Method and system for real-time synchronization of one or more network entities
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- EP · EP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- JIO PLATFORMS LTD
- Filing Date
- 2024-06-11
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-13
Smart Images
Figure IN2024050759_16012025_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR REAL-TIME SYNCHRONIZATION OF ONE OR MORE NETWORK ENTITIESTECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to network performance management systems. More particularly, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to realtime synchronization of one or more network entities for termination of an ongoing session.BACKGROUND
[0002] The following description of the related art is intended to provide background information pertaining to the field of the disclosure. This section may include certain aspects of the art that may be related to various features of the present disclosure. However, it should be appreciated that this section is used only to enhance the understanding of the reader with respect to the present disclosure, and not as admissions of the prior art.
[0003] Wireless communication technology has rapidly evolved over the past few decades, with each generation bringing significant improvements and advancements. The first generation of wireless communication technology was based on analogue technology and offered only voice services. However, with the advent of the second-generation (2G) technology, digital communication and data services became possible, and text messaging was introduced. The third generation (3G) technology marked the introduction of high-speed internet access, mobile video calling, and location-based services. The fourth-generation (4G) technology revolutionized wireless communication with faster data speeds, better network coverage, and improved security. Currently, the fifth-generation (5G) technology is being deployed, promising even faster data speeds, low latency, and the ability to connect multiple devices simultaneously. With each generation, wireless communication technology has become more advanced, sophisticated, and capable of delivering more services to its users.
[0004] In the 5G communication system, a plurality of network functions (NFs) are provided, for example an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), session management function (SMF), Policy control function (PCF), Network Exposure Function (NEF), Application Function (AF), Network Data Analytics Function (NWDAF), Network Repository Function (NRF), Binding Support Function (BSF) and the like. One or more of theaforementioned NFs communicate with each other, to implement multiple activities on the 5G communication system. For example, for data transfer, the AMF communicates with SMF, to initiate the communication. Binding Support Function (BSF) allows Policy Control Function (PCF) to register, update, and remove the binding information from it, and allows Network Function (NF) consumers to discover the selected Policy Control Function (PCF). Accordingly, one or more connections are established between the two NFs, thereby allowing communication and enabling exchange of information and network activities.
[0005] In the 5G communication system, the BSF stores the binding information for a certain PDU session and discovers the selected PCF according to the binding information. The BSF also acts as diameter proxy agent or diameter redirect agent to Rx requests targeting an IP address of a user equipment (UE) to the selected PCF. The BSF provides a PDU session binding functionality, which ensures that the Application Function (AF) request for a certain PDU session reaches the relevant PCF holding the PDU session information.
[0006] Further, in the 5G communication system, when an ongoing call is discontinued or an Internet Protocol-Connectivity Access Network (IP-CAN) session is terminated, the PCF informs the AF about the IP-CAN session termination by sending an Abort Session Request (ASR) message to the AF on each active Rx Diameter session. When the AF receives the ASR message, it acknowledges the message by sending an Abort Session Answer (ASA) message to the PCF via BSF. After that the AF initiates an AF session termination procedure in which the AF sends a Session Termination Request (STR) message to the PCF via BSF. This message flow occurs in the ideal or normal situation. However, in a real network environment, this message flow sequence may not exist due to factors such as but not limited to network latency issues, traffic load etc. Further, in another case, some of these messages may timeout and impact the successful key performance indicators (KPI) of the network. For example, PCF sends an ASR message to AF via BSF. AF sends ASA and STR messages to BSF. Due to a delay on the network or network latency issues, the BSF receives STR first and sends it to PCF. Thus, the STR-Session Termination Answer (STA) message arrives at the BSF side, session information is removed from the database of BSF. In this case, the BSF is not able to forward the ASA messages to the PCF due to the race around condition being developed. Moreover, the ASR message of the PCF and the BSF is timed out and thus impacts the successful KPI on Rx interface.
[0007] Thus, there exists an imperative need in the art to address the above-mentioned problems.SUMMARY
[0008] This section is provided to introduce certain aspects of the present disclosure in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify the key features or the scope of the claimed subject matter.
[0009] An aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a method for real-time synchronization of one or more network entities for termination of an ongoing session. The method comprises receiving, by a transceiver unit of a Binding Support Function (BSF), a session abort request from a Policy Control Function (PCF). The method further comprises transmitting, by the transceiver unit of the BSF, the session abort request to an Application Function (AF). The method further comprises initiating, by an initialization unit of the BSF, a session hold wait timer. The method further comprises receiving, by the transceiver unit of the BSF, session information from the AF. The method further comprises holding, by the holding unit of the BSF, the session information based on the session hold wait timer. The method further comprises receiving, by the transceiver unit of the BSF, a session abort answer from the AF. And finally the method comprises transmitting, by the transceiver unit of the BSF, the session abort answer to the PCF.
[0010] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, in the disclosed method, receiving the session abort request is based on reception of a failure code at the PCF from a session management function (SMF).
[0011] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, in the disclosed method, the failure code corresponds to session management policy association termination request.
[0012] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, in the disclosed method, the session information comprises at least one of a session termination request and a session termination answer.
[0013] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, in the disclosed method, the session information is held till the session termination answer is received from the PCF.
[0014] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, in the disclosed method, the session information is held by the holding unit of the BSF, in an event the session termination request is received before receiving the session abort answer, from the AF.
[0015] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, in the disclosed method, the session information is held by the holding unit of the BSF, in an event the session termination request is not received from the AF.
[0016] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, in the disclosed method, the session hold wait timer is initiated by the PCF after transmitting the session abort request to the BSF.
[0017] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, in the disclosed method, the PCF awaits to release an ongoing session in an event the session termination request is received before receiving the session abort answer from the AF.
[0018] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, in the disclosed method, the PCF awaits to release the ongoing session in an event the session termination request is not received from the AF.
[0019] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the method further comprises displaying, by the PCF, one or more key performance indicators (KPI) based on the received session abort answer.
[0020] Another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a system for real-time synchronization of one or more network entities for termination of an ongoing session. The system comprises a Binding Support Function (BSF). The Binding Support Function (BSF) further comprises a transceiver unit configured to receive a session abort request from a Policy Control Function (PCF). The transceiver unit is further configured to transmit the session abort request to an Application Function (AF). The Binding Support Function (BSF) of the system further comprises an initialization processing unit configured to initiate a session hold wait timer. The transceiver unit is further configured to receive session information from the AF. The Binding Support Function (BSF) of the system further comprises a holding unit configured to hold the session information based on the session hold wait timer. The transceiver unit isfurther configured to receive a session abort answer from the AF. Also, the transceiver unit is further configured to transmit the session abort answer to the PCF.
[0021] An another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions for real-time synchronization of one or more network entities for termination of an ongoing session, the instructions include executable code which, when executed by a one or more units of a system having a Binding Support Function (BSF), causes: a transceiver unit to receive a session abort request from a Policy Control Function (PCF), and transmit the session abort request to an Application Function (AF); an initialization unit to initiate a session hold wait timer; the transceiver unit to receive session information from the AF; a holding unit to hold the session information based on the session hold wait timer; and the transceiver unit to receive a session abort answer from the AF, and transmit the session abort answer to the PCF.
[0022] Yet another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a user equipment (UE) for real-time synchronization of one or more network entities for termination of an ongoing session. The UE is configured to receive a session abort request from a Policy Control Function (PCF) of a system. The UE is further configured to transmit the session abort request to an Application Function (AF) of the system, wherein an initialization unit of the system initiates a session hold wait timer upon transmission of the session abort request. The UE is further configured to receive session information from the AF. The UE is configured to hold, via a holding unit, the session information based on the session hold wait timer. The UE is further configured to receive a session abort answer from the AF. Also, the UE is further configured to transmit the session abort answer to the PCF.OBJECTS OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0023] Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment disclosed herein satisfies are listed herein below.
[0024] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide an efficient system and method for processing and sharing the message delivery information between the network functions (NFs) for session termination.
[0025] It is another object of the present disclosure to maintain NFs in sync for corresponding ongoing session condition.
[0026] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a system and a method for making successful KPI of Abort Session Request (ASR) message.
[0027] It is another object of the present disclosure to enable the BSF to forward the Abort Session Answer (ASA) message to Policy Control Function (PCF) under race around condition.
[0028] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a system and a method for making network functions and corresponding resources in sync during on-going call termination and / or IP-CAN session termination for releasing Rx session after holding configured wait time duration.DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0029] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the disclosed methods and systems in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the different drawings. Components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Also, the embodiments shown in the figures are not to be construed as limiting the disclosure, but the possible variants of the method and system according to the disclosure are illustrated herein to highlight the advantages of the disclosure. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that disclosure of such drawings includes disclosure of electrical components or circuitry commonly used to implement such components.
[0030] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram representation of 5th generation core (5GC) network architecture, in accordance with exemplary implementation of the present disclosure.
[0031] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a computing device upon which the features of the present disclosure may be implemented in accordance with exemplary implementation of the present disclosure.
[0032] Fig. 3 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a system for real-time synchronization of one or more network entities for termination of an ongoing session, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.
[0033] Fig. 4 illustrates a method flow diagram for real-time synchronization of the one or more network entities for termination of an ongoing session, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.
[0034] Fig. 5 illustrates an exemplary system architecture for a 5G communication with PCF and BSF system, in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0035] Fig. 6 illustrates an exemplary method call flow diagram indicating the process of handling message delivery in real-time environment on Rx diameter interface in PCF and BSF, in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0036] The foregoing shall be more apparent from the following more detailed description of the disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0037] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. Several features described hereafter may each be used independently of one another or with any combination of other features. An individual feature may not address any of the problems discussed above or might address only some of the problems discussed above.
[0038] The ensuing description provides exemplary embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the disclosure. Rather, the ensuing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing an exemplary embodiment. It should be understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as set forth.
[0039] Specific details are given in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. For example, circuits, systems, processes, and other components may be shown as components in block diagram form in order not to obscure the embodiments in unnecessary detail.
[0040] Also, it is noted that individual embodiments may be described as a process which is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a data flow diagram, a structure diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart may describe the operations as a sequential process, many of the operations may be performed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may be re-arranged. A process is terminated when its operations are completed but could have additional steps not included in a figure.
[0041] The word “exemplary” and / or “demonstrative” is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. For the avoidance of doubt, the subject matter disclosed herein is not limited by such examples. In addition, any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” and / or “demonstrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs, nor is it meant to preclude equivalent exemplary structures and techniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “includes,” “has,” “contains,” and other similar words are used in either the detailed description or the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive — in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as an open transition word — without precluding any additional or other elements.
[0042] As used herein, a “processing unit” or “processor” or “operating processor” includes one or more processors, wherein processor refers to any logic circuitry for processing instructions. A processor may be a general -purpose processor, a special purpose processor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in association with a (Digital Signal Processing) DSP core, a controller, a microcontroller, Application Specific Integrated Circuits, Field Programmable Gate Array circuits, any other type of integrated circuits, etc. The processor may perform signal coding data processing, input / output processing, and / or any other functionality that enables the working of the system according to the present disclosure. More specifically, the processor or processing unit is a hardware processor.
[0043] As used herein, “a user equipment”, “a user device”, “a smart-user-device”, “a smart-device”, “an electronic device”, “a mobile device”, “a handheld device”, “a wireless communication device”, “a mobile communication device”, “a communication device” may be any electrical, electronic and / or computing device or equipment, capable of implementing the features of the present disclosure. The user equipment / device may include, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, smart phone, laptop, a general-purpose computer, desktop, personal digital assistant, tablet computer, wearable device or any other computing device which is capable of implementing the features of the present disclosure. Also, the user device may contain at least one input means configured to receive an input from at least one of a transceiver unit, a processing unit, a storage unit, a detection unit and any other such unit(s) which are required to implement the features of the present disclosure.
[0044] As used herein, “storage unit” or “memory unit” refers to a machine or computer- readable medium including any mechanism for storing information in a form readable by a computer or similar machine. For example, a computer-readable medium includes read-only memory (“ROM”), random access memory (“RAM”), magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, flash memory devices or other types of machine-accessible storage media. The storage unit stores at least the data that may be required by one or more units of the system to perform their respective functions.
[0045] As used herein “interface” or “user interface refers to a shared boundary across which two or more separate components of a system exchange information or data. The interface may also be referred to a set of rules or protocols that define communication or interaction of one or more modules or one or more units with each other, which also includes the methods, functions, or procedures that may be called.
[0046] All modules, units, components used herein, unless explicitly excluded herein, may be software modules or hardware processors, the processors being a general-purpose processor, a special purpose processor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in association with a DSP core, a controller, a microcontroller, Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC), Field Programmable Gate Array circuits (FPGA), any other type of integrated circuits, etc.
[0047] As used herein the transceiver unit include at least one receiver and at least one transmitter configured respectively for receiving and transmitting data, signals, information or a combination thereof between units / components within the system and / or connected with the system.
[0048] As portable electronic devices and wireless technologies continue to improve and grow in popularity, the advancing wireless technologies for data transfer are also expected to evolve and replace the older generations of technologies. In the field of wireless data communications, the dynamic advancement of various generations of cellular technology are also seen. The development, in this respect, has been incremental in the order of second generation (2G), third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), and now fifth generation (5G), and more such generations are expected to continue in the forthcoming time.
[0049] Radio Access Technology (RAT) refers to the technology used by mobile devices / user equipment (UE) to connect to a cellular network. It refers to the specific protocol and standards that govern the way devices communicate with base stations, which are responsible for providing the wireless connection. Further, each RAT has its own set of protocols and standards for communication, which define the frequency bands, modulation techniques, and other parameters used for transmitting and receiving data. Examples of RATs include GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), LTE (Long-Term Evolution), and 5G. The choice of RAT depends on a variety of factors, including the network infrastructure, the available spectrum, and the mobile device's / device's capabilities. Mobile devices often support multiple RATs, allowing them to connect to different types of networks and provide optimal performance based on the available network resources. The invention herein relates to the situations when the user equipment (UE) operates in the fifth generation (5G) communication system.
[0050] As discussed in the background section, the current known solutions have several shortcomings. The present disclosure aims to overcome the above-mentioned and other existing problems in this field of technology by providing method and system of real-time synchronization of one or more network entities for termination of an ongoing session.
[0051] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram representation of 5th generation core (5GC) network architecture, in accordance with exemplary implementation of the presentdisclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, the 5GC network architecture
[0100] includes a user equipment (UE)
[0102] , a radio access network (RAN)
[0104] , an access and mobility management function (AMF)
[0106] , a Session Management Function (SMF)
[0108] , a Service Communication Proxy (SCP)
[0110] , an Authentication Server Function (AUSF)
[0112] , a Network Slice Specific Authentication and Authorization Function (NSSAAF)
[0114] , a Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF)
[0116] , a Network Exposure Function (NEF)
[0118] , a Network Repository Function (NRF)
[0120] , a Policy Control Function (PCF)
[0122] , a Unified Data Management (UDM)
[0124] , an application function (AF)
[0126] , a User Plane Function (UPF)
[0128] , a data network (DN)
[0130] , wherein all the components are assumed to be connected to each other in a manner as obvious to the person skilled in the art for implementing features of the present disclosure.
[0052] The Radio Access Network (RAN)
[0104] is the part of a mobile telecommunications system that connects user equipment (UE)
[0102] to the core network (CN) and provides access to different types of networks (e.g., 5G network). It consists of radio base stations and the radio access technologies that enable wireless communication.
[0053] The Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF)
[0106] is a 5G core network function responsible for managing access and mobility aspects, such as UE registration, connection, and reachability. It also handles mobility management procedures like handovers and paging.
[0054] The Session Management Function (SMF)
[0108] is a 5G core network function responsible for managing session-related aspects, such as establishing, modifying, and releasing sessions. It coordinates with the User Plane Function (UPF) for data forwarding and handles IP address allocation and QoS enforcement.
[0055] The Service Communication Proxy (SCP)
[0110] is a network function in the 5G core network that facilitates communication between other network functions by providing a secure and efficient messaging service. It acts as a mediator for service-based interfaces.
[0056] The Authentication Server Function (AUSF)
[0112] is a network function in the 5G core responsible for authenticating UEs during registration and providing security services. It generates and verifies authentication vectors and tokens.
[0057] The Network Slice Specific Authentication and Authorization Function (NSSAAF)
[0114] is a network function that provides authentication and authorization services specific to network slices. It ensures that UEs can access only the slices for which they are authorized.
[0058] The Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF)
[0116] is a network function responsible for selecting the appropriate network slice for a UE based on factors such as subscription, requested services, and network policies.
[0059] The Network Exposure Function (NEF)
[0118] is a network function that exposes capabilities and services of the 5G network to external applications, enabling integration with third-party services and applications.
[0060] The Network Repository Function (NRF)
[0120] is a network function that acts as a central repository for information about available network functions and services. It facilitates the discovery and dynamic registration of network functions.
[0061] The Policy Control Function (PCF)
[0122] is a network function responsible for policy control decisions, such as QoS, charging, and access control, based on subscriber information and network policies.
[0062] The Unified Data Management (UDM)
[0124] is a network function that centralizes the management of subscriber data, including authentication, authorization, and subscription information.
[0063] The Application Function (AF)
[0126] is a network function that represents external applications interfacing with the 5G core network to access network capabilities and services.
[0064] The User Plane Function (UPF)
[0128] is a network function responsible for handling user data traffic, including packet routing, forwarding, and QoS enforcement.
[0065] The Data Network (DN)
[0130] refers to a network that provides data services to user equipment (UE) in a telecommunications system. The data services may include but arenot limited to Internet services, private data network related services. The 5G communication network architecture
[0100] can be deployed on a computing device
[1000] as shown in Fig. 2.
[0066] Fig. 2 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of the computing device
[1000] upon which the features of the present disclosure may be implemented in accordance with exemplary implementation of the present disclosure. In an implementation, the computing device
[1000] may also implement a method for real-time synchronization of one or more network entities for termination of an ongoing session utilising the system. In another implementation, the computing device
[1000] itself implements the method for real-time synchronization of the one or more network entities for termination of an ongoing session using one or more units configured within the computing device
[1000] , wherein said one or more units are capable of implementing the features as disclosed in the present disclosure.
[0067] The computing device
[1000] may include a bus
[1002] or other communication mechanism for communicating information, and a hardware processor
[1004] coupled with bus
[1002] for processing information. The hardware processor
[1004] may be, for example, a general purpose microprocessor. The computing device
[1000] may also include a main memory
[1006] , such as a random access memory (RAM), or other dynamic storage device, coupled to the bus
[1002] for storing information and instructions to be executed by the processor
[1004] , The main memory
[1006] also may be used for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of the instructions to be executed by the processor
[1004] , Such instructions, when stored in non-transitory storage media accessible to the processor
[1004] , render the computing device
[1000] into a special-purpose machine that is customized to perform the operations specified in the instructions. The computing device
[1000] further includes a read only memory (ROM)
[1008] or other static storage device coupled to the bus
[1002] for storing static information and instructions for the processor
[1004] ,
[0068] A storage device
[1010] , such as a magnetic disk, optical disk, or solid-state drive is provided and coupled to the bus
[1002] for storing information and instructions. The computing device
[1000] may be coupled via the bus
[1002] to a display
[1012] , such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), Liquid crystal Display (LCD), Light Emitting Diode (LED) display, Organic LED (OLED) display, etc. for displaying information to a computer user. An input device
[1014] , including alphanumeric and other keys, touch screen input means, etc. may be coupled to the bus
[1002] for communicating information and command selections to theprocessor
[1004] , Another type of user input device may be a cursor controller
[1016] , such as a mouse, a trackball, or cursor direction keys, for communicating direction information and command selections to the processor
[1004] , and for controlling cursor movement on the display
[1012] , This input device typically has two degrees of freedom in two axes, a first axis (e.g., x) and a second axis (e.g., y), that allow the device to specify positions in a plane.
[0069] The computing device
[1000] may implement the techniques described herein using customized hard-wired logic, one or more ASICs or FPGAs, firmware and / or program logic which in combination with the computing device
[1000] causes or programs the computing device
[1000] to be a special -purpose machine. According to one implementation, the techniques herein are performed by the computing device
[1000] in response to the processor
[1004] executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions contained in the main memory
[1006] , Such instructions may be read into the main memory
[1006] from another storage medium, such as the storage device
[1010] , Execution of the sequences of instructions contained in the main memory
[1006] causes the processor
[1004] to perform the process steps described herein. In alternative implementations of the present disclosure, hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions.
[0070] The computing device
[1000] also may include a communication interface
[1018] coupled to the bus
[1002] , The communication interface
[1018] provides a two-way data communication coupling to a network link
[1020] that is connected to a local network
[1022] , For example, the communication interface
[1018] may be an integrated services digital network (ISDN) card, cable modem, satellite modem, or a modem to provide a data communication connection to a corresponding type of telephone line. As another example, the communication interface
[1018] may be a local area network (LAN) card to provide a data communication connection to a compatible LAN. Wireless links may also be implemented. In any such implementation, the communication interface
[1018] sends and receives electrical, electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital data streams representing various types of information.
[0071] The computing device
[1000] can send messages and receive data, including program code, through the network(s), the network link
[1020] and the communication interface
[1018] , In the Internet example, a server
[1030] might transmit a requested code for an application program through the Internet
[1028] , the ISP
[1026] , the local network
[1022] and the communication interface
[1018] , The received code may be executed by the processor
[1004] as it is received, and / or stored in the storage device
[1010] , or other non-volatile storage for later execution.
[0072] The computing device
[1000] may be associated with a system of FIG. 3. The computing device
[1000] (as shown in Fig. 2) may include said system
[0300] , In an implementation, the computing device
[1000] may be connected to the system
[0300] to perform real-time synchronization of the one or more network entities for termination of an ongoing session.
[0073] Referring to Figure 3, an exemplary block diagram of the system
[0300] for realtime synchronization of the one or more network entities for termination of an ongoing session, is shown, in accordance with the exemplary implementations of the present disclosure. The system
[0300] comprises at least one binding support function (BSF)
[0302] , at least one policy control function (PCF)
[0303] , at least one application function (AF)
[0304] , at least one wait timer
[0305] and at least one session management function (SMF)
[0306] , The system
[0300] is connected to at least one network entity
[0301] , The BSF
[0302] further comprises at least one transceiver unit
[3021] , at least one initializing unit
[3022] and at least one holding unit
[3023] , Also, all of the components / units of the system
[0300] as well as the BSF
[0302] are assumed to be connected to each other unless otherwise indicated below. As shown in the figures all units shown within the system should also be assumed to be connected to each other. Also, in Fig. 3 only a few units are shown, however, the system
[0300] may comprise multiple such units or the system
[0300] may comprise any such numbers of said units, as required to implement the features of the present disclosure. Further, in an implementation, the system
[0300] may be present in a user device / equipment (UE) to implement the features of the present disclosure. The system
[0300] may be a part of the user device / or may be independent of but in communication with the user device. In another implementation, the system
[0300] may reside in a server or a network entity. In yet another implementation, the system
[0300] may reside partly in the server / network entity and partly in the user device.
[0074] The system
[0300] is configured for real-time synchronization of the one or more network entities for termination of an ongoing session, with the help of the interconnection between the components / units of the system
[0300] ,
[0075] The transceiver unit
[3021] is configured to receive a session abort request (SAR) from a Policy Control Function (PCF)
[0303] , The transceiver unit
[3021] is further configuredto transmit the session abort request (SAR) to an Application Function (AF)
[0304] , In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the session abort request is based on reception of a failure code at the PCF
[0303] from a session management function (SMF)
[0306] , In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the failure code corresponds to session management policy association termination request. It is to be noted that the session management policy association termination request refers to a command / request that is generated to stop the interaction of the PCF
[0303] and the SMF
[0306] when the session is aborted or terminated. This allows deactivation of the policies which leads to freeing up of one or more network resources for various network activities. The failure code is thus indicative of the fact which is responsible for session termination. The failure code includes but may not be limited to policy conflicts, resource allocation problems or authentication failures etc.
[0076] The initialization unit
[3022] is configured to initiate a session hold wait timer
[0305] , In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the session hold wait timer
[0305] is initiated by the PCF
[0303] after transmitting the session abort request to the BSF
[0302] , The session hold wait timer
[0305] is responsible for indicating as to how long a policy information for a particular given session will remain active before termination of the session after transmission of the session abort request to the BSF
[0302] , The session hold wait timer
[0305] holds the policy related information for a particular time.
[0077] The transceiver unit
[3021] is further configured to receive session information from the AF
[0304] , In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the session information comprises at least one of a session termination request and a session termination answer. For e.g., an instance of a particular session (let’s say session initialisation) may include policy enforcement by the PCF
[0303] after UE authentication. The policy enforcement determines the policy (rules) applicable to the session of initialization by the SMF
[0306] ,
[0078] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the PCF
[0303] awaits to release an ongoing session in an event when the session termination request is received before receiving a session abort answer (SAA) from the Application Function (AF)
[0304] , In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the PCF
[0303] awaits to release the ongoing session in the event the session termination request is not received from the Application Function (AF)
[0304] , It is important to note that STR received at the BSF
[0302] will be transmitted to PCF
[0303] , subsequently, PCF
[0303] will initiate STA which is received at the BSF
[0302] and transmitted to the AF
[0304] ,
[0079] The holding unit
[3023] is configured to hold the session information based on the session hold wait timer
[0305] , In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the session information is held till the session termination answer is received from the PCF
[0303] , In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the holding unit
[3023] of the BSF
[0302] held the session information, in an event the session termination request is received before receiving the session abort answer, from the Application Function (AF)
[0304] , In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the holding unit
[3023] of the BSF
[0302] held the session information in an event the session termination request is not received from the Application Function (AF)
[0304] .
[0080] The transceiver unit
[3021] is further configured to receive a session abort answer (SAA) from the AF
[0304] . Also, the transceiver unit
[3021] is further configured to transmit the session abort answer to the PCF
[0303] , It is important to note that the session abort answer is indicative of the confirmation that acknowledges the receiving of the SAR and concludes the termination of the session. It may also include some additional details such as but not limited to success or failure of the session.
[0081] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, one or more key performance indicators (KPI) are displayed, by the PCF
[0303] , based on the received session abort answer. It is important to note that the KPIs refer to counters which include but not limited to specific types of metrics being used to track how many times a particular even took place. For e.g., in the instant case, the event may include but not limited to session abort answer message.
[0082] Referring to Figure 4, an exemplary method flow diagram
[0400] for real-time synchronization of the one or more network entities for termination of the ongoing session, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure is shown. The ongoing session refers to any current interaction and information exchange between the one or more network entities in a communication network. In an implementation the method
[0400] is performed by the system
[0300] , Also, as shown in Figure 4, the method
[0400] starts at step
[0402] ,
[0083] At step
[0404] , the method
[0400] comprises receiving, by a transceiver unit
[3021] of a Binding Support Function (BSF)
[0302] , a session abort request (SAR) from a Policy Control Function (PCF)
[0303] , In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, receiving the session abort request is based on reception of a failure code at the PCF
[0303] from a sessionmanagement function (SMF)
[0306] . In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the failure code corresponds to session management policy association termination request. It is to be noted that the session management policy association termination request refers to a command / request that is typically generated to stop the interaction of the PCF
[0303] and the SMF
[0306] when the session is aborted or terminated. This marks the policies being deactivated which leads to freeing up of the network resources for other network activities. The failure code is thus indicative of the fact which is responsible for the session termination. The failure code may include but not limited to policy conflicts, resources allocation problem or authentication failures etc.
[0084] At step
[0406] , the method
[0400] comprises transmitting, by the transceiver unit
[3021] of the BSF
[0302] , the session abort request to an Application Function (AF)
[0304] ,
[0085] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the PCF
[0303] awaits to release an ongoing session in an event the session termination request is received before receiving the session abort answer from the AF
[0304] , In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the PCF
[0303] awaits to release the ongoing session in an event the session termination request is not received from the AF
[0304] . It is important to note that STR received at the BSF
[0302] will be transmitted to PCF
[0303] , subsequently PCF
[0303] will initiate STA which is received at the BSF
[0302] and transmitted to the AF
[0304] ,
[0086] At step
[0408] , the method
[0400] comprises initiating, by an initialization unit
[3022] of the BSF
[0302] , a session hold wait timer
[0305] , The session hold wait timer
[0305] is responsible for indicating as to how long a policy information for a particular given session will remain active before the termination of the session after transmission of the session abort request to the BSF
[0302] , The session hold wait timer
[0305] holds the policy related information for a particular time.
[0087] At step
[0410] , the method
[0400] comprises receiving, by the transceiver unit
[3021] of the BSF
[0302] , session information from the AF
[0304] , The session information comprises at least one of a session termination request and a session termination answer. For e.g., an instance of a particular session (let’s say session initialization) may include policy enforcement by the PCF
[0303] after UE authentication. The policy enforcement determines the policy (rules) applicable to the session of initialization by the SMF
[0306] ,
[0088] At step
[0412] , the method
[0400] comprises holding, by the holding unit
[3023] of the BSF, the session information based on the session hold wait timer
[0305] ,
[0089] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the session information is held till the session termination answer is received from the PCF
[0303] , In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the session information is held by the holding unit of the BSF
[0302] , in an event the session termination request is received before receiving the session abort answer, from the AF
[0304] , In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the session information is held by the holding unit
[3023] of the BSF
[0302] , in an event the session termination request is not received from the AF
[0304] , In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the session hold wait timer
[0305] is initiated by the PCF
[0303] after transmitting the session abort request to the BSF
[0302] ,
[0090] At step
[0414] , the method
[0400] comprises receiving, by the transceiver unit
[3021] of the BSF
[0302] , a session abort answer from the AF
[0304] , It is important to note that the session abort answer is indicative of the confirmation that acknowledges the receiving of the SAR and concludes the termination of the session. It may also include some additional details such as but not limited to success or failure of the session.
[0091] At step
[0416] , the method
[0400] comprises transmitting, by the transceiver unit
[3021] of the BSF
[0302] , the session abort answer to the PCF
[0303] ,
[0092] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the method
[0400] further comprises displaying, by the PCF
[0303] , one or more key performance indicators (KPI) based on the received session abort answer. It is important to note that the KPIs refer to counters which include but not limited to specific types of metrics being used to track how many times a particular even took place. For e.g., in the instant case, the event may include but not limited to session abort answer message.
[0093] Thereafter, the method
[0400] terminates at step
[0418] ,
[0094] Fig. 5 shows an exemplary system architecture
[0500] of the system
[0300] shown in Fig. 3. The system architecture
[0500] illustrates a block diagram of a 5G communication system with PCF
[0506] and BSF
[0504] , in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The system
[0500] has NRF
[0502] , BSF
[0504] , PCF
[0506] , AF
[0516] , PCF
[0508] , NEF
[0510] , AF
[0512] and NWDAF
[0514] , As stated earlier, during on-going call disconnect or IP-CAN session termination, network functions are unable to operate in sufficient or proper manner to release or utilise resources, due to missing or delay session message information sharing between network functions. For removing such mentioned problems or solving issues, the proposed system and method has provided enhanced solution to operate and maintain network functions in sync for utilization of network resources for waiting configured time before releasing Rx session.
[0095] In one preferred embodiment, an enhanced procedure has been provided for the BSF
[0504] , The BSF
[0504] may wait for a configurable time before releasing Rx diameter session in the following cases: a) Session Termination Request (STR) occurs before receiving Abort Session Answer (ASA) from the AF
[0516] , b) Abort Session Request (ASR) request from the PCF
[0506] , c) STR message not received or dropped for any Rx session after receiving ASR from the PCF
[0506] ,
[0096] In another preferred embodiment, an enhanced procedure has provided for the PCF
[0506] , The PCF
[0506] node may wait for a configurable time before releasing Rx diameter session in the following cases: a) STR occurs before receiving ASA from AF
[0516] , b) STR message not received or dropped for any Rx session after sending ASR.
[0097] In a preferred embodiment, configurable time may be a time duration of, but not limited to, 5-6 seconds for holding Rx session.
[0098] In another preferred embodiment, stale session identification may be performed. The method
[0400] (as shown in Fig. 4) and system
[0500] may detect early stale or inactive sessions and may early remove.
[0099] Fig. 6 shows an exemplary method call flow diagram indicating the process of handling message delivery in real-time environment on Rx diameter interface in PCF
[0606] and BSF
[0604] , in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The method flow diagram is implemented for system
[0500] (as shown in Fig. 5).
[0100] In a preferred embodiment, on receiving failure code from SMF (not shown in Fig. 6), the PCF
[0606] may send Abort-Session-Request (ASR) towards the BSF
[0604] on Rx diameter interface. After sending an ASR message to the BSF
[0604] , the PCF
[0606] starts the “Rx Session Hold Wait Timer”. Further, the BSF
[0604] forwards the ASR message to the AF
[0616] and starts the “Rx Session Hold Wait Timer”. For the situation, Session-Termination- Request STR and Session-Termination-Answer (STR-STA) messages occur before receiving ASA from the AF
[0616] , the BSF
[0604] holds the Rx session as per the configurable "Rx Session Hold Wait Timer" and does not remove Rx session information from its own database. After receiving ASA message from the AF
[0616] , the BSF
[0604] forwards the ASA message to the PCF
[0606] based on holding Rx session information. The PCF
[0606] node receives ASA diameter message and displays counter and KPI information accordingly.
[0101] The present disclosure further discloses a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions for real-time synchronization of one or more network entities
[0301] for termination of an ongoing session, the instructions include executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system having a Binding Support Function (BSF)
[0302] , causes: a transceiver unit
[3021] to receive a session abort request from a Policy Control Function (PCF)
[0303] , and transmit the session abort request to an Application Function (AF)
[0304] ; an initialization unit
[3022] to initiate a session hold wait timer
[0305] ; the transceiver unit
[3021] to receive session information from the AF
[0304] ; a holding unit
[3023] to hold the session information based on the session hold wait timer
[0305] ; and the transceiver unit
[3021] to receive a session abort answer from the AF
[0304] , and transmit the session abort answer to the PCF
[0303] , It is important to note that the session abort answer is indicative of the confirmation that acknowledges the receiving of the SAR and concludes the termination of the session. It may also include some additional details such as but not limited to success or failure of the session.
[0102] The present disclosure also discloses a user equipment (UE) for real-time synchronization of one or more network entities
[0301] for termination of an ongoing session. The UE is configured to receive a session abort request from a Policy Control Function (PCF)
[0303] of a system
[0300] , The UE is further configured to transmit the session abort request to an Application Function (AF)
[0304] of the system
[0300] , wherein an initialization unit
[3022] of the system
[0300] initiates a session hold wait timer
[0305] upon transmission of the session abort request. The UE is further configured to receive session information from the AF
[0304] , wherein a holding unit
[3023] of the system
[0300] holds the session information based on thesession hold wait timer
[0305] , The UE is further configured to receive a session abort answer from the AF
[0304] , Also, the UE is further configured to transmit the session abort answer to the PCF
[0303] ,
[0103] As is evident from the above, the present disclosure provides a technically advanced solution for real-time synchronization of one or more network entities for termination of an ongoing session. The present disclosure also provides an efficient system and method for processing ongoing call discontinuation or IP-CAN session termination for real-time network scenarios on Rx diameter interface in the PCF and the BSF of the communication network. The present solution. The present disclosure thus provides processing and sharing the message delivery information between various NFs for session termination, thereby maintaining NFs in sync for corresponding ongoing session condition by holding Rx session for configured time duration. Further, the present disclosure provides the solution for making successful KPIs of ASRmessage, enabling the BSF for forwarding the ASA message to the PCF under race-around condition. Furthermore, the KPIs of Rx timeout on the PCF side are improved.
[0104] Further, in accordance with the present disclosure, it is to be acknowledged that the functionality described for the various the components / units can be implemented interchangeably. While specific embodiments may disclose a particular functionality of these units for clarity, it is recognized that various configurations and combinations thereof are within the scope of the disclosure. The functionality of specific units as disclosed in the disclosure should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. Consequently, alternative arrangements and substitutions of units, provided they achieve the intended functionality described herein, are considered to be encompassed within the scope of the present disclosure.
[0105] While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the disclosed implementations, it will be appreciated that many implementations can be made and that many changes can be made to the implementations without departing from the principles of the present disclosure. These and other changes in the implementations of the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, whereby it is to be understood that the foregoing descriptive matter to be implemented is illustrative and non-limiting.
Claims
We Claim:
1. A method [400] for real-time synchronization of one or more network entities [301] for termination of an ongoing session, the method [400] comprising: receiving, by a transceiver unit [3021] of a Binding Support Function (BSF) [302], a session abort request (SAR) from a Policy Control Function (PCF) [303]; transmitting, by the transceiver unit [3021] of the BSF [302], the session abort request (SAR) to an Application Function (AF) [304]; initiating, by an initialization unit [3022] ofthe BSF [302], a session hold wait timer [305]; receiving, by the transceiver unit [3021] of the BSF [302], a session information from the AF [304]; holding, by a holding unit [3023] of the BSF [302], the session information based on the session hold wait timer [305]; receiving, by the transceiver unit [3021] of the BSF [302], a session abort answer (SAA) from the AF [304]; and transmitting, by the transceiver unit [3021] of the BSF [302], the session abort answer (SAA) to the PCF [303],2. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, wherein receiving the session abort request (SAR) is based on reception of a failure code at the PCF [303] from a session management function (SMF) [306],3. The method [400] as claimed in claim 2, wherein the failure code corresponds to session management policy association termination request.
4. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the session information comprises at least one of a session termination request (STR) and a session termination answer (STA).
5. The method [400] as claimed in claim 4, wherein the session information is held till the session termination answer (STA) is received from the PCF [303],6. The method [400] as claimed in claim 4, wherein the session information is held by the holding unit [3023] of the BSF [302], in an event the session termination request (STR) is received before receiving the session abort answer (SAA), from the AF [304],7. The method [400] as claimed in claim 4, wherein the session information is held by the holding unit [3023] of the BSF [302], in an event the session termination request (STR) is not received from the AF [304] .
8. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the session hold wait timer [305] is initiated by the PCF [303] after transmitting the session abort request (SAR) to the BSF [302],9. The method [400] as claimed in claim 4, wherein the PCF [303] awaits to release an ongoing session in an event the session termination request (STR) is received before receiving the session abort answer (SAA) from the AF [304],10. The method [400] as claimed in claim 4, wherein the PCF [303] awaits to release the ongoing session in an event the session termination request (STR) is not received from the AF [304],11. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, the method [400] further comprising displaying, by the PCF [303], one or more key performance indicators (KPI) based on the received session abort answer (SAA).
12. A system [300] for real-time synchronization of one or more network entities [301] for termination of an ongoing session, the system [300] comprising: a Binding Support Function (BSF) [302] comprising: a transceiver unit [3021] configured to receive a session abort request (SAR) from a Policy Control Function (PCF) [303]; the transceiver unit [3021] further configured to transmit the session abort request (SAR) to an Application Function (AF) [304]; an initialization unit [3022] configured to initiate a session hold wait timer [305]; the transceiver unit [3021] further configured to receive session information from the AF [304]; a holding unit [3023] configured to hold the session information based on the session hold wait timer [305]; the transceiver unit [3021] further configured to receive a session abort answer (SAA) from the AF [304]; and the transceiver unit [3021] further configured to transmit the session abort answer (SAA) to the PCF [303],13. The system [300] as claimed in claim 12, wherein the session abort request (SAR) is based on reception of a failure code at the PCF [303] from a session management function (SMF) [306],14. The system [300] as claimed in claim 13, wherein the failure code corresponds to session management policy association termination request.
15. The system [300] as claimed in claim 12, wherein the session information comprises at least one of a session termination request (STR) and a session termination answer (STA).
16. The system [300] as claimed in claim 15, wherein the session information is held till the session termination answer (STA) is received from the PCF [303],17. The system [300] as claimed in claim 15, wherein the holding unit [3023] of the BSF [302] held the session information, in an event the session termination request (STR) is received before receiving the session abort answer (SAA), from the Application Function (AF) [304],18. The system [300] as claimed in claim 15, wherein the holding unit [3023] of the BSF [302] held the session information in an event the session termination request (STR) is not received from the Application Function (AF) [304],19. The system [300] as claimed in claim 12, wherein the session hold wait timer [305] is initiated by the PCF [303] after transmitting the session abort request (SAR) to the BSF [302],20. The system [300] as claimed in claim 15, wherein the PCF [303] awaits to release an ongoing session in an event the session termination request (STR) is received before receiving the session abort answer (SAA) from the Application Function (AF) [304],21. The system [300] as claimed in claim 15, wherein the PCF [303] awaits to release the ongoing session in an event the session termination request (STR) is not received from the Application Function (AF) [304],22. The system [300] as claimed in claim 12, wherein one or more key performance indicators (KPI) are displayed, by the PCF [303], based on the received session abort answer (SAA).
23. A user equipment (UE) for real-time synchronization of one or more network entities [301] for termination of an ongoing session, the UE being configured to: receive a session abort request (SAR)from a Policy Control Function (PCF) [303]; transmit the session abort request (SAA) to an Application Function (AF) [304] of the system [300]; initiate, via an initialization unit [3022], a session hold wait timer [305] upon transmission of the session abort request (SAR); receive session information from the AF [304]; hold, via a holding unit [3023], the session information based on the session hold wait timer [305]; receive a session abort answer (SAA) from the AF [304]; and transmit the session abort answer (SAA) to the PCF [303],24. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for real-time synchronization of one or more network entities [301] for termination of an ongoing session, the storage medium comprising executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system, causes: a transceiver unit [3021] to: receive a session abort request (SAR) from a Policy Control Function (PCF) [303]; transmit the session abort request (SAR) to an Application Function (AF) [304]; an initialization unit [3022] to initiate a session hold wait timer [305]; the transceiver unit [3021] to receive session information from the AF [304]; a holding unit [3023] to hold the session information based on the session hold wait timer [305]; the transceiver unit [3021] to receive a session abort answer (SAA)from the AF [304]; and transmit the session abort answer to the PCF [303] .