policy (URSP) rule to determine whether the URSP rule includes a routing descriptor for any of the on-demand network slices; transmitting a registration request including the on-demand network slice to the AMF, for which the URSP rule includes the routing descriptor; receiving a registration response from the AMF, the registration response including a list of allowed network slices; and for any on-demand network slice for which the URSP rule includes the routing descriptor and is in the list of allowed network slices, further evaluating the URSP rule associated with the on-demand network slice. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Figure 1 Exemplary network arrangements are shown according to various exemplary embodiments.

[0008] Figure 2 Exemplary network architectures are shown according to various exemplary embodiments.

[0009] Figure 3 A first exemplary signaling diagram is shown illustrating a master NSACF dynamically reallocating quota to a local NSACF in accordance with various exemplary embodiments.

[0010] Figure 4 A second exemplary signaling diagram is shown illustrating the master NSACF dynamically reallocating quota to the local NSACFs in accordance with various exemplary embodiments.

[0011] Figure 5 A third exemplary signaling diagram is shown illustrating the master NSACF dynamically reallocating quota to the local NSACFs in accordance with various exemplary embodiments.

[0012] Figure 6 Signaling diagrams according to various exemplary embodiments are shown, illustrating the concept of on-demand slicing.

[0013] Figure 7 An exemplary UE according to various exemplary embodiments is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] The exemplary embodiments may be further understood with reference to the following description and associated drawings, in which like elements are provided with like reference numerals. The exemplary embodiments introduce enhancements to network slicing. In one aspect, the exemplary embodiments relate to implementing a network quota for UE or PDU sessions that may be registered to a network slice. In another aspect, the exemplary embodiments relate to defining an on-demand network slice, in which a UE registers with a network slice only when it actually needs to have connectivity to the network slice. Each of these exemplary aspects will be described in more detail below.

[0015] The exemplary embodiments are described with respect to user equipment (UE). However, the use of the term "UE" is for illustrative purposes only. The exemplary embodiments can be utilized with any electronic component that can establish a connection with a network and is configured with hardware, software, and / or firmware for exchanging information and data with the network. Therefore, UE described herein is used to represent any suitable electronic component.

[0016] The exemplary embodiments are described with reference to a fifth generation (5G) network that supports network slicing. In general, network slicing refers to a network architecture in which multiple end-to-end logical networks run on a shared physical network infrastructure. Each network slice can be configured to provide a specific set of capabilities and / or features. Therefore, the physical infrastructure of a 5G network can be sliced ​​into multiple virtual networks, each of which is configured for a different purpose. Throughout the specification, references to network slicing may represent any type of end-to-end logical network that is configured for a specific purpose and implemented on a 5G physical infrastructure.

[0017] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that 5G may support a variety of different use cases, such as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), enhanced machine type communication (eMTC), industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), etc. Each type of use case may involve a variety of different types of applications and / or services. A network slice may be characterized by the type of use case, the type of application and / or service, or the entity that provides the application and / or service via the network slice. However, any examples in this specification that characterize network slices in a particular manner are provided for illustrative purposes only. Throughout the specification, references to network slices may represent any type of end-to-end logical network that is configured for a specific purpose and implemented on a 5G physical infrastructure.

[0018] A network slice may be identified by a single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI). Each S-NSSAI instance may be associated with a public land mobile network (PLMN) and may include a slice service type (SST) and a slice descriptor (SD). The SST may refer to the expected behavior of the corresponding network slice in terms of services, functions, and features. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the SST may be associated with a standardized SST value. The SD may identify any one or more entities associated with a network slice. For example, the SD may indicate the owner or entity (e.g., an operator) that manages the network slice and / or an entity (e.g., a third party, an entity that provides applications or services, etc.) that provides applications / services via the network slice. In some embodiments, the same entity may own a slice and provide a service (e.g., an operator service). Throughout the specification, S-NSSAI refers to a single network slice, and the terms "NSSAI" or "S-NSSAI" may be used to refer to one or more network slices interchangeably.

[0019] An exemplary embodiment is also described with reference to a network slice admission control function (NSACF). NSACF refers to a network function configured to control and limit the number of UEs and / or packet data unit (PDU) sessions registered to a particular network slice. To provide an example, the NSACF may perform various operations related to implementing a quota for a maximum number of UEs registered to a particular network slice (e.g., S-NSSAI). The NSACF service area is related to the location of the network function user. However, reference to the term "NSACF" is provided for illustrative purposes only.

[0020] For one S-NSSAI, there is only one configured global maximum allowed number value (e.g., number of UEs and / or PDU sessions) for NSAC. However, there may be more than one service area associated with one S-NSSAI, for example, a PLMN is split into multiple service areas. This affects NSAC because there will be more than one NSACF handling UEs. Therefore, among multiple NSACFs, there should be a consistent NSAC handling for the configured global maximum allowed number.

[0021] This scenario of multiple NSACFs may include a variety of use cases, and exemplary embodiments may be implemented based on any of these use cases. In a first exemplary use case, multiple NSACFs are deployed within a PLMN, where more than one service area is defined within the PLMN. For each service area, one NSACF or set of NSACFs is selected for slice admission control, and includes control over the maximum allowed number of UE or PDU sessions.

[0022] The second exemplary use case involves roaming where the user resides at a visited PLMN (VPLMN). The NSAC (e.g., the maximum number of UE / PDU sessions) may be controlled by the NSACF in the VPLMN (e.g., for local breakout (LBO) PDU sessions) or the NSACF in the home PLMN (HPLMN) (e.g., for home routing (HR) PDU sessions).

[0023] The third exemplary use case involves an Evolved Packet System (EPS) interworking scenario. When a user establishes an HRPDN connection at an EPS network and then later moves to an NR network, the NSACF selected by the Session Management Function (SMF) + Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW-C) (e.g., EPS) and the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) (e.g., NR network) may be different.

[0024] It should be understood that these use cases are exemplary only and the exemplary embodiments may be used in any scenario where more than one NSACF is controlling access to a network slice.

[0025] In one aspect, an exemplary embodiment relates to a hierarchical NSACF architecture for implementing maximum UE / PDU session number control. The hierarchical NSACF architecture includes a master NSACF responsible for implementing an overall maximum number of UE / PDU sessions for a network slice and one or more local NSACFs responsible for implementing a local maximum number of UE / PDU sessions. The hierarchical NSACF architecture allows the master NSACF to dynamically reallocate the number of UE / PDU sessions between the various local NSACFs.

[0026] In another aspect, the exemplary embodiment introduces on-demand network slicing. A network slice identified as on-demand allows a UE to delay registration for the network slice until the UE identifies that the UE is to access the on-demand slice. The access mechanism is based on the interworking between the identification of the network slice as an on-demand slice for the UE and a user equipment routing policy (URSP) rule indicating a routing descriptor for the network slice. Specific examples of these exemplary mechanisms are described in detail below.

[0027] Figure 1 An exemplary network arrangement 100 according to various exemplary embodiments is shown. The exemplary network arrangement 100 includes a UE 110. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the UE 110 may be any type of electronic component configured to communicate via a network, such as a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a desktop computer, a smart phone, a phablet, an embedded device, a wearable device, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, etc. It should also be appreciated that an actual network arrangement may include any number of UEs used by any number of users. Therefore, the example of a single UE 110 is provided for illustrative purposes only.

[0028] UE 110 may be configured to communicate with one or more networks. In the example of network arrangement 100, the network with which UE 110 may wirelessly communicate is a 5G New Radio (NR) radio access network (RAN) 120. However, UE 110 may also communicate with other types of networks (e.g., 5G cloud RAN, next generation RAN (NG-RAN), long term evolution (LTE) RAN, traditional cellular networks, wireless local area networks (WLAN), etc.), and UE 110 may also communicate with the network via a wired connection. Therefore, in this example, UE 110 may have a 5G NR chipset to communicate with 5G NR RAN 120.

[0029] The 5G NR RAN 120 may be part of a cellular network that may be deployed by a cellular provider (e.g., Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, etc.). The 5G NR RAN 120 may include, for example, cells or base stations (Node B, eNodeB, HeNB, eNBS, gNB, gNodeB, macrocell, microcell, small cell, femtocell, etc.) configured to transmit and receive traffic from a UE equipped with an appropriate cellular chipset. In the network arrangement 100, the 5G NR RAN 120 is shown with a gNB 120A. However, an actual network arrangement may include any number of different types of base stations or cells deployed by any number of RANs. Therefore, the example of a single 5G NR RAN 120 and a single gNB 120A is provided for illustrative purposes only.

[0030] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that any relevant procedures may be performed for the UE 110 to connect to the 5G NR RAN 120. For example, as discussed above, the 5G NR RAN 120 may be associated with a particular network operator at which the UE 110 and / or its user has protocol and credential information (e.g., stored on a SIM card). Upon detecting the presence of the 5G NR RAN 120, the UE 110 may send corresponding credential information in order to associate with the 5G NR RAN 120. More specifically, the UE 110 may be associated with a particular base station or cell (e.g., gNB 120A).

[0031] The network arrangement 100 also includes a cellular core network 130, the Internet 140, an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) 150, and a network service backbone 160. The cellular core network 130 can be viewed as a collection of interconnected components that manage the operation and traffic of the cellular network. It can include an evolved packet core (EPC) and / or a 5G core (5GC). The cellular core network 130 also manages the traffic flowing between the cellular network and the Internet 140. The IMS 150 can generally be described as an architecture for delivering multimedia services to the UE 110 using the IP protocol. The IMS 150 can communicate with the cellular core network 130 and the Internet 140 to provide multimedia services to the UE 110. The network service backbone 160 communicates directly or indirectly with the Internet 140 and the cellular core network 130. The network service backbone 160 can generally be described as a collection of components (e.g., servers, network storage arrangements, etc.) that implement a set of services that can be used to extend the functionality of the UE 110's communication with various networks.

[0032] Figure 2An exemplary network architecture 200 is shown in accordance with various exemplary embodiments. The following description will provide a general overview of the various components of the exemplary architecture 200. The description of the architecture 200 will be followed by a more detailed description of specific operations performed by the components with respect to the exemplary embodiments.

[0033] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the components of the exemplary architecture 200 may be related to Figure 1 The network arrangement 100 resides in various physical and / or virtual locations. These locations may include: within an access network (e.g., RAN 120), within a core network 130, as a Figure 1 Independent components outside of the described positions, etc.

[0034] exist Figure 2 In the embodiment of the present invention, various components are shown as being connected via connections marked as Nx (e.g., N1, N2, N11, Nsmf, Namf, Nnssf, Nnrf, Nnsacf, etc.). It will be understood by those skilled in the art that each of these connections (or interfaces) is defined in the 3GPP specification. The exemplary architecture 200 uses them in the manner in which these connections are defined in the 3GPP specification. In addition, although these interfaces are referred to as connections throughout the specification, it should be understood that these interfaces do not need to be direct wired connections or wireless connections, for example, these interfaces can communicate via intermediate hardware and / or software components. To provide an example, UE 110 can exchange signals with cell 120A via radio. However, in the architecture 200, UE 110 is shown as having a connection to AMF 205. The connection or interface is not a direct communication link between UE 110 and AMF 205, but a connection facilitated by intermediate hardware and software components. Therefore, throughout the specification, the terms "connection" and "interface" may be used interchangeably to describe the Nx interface between various components.

[0035] The architecture 200 includes a UE 110 and a 5G NR RAN 120. The UE 110 and the 5G NR RAN 120 are connected to an AMF 205. The AMF 205 is generally responsible for connection and mobility management in the 5G NR RAN 120. For example, the AMF 205 may perform operations related to registration procedure management between the UE 110 and the core network 130. The exemplary embodiments are not limited to an AMF performing the above-referenced operations. Those skilled in the art will understand the various different types of operations that the AMF may perform. In addition, reference to a single AMF 205 is for illustrative purposes only, and an actual network arrangement may include any appropriate number of AMFs.

[0036] AMF 205 is connected to session management function (SMF) 210. SMF 210 can perform operations related to session management, such as but not limited to session establishment, session release, IP address allocation, policy and quality of service (QoS) implementation, etc. The exemplary embodiment is not limited to the SMF performing the above-referenced operations. Those skilled in the art will understand the various different types of operations that can be performed by the SMF. In addition, reference to a single SMF 210 is for illustrative purposes only, and an actual network arrangement may include any appropriate number of SMFs.

[0037] The AMF 205 and the SMF 210 are also connected to a network slice selection function (NSSF) 215, a network resource function (NRF) 220, and an NSACF 225. The NSSF 215 performs operations related to network slicing. For example, the NSSF 215 may select a collection of network slice instances configured to be used by or to serve the UE 110. The NSSF 215 may also manage one or more databases including a mapping table of S-NSSAI and the frequency bands in which the S-NSSAI is allowed to operate. The NRF 220 may perform operations related to network service discovery functionality that allows network functions to determine where and how to access other network functions. However, reference to the term "network resource function" is provided for illustrative purposes only. Different networks may refer to similar entities by different names, for example, 3GPP networks may use the terms "network resource function" and "network repository function" interchangeably.

[0038] The NSACF 225 may be configured to perform operations related to controlling the number of registered UEs and / or sessions for each network slice that is subject to NSAC. During operation, the NSACF 225 may check the count of registered UEs and / or PDU sessions for the S-NSSAI and determine whether the network slice quota has been reached. The NSACF 225 may then accept or reject the registration request based on the count and quota. However, reference to the concept of quota is provided for illustrative purposes only. Those skilled in the art will understand that different entities may refer to similar concepts by different names. For example, a 3GPP network may use the terms "quota" and "admission control" to refer to the same concept. In addition, reference to a single NSACF 225 is for illustrative purposes only, and the actual network arrangement may include any appropriate number of NSACFs.

[0039] To provide a more specific example, the NSACF 225 may be configured with a maximum number of PDU sessions per network slice that are allowed to be served by multiple network slices subject to NSAC. During operation, the SMF 210 may be triggered to transmit a request to the NSACF 225 for maximum number of PDU sessions admission control per network slice during the PDU session establishment / release procedure. The NSACF 225 may control (e.g., increase, decrease, etc.) the current number of PDU sessions per network slice so that the number does not exceed the maximum number of PDU sessions allowed to be served by the network slice. When the current number of PDU sessions utilizing the network slice is to be increased, the NSACF 225 may check whether the maximum number of PDU sessions per network slice has been reached for the network slice. The NSACF 225 may then accept or reject the request based on the count and the quota.

[0040] To provide another example, the NSACF 225 may be configured with a maximum number of UEs per network slice that are allowed to be served by each network slice subject to NSAC. During operation, when the registration status of a UE for a network slice subject to NSAC may change, the AMF 205 may be triggered to transmit a request for maximum number admission control of UEs per network slice to the NSACF 225. The registration status may change during procedures such as, but not limited to, UE registration procedures, UE deregistration procedures, network slice-specific authentication and authorization procedures, network slice-specific re-authentication and re-authorization procedures triggered by an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server, and slice-specific authorization revocation procedures triggered by an AAA server. As described above, the NSACF 225 may control (e.g., increase, decrease, etc.) the current number of UEs registered with the network slice so that the number does not exceed the maximum number of UEs allowed to register with the slice. The NSACF 225 may also maintain a list of UE IDs registered with the network slice subject to NSAC. When the current number of UEs registered with a network slice is to be increased, the NSACF 225 may first check whether the UE identity is already in the list of UEs registered with that network slice. If not, the NSACF 225 may check whether the maximum number of UEs per network slice has been reached for that particular network slice. The NSACF 225 may then accept or reject the request based on the count and quota.

[0041] As described above, there may be scenarios where more than one NSACF is controlling access to a network slice. Exemplary embodiments provide a hierarchical NSACF architecture for maximum UE / PDU session number control. In these exemplary embodiments, one of the NSACFs is designated as the master NSACF for the network slice and is responsible for enforcing the global maximum UE / PDU session number. Other NSACFs are designated as local NSACFs to which the UE transmits registration requests for the network slice and which are responsible for enforcing the local maximum UE / PDU session number.

[0042] To provide an example for illustrative purposes, for a network slice, there may be one master NSACF and four (4) local NSACFs. The master NSACF may equally distribute the maximum number of UE / PDU sessions among the local NSACFs, for example, each local NSACF receives 25% of the maximum number of UE / PDU sessions. It should be understood that this is merely an example and there may be any number of local NSACFs, the master NSACF may distribute the maximum number of UE / PDU sessions in any manner (i.e., the distribution is not required to be equal), and the master NSACF may also act as one of the local NSACFs, but this is not required.

[0043] Throughout the specification, the term "quota" will be used to describe the maximum number of UEs and / or PDU sessions allowed for an S-NSSAI. A quota may be described as a "global quota" (e.g., the maximum number of UEs and / or PDU sessions allowed for an S-NSSAI across all NSACFs supporting the S-NSSAI) or a "local quota" (e.g., for a single local NSACF (or set of local NSACFs supporting the S-NSSAI in a service area, the maximum number of UEs and / or PDU sessions allowed for the S-NSSAI). A local quota is a subset of a global quota.

[0044] The above examples may illustrate one or more issues with the hierarchical NSACF architecture. For example, there may be one local NSACF that exceeds the assigned quota while other local NSACFs still have sufficient remaining quota. Therefore, when the global maximum has not been met, this one local NSACF may reject the request from the UE to access the network slice. This may result in inefficient overall use of the S-NSSAI, where the user cannot fully utilize the S-NSSAI. Therefore, the exemplary embodiment also relates to the master NSACF being able to control the maximum quota by dynamically reallocating quotas to local NSACFs as needed.

[0045] Figure 3A first exemplary signaling diagram 300 is shown illustrating the master NSACF dynamically reallocating quota to the local NSACF in accordance with various exemplary embodiments. Figure 3 In the example of the signaling diagram 300, signaling is performed between the AMF 205, the master NSACF 305, the first local NSACF 306, and the second local NSACF 307. The second local NSACF 307 may include one or more NSACFs. As described above, each of the NSACFs 305, 306, and 307 is responsible for the NSAC aspects of the S-NSSAI, for example, the master NSACF 305 is responsible for implementing the global maximum quota, and the local NSACFs 306 and 307 are responsible for implementing the local quota. In the following description of the signaling diagram 300, specific names are provided for various messages exchanged between the entities in the signaling diagram 300. However, it should be understood that these names are merely exemplary, and that information and / or functionality associated with these messages may be conveyed in a message of another name or even multiple messages.

[0046] In 310, the AMF 205 may receive a trigger to perform a UE number availability check and update per network slice. For example, the UE may want to access a network slice, and the AMF 205 is triggered to perform a check to determine whether the UE can access the desired network slice. In 315, the AMF 205 transmits a Nnsacf_NSAC_NumOfUEsUpdate_Request to the first local NSACF 306 to determine the network slice availability. It should be understood that the AMF 205 has been previously configured to understand the NSACF of the NSAC that is controlling the network slice in the current service area of ​​the UE.

[0047] In 320, the first local NSACF 306 performs a network slice availability check. In this example, it may be considered that the first local NSACF 306 has exceeded the local quota for the network slice. However, as described above, this does not mean that the global quota has been exhausted. As shown in 325, the first local NSACF 306 has performed a discovery / selection procedure to learn about the primary NSACF 305 for the network slice. This discovery / selection procedure 325 may have been performed before the first local NSACF 306 performed the slice availability check.

[0048] In 330, the first local NSACF 306 may check with the master NSACF 305 to determine if there is still any maximum quota that can be allocated to the first local NSACF 306. This check may be done by transmitting a Nnsacf_NSAC_NumOfUEsUpdate_Request from the first local NSACF 306 to the master NSACF 305 with information indicating that the first local NSACF 306 has reached the local quota limit.

[0049] In 335, the master NSACF 305 determines that the first local NSACF 306 has reached the maximum local quota of the S-NSSAI based on the information included in the Nnsacf_NSAC_NumOfUEsUpdate_Request 330. The master NSACF 305 also determines that the maximum global quota has been reached. It should be understood that this determination does not mean that all global quotas in the global quota are used. Instead, the determination indicates that all global quotas in the global quota have been allocated to a single local NSACF 306, 307. In the above example, the master NSACF allocates 100% of the available global quota. In some exemplary embodiments, the master NSACF 305 may allocate less than 100% of the global quota and reserve some of the global quota for reallocation without having to release any local quota from the second NSACF 307. However, in this example, it may be considered that 100% of the available global quota has been allocated to the local NSACFs 306 , 307 , and any dynamic reallocation scheme will include releasing local quota from one or more of the second local NSACFs 307 .

[0050] In 340, the master NSACF 305 queries the second local NSACFs 307 to determine the current number of UE / PDU sessions registered for the S-NSSAI. The master NSACF 305 may perform the query by transmitting an Nnsacf_SliceEventExposure_Request to each of the second local NSACFs 307. In 345, each of the second local NSACFs 307 may transmit an Nnsacf_SliceEventExposure_Response (indicating the current number of UE / PDU sessions registered for the S-NSSAI) to the master NSACF 305. It should be understood that the master NSACF 305 will query each of the second local NSACFs 307 individually.

[0051] Thus, at this point in the signaling, the master NSACF 305 has information about the current number of UE / PDU sessions registered for the S-NSSAI in all local NSACFs (e.g., the first local NSACF 306 and the second local NSACF 307) among the local NSACFs. The master NSACF 305 may then compare this number with the maximum quota to determine whether the maximum quota for the S-NSSAI has been reached. In this example, it may be considered that the global quota has not been reached. Therefore, the master NSACF 305 may dynamically reallocate the maximum quota between the local NSACFs 306, 307.

[0052] It should be understood that the master NSACF 305 may perform quota reallocation in any number of ways. For example, the master NSACF 305 may release a single UE / PDU session from the quota of one of the second local NSACFs 307 having remaining quota for reallocation to the first local NSACF 306. In another example, the master NSACF 305 may learn that one of the second local NSACFs 307 is underutilizing the assigned local quota, and the master NSACF 305 may release multiple UE / PDU sessions from the quota of the second local NSACF 307 for reallocation to the first local NSACF 306. In yet another example, the master NSACF 305 may release quota from multiple second local NSACFs 307 for reallocation to the first local NSACF 306. In some exemplary embodiments, the master NSACF 305 may implement a local quota usage threshold that is less than the maximum value of the local quota. The local quota usage threshold may indicate whether the local quota is underutilized by the second local NSACF 307. For example, if the current number of UE / PDU sessions registered for S-NSSAI at the second local NSACF 307 is less than the local quota usage threshold, the second local NSACF 307 may be a candidate for release. In addition, as will be described in other exemplary embodiments below, the master NSACF 305 may use the collected quota information to preemptively reallocate quota before either of the local NSACFs 306, 307 reaches the local maximum.

[0053] To perform the reallocation, the master NSACF 305 may transmit a Nnsacf_NSAC_NumOfUEsUpdate_Request to one or more second local NSACFs 307 that will have their local quota released in 350. The information included in the Nnsacf_NSAC_NumOfUEsUpdate_Request 350 will indicate to each of the one or more second local NSACFs 307 the number of UE / PDU sessions to be released from the local quota. In 355, the one or more second local NSACFs 307 will respond to the master NSACF 305 with a Nnsacf_NSAC_NumOfUEsUpdate_Response indicating that the one or more second local NSACFs 307 have updated the corresponding local quota.

[0054] When the master NSACF 305 has received an update response indicating that the one or more second local NSACFs 307 have updated the corresponding local quota, in 360, the master NSACF may increase the local quota of the first local NSACF 306 by the corresponding amount that has been released from the one or more second local NSACFs 307. This increase in the local quota may be indicated by the master NSACF 305 to the first local NSACF 306 using Nnsacf_NSAC_NumOfUEsUpdate_Response 365 (including information of the updated local quota). The first local NSACF 306 may then provide the AMF 205 with an Nnsacf_NSAC_NumOfUEsUpdate_Response 370 indicating that the local quota has been updated. This will signal to the AMF 205 that the UE is granted access to the requested S-NSSAI.

[0055] Figure 4 A second exemplary signaling diagram 400 is shown according to various exemplary embodiments, which shows that the master NSACF dynamically reallocates quotas to the local NSACF. The entities involved in signaling diagram 400 are the same as those described for signaling diagram 300. In addition, many of the operations and messages in the signaling diagram are the same as the operations and / or messages in signaling diagram 300. Therefore, these operations and / or messages will be identified but will not be described again. As will become clear from the following description, the difference between signaling diagram 300 and signaling diagram 400 is that in signaling diagram 300, there is a global quota that can be dynamically reallocated by the master NSACF 305, while in signaling diagram 400, there is no available global quota to be reallocated.

[0056] The signaling and operations 410 to 445 are the same as the signaling and operations 310 to 340 of the signaling diagram 300. However, in 450, the master NSACF 305 may determine (based on the Nnsacf_SliceEventExposure_Response 445 from each of the second local NSACFs 307) that the second local NSACFs 307 do not have any quota to release. It should be understood that this does not require that each of the second local NSACFs 307 has reached the maximum local quota. While this may be true in some scenarios, in other scenarios, each of the second local NSACFs 307 may be above the local quota usage threshold, and the master NSACF 305 may not want to release any quota from the second local NSACFs 307 that are above the local quota usage threshold even if one or more of the second local NSACFs 307 have not reached the maximum local quota.

[0057] In 455, the master NSACF 305 will transmit a Nnsacf_NSAC_NumOfUEsUpdate_Response (indicating that the maximum number of UEs registered with the network slice has been reached) to the first local NSACF 306. Based on this message, the first local NSACF 306 will understand that the master NSACF does not have any additional quota to reallocate to the first local NSACF 306. Therefore, in 460, the first local NSACF 306 will transmit a Nnsacf_NSAC_NumOfUEsUpdate_Response (indicating that the maximum number of UEs registered with the network slice has been reached) to the AMF 205. This will signal to the AMF 205 that the UE is not allowed to access the requested S-NSSAI.

[0058] Figure 5 A third exemplary signaling diagram 500 is shown, which shows the master NSACF dynamically reallocating quota to the local NSACF, according to various exemplary embodiments. The difference between the signaling diagrams 300, 400 and the signaling diagram 500 is that the dynamic reallocation in the signaling diagrams 300, 400 is based on an on-demand approach, e.g., when the local NSACF runs out of quota, the local NSACF requests additional quota from the master NSACF. In contrast, the signaling diagram 500 shows a dynamic reallocation scheme based on periodic load balancing performed by the master NSACF. Figure 5 The entities involved in the signaling are the master NSACF 510 and two or more local NSACFs 520.

[0059] In 530, the master NSACF 510 transmits a Nnsacf_SliceEventExposure_Subscribe_Request to each of the local NSACFs 520. This requests each of the local NSACFs 520 to subscribe to the master NSACF 510 to periodically report the current number of UE / PDU sessions registered for the S-NSSAI identified in the subscription request. In this example, it can be considered that each of the local NSACFs 520 responds to the master NSACF 510 in 540 with a Nnsacf_SliceEventExposure_Subscribe_Response (indicating that the corresponding local NSACF 520 will periodically report the current number of UE / PDU sessions registered for the identified S-NSSAI).

[0060] At 550, each of the local NSACFs 520 will report the current number of UE / PDU sessions registered for the identified S-NSSAI. The subscription request 530 may indicate the periodicity of the reporting, such as every X minutes or any other time frame. In other exemplary embodiments, the reporting may be triggered by a specific network event.

[0061] Therefore, at this point in the signaling, the master NSACF 510 has information about the current number of UE / PDU sessions registered for the S-NSSAI in each of the local NSACFs 520. The master NSACF 305 may then compare this number with the local quota usage threshold to determine the utilization of the allocated quota by each of the local NSACFs 520.

[0062] For those local NSACFs 520 that are below the local quota usage threshold, the master NSACF 510 may release some of the quota from these local NSACFs 520. This release may be performed by the master NSACF 305 transmitting an Nnsacf_NSAC_NumOfUEsUpdate_Request 560 to each of the local NSACFs 520 that are to have quota released to indicate the updated local quota of the local NSACF 520. In 570, each of the local NSACFs 520 that have had local quota released may respond in an Nnsacf_NSAC_NumOfUEsUpdate_Response to indicate to the master NSACF 510 that the local quota has been updated.

[0063] In some exemplary embodiments, the local quota released from the local NSACF 520 may be retained by the master NSACF 510 to be reallocated as needed. In other exemplary embodiments, the master NSACF 510 may immediately reallocate the released quota to one or more local NSACFs 520 that are close to the local maximum value.

[0064] As mentioned above, another issue related to network slicing is that a UE may choose to register with all configured NSSAIs, and then use User Equipment Routing Selection Policy (URSP) rules to decide which Data Network Names (DNNs) to connect to at runtime. As a result, a UE may register with one or more slices that it will not use, or even in some cases, the configured NSSAIs may include NSSAIs that are not among the allowed NSSAIs. In these cases, even when the UE is not using or will never use a network slice, the UE will be counted towards the quota for each NSSAI that the UE registers with.

[0065] The exemplary embodiments introduce the concept of on-demand slicing that can be included as part of the configured NSSAI. Figure 6 The signaling diagram is used to describe the concept of on-demand slicing.

[0066] Figure 6 A signaling diagram 600 is shown that illustrates the concept of on-demand slicing according to various exemplary embodiments. The entities involved in the signaling diagram 600 include the UE 110, the AMF 610, and the NSSF 620. The signaling diagram 600 is based on the registration that the UE 110 is performing with the AMF 610, which includes the network slice identified by the NSSF. As described above, the NSSF 620 manages one or more databases that include a mapping table of S-NSSAI and the frequency bands in which the S-NSSAI is allowed to operate.

[0067] In 630, NSSF 620 provides the list of configured NSSAIs to AMF 610. The information provided by NSSF 620 also includes an indication of whether each NSSAI in the list of configured NSSAIs is an on-demand NSSAI. In 640, AMF 610 configures UE 110 with the configured NSSAI list (e.g., via a configuration update procedure), the configured NSSAI list including an indication of whether the NSSAI is an on-demand NSSAI.

[0068] Upon receiving the configured NSSAI, UE 110 will not attempt to register for any of the configured NSSAIs indicated as on-demand NSSAIs. Instead, at 650, the UE will evaluate the URSP rules to determine if the on-demand S-NSSAI is in the routing descriptor of the URSP rules.

[0069] In 660, the UE 110 shall include any on-demand S-NSSAI included in the routing descriptor of the URSP rules in the initial registration request with the AMF 610. If the S-NSSAI is returned in the Registration Accept message as being among the allowed NSSAIs, the UE 110 shall further evaluate the routing descriptor of the URSP rules and consider the routing descriptor valid if the S-NSSAI is present among the allowed NSSAIs.

[0070] Therefore, by using Figure 6 From the signaling, it can be seen that UE 110 will register or deregister with the network slice based on the UE policy. This allows the UE to register with the S-NSSAI only when it actually needs to have connectivity to the relevant network slice.

[0071] Figure 7 An exemplary UE 110 according to various exemplary embodiments is shown. The UE 110 may include a processor 705, a memory arrangement 710, a display device 715, an input / output (I / O) device 720, a transceiver 725, and other components 730. The other components 730 may include, for example, an audio input device, an audio output device, a power supply, a data acquisition device, ports for electrically connecting the UE 110 to other electronic devices, and the like.

[0072] The processor 705 may be configured to execute multiple engines of the UE 110. For example, the engine may include a configured NSSAI engine 735. The configured NSSAI engine 735 may execute the NSSAI engine 735 as described above. Figure 6 Various operations related to on-demand network slicing are described in the UE 110 operations.

[0073] The above-described NSSAI engine 735 is provided as an application (e.g., a program) executed by the processor 705 for illustrative purposes only. The functionality associated with the NSSAI engine 735 may also be represented as an independent combined component of the UE 110, or may be a modular component coupled to the UE 110, such as an integrated circuit with or without firmware. For example, an integrated circuit may include an input circuit system for receiving a signal and a processing circuit system for processing signals and other information. The engine may also be embodied as an application or an independent application. In addition, in some UEs, the functionality described for the processor 705 is split between two or more processors (such as a baseband processor and an application processor). The exemplary embodiments may be implemented in any of these or other configurations of the UE.

[0074] The memory arrangement 710 may be a hardware component configured to store data related to operations performed by the UE 110. The display device 715 may be a hardware component configured to display data to a user, and the I / O device 720 may be a hardware component that enables user input. The display device 715 and the I / O device 720 may be separate components or may be integrated together (such as a touch screen). The transceiver 725 may be a hardware component configured to establish a connection with the 5G NR-RAN 120 and / or any other appropriate type of network. Thus, the transceiver 725 may operate on a variety of different frequencies or channels (e.g., a set of continuous frequencies).

[0075] Example

[0076] In a first embodiment, a method comprises: determining a global quota, the global quota comprising a first number of user equipment (UE) or protocol data unit (PDU) sessions that are allowed to be registered to a network slice; receiving an indication of a second number of UE or PDU sessions currently registered to the network slice by the first local NSACF from a first local NSACF, wherein the first local NSACF is configured with a first local quota, the first local quota comprising a third number of UE or PDU sessions that are allowed to be registered to the network slice by the first local NSACF; comparing the second number with a local quota usage threshold of the first local NSACF; and determining, based on the comparison, whether to update the first local quota of the first local NSACF by reducing the third number.

[0077] In a second embodiment, according to the method described in the first embodiment, the method also includes: receiving an update request from a second local NSACF, the update request indicating that the second NSACF has reached a second local quota, the second local quota including a fourth number of UE or PDU sessions allowed to be registered to the network slice by the second local NSACF; and determining that the master NSACF does not have a global quota to be allocated to the second NSACF.

[0078] In a third embodiment, according to the method described in the second embodiment, the method also includes: transmitting a request to report the second number to the first local NSACF, wherein the request is triggered based on receiving the update request from the second local NSACF and determining that the master NSACF does not have a global quota to be allocated to the second NSACF.

[0079] In a fourth embodiment, according to the method of the second embodiment, when the second amount is less than the local quota usage threshold, the first local quota is updated.

[0080] In a fifth embodiment, according to the method of the fourth embodiment, updating the first local quota includes: transmitting an update message to the first local NSACF to update the first local quota by reducing the third number; and receiving an update response from the first local NSACF, the update response indicating that the first local quota has been updated.

[0081] In a sixth embodiment, according to the method described in the fifth embodiment, the method also includes: determining that the second local quota is to be updated by increasing the fourth number, wherein the increase in the fourth number corresponds to a decrease in the third number; and transmitting an update response to the second local NSACF to update the second local quota by increasing the fourth number.

[0082] In a seventh embodiment, according to the method of the second embodiment, when the second amount is greater than the local quota usage threshold, the first local quota is not updated.

[0083] In an eighth embodiment, according to the method of the seventh embodiment, the method further comprises: transmitting an update response to the second local NSACF to indicate that the second local quota will not be updated.

[0084] In a ninth embodiment, one or more processors are configured to execute any one of the methods described in the first to eighth embodiments.

[0085] In a tenth embodiment, a primary network slice admission control function (NSACF) is configured to perform any one of the methods described in the first to eighth embodiments.

[0086] In an eleventh embodiment, a method, the method comprising: receiving a first update request from an access and mobility control function (AMF), the first update request indicating that a first number of user equipment (UE) or protocol data unit (PDU) sessions currently registered by the local NSACF to a network slice should be incremented; determining that the first number of UE or PDU sessions will exceed a local quota, the local quota including a second number of UE or PDU sessions allowed to be registered by the local NSACF to the network slice; and transmitting a second update request from a second local NSACF to the master NSACF, the second update request indicating that the first number should be incremented.

[0087] In a twelfth embodiment, according to the method described in the eleventh embodiment, the method also includes: receiving a first update response to the second update request from the master NSACF, the first update response indicating that the local NSACF is to update the local quota by increasing the second number; incrementing the first number; and transmitting a second update response to the AMF, the second update response indicating that the first number has been incremented.

[0088] In a thirteenth embodiment, according to the method described in the eleventh embodiment, the method also includes: receiving a first update response to the second update request from the master NSACF, the first update response indicating that the first number has not been incremented; and transmitting a second update response to the AMF, the second update response indicating that the first number has not been incremented.

[0089] In a fourteenth embodiment, one or more processors are configured to perform any one of the methods described in accordance with the eleventh to thirteenth embodiments.

[0090] In a fifteenth embodiment, a local network slice admission control function (NSACF) is provided, wherein the local network slice admission control function (NSACF) is configured to perform any one of the methods described in the eleventh to thirteenth embodiments.

[0091] In a sixteenth embodiment, a method comprises: receiving a request from a master NSACF to indicate a first number of user equipment (UE) or protocol data unit (PDU) sessions currently registered by a local NSACF to a network slice, wherein the local NSACF is configured with a local quota, and the local quota includes a second number of UE or PDU sessions allowed to be registered by the local NSACF to the network slice; and transmitting a response indicating the first number to the master NSACF.

[0092] In a seventeenth embodiment, according to the method of the sixteenth embodiment, the method further includes: receiving an update request from the master NSACF to update the local quota by reducing the second number; and transmitting an update response to the master NSACF, the update response indicating that the local quota has been updated.

[0093] In an eighteenth embodiment, one or more processors are configured to perform any one of the methods described in accordance with the sixteenth to seventeenth embodiments.

[0094] In a nineteenth embodiment, a local network slice admission control function (NSACF) is configured to perform any one of the methods described in embodiments sixteen to seventeen.

[0095] In a twentieth embodiment, a method, the method comprising: receiving a report from each local NSACF of a plurality of local NSACFs, the report indicating a first number of user equipment (UE) or protocol data unit (PDU) sessions currently registered by the local NSACF to a network slice; comparing the first number with a local quota usage threshold of each local NSACF of the local NSACFs, wherein the local quota usage threshold is based on a local quota of each local NSACF of the local NSACFs, the local quota comprising a second number of UE or PDU sessions allowed to be registered by the corresponding local NSACF to the network slice; and determining whether to update the local quota of one or more local NSACFs of the local NSACFs based on the comparison.

[0096] In a twenty-first embodiment, according to the method of the twentieth embodiment, updating the local quota includes reducing the second amount.

[0097] In a twenty-second embodiment, according to the method described in the twenty-first embodiment, the method also includes: transmitting an update request to the one or more local NSACFs to be updated, the update request indicating that the local quota is to be updated, including an indication that the second number is to be reduced; and receiving an update response from the one or more local NSACFs to be updated, the update response indicating that the local quota is updated.

[0098] In a twenty-third embodiment, one or more processors are configured to perform any one of the methods described in accordance with the twentieth to twenty-second embodiments.

[0099] In a twenty-fourth embodiment, a primary network slice admission control function (NSACF) is configured to perform any one of the methods described in embodiments 20 to 22.

[0100] In a twenty-fifth embodiment, a method comprises: receiving a list of configured network slices from an access and mobility function (AMF), wherein one or more of the configured network slices are identified as on-demand network slices; evaluating a user equipment routing policy (URSP) rule to determine whether the URSP rule includes a routing descriptor for any of the on-demand network slices; transmitting a registration request including the on-demand network slice to the AMF, for which the URSP rule includes the routing descriptor; receiving a registration response from the AMF, the registration response including a list of allowed network slices; and for any on-demand network slice for which the URSP rule includes the routing descriptor and is in the list of allowed network slices, further evaluating the URSP rule related to the on-demand network slice.

[0101] In a twenty-sixth embodiment, one or more processors are configured to perform the method according to the twenty-fifth embodiment.

[0102] In a twenty-seventh embodiment, a user equipment (UE) comprises: a transceiver configured to communicate with one or more networks; and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the transceiver and configured to execute the method according to the twenty-fifth embodiment.

[0103] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the exemplary embodiments described above can be implemented in any suitable software configuration or hardware configuration or a combination thereof. Exemplary hardware platforms for implementing the exemplary embodiments may include, for example, Intel x86-based platforms, Windows OS, Mac platforms and MAC OS with compatible operating systems, mobile devices with operating systems such as iOS, Android, etc. The exemplary embodiments of the methods described above may be embodied as a program comprising lines of code stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, which, when compiled, can be executed on a processor or microprocessor.

[0104] Although this application describes various embodiments, each having different features in various combinations, those skilled in the art will understand that any feature of one embodiment may be combined with features of other embodiments in any manner that is not specifically negated or that is not functionally or logically inconsistent with the operation of the device or the prescribed function of the disclosed embodiment.

[0105] 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 the authorized use should be clearly stated to users.

[0106] It is obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made to the present disclosure without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, it is intended that the present disclosure covers the modifications and variations of the present disclosure as long as they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A primary network slice admission control function (NSACF), the primary network slice admission control function (NSACF) being configured to perform operations, the operations comprising: determining a global quota comprising a first number of user equipment (UE) or protocol data unit (PDU) sessions allowed to be registered to the network slice; receiving, from a first local NSACF, an indication of a second number of UE or PDU sessions currently registered by the first local NSACF to the network slice, wherein the first local NSACF is configured with a first local quota, the first local quota comprising a third number of UE or PDU sessions permitted to be registered by the first local NSACF to the network slice; comparing the second amount to a local quota usage threshold of the first local NSACF; as well as Based on the comparison, it is determined whether to update the first local quota of the first local NSACF by reducing the third amount.

2. The master NSACF of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise: receiving an update request from a second local NSACF, the update request indicating that the second NSACF has reached a second local quota, the second local quota comprising a fourth number of UE or PDU sessions allowed to be registered to the network slice by the second local NSACF; as well as It is determined that the master NSACF does not have a global quota to allocate to the second NSACF.

3. The master NSACF of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise: A request to report the second amount is transmitted to the first local NSACF, wherein the request is triggered based on receiving the update request from the second local NSACF and determining that the master NSACF does not have a global quota to allocate to the second NSACF.

4. The master NSACF of claim 2, wherein when the second amount is less than the local quota usage threshold, the first local quota is updated.

5. The master NSACF of claim 4, wherein updating the first local quota comprises: transmitting an update message to the first local NSACF to update the first local quota by reducing the third amount; as well as An update response is received from the first local NSACF, the update response indicating that the first local quota has been updated.

6. The master NSACF of claim 5, wherein the operations further comprise: determining that the second local quota is to be updated by increasing the fourth amount, wherein the increase in the fourth amount corresponds to a decrease in the third amount; as well as An update response is transmitted to the second local NSACF to update the second local quota by increasing the fourth amount.

7. The master NSACF of claim 2, wherein when the second amount is greater than the local quota usage threshold, the first local quota is not updated.

8. The master NSACF of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise: An update response is transmitted to the second local NSACF to indicate that the second local quota is not to be updated.

9. A local network slice admission control function (NSACF), the local network slice admission control function (NSACF) being configured to perform operations, the operations comprising: receiving a first update request from an access and mobility control function (AMF), the first update request indicating that a first number of user equipment (UE) or protocol data unit (PDU) sessions currently registered by the local NSACF to a network slice should be incremented; determining that the first number of UE or PDU sessions will exceed a local quota, the local quota comprising a second number of UE or PDU sessions allowed to be registered by the local NSACF to the network slice; as well as A second update request from a second local NSACF is transmitted to the master NSACF, the second update request indicating that the first number should be incremented.

10. The local NSACF of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise: receiving, from the master NSACF, a first update response to the second update request, the first update response indicating that the local NSACF is to update the local quota by increasing the second amount; incrementing the first amount; as well as Transmitting a second update response to the AMF, the second update response indicating that the first number has been incremented.

11. The local NSACF of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise: receiving, from the master NSACF, a first update response to the second update request, the first update response indicating that the first number is not incremented; as well as Transmitting a second update response to the AMF, the second update response indicating that the first number has not been incremented.

12. A primary network slice admission control function (NSACF), the primary network slice admission control function (NSACF) being configured to perform operations, the operations comprising: receiving a report from each local NSACF of a plurality of local NSACFs, the report indicating a first number of user equipment (UE) or protocol data unit (PDU) sessions currently registered by the local NSACF to the network slice; comparing the first number with a local quota usage threshold for each of the local NSACFs, wherein the local quota usage threshold is based on a local quota for each of the local NSACFs, the local quota comprising a second number of UE or PDU sessions allowed to be registered to the network slice by the corresponding local NSACF; as well as Based on the comparison, it is determined whether to update the local quota of one or more of the local NSACFs.

13. The master NSACF of claim 12, wherein updating the local quota comprises decreasing the second amount.

14. The master NSACF of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise: transmitting an update request to the one or more local NSACFs to be updated, the update request indicating that the local quota is to be updated, including an indication that the second amount is to be reduced; as well as An update response is received from the one or more local NSACFs to be updated, the update response indicating that the local quota is updated.

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