Method and apparatus for determining network slice priority in wireless communication system

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a 5G or 6G communication system supporting a higher data transmission rate. According to an embodiment, the invention provides a method and a device for determining a network slice priority in a wireless communication system. The method includes: receiving a first message requesting slice priority related information from a second node; acquiring the slice priority related information related to a slice priority corresponding to a network slice access layer group (NSAG); and sending a second message including the slice priority related information to the second node in response to receiving the first message.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for determining network slice priorities in a wireless communication system. Background Art

[0002] The fifth generation (5G) mobile communication technology defines a wide frequency band, making it possible to achieve high transmission rates and new services, and these technologies can be implemented not only in the "below 6 GHz" frequency band such as 3.5 GHz, but also in the "above 6 GHz" frequency band called millimeter wave including 28 GHz and 39 GHz. In addition, in order to achieve a transmission rate fifty times faster than 5G mobile communication technology and an ultra-low latency of only one-tenth of 5G, the implementation of 6G mobile communication technology in the terahertz frequency band (such as the 95 GHz to 3 THz frequency band) (called the super 5G system) is being considered.

[0003] In the early stages of 5G mobile communication technology, in order to support services and meet performance requirements related to enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC), and massive machine type communications (mMTC), standardization work has been ongoing on beamforming and massive MIMO to mitigate radio wave path loss in millimeter waves and increase radio wave transmission distance; standardization work on parameter sets (e.g., operating multiple subcarrier spacings) to effectively utilize millimeter wave resources and dynamically operate time slot formats; standardization work on initial access technology to support multi-beam transmission and wide bands; standardization work on the definition and operation of bandwidth parts (BWPs); standardization work on new channel coding methods such as LDPC (low-density parity check) codes for large-capacity data transmission and polar codes for high-reliability transmission of control information; standardization work on L2 preprocessing; and standardization work on network slicing to provide dedicated networks customized for specific services.

[0004] Discussions are ongoing on the improvement and performance enhancement of the first generation of 5G mobile communication technology in view of the services it will support. Physical layer standardization is also progressing, involving technologies such as: V2X technology, which assists autonomous vehicles in making driving decisions based on vehicle position and status information transmitted by the vehicle and improves user convenience; New Radio Unlicensed (NR-U) technology, which aims to make system operations comply with various regulatory requirements in unlicensed bands; NR UE energy saving technology; Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) technology, which ensures coverage in areas where communication with terrestrial networks is not possible through direct communication between user equipment (UE) and satellites; and positioning technology.

[0005] In addition, in the field of wireless interface architecture / protocol, standardization work has been ongoing for Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies that support interoperability and integration with other industries to provide new services, Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) technologies that provide nodes for network service area expansion by supporting wireless backhaul links and access links in an integrated manner, mobility enhancement technologies including conditional switching and dual active protocol stack (DAPS) switching, and two-step random access (NR's two-step random access channel RACH) technology for simplifying the random access process. In the field of system architecture / services, standardization work has also been ongoing for 5G baseline architecture (e.g., service-based architecture or service-based interface) that combines network function virtualization (NFV) and software defined network (SDN) technologies, and mobile edge computing (MEC) that receives services based on UE location.

[0006] If such 5G mobile communication systems are commercialized, the exponentially growing number of connected devices will be connected to the communication network, so it is necessary to improve the functions and performance of 5G mobile communication systems, and the integrated operation of connected devices is expected accordingly. To this end, research is planned to be carried out on the efficient support of extended reality (XR, XR = AR + VR + MR) such as AR and VR, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to improve 5G performance and reduce complexity, and the development of AI service support, metaverse service support, and drone communication.

[0007] Furthermore, this development of 5G mobile communication systems will lay the foundation for the development of new waveforms for securing terahertz band coverage for 6G mobile communication technology, full-dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), multi-antenna transmission technologies such as array antennas and massive antennas, metamaterial-based lenses and antennas for improving the coverage of terahertz band signals, high-dimensional spatial multiplexing technology using orbital angular momentum (OAM), and reconfigurable smart surfaces (RIS); it will also lay the foundation for the development of full-duplex technology for improving frequency efficiency and improving system networks for 6G mobile communication technology, artificial intelligence (AI)-based communication technology for achieving system optimization by utilizing satellites and AI from the design stage and internalizing end-to-end AI support functions, and next-generation distributed computing technology for achieving complex-level services that exceed the limits of UE operating capabilities using ultra-high-performance communication and computing resources.

[0008] The above information is provided as background information only to assist in understanding the content of the present disclosure. No determination has been made and no statement has been made as to whether any of the above information may serve as prior art for the present disclosure. Summary of the invention

[0009] Technical issues

[0010] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method performed by a first node in a wireless communication system is provided. The method includes: receiving a first message for requesting slice priority related information from a second node; obtaining the slice priority related information for each network slice access layer group (NSAG); and sending a second message in response to the first message to the second node, the second message including the slice priority related information.

[0011] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method performed by a second node in a wireless communication system is provided. The method includes: sending a first message for requesting slice priority related information to a first node; and receiving a second message in response to the first message from the first node, the second message including slice priority related information of each network slice access layer group (NSAG), the slice priority related information being acquired by the first node.

[0012] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a first node in a wireless communication system is provided. The first node includes a transceiver configured to send or receive a signal and at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: receive a first message for requesting slice priority related information from a second node; obtain the slice priority related information for each network slice access layer group (NSAG); and send a second message in response to the first message to the second node, the second message including the slice priority related information.

[0013] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a second node in a wireless communication system is provided. The second node includes a transceiver configured to send or receive a signal and at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: send a first message for requesting slice priority related information to a first node; and receive a second message in response to the first message from the first node, wherein the second message includes slice priority related information of each network slice access layer group (NSAG), and the slice priority related information is obtained by the first node.

[0014] Beneficial Effects of the Invention

[0015] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the UE can receive slice group priority determined based on various analysis information and operate the network efficiently.

[0016] More specifically, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in a 3GPP 5G system, when network slice group priority and mapping information between network slices and network slice groups are provided for slice-based cell reselection of a user equipment (UE), an access and mobility management function (AMF) can determine the slice group priority based on various analysis information for the slice, thereby making the network operation more efficient.

[0017] The advantageous effects obtainable from the present disclosure may not be limited to the above-mentioned effects, and other effects not mentioned may also be clearly understood by those skilled in the art in the technical field to which the present disclosure belongs through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of certain embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0019] Figure 1 The process of NF subscribing slice priority statistics analysis information to NWDAF and receiving corresponding information from NWDAF according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0020] Figure 2 A method for an AMF to determine slice priority information based on slice priority related analysis information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0021] Figure 3 A method for NSSF to determine slice priority information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0022] Figure 4 shows the configuration of a UE according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0023] Figure 5 The configuration of the network entity according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Before launching into the following detailed description, it is necessary to define the meaning of certain words and phrases used throughout this disclosure: the terms "include" and "comprises" and their derivatives mean including but not limited to; the term "or" is inclusive, meaning and / or; the phrases "associated with..." and "associated with" and their derivatives may mean including, included, interconnected with, contained, contained within, connected with, coupled with, communicable with, cooperating with, interlaced, parallel, close to, bound with, having, having a certain attribute, etc.; the term "controller" refers to any device, system or part thereof that controls at least one operation, such a device may be implemented in hardware, firmware or software, or some combination of at least two of them. It should be noted that the functionality associated with any particular controller may be centralized or distributed, whether local or remote.

[0025] In addition, the various functions described below can be implemented or supported by one or more computer programs, which are composed of computer-readable program codes and embodied in computer-readable media. The terms "application" and "program" refer to one or more computer programs, software components, instruction sets, processes, functions, objects, classes, instances, related data or parts thereof, which are suitable for implementation in appropriate computer-readable program codes. The phrase "computer-readable program code" includes any type of computer code, such as source code, object code and execution code. The phrase "computer-readable medium" includes any type of medium that can be accessed by a computer, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), hard drive, compact disk (CD), digital video disk (DVD) or any other type of memory. "Non-transitory" computer-readable media do not include wired, wireless, optical or other communication links for transmitting temporary electrical signals or other signals. Non-transitory computer-readable media include media that can permanently store data and media that can store data and can be overwritten later, such as rewritable optical disks or erasable storage devices.

[0026] Definitions for certain words and phrases are provided throughout this disclosure, those skilled in the art should understand that in many, if not most instances, such definitions apply to both prior, as well as future uses of such defined words and phrases.

[0027] The following Figures 1 to 5 The various embodiments used to describe the principles of the present disclosure are only examples and should not be interpreted in any way as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the principles of the present disclosure can be implemented in any appropriately arranged system or device.

[0028] When describing the embodiments of the present disclosure, descriptions of technical contents that are well known in the art and not directly related to the present disclosure will be omitted. This practice of omitting unnecessary descriptions is intended to avoid obscuring the core idea of ​​the present disclosure and to convey this core idea more clearly.

[0029] For the same reason, in the accompanying drawings, some elements may be exaggerated, omitted or shown in a schematic manner. In addition, the size of each element does not fully reflect its actual size. In the accompanying drawings, the same or corresponding elements are given the same reference numerals.

[0030] By referring to the embodiments described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the advantages and features of the present disclosure and their implementation will be apparent. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments set forth below, but can be implemented in various different forms. The following embodiments are only used to fully disclose the present disclosure and to enable those skilled in the art to understand the scope of the present disclosure, and the scope of the present disclosure is limited only by the scope of the attached claims. Throughout the specification, the same or similar reference numerals represent the same or similar elements.

[0031] Here, it should be understood that each box in the flowchart and the combination of boxes in the flowchart can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device can create a method for implementing the functions specified by one or more boxes in the flowchart. These computer program instructions can also be stored in a computer-usable or computer-readable memory, which can instruct the computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-usable or computer-readable memory produce a kind of manufactured product, which includes the functions specified by one or more boxes in the flowchart. In addition, these computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device to perform a series of operating steps on the computer or other programmable device, thereby producing a computer-implemented process, so that the instructions executed on the computer or other programmable device provide steps for implementing the functions specified by one or more boxes in the flowchart.

[0032] In addition, each box in the flowchart illustration may represent a module, code segment or portion of code, wherein the code contains one or more executable instructions that implement the specified logical functions. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the boxes may not occur in order. For example, two boxes shown in succession may actually be executed almost simultaneously, or the boxes may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the functions involved.

[0033] In this article, "unit" refers to a software element or hardware element that performs a predetermined function, such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). However, the meaning of "unit" is not always limited to software or hardware. "Unit" can be constructed to be stored in an addressable storage medium, or it can be constructed to be executed on one or more processors. Therefore, "unit" includes, for example, software elements, object-oriented software elements, class elements or task elements, processes, functions, attributes, programs, subroutines, program code segments, drivers, firmware, microcodes, circuits, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and parameters. The elements and functions provided by "unit" can be combined into fewer elements or "units", or can be decomposed into more elements or "units". In addition, these elements and "units" can also be implemented as duplicating one or more CPUs in a device or a secure multimedia card.

[0034] The operating principle of the present disclosure will be described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the following description of the present disclosure, if it is determined that the description may make the subject matter of the present disclosure unnecessarily vague, the detailed description of the known functions or configurations contained therein will be omitted. The terms to be described below are defined according to the functions in the present disclosure and may vary depending on the user, user intention or habit. Therefore, the definition of the terms should be determined based on the content of the entire specification.

[0035] In the following description of the present disclosure, if it is determined that a detailed description of known functions or configurations contained therein may make the subject matter of the present disclosure unnecessarily obscure, such detailed description will be omitted. The following will describe the embodiments of the present disclosure in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0036] In the following description, for the sake of convenience, terms for identifying access nodes, terms referring to network entities, terms referring to messages, terms referring to interfaces between network entities, terms referring to various identification information, etc. are exemplarily used. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the terms used below, and other terms referring to subjects with equivalent technical meanings may also be used.

[0037] The 5G mobile communication network consists of 5G user equipment (UE) (or terminal), 5G radio access network (RAN), base stations, gNB (5G base station), eNB (evolved base station, etc.) and 5G core network.

[0038] The 5G core network consists of network functions, including: access and mobility management function (AMF), which is used to provide mobility management functions for UE; session management function (SMF), which is used to provide session management functions; user plane function (UPF), which is used for data transmission; policy control function (PCF), which is used to provide policy control functions; unified data management (UDM), which is used to provide data management functions such as subscription information and policy control data; and unified data repository (UDR), which is used to store data of various network functions (such as UDM).

[0039] Network slicing technology in 5G systems refers to a technology and system that can realize multiple virtualized and independent logical networks in a physical network. Network service providers provide services by configuring virtual end-to-end networks called network slices to meet the needs of specific services / applications. Network slices are distinguished by an identifier called Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI).

[0040] During the UE registration process, the network sends a set of allowed network slices (e.g., allowed NSSAI) to the UE, and the UE sends / receives application data through a protocol data unit (PDU) generated by an S-NSSAI (i.e., network slice) in the set.

[0041] In the 5G system, the radio access network (RAN) is responsible for one or more tracking areas (TA, a unit defined in the 5G system to track the location of the UE), and each TA or each cell in the TA may support different frequencies and network slices. The base station can broadcast the network slice information supported by each TA to the UE, and the UE can identify which network slice each TA supports based on the corresponding information.

[0042] Here, the slice information of each cell and each TA broadcast by the RAN may include identifier information of the slice group mapped with the corresponding S-NSSAI (ie, slice group ID), instead of the S-NSSAI of each slice. The UE can determine which slice groups are supported by each TA (ie, the slice groups supported by the cells in each TA), and determine which S-NSSAI are supported by each TA based on the mapping relationship information between the slice group ID and the S-NSSAI received from the AMF through the non-access stratum (NAS, the communication protocol between the UE and the AMF).

[0043] In the cell reselection process for selecting a suitable cell, the UE can determine the cell based on the slice-related information broadcast by the RAN and the priority value of each slice group ID or S-NSSAI received from the NAS. For example, when the network operator wants to move the UE to a cell that supports a specific slice, a high priority can be given to the corresponding slice or slice group.

[0044] In the 5G RAN, the mapping between the slice group ID and the S-NSSAI is configured in units of TA. Therefore, different rules may be applied to the mapping between the slice group ID and the S-NSSAI for each TA. For example, in different TAs, the same slice group ID may be an identifier representing different S-NSSAIs. The UE may receive mapping relationship information between the slice group ID and the S-NSSAI of some TAs (e.g., TAs belonging to a registration area (RA)) from the AMF through NAS during the network registration process. Here, in the case where there is a TA that uses different mapping rules for slices with mapping, the corresponding TA and the different mapping relationship information in the corresponding TA may be included and transmitted together. In the case where the UE moves to a TA outside the RA received during the last network registration process, the UE may perform the network registration process again and receive the mapping information between the S-NSSAI and the slice group ID of the new TA.

[0045] The slice group priority of the current AMF is statically determined based on the operator's policy. When the AMF takes into account the slice load level and slice priority statistics (e.g., priorities determined in the past, common applications of each UE, location and time, S-NSSAI, DNN, service types allowed in the corresponding area, etc.) when determining the priority, the network can be operated efficiently.

[0046] Figure 1 The process of a consumer network function (NF) subscribing to slice priority information from a network data analysis function (NWDAF) and receiving corresponding information from the NWDAF according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0047] In operation 105, the consumer network function (NF) may send a request message or a subscription request message for slice priority related information for each slice or slice group for cell reselection. The message may include the following information:

[0048] Analysis ID, analysis report target, analysis target period, and analysis filter.

[0049] The analysis ID corresponds to information indicating the type of analysis or statistical information to be requested, and indicates a value corresponding to slice priority related information.

[0050] The analysis report target is information indicating the target of the requested analysis information (e.g., analysis information for a specific UE) and may correspond to a UE identifier (UE ID), a UE group ID (i.e., an identifier of a group to which one or more UEs belong), or "any UE" indicating that the request is for all UEs.

[0051] The analysis target period indicates a target time period and represents a request for slice priority related information (if any) within the corresponding time period.

[0052] The analysis filter includes parameters transmitted when the consumer NF requests slice priority related information and corresponds to parameters for specifying the information expected to be received. For example, when requesting slice priority related information for a specific slice, the single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI) for the corresponding slice may be included in the analysis filter.

[0053] Analysis filters may include the following and may include a combination of one or more parameters corresponding to the information.

[0054] Table 1 shows analysis filter information related to slice priority related information.

[0055] Table 1

[0056]

[0057] In operation 110, the NWDAF receives the message received from the consumer NF in operation 105, and when it is determined that data needs to be collected to provide the information requested in the message, performs a data collection request to the network function to collect each piece of information. Here, the message to be transmitted to each NF may include the following information:

[0058] Event ID, event reporting destination, and event filters.

[0059] The event ID is an identifier indicating the type of data that is desired to be collected. The NWDAF recognizes that the analysis ID in the message received in operation 105 is slice priority related information, and configures the event ID for information collection from the corresponding NF to provide corresponding information.

[0060] The event report target is information indicating a target for collecting data (e.g., analysis information for a specific UE), and may correspond to a UE identifier (UE ID), a UE group ID (i.e., an identifier of a group to which one or more UEs belong), or "any UE" indicating that the request is for all UEs. The NWDAF may configure the event report target according to the information corresponding to the analysis report target received in operation 105.

[0061] The event filter indicates information for specifying data collected by the NWDAF from the NF. For example, when collecting data of a specified slice, the S-NSSAI of the corresponding slice may be included in the event filter.

[0062] Event filters may include the same types of parameters as the information in Table 1.

[0063] In operation 115, the NF provides necessary information to the NWDAF according to the message received in operation 110. Here, as shown in Table 2, the NF corresponding to the source of each information provides the corresponding information to the NWDAF. Table 2 shows data of slice priority related information.

[0064] Table 2

[0065]

[0066]

[0067]

[0068] In operation 120 , the NWDAF may determine slice priority related information based on the information received in operation 115 .

[0069] In operation 125, the NWDAF may include the slice priority related information in a response message to be sent to the consumer NF and send the response message. Here, the slice priority related information is configured as shown in Table 3.

[0070] The consumer NF may perform determination of UE slice priority based on the received slice priority related information.

[0071] Table 3 shows slice priority related information.

[0072] Table 3

[0073]

[0074]

[0075] Figure 2 A method for an access and mobility management function (AMF) to determine slice priority based on slice priority related analysis information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0076] More specifically, Figure 2 It is shown that during the UE registration process, the access and mobility management function (AMF) determines the slice priority to be delivered to the UE based on the slice priority related information received from the network data analysis function (NWDAF).

[0077] In operation 205, the UE may send an AN message (AN parameters, registration request) to the base station (RAN).

[0078] Here, the registration request message may include at least one of the following: a UE identifier (Subscription Hidden Identifier (SUCI), a 5G Globally Unique Temporary Identity (5G-GUTI), and a Permanent Equipment Identifier (PEI), etc.), a requested NSSAI, and UE Mobility Management (MM) core network capabilities, etc.

[0079] In case the UE supports network slice priority and network slice group for cell reselection (i.e., in case of supporting Network Slice Access Stratum (AS) Group (NSAG)), the UE may include support for NSAG in its Mobility Management (MM) core network capabilities.

[0080] When a UE supporting NSAG receives mapping relationship information between slice group IDs of some TAs (e.g., tracking areas (TAs) belonging to registration areas (RAs)) and single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI), as well as a priority value for each S-NSSAI or a priority value for each slice group ID, the corresponding UE NAS may pass the relevant information to the UE AS to perform cell reselection based on the slice group priority.

[0081] At operation 210, the base station (RAN) may select an AMF based on information in an AN message received from the UE.

[0082] The RAN may send an N2 message (N2 parameters, registration request) to the selected AMF. The N2 parameters may include the selected PLMN ID, UE location information, and UE context request, etc. Here, the N2 message may include the RAN ID.

[0083] In operation 215, the AMF may request subscription information of the UE by including an identifier requesting information and a UE identifier in a message to be sent to a unified data management (UDM) function.

[0084] In operation 220, the UDM may include, in a response message sent to the AMF, the subscription information corresponding to the request information and the UE identifier in the message received from the AMF in operation 215. The corresponding information may include an identifier of the service group to which the UE belongs (UE group ID).

[0085] In the case where the message received in operation 210 includes information indicating that the UE supports NSAG, the AMF may request the NWDAF for information required for determining the optimal slice priority in operation 225. Here, the request message may include the following information:

[0086] Analysis ID, analysis report target, analysis target period, and analysis filter.

[0087] The analysis ID corresponds to information indicating the type of analysis or statistical information to be requested, and indicates a value corresponding to slice priority related information.

[0088] The analysis report target is information indicating the target of the requested analysis information (e.g., analysis information for a specific UE) and may correspond to a UE identifier (UE ID), a UE group ID (i.e., an identifier of a group to which one or more UEs belong), or "any UE" indicating that the request is for all UEs.

[0089] The analysis target period indicates a target time period and represents a request for slice priority related information (if any) within the corresponding time period.

[0090] The analysis filter includes parameters transmitted when the AMF corresponding to the consumer NF requests slice priority related information, and corresponds to parameters for specifying the information expected to be received. For example, when requesting slice priority related information for a specific slice, the S-NSSAI of the corresponding slice may be included in the analysis filter. The analysis filter may be configured as analysis filter information related to the slice priority related information shown in Table 1, and may be configured as a combination of one or more parameters corresponding to the information in the table.

[0091] In a case where the analysis ID in the message received from the AMF in operation 225 indicates information related to network slice priority, in operation 230, the NWDAF provides information related to slice priority according to the analysis report target, analysis target period, and analysis filter contained in the corresponding message.

[0092] Here, the slice priority related information to be provided to AMF can be configured as a combination of the information in the slice priority related information shown in Table 3. In addition, the slice priority related information can also be configured as information matching the analysis report target, analysis target period, and analysis filter in the table, and the information can be provided.

[0093] In the case where the analysis ID in the message received from the AMF in operation 225 indicates the network slice priority related information, the NWDAF can determine the data to be collected from other NFs according to the analysis report target, analysis target period, and analysis filter contained in the corresponding message, and request data collection from the corresponding NF. Here, as shown in Table 1, data can be collected from the corresponding NF according to the relationship between the collected data and the NF.

[0094] NWDAF includes the configured slice-related priority information in the message to be sent to AMF.

[0095] In operation 230, when a message including slice-related priority information (i.e., the information in Table 3) is received from the NWDAF, and when support for NSAG is included in the registration request message received in operation 210, in operation 235, the AMF determines the slice priority (the priority of each S-NSSAI or the priority of each slice group ID) for cell reselection for the UE that sent the registration request in operation 210 based on the slice-related priority information (i.e., the information in Table 3).

[0096] In operation 240, the AMF may include a registration acceptance message in an N2 message and send the N2 message to the RAN. In operation 235, when the slice priority has been determined for the UE, the AMF may include NSAG information in a registration acceptance message or a registration rejection message, the NSAG information including the determined slice priority and the mapping relationship information between the S-NSSAI and the slice group ID.

[0097] In operation 245, the RAN may transmit to the UE a registration accept message or a registration reject message among the messages received from the AMF in operation 240. In case that the NSAG information exists in the received registration accept message or registration reject message, the UE may perform a cell reselection or RACH procedure.

[0098] Figure 3 A method for a network slice selection function (NSSF) to determine slice priority information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0099] More specifically, Figure 3 It is shown that during the UE registration process, the network slice selection function (NSSF) determines the slice priority based on slice priority related information.

[0100] In operation 305, the UE may send an AN message (AN parameters, registration request) to the base station (RAN). Here, the registration request message may include at least one of the following: a UE identifier (such as a subscription hidden identifier (SUCI), a 5G globally unique temporary identity (5G-GUTI), a permanent equipment identifier (PEI), etc.), a requested NSSAI, a UE mobility management (MM) core network capability, etc.

[0101] In the case where the UE supports network slice priority and network slice group for cell reselection (i.e., in the case where network slice access stratum (AS) group (NSAG)) is supported, the UE may include support for NSAG in its mobility management (MM) core network capabilities.

[0102] When a UE supporting NSAG receives mapping relationship information between slice group IDs and S-NSSAIs of some TAs (e.g., TAs belonging to a registration area (RA)), as well as the priority value of each S-NSSAI or the priority value of each slice group ID, the corresponding UE NAS can pass the relevant information to the UE AS to perform cell reselection based on the slice group priority.

[0103] In operation 310, the RAN may select an access and mobility management function (AMF) according to information in an AN message received from the UE.

[0104] The RAN may send an N2 message (N2 parameters, registration request) to the selected AMF. The N2 parameters may include the selected PLMN ID, UE location information, UE context request, etc. Here, the N2 message may include the RAN ID.

[0105] In operation 315, the AMF may request the subscription information of the UE by including an identifier of the requested information and a UE identifier in a message to be sent to a unified data management function (UDM).

[0106] In operation 320, the UDM may include subscription information about the requested message and the UE identifier received from the AMF in operation 315 in a response message to be sent to the AMF. The corresponding information may include an identifier of the service group to which the UE belongs (UE group ID).

[0107] The message received in operation 310 includes information indicating that the UE supports NSAG, and in operation 325, if it is difficult for the AMF to calculate the NSAG information, the AMG may send a message requesting the NSAG information to the network slice selection function (NSSF).

[0108] The message may include support for NSAG, UE ID, UE group ID, S-NSSAI, slice group identifier, and UE location.

[0109] In the case where the AMF requests and receives slice priority related information from the NWDAF, the slice priority related information may be included in the message sent to the NSSF. In this case, the process in which the NSSF requests and receives slice priority related information from the NWDAF is omitted in the subsequent operations 330, 335, and 340, and the NSSF determines the NSAG information using the slice priority related information received from the AMF.

[0110] At the same time, it is difficult for the AMF to calculate NSAG information in the following cases:

[0111] The NSAG information is calculated for a specific TA set. In this case, if a TA belonging to the TA set does not know the mapping information between S-NSSAI and Slice Group ID (for example, the UE is at the boundary of the AMF Service Area (SA), so it needs to obtain the mapping information between Slice Group ID and S-NSSAI of the TA outside the SA).

[0112] In the case where the message received in operation 325 includes information indicating that the UE supports NSAG, the NSSF may request the NWDAF for information required to determine the best slice priority in operation 330. Here, the request message may include the following information:

[0113] Analysis ID, analysis report target, analysis target period, and analysis filter.

[0114] The analysis ID corresponds to information indicating the type of analysis or statistical information to be requested, and indicates a value corresponding to slice priority related information.

[0115] The analysis report target is information indicating the target of the requested analysis information (e.g., analysis information of a specific UE) and may correspond to a UE identifier (UE ID), a UE group ID (i.e., an identifier of a group to which one or more UEs belong), or "any UE" indicating that the request is for all UEs.

[0116] The analysis target period indicates a target time period and represents a request for slice priority related information (if any) within the relevant time period.

[0117] The analysis filter includes parameters transmitted when the NSSF corresponding to the consumer NF requests slice priority related information, and corresponds to parameters for specifying information that is desired to be received. For example, when requesting slice priority related information for a specific slice, corresponding single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI) may be included in the analysis filter.

[0118] The analysis filter may be configured as analysis filter information associated with the slice priority related information shown in Table 1, and may be configured by a combination of one or more parameters corresponding to the information in the table.

[0119] In a case where the analysis ID of the message received from the NSSF in operation 330 indicates network slice priority related information, in operation 335, the NWDAF provides slice priority related information according to the analysis report target, analysis target period, and analysis filter included in the corresponding message.

[0120] Here, the slice priority related information to be provided to AMF is shown in Table 3. The information combination in the slice priority related information can also be configured. In addition, the slice priority related information can be configured and provided by the information in the table that matches the analysis report target, analysis target period, and analysis filter.

[0121] In the case where the analysis ID in the message received from the NSSF in operation 330 indicates network slice priority related information, the NWDAF may determine the data to be collected from other NFs based on the analysis report target, analysis target period, and analysis filter contained in the corresponding message, and request data collection from the corresponding NF. Here, as shown in Table 1, data may be collected from the corresponding NF based on the relationship between the collected data and the NF.

[0122] NWDAF includes the configured slice-related priority information in the message to be sent to NSSF.

[0123] When a message containing slice-related priority information (i.e., the information in Table 3) is received from NWDAF in operation 335, and the message received in operation 325 includes support for NSAG, in operation 340, NSSF will determine the slice priority (the priority of each S-NSSAI or the priority of each slice group ID) for cell reselection of the UE based on the slice-related priority information (i.e., the information in Table 3).

[0124] In the case where the slice priority is determined for the UE in operation 340, the NSSF may include NSAG information in a response message to the message sent by the AMF in operation 325, the NSAG information including the determined slice priority and information about the mapping relationship between the S-NSSAI and the slice group ID, and send the response message to the AMF in operation 345.

[0125] In the case where the NSAG information is included in the message received from the NSSF in operation 345, the AMF may include the NSAG information in a registration accept message or a registration reject message in operation 350. The AMF may include the registration accept message or the registration reject message in an N2 message to be sent to the RAN, and send the N2 message to the RAN.

[0126] In operation 355, the RAN may transmit to the UE a registration accept message or a registration reject message among the messages received from the AMF in operation 350. In case that the NSAG information exists in the received registration accept message or registration reject message, the UE may perform a cell reselection or RACH procedure.

[0127] Figure 4 The configuration of a UE according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0128] Reference Figure 4 According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the UE may include a transceiver 420 and a controller 410, wherein the controller 410 is configured to control the overall operation of the UE. The transceiver 420 may include a transmitter 425 and a receiver 423.

[0129] Transceiver 420 may send signals to or receive signals from other network entities.

[0130] The controller 410 may control the UE to perform at least one operation in the above-mentioned embodiments. The controller 410 and the transceiver 420 do not necessarily need to be implemented as separate modules, and they may also be implemented as a single unit (such as a single chip). The controller 410 and the transceiver 420 may be electrically connected to each other. The controller 410 may be a circuit, a dedicated circuit, or at least one processor. In addition, the operation of the UE may also be implemented by including a storage device storing corresponding program codes in a predetermined component of the UE.

[0131] Figure 5 The configuration of the network entity according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0132] Reference Figure 5 The network entity according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a transceiver 520 and a controller 510, wherein the controller 510 is configured to control the overall operation of the network entity. The transceiver 520 may include a transmitter 525 and a receiver 523.

[0133] The transceiver 520 may transmit or receive a signal to or from another network entity.

[0134] The controller 510 may control the network entity to perform at least one operation in the above-mentioned embodiments. The controller 510 and the transceiver 520 do not necessarily need to be implemented as separate modules, and they may also be implemented as a single unit (such as a single chip). The controller 510 and the transceiver 520 may be electrically connected to each other. The controller 510 may be a circuit, a dedicated circuit, or at least one processor. In addition, by adding a storage device storing corresponding program codes in a predetermined component of the network entity, the operation of the network entity may be implemented.

[0135] The network entity can be one of a base station, a session management function (SMF), a user plane function (UPF), a policy control function (PCF), an application function (AF), a network exposure function (NEF), a unified data management (UDM), a user data repository (UDR), a network function (NF), an authentication server function (AUSF), etc.

[0136] It should be noted that Figures 1 to 5The configuration diagrams, example views of control / data signal transmission methods, and example views of operation processes shown in the drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. That is, all constituent units, entities, or operation steps shown in these drawings should not be regarded as elements necessary for implementing the present disclosure, but should be understood that the present disclosure can also be implemented by including only some of the elements as long as it does not deviate from the basic scope of the present disclosure.

[0137] The operations of the above base station or terminal can be implemented by providing a storage device storing corresponding program codes in the base station or terminal device. That is, the controller of the base station or terminal device can read and execute the program codes stored in the storage device through a processor or a central processing unit (CPU) to perform the above operations.

[0138] The various units or modules of the network entity, base station device or terminal device may be operated using hardware circuits (such as complementary metal oxide semiconductor-based logic circuits), firmware or hardware circuits (such as software and / or a combination of hardware and firmware and / or software embedded in a machine-readable medium). For example, various electrical structures and methods may be implemented using electrical structures and methods such as transistors, logic gates and application-specific integrated circuits.

[0139] The embodiments described and shown in the specification and drawings of the present disclosure are only specific examples proposed for the convenience of explaining the technical content of the present disclosure and helping understanding, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that in addition to the embodiments proposed here, other variations can also be implemented based on the technical ideas of the present disclosure.

[0140] Although the present disclosure has been described through various embodiments, various changes and modifications may be suggested to those skilled in the art. The present disclosure is intended to cover such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for a first node in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: receiving, from the second node, a first message for requesting slice priority related information; Obtaining the slice priority related information of the slice priority corresponding to the network slice access layer group NSAG; as well as In response to receiving the first message, a second message including information related to the slice priority is sent to the second node.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The first message includes at least one of a user equipment UE identifier ID, a UE group ID, a slice group ID, a single network slice selection auxiliary information S-NSSAI or a network slice instance NSIID; as well as Among them, the slice priority related information includes at least one of the UE ID, a group ID list including the UE, the cell reselection priority of each S-NSSAI, the cell reselection priority of each NSAG, the average slice priority of each location, or the average slice priority of each UE group ID.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Based on the first message, sending a third message to a third node for requesting data related to the slice priority; as well as receiving, from the third node, a fourth message based on the third message, the fourth message including the data for the slice priority related information; The third message includes at least one of UE ID, UE group ID, slice group ID, S-NSSAI or NSIID; and The data includes UEID, a list of group IDs of the UE, slice priorities including cell reselection priorities of each S-NSSAI, cell reselection priorities of each NSAG, mapping information between S-NSSAI and NSAG, a list of data network names DNN and S-NSSAI for the UE, slice load information, average slice priority for each location, or at least one of the average slice priority for each UE group ID.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The first node includes a network data analysis function NWDAF entity; and The second node includes at least one of an access and mobility management function AMF entity or a network slice selection function NSSF entity.

5. A method performed by a second node in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: Sending a first message to the first node for requesting slice priority related information; as well as In response to sending the first message, a second message is received from the first node, the second message including the slice priority related information of the slice priority corresponding to the network slice access layer group NSAG, and the slice priority related information is obtained by the first node.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein: The first message includes at least one of a user equipment UE identifier ID, a UE group ID, a slice group ID, a single network slice selection auxiliary information S-NSSAI or a network slice instance NSIID; The slice priority related information includes at least one of the UEID, a group ID list including the UE, a cell reselection priority of each S-NSSAI, a cell reselection priority of each NSAG, an average slice priority of each location, or an average slice priority of each UE group ID; Wherein, the first node includes a network data analysis function NWDAF entity; The second node includes at least one of an access and mobility management function AMF entity or a network slice selection function NSSF entity.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein: The slice priority related information is obtained based on data for the slice priority related information; and The data includes UEID, a list of group IDs of the UE, slice priorities including cell reselection priorities of each S-NSSAI, cell reselection priorities of each NSAG, mapping information between S-NSSAI and NSAG, a list of data network names DNN and S-NSSAI for the UE, slice load information, average slice priority for each location, or average slice priority for each UE group ID.

8. The method according to claim 5, further comprising: receiving, from a terminal, a registration message including information on supporting the NSAG; Based on the slice priority related information, acquiring the slice priority of the terminal corresponding to the NSAG; and Send a registration acceptance message including the slice priority corresponding to the NSAG to the terminal.

9. A first node in a wireless communication system, the first node comprising: a transceiver configured to transmit or receive a signal; as well as at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: receiving, from the second node, a first message for requesting slice priority related information; Obtain slice priority related information of the slice priority corresponding to the network slice access layer group NSAG; as well as In response to receiving the first message, a second message including information related to the slice priority is sent to the second node.

10. The first node according to claim 9, wherein: The first message includes at least one of a user equipment UE identifier ID, a UE group ID, a slice group ID, a single network slice selection auxiliary information S-NSSAI or a network slice instance NSIID; as well as Among them, the slice priority related information includes at least one of the UE ID, a group ID list including the UE, the cell reselection priority of each S-NSSAI, the cell reselection priority of each NSAG, the average slice priority of each location, or the average slice priority of each UE group ID.

11. The first node according to claim 9, wherein: The at least one processor is further configured to: Sending a third message to a third node based on the first message to request data for the slice priority related information; and receiving, from the third node, a fourth message based on the third message, the fourth message being used for data of the slice priority related information; The third message includes at least one of UE ID, UE group ID, slice group ID, S-NSSAI or NSIID; and The data includes the UE ID, a list of group IDs of the UE, a slice priority including a cell reselection priority for each S-NSSAI, a cell reselection priority for each NSAG, mapping information between S-NSSAI and NSAG, a list of data network names DNN and S-NSSAI for the UE, slice load information, an average slice priority for each location, or at least one of the average slice priority for each UE group ID.

12. The first node according to claim 9, wherein: The first node includes a network data analysis function NWDAF entity; and The second node includes at least one of an access and mobility management function AMF entity or a network slice selection function NSSF entity.

13. A second node in a wireless communication system, the second node comprising: a transceiver configured to transmit or receive a signal; as well as at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: Sending a first message to the first node for requesting slice priority related information; and In response to sending the first message, a second message is received from the first node, the second message including the slice priority related information of the slice priority corresponding to the network slice access layer group NSAG, and the slice priority related information is obtained by the first node.

14. The second node according to claim 13, wherein: The first message includes at least one of a user equipment UE identifier ID, a UE group ID, a slice group ID, a single network slice selection auxiliary information S-NSSAI or a network slice instance NSIID; The slice priority related information includes at least one of the UE ID, a group ID list including the UE, a cell reselection priority of each S-NSSAI, a cell reselection priority of each NSAG, an average slice priority of each location, or an average slice priority of each UE group ID; The slice priority related information is obtained based on data related to the slice priority. The data includes at least one of a UEID, a group ID list including the UE, a slice priority including a cell reselection priority for each S-NSSAI, a cell reselection priority for each NSAG, mapping information between S-NSSAI and NSAG, a list of a data network name DNN and S-NSSAI for the UE, slice load information, an average slice priority for each location, or an average slice priority for each UE group ID; Wherein, the first node includes a network data analysis function NWDAF entity; and The second node includes at least one of an access and mobility management function AMF entity or a network slice selection function NSSF entity.

15. The second node according to claim 13, wherein: The at least one processor is further configured to: receiving a registration message including information supporting NSAG from the terminal; Acquire the slice priority of the terminal corresponding to the NSAG based on the slice priority related information; and Send a registration acceptance message including the slice priority corresponding to the NSAG to the terminal.

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