Network slicing method and apparatus

Abstract

The present disclosure particularly relates to a user equipment for slice management comprising at least one processor, the at least one processor being configured to: obtain a slice group mapping (SGM) configuration, the SGM configuration indicating a mapping between slice groups and tracking areas (TAs); and perform cell reselection and / or random access operations based at least in part on the obtained SGM configuration:

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] Various exemplary embodiments according to the present disclosure relate to network slicing of communication networks. In particular, various example embodiments according to this disclosure relate to slice group mapping configuration. [Background technology]

[0002] Network slicing is a key 5G feature to support various services using the same mobile network infrastructure. For example, a network slice may be interpreted as a logical network that provides specific network functions and / or characteristics to address customer-defined business objectives. To benefit from such slice-specific network services, user equipment may require information in the form of slice groups to perform slice-specific network cell selection and / or random access operations to specific network cells, etc.

[0003] However, support for slice groups in the radio access network (RAN) has recently been launched by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). In order to support slice groups in 5G systems, many issues and challenges need to be resolved. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Certain embodiments may enable determining a slice group mapping (SGM) configuration and providing this SGM configuration to user equipment to perform cell reselection and / or random access operations.

[0005] According to a first exemplary aspect, a user equipment is disclosed that includes at least one processor, the at least one processor being configured to: A user equipment obtains a slice group mapping (SGM) configuration, the SGM configuration indicating a mapping between a slice group and a tracking area (TA); performing a cell reselection and / or random access operation based at least in part on the obtained slice group mapping configuration; It is configured as follows.

[0006] Further, in accordance with a first exemplary aspect, a method for implementing a method for controlling a user device includes at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, using the at least one processor, provide at least: Obtain a slice group mapping (SGM) setting, the SGM setting indicating the mapping between slice groups and tracking areas (TAs); performing cell reselection and / or random access operations based at least in part on the obtained SGM configuration; A user equipment is disclosed that is configured to cause a

[0007] According to a second exemplary embodiment, a method and apparatus for detecting a plurality of stimuli is provided, comprising: A first network node obtains a slice group mapping (SGM) configuration, the SGM configuration indicating a mapping between slice groups and tracking areas (TAs); Providing SGM configuration to user devices; A first network node is disclosed that is configured to:

[0008] According to yet a second exemplary aspect, a method and apparatus for implementing a method ... Get the SGM settings, which indicate the mapping between slice groups and tracking areas, Providing SGM configuration to user devices; A first network node is disclosed that is configured to:

[0009] According to a first exemplary aspect, a method is disclosed, the method comprising: The user equipment obtains an SGM configuration, the SGM configuration indicating a mapping between slice groups and tracking areas; the user equipment performing cell reselection and / or random access operations based at least in part on the obtained SGM configuration; This includes:

[0010] According to a second exemplary aspect, a method is disclosed, the method comprising: A first network node obtains an SGM configuration, the SGM configuration indicating a mapping between slice groups and tracking areas; the first network node providing the SGM configuration to the user equipment; This includes:

[0011] In some examples, the method and / or apparatus (e.g., user equipment and first network node) according to the first and / or second exemplary aspects may be interpreted as a method and apparatus for slice management. Thus, according to the first exemplary aspect, a user equipment for slice management (e.g., for obtaining and / or providing slice group mapping) and a method for slice management (e.g., for obtaining and / or providing slice group mapping) are disclosed, and according to the second exemplary aspect, a first network node for slice management (e.g., for obtaining and / or providing slice group mapping) and a method for slice management (e.g., for obtaining and / or providing slice group mapping) are disclosed.

[0012] In some embodiments, the method according to the first exemplary aspect and / or the method according to the second exemplary aspect may be interpreted as a method for providing slice group mapping (e.g., slice group mapping information in a first registration area that may be assigned to a user equipment to which an SGM configuration is provided by a first network node).

[0013] According to a third exemplary aspect, a system is disclosed, the system comprising at least a user equipment according to the first exemplary aspect and a first network node according to the second exemplary aspect.

[0014] The disclosed user equipment may be interpreted as user equipment (UE). The user equipment may be a stationary device or a mobile device. The user equipment may be a mobile device, such as a smartphone, a tablet, a wearable, a smartwatch, a low-power device, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, an Industrial IoT (IIoT) device, etc., among others. The user equipment may be capable of acquiring sensor data (e.g., from an external device) and transmitting the received sensor data to a network node of the communication network. In general, the user equipment may be any other device capable of communicating with the respective communication network, such as, for example, a vehicle, such as a car or a truck. The user equipment or mobile station may be interpreted as any device used to communicate with the respective network. The user equipment of the first exemplary aspect may be capable of directly or indirectly communicating with a network node of the communication network, as described in more detail below.

[0015] The first network node may be interpreted as a network node of a Radio Access Network (RAN) or a network node of a Core Network (CN).

[0016] Each network node of the core network (also referred to as a core network node) may be interpreted as an entity or function of a communication network of any generation. In general, a core network node may be or include a hardware or software component that implements a specific function. Thus, a core network node may be implemented in or be interpreted as a single device or module, and a core network node may be implemented across or include multiple devices or modules. In particular, a core network node may be interpreted as a network function and / or network entity defined in the 3GPP® 5G or NR (New Radio) standard (see, for example, 3GPP® TS 23.501 version 16.10.0, sections 3 and 4). Thus, the 5G system architecture may include an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), a Session Management Function (SMF), and further functions or entities. In particular, a core network node may be implemented in an AMF that handles, for example, control signaling between the core network and user equipment, user data security, idle mobility, and authentication. The functions operating between the core network, and more specifically the AMF, and the user equipment are sometimes referred to as Non-Access Stratum (NAS) to separate them from the Access Stratum (AS) that handles functions operating between the user equipment and the radio access network.

[0017] Each network node (also referred to as radio access network node) of the RAN is interpreted as a wireless communication station installed at a fixed or mobile location, and may be, for example, any generation of communication network of the 3GPP standard (e.g., gNB, eNodeB, NodeB, BTS, etc.). In general, a radio access network node may be or include a hardware or software component implementing a specific function. In one example, a radio access network node may be a base station (also referred to as gNB) defined in the 3GPP 5G or NR standard. Thus, a radio access network node may be implemented in or be a single device or module, and a radio access network node may be implemented across or include multiple devices or modules. Thus, a radio access network node may be implemented in or be a stationary device, in particular. The multiple radio access network nodes may establish a communication system or radio access network, in particular a New Radio (NR) or 5G system (5GS) or other mobile communication system defined by past or future standards, in particular successors to the current 3GPP® standards. The radio access network nodes may be capable of communicating directly and / or indirectly with one or more user equipments, e.g. as disclosed according to the first exemplary aspect, or with one or more further radio access network nodes, as described in more detail below.

[0018] Referring to one or more radio access network nodes and one or more core network nodes, these nodes may communicate directly and / or indirectly with each other. According to the 5G architecture, gNBs are connected to the 5G core network by an NG interface, and an Xn interface may connect several gNBs with each other.

[0019] In general, any of the means of the disclosed apparatus (i.e., the user equipment and the first network node) according to the first and / or second exemplary aspects can be implemented in hardware and / or software. They may include one or more modules or units providing the respective functions. They may, for example, comprise at least one processor (e.g., for executing computer program code for performing the required functions), at least one memory for storing program code, or both. Therein, it is considered as disclosed that the respective apparatus (i.e., the user equipment and / or the first network node) may include only at least one processor (e.g., without further memory or program code stored therein) configured to perform the method steps as disclosed according to a variety of aspects. Alternatively, it may include circuitry designed to implement the required functions, implemented in, for example, a chipset or chip such as an integrated circuit. In general, the means may include, for example, one or more processing means or processors.

[0020] Thus, according to the first and / or second exemplary aspects of the present disclosure, respective apparatuses (i.e., user equipment and network nodes) are disclosed that comprise at least one processor and at least one memory that includes computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured by the at least one processor to cause at least the apparatus to perform a method according to the respective aspect of the present disclosure. Similarly, according to the respective exemplary aspects of the present disclosure, respective apparatuses (i.e., user equipment and network nodes) are disclosed that in each case include means for performing a method according to the first and / or second exemplary aspect.

[0021] However, the exemplary embodiments disclosed above may generally be performed by an apparatus, which may be a module or component for an apparatus, such as a chip. The disclosed apparatus may include the disclosed components, such as means, processor, memory, or may further include one or more additional components.

[0022] According to the first and / or second exemplary aspects, computer programs are also disclosed which, when executed by a processor of an apparatus (e.g., user equipment and network node), cause the apparatus to perform the method according to the first and / or second exemplary aspects.

[0023] The computer program may in each case be stored on a computer-readable storage medium, in particular a tangible and / or non-transitory medium. The computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, a disk or a memory, etc. The computer program may be stored on the computer-readable storage medium in the form of instructions that code on the computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium may be intended to participate in the operation of an apparatus, for example an internal or external memory, such as a computer read-only memory (ROM) or a hard disk, or may be intended for distribution of the program, such as an optical disk.

[0024] Obtaining the SGM configuration by the user equipment may, for example, be interpreted to mean that the SGM configuration may be received by the user equipment from a network (e.g., a radio access network or a core network in the second exemplary aspect), and more particularly, may be received by the user equipment from another entity, such as a network node, which may, for example, be a network node of the above-mentioned radio access network (i.e., a radio access network node) or a network node of the above-mentioned core network (i.e., a core network node). For example, the SGM configuration may be received by the user equipment via a broadcast signal or in a dedicated signal as described below.

[0025] An SGM configuration (e.g., configured by the network) indicating at least one mapping between slice groups and tracking areas may be interpreted to mean, for example, that the SGM configuration includes information related to at least one mapping between slice groups and tracking areas (e.g., by referencing at least one mapping or by pointing to at least one mapping). The SGM configuration may not explicitly include at least one mapping. In other examples, indicating at least one mapping between slice groups and tracking areas may be interpreted to mean that the SGM configuration includes at least one mapping. For example, an SGM configuration indicating or including at least one mapping between respective slice groups and tracking areas means that the SGM configuration indicates or includes information about at least one slice group, further information about the corresponding tracking area, and / or further indication or information regarding, for example, that slice groups and tracking areas are mapped to each other.

[0026] For example, an SGM configuration indicating (or, e.g., including) at least one mapping between slice groups and tracking areas may be interpreted as an SGM configuration indicating (or, e.g., including) one or more, or, e.g., multiple mappings between the respective slice groups and the respective tracking areas. In other words, with reference to, e.g., pairs of respective slice groups and tracking areas to which the slice groups are mapped, an SGM configuration may indicate (or, e.g., include) at least one such pair of slice groups and tracking areas, or one or more, or, multiple such respective pairs. A slice group may be interpreted as, for example, information required for a user equipment to perform slice-specific cell reselection and / or slice-specific random access operations with respect to or with respect to a network cell to which the user equipment intends to connect. In other words, slice-specific cell reselection or slice-specific random access channel information may be provided to the user equipment in the form of a slice group. According to some examples, each slice group may include at least one slice to slice group mapping, as further described below.

[0027] For example, each slice group needs to be specific to each network cell (e.g., may be provided by each radio access network node) for use by the user equipment to perform slice-specific cell reselection for each network cell (and / or slice-specific random access channel operation for the radio access network node providing the respective network cell), which means that each slice group is valid for a particular network cell.

[0028] Additionally or alternatively, each slice group needs to be specific to each tracking area that includes each network cell. Thus, a slice group is specific to each network cell and may additionally or alternatively be specific to the tracking area that includes each network cell.

[0029] It should be understood that a tracking area refers to, for example, a group of network cells provided by a particular radio access network node. In other cases, a group of network cells may be grouped into a particular radio access network area identified by a radio access network area identifier (RAI), and multiple radio access network areas are grouped into a tracking area. Such a tracking area including multiple network cells (e.g., grouped into a respective radio access network area) may typically be identified by a tracking area identifier (TAI). A tracking area may be interpreted as a basis for tracking user equipment. To that end, a user equipment may be assigned (e.g., by a core network) to a respective registration area that is configured with or includes a list of tracking area identifiers. For example, when a user equipment enters a network cell that belongs to a tracking area that is not included in a registration area assigned to the user equipment, the user equipment may access the core network and perform a non-access stratum (NAS) registration update. Thus, the core network may register the location of the user equipment and update the equipment registration area, for example, by providing the user equipment with a new tracking area identifier list including the new tracking identifier.

[0030] For example, in this embodiment, a network slice may be interpreted as a logical network that provides specific network functions and network characteristics to address business objectives set by a customer. For example, a network slice allows for the creation of multiple virtual networks on top of a common shared physical infrastructure. A network slice may consist of or include various subnets, such as, for example, a radio access network subnet, a core network subnet, and / or a transport network subnet. Typically, a telecommunications service provider may be the owner or tenant of the network infrastructure in which the network slice is created.

[0031] For example, as further described in the 3GPP technical specifications, a network slice is uniquely identified via an S-NSSAI (Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information). A user equipment can be simultaneously connected to and served by up to eight network slices associated with eight S-NSSAIs. Meanwhile, each network cell may support tens or hundreds of S-NSSAIs. For example, when a user equipment registers with a network, it may indicate (e.g., via a requested S-NSSAI) one or more slices to which it may need access. Further in this embodiment, the core network may analyze the user equipment profile and subscription data to verify a list of slices to which the user equipment may be allowed to access. As a result, the core network may send a list of allowed slices (e.g., allowed NSSAI) to the user equipment. The list of allowed slices may be different from or only a subset of the slices requested by the user equipment in the registration process. The reason may be that the user equipment cannot access a particular slice or that the slice is not supported at the current location where the registration request is initiated.

[0032] For a particular tracking area, one or more same network slices may be supported within one tracking area, which may be referred to as uniform or homogeneous slice support. For example, whenever a user equipment moves and is to perform slice-specific cell reselection (e.g., to a new network cell or a new radio access network node providing the new network cell) or slice-specific random access channel, the user equipment may need corresponding information about such slice group specific to the new network cell. For example, assuming that the new network cell belongs to the same tracking area as the network cell to which the user equipment was previously connected, the user equipment can use the slice group already available in the user equipment to connect to the reselected new network cell, assuming that the tracking areas to which the new network cell and the previously connected network cell belong provide homogeneous slice support.

[0033] Performing a cell reselection and / or random access operation (e.g., slice-specific cell reselection and / or slice-specific random access operation) for, e.g., a network cell based at least in part on the obtained SGM configuration may be interpreted to mean that performing the cell reselection and / or random access operation may be based on at least one mapping between slice groups and tracking areas indicated by (e.g., by being included in) the SGM configuration. For example, performing the cell reselection and / or random access operation may be based at least in part on a respective mapping of the respective slice groups to the respective tracking areas including the respective network cells. In particular, such mapping allows the user equipment to use a particular slice group that is specific to the respective tracking areas including the respective network cells for which the cell reselection and / or random access operation is performed. For example, performing the reselection and / or random access operation may include steps such as selecting a particular random access channel resource and / or performing correct frequency prioritization.

[0034] Preferably, the user equipment may perform slice-specific cell reselection and / or random access operations, for example, for network cells, based on corresponding information included in or configured by a slice group specific to the respective network cell. The user equipment may obtain the benefit of network slice-based services when connecting to the network cell, for example, by at least one mapping between a required slice group and a tracking area including the respective network cell.

[0035] In other examples, as described further below, it may occur that the user equipment is intended to perform cell reselection and / or random access operations for network cells included in the respective tracking areas for which no corresponding slice group mapping is indicated (e.g., included) in the acquired SGM configuration. After it is determined (e.g., by the user equipment) that such a case exists, for example, based on the acquired SGM configuration, the user equipment may proceed with a fallback option, as described further below.

[0036] With reference to the first network node, the SGM configuration is obtained by the network node before providing the SGM configuration indicating at least one mapping between slice groups and tracking areas to the user equipment. In some embodiments, obtaining the SGM configuration may be interpreted as the network node obtaining the SGM configuration by determining the SGM configuration, while in further embodiments, the network node may obtain the SGM configuration by obtaining the SGM configuration from a memory of the network node. In other examples, the obtaining step may be interpreted as receiving the SGM configuration from another network node (e.g., a radio access network node or a core network node), as further described below.

[0037] In some embodiments, determining the SGM configuration may include selecting one or more mappings between respective slice groups and respective tracking areas from a plurality of such mappings, where the selected one or more mappings may be mappings between respective slice groups and respective tracking areas that are adjacent to tracking areas that belong to at least one of a registration area assigned to the user equipment (e.g., the user equipment for which the SGM configuration is provided) and a radio access network notification area assigned to the user equipment (e.g., the user equipment for which the SGM configuration is provided).

[0038] Providing the SGM configuration may be interpreted as meaning that the SGM configuration is provided to a user equipment (e.g., a user equipment in the first exemplary aspect), for example by the network node transmitting the configuration to the user equipment. The SGM configuration may then be available in the user equipment as a basis for performing cell reselection and / or random access operations, as described above. The first network node according to the second exemplary aspect may thus provide, for example, the user equipment with the respective SGM configuration, thus enabling the user equipment to perform slice-specific cell reselection and / or random access operations based on corresponding information contained in the slice group specific to the respective network cell.

[0039] Further exemplary features and exemplary embodiments of various aspects of the disclosure are described in more detail below.

[0040] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first exemplary aspect, the SGM configuration is obtained (by a user equipment according to the first exemplary aspect) from at least one of a core network (e.g., according to the second exemplary aspect) and a radio access network.

[0041] According to another exemplary embodiment of the first exemplary aspect, obtaining the SGM configuration from the core network includes: Obtaining SGM configuration in a non-access stratum; Including, Retrieving SGM settings from the radio access network is Obtaining the SGM configuration in downlink signaling and / or messages; Includes.

[0042] Further, according to an exemplary embodiment of the first exemplary aspect, the user equipment acquiring the SGM configuration includes: Retrieving the SGM configuration from the core network, or retrieving SGM configuration from a radio access network; Includes.

[0043] Further, according to an exemplary embodiment of the first exemplary aspect, obtaining the SGM configuration from the core network includes: Obtaining SGM configuration in non-access stratum (NAS) signaling and / or messages; Including, Retrieving SGM settings from the radio access network is Obtaining the SGM configuration in Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling and / or messages; Includes.

[0044] In one embodiment, the SGM configuration may be obtained by the user equipment from a network, which may be a core network or a radio access network. In particular, the network may be represented by a network node of the second exemplary embodiment. With respect to the 5G architecture, further details regarding the overall structure and functions of the core network and the radio access network are described in the relevant technical specifications (see, for example, 3GPP TS 23.003). When obtaining the SGM configuration from the core network, the SGM configuration may be obtained more specifically from a core network node, such as, for example, an AMF, via a non-access stratum. In another embodiment, when obtaining the SGM configuration from the radio access network, the SGM configuration may be obtained more specifically from a radio access network node, such as, for example, a base station (also referred to as gNB) defined by the 3GPP 5G or NR standard. In this embodiment, the SGM configuration may be obtained by the user equipment in downlink signaling (e.g., RRCReconfiguration) and / or messages (e.g., handover messages).

[0045] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first exemplary aspect, the at least one memory and the computer program code further configure the user equipment, by the at least one processor, to: When the user equipment moves from the first TA to the second TA, checking whether the SGM configuration is valid for the second TA; and / or When the user equipment moves from a first RA to a second RA, checking whether an SGM configuration is valid for a second RA; The method is further configured to cause the

[0046] Further according to an exemplary embodiment of the first exemplary aspect, the at least one processor further comprises: When the user equipment moves from the first TA to the second TA, checking whether the SGM configuration is valid for the second TA, or When the user equipment moves from the first RA to the second RA, checking whether the SGM configuration is valid for the second RA; It is configured as follows.

[0047] In one embodiment, the user equipment may move (e.g., in idle / inactive mode) within one particular tracking area or from one tracking area (e.g., a first tracking area to which the user equipment was previously connected) to another tracking area (e.g., a second tracking area that the user equipment may have selected by cell reselection, e.g., by selecting a network cell belonging to the second tracking area). In such an example, the user equipment may be to perform cell reselection and / or random access operations, e.g., to a network cell belonging to the second tracking area, for which a corresponding slice group (e.g., a slice group specific to each network cell included in the second tracking area) may be required. In such an example, the user equipment may check whether the obtained SGM configuration is valid for the second tracking area. In particular, this may be interpreted to mean that it is checked in or by the user equipment whether the second tracking area may correspond to a particular tracking area for which the obtained SGM configuration indicates at least one mapping (e.g., a mapping between a slice group and a particular tracking area). Thus, for example, if at least one mapping between slice groups and tracking areas indicated by the SGM configuration is a mapping between a slice group and a second tracking area, the acquired SGM configuration is considered to be valid for the second tracking area. If the acquired SGM configuration is valid for the second tracking area, the user equipment may, for example, perform cell reselection and / or random access operations for each network cell belonging to the second tracking area based at least in part on the acquired SGM configuration (e.g., indicating or configuring a mapping between slice groups and the second tracking area).

[0048] In some examples of all exemplary aspects, the first tracking area may be a neighboring tracking area of ​​the first tracking area, which may be interpreted as, for example, a coverage of a network cell belonging to the first tracking area being located adjacent to a coverage of a network cell belonging to the second tracking area. In further examples of all exemplary aspects, the first tracking area may be a non-neighboring tracking area of ​​the second tracking area.

[0049] In other examples of all exemplary aspects, the first tracking area may belong to the same registration area (e.g., the first registration area assigned to the user equipment) as the second tracking area. In this embodiment, the respective tracking area identifiers of the first and second tracking areas may both be listed in the same registration area. In such a case, for example, if the SGM configuration is determined (e.g., by the network node from which the user equipment obtains the SGM configuration) based at least in part on the registration area to which the first and second tracking areas belong, the obtained SGM configuration may be valid specifically for the second tracking area.

[0050] In another example of all exemplary aspects, it may be assumed that the user equipment moves from a first registration area to a second registration area different from the first registration area and performs a cell reselection and / or random access operation, for example, to a network cell that belongs to a tracking area listed in the second registration area, not to the first registration area. Thus, the user equipment may check whether the acquired SGM configuration is valid for the second registration area. In particular, this may be interpreted as meaning that it is checked in the user equipment whether the tracking area listed in the second registration area may correspond to a specific tracking area for which the acquired SGM configuration indicates at least one mapping (e.g., a mapping between a slice group and a specific tracking area). Thus, for example, if at least one mapping between a slice group and a tracking area indicated by the SGM configuration is a mapping between a slice group and a tracking area belonging to the second registration area, the acquired SGM configuration is considered to be valid for the registered tracking area.

[0051] Considering all the above exemplary embodiment examples, if the result of the respective check is that the SGM configuration is valid for the second tracking area and / or the second registration, the user equipment may proceed to perform, for example, a cell reselection and / or a random access operation to a corresponding network cell based at least in part on the obtained SGM configuration.

[0052] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first exemplary aspect, the at least one memory and the computer program code further configure the user equipment, by the at least one processor, to: Falling back to a legacy random access channel (RACH), the legacy RACH including using RACH resources without SGM support; The method is further configured to cause the

[0053] Further according to an exemplary embodiment of the first exemplary aspect, the at least one processor further comprises: Falling back to a legacy random access channel (RACH), including using RACH resources without SGM support; It is configured as follows.

[0054] As disclosed above, in some examples, the user equipment may be intended to perform cell reselection and / or random access operations for network cells included in or configured by respective tracking areas for which no corresponding slice group mapping is indicated in the acquired SGM configuration, for example. In such cases, the user equipment may fall back to a legacy random access channel, which may be a random access channel without SGM support. The legacy random access channel in other examples may use random access channel resources that are not mapped to any slice group. This allows potential defective operation due to slice-specific reselection or slice-specific random access operation, respectively, to be avoided by falling back to the legacy mechanism when a valid SGM configuration is not available in the user equipment.

[0055] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first exemplary aspect, the at least one memory and the computer program code further configure the user equipment, by the at least one processor, to: Indicating the invalid SGM configuration to the network in uplink signaling and / or messages, the uplink signaling and / or messages including message 3 (MSG3), message 5 (MSG5), or message 1 (MSG1) of a RACH procedure or a radio resource control (RRC) signaling; The method is further configured to cause the

[0056] Further according to an exemplary embodiment of the first exemplary aspect, the at least one processor further comprises: Indicating an invalid SGM to the network in uplink signaling and / or messages, the uplink signaling and / or messages including a random access channel (RACH) message 3 (MSG3), or a MSG5, or a MSG1, or an RRC signaling; It is configured as follows.

[0057] As disclosed above, an invalid SGM configuration may exist, for example, when a particular SGM configuration does not indicate a mapping between slice groups and a particular tracking area that includes or constitutes a network cell in which, for example, the user equipment intends to perform cell reselection and / or random access operations. In such a case, the user equipment may indicate to the network (e.g., a radio access network node or a core network node according to a second exemplary aspect) that the obtained SGM configuration is invalid. For such indication, for example, the known message 3 from the four-step random access procedure between the user equipment and the network (including preamble, response, message 3 and message 4) may be used to report the invalid SGM configuration to the respective network. In further examples of all exemplary aspects, any other uplink message (e.g., for idle / inactive user equipment) may be used to indicate the invalid SGM configuration. In response to indicating the invalid SGM configuration, the respective network may provide another (e.g., valid) SGM configuration (e.g., SGM reconfiguration), for example, by using a downlink message (e.g., message 5) or an RRC reconfiguration message.

[0058] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first exemplary aspect or the second exemplary aspect, the SGM setting comprises: a set of slice groups that map to a set of TAs; one or more mappings between slice groups and TAs; one or more mappings between physical cell identifiers (PCIs) and slice groups; At least one of the following is provided.

[0059] According to other exemplary embodiments of the first exemplary aspect and / or the second exemplary aspect, the slice group mapping further comprises at least one inter-slice group mapping.

[0060] As one non-limiting example, a particular SGM configuration may indicate (e.g., by configuration) three mappings between respective slice groups (e.g., slice group 1, slice group 2, slice group 3) and respective tracking areas (tracking area 1, tracking area 2, tracking area 3), where slice group 1 is specific to tracking area 1, slice group 2 is specific to tracking area 2, and slice group 3 is specific to tracking area 3. In this case, the set of slice groups 1 through 3 may be interpreted as corresponding to (e.g., mapped to) the set of tracking areas 1 through 3. Thus, the SGM configuration may include one or more mappings (three mappings in this example) between respective slice groups and corresponding tracking areas (i.e., one mapping between slice group 1 and tracking area 1, one further mapping between slice group 2 and tracking area 2, and one further mapping between slice group 3 and tracking area 3 in this example). Considering that tracking areas 1, 2 and 3 contain or are equipped with different network cells, the three mappings indicated in the SGM configuration may be, for example, one mapping between each network cell belonging to tracking area 1 and slice group 1, one mapping between network cells belonging to tracking area 2 and slice group 2, and one mapping between network cells belonging to tracking area 3 and slice group 3, where each network cell may be represented, for example, by a corresponding physical cell identifier.

[0061] According to further examples of all exemplary aspects, each slice group mapping may include at least one inter-slice group mapping. For example, a slice group may represent a list of slices, and each slice group's representation of the list of slices may be interpreted as a mapping from slices to slice groups. For example, slice group 1 maps to slices 1 and 2, slice group 2 maps to slices 3 and 5, etc. Thus, if a particular slice group is, for example, unique and thus mapped to a respective tracking area, each inter-slice group mapping contained in or constituted by that slice group can also be considered to be unique and thus mapped to a respective tracking area.

[0062] The SGM configuration, indicating at least one mapping between slice groups and tracking areas and provided to the user equipment, may be obtained at the user equipment and used when performing cell reselection and / or random access operations to network cells. In some embodiments, further conditions regarding how the SGM configuration is provided to the user equipment may depend on whether the SGM configuration is provided by a radio access network node or a core network node, for example, as disclosed further below.

[0063] According to an exemplary embodiment of the second exemplary aspect, the at least one memory and the computer program code further include, by the at least one processor, configuring the first network node to: Determine SGM settings, The device is further configured to:

[0064] According to further exemplary embodiments of the second exemplary aspect, the at least one processor further comprises: Determine SGM settings, It is configured as follows.

[0065] According to another exemplary embodiment of the second exemplary aspect, the at least one memory and the computer program code further include, by the at least one processor, configuring the first network node to: determining an SGM configuration based on at least one mapping between slice groups and TAs, in particular based on a registration area assigned to the user equipment; The device is further configured to:

[0066] According to yet another exemplary embodiment of the second exemplary aspect, the at least one memory and the computer program code further include, by the at least one processor, configuring the first network node to: Retrieving the Registration Area (RA) configuration of the user equipment from the core network node and determining the SGM configuration; The device is further configured to:

[0067] According to further exemplary embodiments of the second exemplary aspect, the at least one processor further comprises: Retrieving the Registration Area (RA) configuration of the user equipment from the core network node and determining the SGM configuration; It is configured as follows.

[0068] As described above with respect to obtaining the SGM configuration, the network node may perform a step of determining the SGM configuration. For example, determining the SGM configuration may be based at least in part on at least one mapping (e.g., obtained at the network node) or may be based on other information. According to the above-mentioned exemplary embodiment, determining the SGM configuration may be based on at least one mapping between slice groups and tracking areas, or may be based on a registration area assigned to the user equipment. This may be interpreted as meaning, for example, that the network node obtains a plurality of mappings between respective slice groups and tracking areas and selects a specific mapping from this plurality of mappings, which may map one or more slice groups to one or more tracking areas included in or configured by the registration area (e.g., a registration area assigned to the user equipment to which the SGM configuration is to be provided). In other words, the obtained at least one mapping between slice groups and tracking areas may coincide with one or more tracking areas included in or configured by the registration area.

[0069] For example, the network node may obtain one or more mappings between each slice group and tracking area (e.g., slice group 1 is mapped to tracking area 1, slice group 2 is mapped to tracking area 2, and slice group 3 is mapped to tracking area 3). Further, the network node may obtain a registration area that lists tracking areas 1 and 2. As these mappings relate to the respective tracking areas contained in or configured by the registration area, the network node may then determine the SGM configuration by selecting the mappings between slice group 1 and tracking area 1, and slice group 2 and tracking area 2.

[0070] By determining the SGM configuration based at least in part on a registration area assigned to the user equipment (e.g., user equipment to which the SGM configuration is provided), it can be ensured that the SGM configuration indicates (e.g., configures) a mapping between slice groups and tracking areas for all tracking areas included in the registration area assigned to the user equipment (e.g., user equipment to which the SGM configuration is provided).

[0071] Furthermore, with respect to the above-mentioned exemplary embodiment, it should be noted that using a registration area when determining the respective SGM configuration does not depend on whether the network node at which the SGM configuration is determined is a radio access network node or a core network node. Considering an example where the network node of the second exemplary aspect is a core network node, the registration area (e.g., a registration area assigned to the user equipment for which the SGM configuration is provided) may be available at the core network node. In another example where the network node is a radio access network node of the second exemplary aspect, the registration area may not be available at the radio access network node initially (e.g., because the radio access network node generally does not know about the registration area assigned to the user equipment). In such an example, the radio access network node may obtain one or more registration areas (e.g., a registration area assigned to the user equipment for which the SGM configuration is provided) and then use these one or more registration areas when determining the SGM configuration. For example, the radio access network node may obtain one or more registration areas from the core network, in particular from a core network node such as the AMF (e.g., via the NG interface).

[0072] In some examples of the second exemplary aspect, assuming that the network node is a radio access network node that acquires one or more registration areas from a core network, such acquisition may be performed and / or controlled in response to an initial message transmitted by the radio access network node to the core network. For example, this initial message may include or consist of information specific to a user equipment (e.g., according to the first exemplary aspect) for which a respective SGM configuration is to be provided, e.g., by establishing a connection (e.g., by RRC connection establishment) between the radio access network node and the specific user equipment before transmitting the initial message to the core network. In such examples, the core network may respond to the initial message transmitted by the radio access network node by providing an initial context configuration including a registration area assigned to the user equipment for which the initial message includes the specific information.

[0073] As mentioned above, obtaining the registration area assigned to the user equipment may be interpreted as meaning that the registration area is available at the network node and thus may be obtained, for example, from a memory of the network node. In other embodiments, the registration area may be obtained (e.g. received) at the network node from one or more network nodes (e.g. a core network node such as the AMF).

[0074] According to another exemplary embodiment of the second exemplary aspect, the at least one memory and the computer program code further include, by the at least one processor, configuring the first network node to: Obtaining assistance information, the assistance information indicating that the user equipment has an invalid SGM configuration; and / or providing a valid SGM configuration for the user equipment based on the indicated invalid SGM configuration; The method is further configured to cause the

[0075] According to an exemplary embodiment of the second exemplary aspect, the at least one processor further comprises: obtaining assistance information, the assistance information indicating that the user equipment has an invalid SGM configuration; and / or Providing a valid SGM configuration for the user equipment based on the indicated invalid SGM configuration; It is configured as follows.

[0076] For example, the assistance information may be obtained from a user equipment in which an invalid SGM configuration exists. In such a case, the invalid SGM configuration may exist in the user equipment after obtaining (e.g., receiving) the SGM configuration in the user equipment (e.g., from a network node).

[0077] According to another exemplary embodiment of the second exemplary aspect, the first network node further comprises at least one transceiver, the at least one transceiver comprising: sending a slice configuration update to the second network node, the slice configuration update including at least one SGM configuration; or receiving a slice configuration update from the second network node, the slice configuration update including at least one SGM configuration; It is configured as follows.

[0078] For example, the second network node may be a radio access network node or a core network node (e.g., AMF). For example, the slice configuration update may be sent to the second network node in a radio access network configuration update (RAN configuration update), and the second network node may receive multiple radio access network configuration updates from multiple respective network nodes. In such an example, the second network node may be a core network node (e.g., AMF) that collects multiple SGM configurations from various radio access network nodes.

[0079] In another embodiment, the first network node can receive a slice configuration update from the second network node in a radio access network configuration update (RAN configuration update), and the first network node can then provide the SGM configuration included in the radio access network configuration update to the user equipment.

[0080] According to an exemplary embodiment of the second exemplary aspect, the first network node includes a core network node or a radio access network node.

[0081] For example, whether the network node is a core network node or a radio access network node may affect how SGM settings are provided to the user equipment and how at least one mapping between slice groups and tracking areas is obtained, as further disclosed below.

[0082] According to other exemplary embodiments of the second exemplary aspect, the network node is a core network node and the SGM configuration is provided to the user equipment in a non-access stratum, or the network node is a radio access network node and the SGM configuration is provided to the user equipment in downlink signaling and / or messages.

[0083] Considering an example, the SGM configuration may be provided to the respective user equipment by a core network node or a radio access network node. With respect to an example 5G architecture, when providing the respective SGM configuration by a core network node, the SGM configuration may be provided, more specifically, by a core network node, such as, for example, an AMF, via a non-access stratum. In another embodiment, when providing the respective SGM configuration by such a radio access network node, the SGM configuration may be provided, more specifically, by a radio access network node, such as, for example, a base station (also referred to as gNB) defined by the 3GPP 5G or NR standard. In this example, the SGM configuration may be obtained by the user equipment in downlink signaling (e.g., RRC reconfiguration) and / or messages (e.g., handover messages).

[0084] According to an exemplary embodiment of the second exemplary aspect, the network node is a core network node, and at least one mapping between slice groups and tracking areas and / or at least one SGM configuration is obtained from one or more further radio access network nodes.

[0085] According to another exemplary embodiment of the second exemplary aspect, the network node is a core network node, and at least one mapping between slice groups and tracking areas and / or at least one SGM configuration is obtained from one or more further radio access network nodes in one or more radio access network configuration updates.

[0086] Considering an example in which the network node is a core network node, the core network node may obtain at least one mapping between slice groups and tracking areas and / or at least one SGM configuration from one or more radio access network nodes (e.g., in one or more respective radio access network configuration updates). For example, the core network node may obtain multiple mappings between respective slice groups and respective tracking areas from multiple radio access network nodes, and each mapping of the multiple mappings may be obtained from a respective radio access network node (e.g., in a respective radio access network configuration update). In particular, each mapping between slice groups and tracking areas may be obtained from a radio access network node that provides a respective network cell that is included in or configured by the respective tracking area.

[0087] According to an exemplary embodiment of the second exemplary aspect, the first network node is a radio access network node, and At least one mapping between slice groups and tracking areas and / or at least one SGM configuration is obtained from a core network node, or At least one mapping between slice groups and tracking areas and / or at least one SGM configuration is obtained from one or more further radio access network nodes.

[0088] In some embodiments, the network node may be a radio access network node, and the at least one mapping between slice groups and tracking areas and / or the at least one SGM configuration is obtained from a core network node (which may be, for example, an AMF) in response to, for example, an initial message transmitted from the radio access network node to the core network node. In some embodiments, such an initial message may include or consist of information specific to a user equipment for which the SGM configuration is provided. In this way, the core network node may select, for example, the at least one mapping between slice groups and tracking areas and / or the at least one SGM configuration according to a user equipment for which the SGM configuration is provided (for example, based on a registration area available in the core network and assigned to the user equipment identified by the information included in the initial message). Further considering this embodiment, the one or more selected mappings and / or SGM configurations are subsequently provided by the core network node to the radio access network node providing the SGM configuration.

[0089] Considering an example in which at least one mapping between respective slice groups and respective tracking areas and / or at least one SGM configuration is obtained from a core network node, this at least one mapping and / or at least one SGM configuration can be obtained in the core network node, for example, from a further radio access network node (e.g., including a radio access network node that provides the SGM configuration). For example, this can make it so that initially the mapping between slice groups and tracking areas and / or the SGM configuration is not available in the core network node until such mapping and / or configuration is obtained (e.g., collected) from the further radio access network node.

[0090] In other examples of the second exemplary aspect, the network node may be a radio access network node, and at least one mapping between slice groups and tracking areas and / or at least one SGM configuration may be obtained, for example, from one or more further radio access network nodes. For example, the radio access network node may obtain a plurality of mappings between respective slice groups and respective tracking areas and / or a plurality of SGM configurations from a plurality of further radio access network nodes, and each mapping of the plurality of mappings and / or each SGM configuration is obtained from the respective radio access network node (e.g., in a respective radio access network configuration update). In particular, each mapping between slice groups and tracking areas and / or each SGM configuration may be obtained from a radio access network node that provides a network cell included in the respective tracking area. Thereby, in some examples of the second exemplary aspect, initially (e.g., only initially), it may be available in the radio access network node that provides the SGM configuration that the mapping between slice groups and tracking areas includes or is configured with a network cell provided by the radio access network node that provides the SGM configuration. By obtaining mappings between slice groups and tracking areas and / or SGM settings from a further radio access network node, the radio access network node providing the SGM settings collects multiple mappings and / or SGM settings between respective slice groups and respective tracking areas and provides them to the user equipment in the form of SGM settings, and the user equipment can perform cell reselection and / or random access operations, for example, for various network cells based on the obtained SGM settings.

[0091] According to an exemplary embodiment of the second exemplary aspect, the first network node is a radio access network node, and obtaining at least one mapping between slice groups and tracking areas and / or an SGM configuration from a core network node comprises: In an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) configuration update, obtaining at least one mapping and / or at least one SGM configuration; Obtaining at least one mapping between slice groups and tracking areas and / or at least one SGM configuration from one or more further radio access network nodes, The method includes obtaining at least one mapping and / or at least one SGM configuration in one or more RAN configuration updates.

[0092] Considering an example in which multiple mappings between respective slice groups and tracking areas and / or multiple SGM settings are obtained at the radio access network node as a network node from a core network node or by the radio access network node, the multiple mappings and / or SGM settings may be obtained together in one particular AMF configuration update. In other examples of all exemplary aspects, multiple mappings between respective slice groups and tracking areas and / or SGM settings may be obtained at the radio access network node as a network node from multiple further radio access network nodes, and each mapping of the multiple mappings (and / or each SGM setting of the multiple SGM settings) may be obtained from each further radio access network node in a respective radio access network configuration update.

[0093] According to an exemplary embodiment of the third exemplary aspect, the system may further include a user equipment as disclosed according to the first aspect and a network node as disclosed according to the second aspect, where the network node may be a radio access network node or a core network node. As described above with respect to various aspects of the present disclosure, the radio access network nodes or core network nodes according to the second exemplary aspect may communicate with each other and / or with further radio access network nodes. Thus, the system according to the third exemplary aspect may include further radio access network nodes in addition to the radio access network nodes or core networks as network nodes and the user equipment.

[0094] It should be understood that the representations of the embodiments disclosed herein are merely illustrative and not limiting.

[0095] Herein, the disclosure of a method step shall also be considered as a disclosure of a means for performing the respective method step. Similarly, the disclosure of a means for performing a method step shall also be considered as a disclosure of the method step itself.

[0096] Other features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is understood, however, that the drawings are made for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to define the scope of the present disclosure, for which reference should be made to the appended claims. It is further understood that the drawings are not drawn to scale and are merely intended to conceptually explain the structures and procedures described herein. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0097] Various exemplary embodiments are described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example embodiment of a user equipment of various aspects. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an example embodiment of a network node of various aspects. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the first exemplary aspect. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the second exemplary aspect. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an example signaling chart illustrating an example embodiment of various aspects. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 illustrates another example signaling chart illustrating an example embodiment of various aspects. [Figure 7a] FIG. 7a illustrates another example signaling chart illustrating an example embodiment of various aspects. [Figure 7b] FIG. 7b illustrates another example signaling chart illustrating an example embodiment of various aspects. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a tangible and non-transitory computer readable storage medium. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0098] The following description will aid in the understanding of the present disclosure and complements and should be read together with the description of exemplary embodiments in the "Summary" section herein above.

[0099] It should be noted that in this disclosure, a network slice may also be referred to as a slice. A slice group includes a set of network slices. Slices included in a slice group may have common or similar network service characteristics.

[0100] 1 is a block diagram of an example embodiment of a user equipment 100 according to the present disclosure. For example, user equipment 100 may be one of a smartphone, a tablet computer, a notebook computer, a smart watch, a smart band, an IoT device, or a vehicle or part thereof.

[0101] The user equipment 100 comprises a processor 101. The processor 101 may refer to a single processor or two or more processors, at least partially connected, for example, via a bus. The processor 101 executes program code stored in a program memory 102 (e.g., program code that, when executed on the processor 101, causes the user equipment 100 connected to the network node 200 to execute one or more embodiments of the method embodiments according to the present disclosure, or portions thereof) and communicates with a main memory 103. The program memory 102 may include an operating system for the processor 101. Some or all of the memories 102 and 103 may also be included in the processor 101.

[0102] One or both of the main memory and program memory of a processor (e.g., program memory 102 and main memory 103) may be fixedly connected to the processor (e.g., processor 101) or may be at least partially removable from the processor, for example in the form of a memory card or memory stick.

[0103] The program memory (e.g., program memory 802) may be, for example, a non-volatile memory. It may be, for example, a Flash memory (or a portion thereof), a ROM, a PROM, an EPROM, an MRAM, a FeRAM (or a portion thereof), or a hard disk (or a portion thereof), to name a few. For example, the program memory may comprise, for example, a first memory portion that is fixedly installed and a second memory portion that is removable, for example in the form of a removable SD memory card.

[0104] The main memory (e.g., main memory 103) may be, for example, a volatile memory. It may be, for example, a DRAM memory, by way of non-limiting example, which may be used as a working memory for the processor 101 when executing, for example, an operating system, applications, programs, and / or the like.

[0105] Further, the processor 101 controls the communication interface 104 (e.g., a wireless interface) configured to receive and / or transmit data and / or information. For example, the communication interface 104 may be configured to transmit and / or receive wireless signals from a network node, such as a base station. It is to be understood that any computer program code-based processing required for receiving and / or evaluating the wireless signals may be stored in an own memory of the communication interface 104 and executed by an own processor of the communication interface 104, and / or may be stored, for example, in the memory 103 and executed, for example, by the processor 801.

[0106] The communication interface 104 may be configured to communicate according to a cellular communication system, such as a 2G / 3G / 4G / 5G / NR or next generation cellular communication system, among others. The user equipment 100 may communicate with network nodes using the wireless interface 104, as depicted in FIG.

[0107] For example, the communication interface 104 may further comprise a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) and / or Bluetooth wireless interface including a BLE transmitter, receiver or transceiver. For example, the wireless interface 104 may additionally or alternatively comprise a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) wireless interface including at least a WLAN transmitter, receiver or transceiver.

[0108] The components 102-104 of the mobile device 100 may be connected to the processor 801 by, for example, one or more serial and / or parallel buses.

[0109] It should be appreciated that user equipment 100 may include various other components. For example, user equipment 100 may optionally include a user interface (e.g., a touch-sensitive display, a keyboard, a touchpad, a display, etc.).

[0110] 2 is a block diagram of an example embodiment of a network node. For example, network node 200 may be configured to schedule and / or transmit signals and / or messages to user equipment as described above.

[0111] The network node 200 comprises a processor 201, which may refer to a single processor or two or more processors, which are at least partially connected, for example, via a bus. The processor 201 executes program code stored in a program memory 202 (e.g., program code that causes the device 200 to execute, alone or in conjunction with an embodiment of the user equipment 100 according to the present disclosure, or a portion thereof) and connects to a main memory 203.

[0112] The program memory 202 may include an operating system for the processor 201. Some or all of the memories 202 and 203 may be included within the processor 201.

[0113] Further, the processor 201 controls a communication interface 204 configured to communicate according to a cellular communication system, such as, for example, a 2G / 3G / 4G / 5G / NR cellular communication system. The communication interface 204 of the network node 200 may be provided for communication between the network node and user equipment.

[0114] The components 202-204 of the network node 200 may be connected to the processor 201, for example, by one or more serial and / or parallel buses.

[0115] The user equipment 100 together with the communication interface 104 may be configured, inter alia, to receive signals from and transmit signals to the network node 200 in this embodiment.

[0116] It should be understood that the devices 100, 200 may include a variety of other components.

[0117] 3 is a flow diagram 300 illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a method according to a first exemplary aspect of the present disclosure. Without limiting the scope of the present disclosure, in the following, it is assumed that a user equipment as depicted in FIG. 1 performs the operations / steps of the flow diagram 300.

[0118] In step 310, the user equipment obtains an SGM configuration, the SGM configuration indicating at least one mapping between slice groups and tracking areas.

[0119] For example, referring to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 5 (step 508 in the signaling chart 500), the user equipment 510 can obtain the SGM configuration by downlink signaling (e.g., RRCRelease) from gNB1 520 as a radio access network node, where the SGM configuration indicates one or more mappings between SGMs and tracking areas (TAs). The SGM may further include mapping between slices (e.g., a first mapping of SGM1 to TA1 and a second mapping of SGM3 to TA5) and slice group mapping. Similar examples for obtaining the SGM configuration are shown in the exemplary embodiments of FIG. 6 (step 608 in the signaling chart 600), FIG. 7a and FIG. 7b (step 710 in the signaling chart 700).

[0120] In step 320, the user equipment performs a cell reselection and / or random access operation, eg, to a network cell or base station, based at least in part on the obtained SGM configuration.

[0121] 5 (step 509 in signaling chart 500), the user equipment 510 may use the SGM configuration obtained from gNB1 510 as a radio access network node when performing slice-specific (e.g., slice-based) cell reselection. In particular, the obtained SGM configuration indicates (e.g., configures) a mapping between slice groups (e.g., SGM1, SGM3) and tracking areas (TA1, TA5) for tracking areas included in a registration area (RA) assigned to the user equipment 510.

[0122] 4 is a flow diagram 400 illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a method according to a second exemplary aspect of the present disclosure. Without limiting the scope of the present disclosure, it is assumed below that a network node such as that depicted in FIG. 2 performs the operations of flow diagram 400.

[0123] In step 410, the network node obtains at least one mapping between slice groups and tracking areas.

[0124] For example, referring to the exemplary embodiment shown in Figure 5 (step 502 in the signaling chart 500), the radio access network node gNB1 520 as a network node may obtain one mapping between slice groups (including inter-slice mapping SGM3 for TA5) and tracking areas (TA5) from gNB3 530 as a further radio access network node. Furthermore, gNB1 520 may obtain one more mapping between slice groups (including inter-slice mapping SGM2 for TA2) and tracking areas (TA2) from gNB2 540 as another further radio access network node.

[0125] 6 (step 605 of signaling chart 600), the radio access network node gNB1 520 as a network node may obtain two mappings between the respective slice groups (including inter-slice mapping SGM1 for TA1 and inter-slice mapping SGM3 for TA5, respectively) and the respective tracking areas (TA1 and TA5) from a core network (e.g., AMF as a core network node). A similar example of obtaining mappings from the core network is given in step 703 of signaling chart 700.

[0126] In step 420, a network node provides an SGM configuration indicating at least one mapping between slice groups and tracking areas.

[0127] For example, referring to the exemplary embodiment shown in Figure 5 (step 508 in signaling chart 500), gNB1 520 as a radio access network node provides SGM configuration to user equipment 510 by downlink signaling (e.g. RRCRelease), where the SGM configuration indicates two mappings between slice groups and tracking areas (e.g. a first mapping of SGM1 to TA1 and a second mapping of SGM3 to TA5) that configures the mapping to slice groups. Similar examples for providing SGM configuration are shown in the exemplary embodiments of Figure 6 (step 608 in signaling chart 600), Figures 7a and 7b (step 710 in signaling chart 700).

[0128] The operations / steps according to the example flow diagrams 300 and 400 may provide a solution to the condition that the core network may also provide slice to slice group mapping in general. Furthermore, if the core network does not provide slice group mapping information / configuration to a particular radio access network node, the particular radio access network node may not be aware of the slice group mapping of other radio access network nodes (including, for example, neighboring radio access network nodes). Furthermore, the radio access network nodes may not be aware of the registration areas assigned to the respective user equipment.

[0129] For example, when a user equipment is in an idle / inactive state, it may move from one tracking area to another or within one tracking area. If the slice group mappings of different tracking areas are different, the user equipment needs information about such differences when reselecting to an appropriate network cell. In another example considering movement within one tracking area, some radio access network nodes (e.g., some gNBs) may lack support for slice groups, which may cause problems for the user equipment to camp on an appropriate network cell.

[0130] For example, the solutions provided by the embodiments of all the exemplary aspects may enable the user equipment to obtain one or more mappings between slice groups and tracking areas, and such one or more mappings may be valid within a registration area assigned to the user equipment. In this embodiment, the user equipment may be configured by the core network with such one or more mappings between slice groups and respective tracking areas. This SGM configuration allows the user equipment to automatically perform cell reselection / random access resource selection based on the SGM configuration.

[0131] In another example, one or more mappings are configured by a radio access network node, and the one or more mappings are valid within a particular tracking area. For example, a gNB as a radio access network node can provide an SGM configuration to a user equipment indicating slice group mappings of neighboring tracking areas. When the user equipment in this embodiment moves to a neighboring tracking area, the user equipment can use this SGM configuration to perform and / or control cell reselection / random access resource selection.

[0132] In yet another example, if the gNB cannot obtain slice group mapping of a neighboring tracking area, the user equipment may perform a slice group mapping update when moving from tracking area TA1 to tracking area TA2, where TA1 and TA2 may belong to the same registration area configured for the user equipment. For example, when the user equipment moves from TA1 to TA2, it may indicate an invalid mapping using, for example, MSG3 or other uplink messages (for idle / inactive state). The network in this embodiment may configure a valid mapping for the user equipment using a downlink message such as MSG5 or RRCreconfiguration.

[0133] 5 illustrates an example signaling chart 500 illustrating an example embodiment of various aspects of the disclosure. According to an example embodiment, the signaling chart 500 may be understood as a signaling chart for slice group mapping on the RAN.

[0134] For exemplary purposes and without limiting the scope of the present disclosure, in the following it is assumed that a user equipment 510 (e.g., a user equipment 100 as depicted in FIG. 1 ) communicates with a RAN node denoted as gNB1 520 (e.g., a network node 200 as depicted in FIG. 2 ). There, gNB1 controls a network cell 1 (having PCI1) belonging to TA1. According to a further exemplary embodiment, gNB1 communicates with further RAN nodes gNB2 540 and gNB3 530, where gNB2 540 controls a network cell 2 (having PCI2) belonging to TA2 and gNB3 530 controls a network cell 3 (having PCI3) belonging to TA5. According to a further exemplary embodiment, all RAN nodes gNB1 520, gNB2 540 and gNB3 540 communicate with an AMF 550 as an exemplary core network node.

[0135] According to FIG. 5, slice to slice group mapping information (hereinafter denoted as SGM1, SGM2, SGM3) may be included in the PCI corresponding to each slice group and corresponding tracking area (hereinafter denoted as TA1, TA2, TA5).

[0136] Option 1: [SGM1, SGM2, SGM3] are valid under the validity area [TA1, TA2, TA5]. Option 2: {TA1, SGM1}, {TA2, SGM2}, {TA5, SGM3}, or Option 3: {PCI1, SGM1}, {PCI2, SGM2}, {PCI3, SGM3}.

[0137] Option 3 may be used in TA border edge cases or in private networks where user equipment is not expected to move widely. Similarly, dynamic slice deployment is a use case where cell-specific SGMs are needed instead of TA-specific SGMs.

[0138] With reference to the operational example shown in FIG. 5, operations / steps 501-510 can be understood as follows.

[0139] In step 501, the Operation, Administration and Maintenance (OAM) configures slice to slice group mappings to different network cells (cells 1, 2, 3 controlled by corresponding gNBs 1, 2, 3 in a given example). In step 502, the gNB1 obtains mappings between TAs and corresponding slice groups from neighboring RAN nodes gNB2 and gNB3, which may include respective slice to slice mappings, and the network cells may have specific TAs according to the above example, which may be {cell 1, TA1, SGM1}, {cell 2, TA2, SGM2}, {cell 3, TA5, SGM3}. In step 503, the UE may initiate an RRC connection with network cell 1 controlled by gNB1, and in response to the initiation of the RRC connection, the gNB1 sends an initial UE message to the AMF to obtain a UE context (step 504). According to this embodiment, the RA (registration area) assigned to the UE may be composed of TA1 and TA5, for example, RA=[TA1, TA5]. This information is provided in step 505 from the AMF to the RAN node gNB1 and may come from the AMF as part of an initial context setup request. The transmission according to step 505 may be confirmed by the UE by an initial context setup response in step 506.

[0140] In step 507, the RAN node gNB1 currently connected to the UE can collate the received information and determine the SGM configuration. In particular, since the UE RA consists of TA1 and TA5, gNB1 needs the mappings used for these TAs, which are SGM1 and SGM3.

[0141] In step 508, the RAN node gNB1 sends the determined SGM configuration, including SGM1 (indicating for TA1) and SGM3 (indicating for TA5), to the UE. When the UE is moving in idle mode and reselects a network cell in TA1 or TA5, the UE knows the required SGM and can select the correct RACH resource and / or perform the correct frequency prioritization (step 509).

[0142] 6 illustrates another example signaling chart 600 illustrating an example embodiment of various aspects according to the present disclosure. According to an example embodiment, the signaling chart 600 can be understood as a signaling chart for slice group mapping provided via the RAN, while the TA to SGM mapping is coordinated at the NG interface.

[0143] For illustrative purposes, and without limiting the scope of the present disclosure, it is assumed below that user equipment 610 (e.g., user equipment 100 as depicted in FIG. 1) communicates with a RAN node denoted as gNB1 620 (e.g., network node 200 as depicted in FIG. 2), where gNB1 can control network cell 1 (having PCI1) belonging to TA1.

[0144] Further according to an exemplary embodiment, gNB1 may communicate with further RAN nodes gNB2 640 and gNB3 630, where gNB2 640 controls network cell 2 (having PCI2) belonging to TA2 and gNB3 630 controls network cell 3 (having PCI3) belonging to TA5. Further according to an exemplary embodiment, all RAN nodes gNB1 620, gNB2 640 and gNB3 640 may communicate with AMF 650 as an exemplary core network node.

[0145] With reference to the operational example shown in FIG. 6, operations / steps 601-608 can be understood as follows.

[0146] In step 601, the OAM may configure slice to slice group mapping to different network cells (cells 1, 2, 3 controlled by corresponding gNBs 1, 2, 3 in the given example).

[0147] In step 602, all RAN nodes may provide the slice group mapping of the corresponding TA to the AMF either in an NG setup message or in a RAN configuration update. The AMF acknowledges these messages.

[0148] In step 603, the UE may initiate an RRC connection with network cell 1 controlled by gNB1, and in response to the initiation of this RRC connection, sends an initial UE message to the AMF to obtain the UE context (step 604).

[0149] In steps 605 and 606, the AMF may respond with the requested UE context and send slice group mappings associated with the UE's registration area to the gNB1. Alternatively, the AMF may include the UE's registration area in the UE context message as well as SGMs associated with the TA. In this case, the RAN node gNB1 may match the TA and associated SGMs and send the list of associated SGMs to the UE.

[0150] In step 607, the RAN node gNB1 configures the UE with the determined list of SGMs contained in the determined SGM configuration. The list of SGMs can be configured in the UE via an RRCReconfiguration or Handover Command message. Similarly, this message can also be broadcast in a manner that is only understandable by a subset of the UEs.

[0151] In step 608, the UE uses the mapping provided by the RAN node to perform slice-based cell reselection and / or slice-specific RACH operations.

[0152] 7a and 7b show another example signaling chart 700 illustrating an example embodiment of various aspects. According to an example embodiment, the signaling chart 700 can be understood as a signaling chart for slice group mapping provided via the RAN, while the TA to SGM mapping is coordinated in the NG interface.

[0153] For illustrative purposes, and without limiting the scope of the present disclosure, in the following, a UE 710 (e.g., a user equipment 100 as depicted in FIG. 1) may communicate with a RAN node denoted as gNB1 720 (e.g., a network node 200 as depicted in FIG. 2). There, gNB1 may control network cell 1 (having PCI1) belonging to TA1.

[0154] Further according to an exemplary embodiment, gNB1 may communicate with further RAN nodes gNB2 740 and gNB3 730, where gNB2 740 controls network cell 2 (having PCI2) belonging to TA2 and gNB3 730 controls network cell 3 (having PCI3) belonging to TA5. Further according to an exemplary embodiment, all RAN nodes gNB1 720, gNB2 740 and gNB3 740 communicate with AMF 750 as an exemplary core network node.

[0155] Steps 701 and 702 depicted in the signaling chart 700 of Figures 7a and 7b are identical to steps / steps 601 and 602 depicted in the signaling chart 600 of Figure 6. Thus, in step 701, the OAM configures slice to slice group mapping to different network cells (cells 1, 2 and 3 controlled by corresponding gNBs 1, 2 and 3 in this embodiment). Further, in step 702, all RAN nodes provide the slice group mapping of corresponding TAs to the AMF either in a NG SETUP message or in a RAN configuration update. The AMF acknowledges these messages.

[0156] Steps 703-708 depicted in signaling chart 700 can be understood as alternative options to steps / steps 603-606 depicted in signaling chart 600 and are described as follows.

[0157] In steps 703 and 704, the AMF provides a list of SGMs mapped to the corresponding TA through an AMF configuration update. In step 705, the UE initiates an RRC connection with network cell 1 controlled by gNB1. Then, in steps 706 and 707, the RAN node gNB1 sends an Initial UE message to the AMF, which responds with a UE context and sends the registration area of ​​the UE to the RAN node. In step 708, the RAN node determines the SGM to configure for the UE that is associated with the registration area assigned to the UE.

[0158] Steps 709 and 710 depicted in the signaling chart 700 of Fig. 7a and Fig. 7b are identical to steps 607 and 608 depicted in the signaling chart 600 of Fig. 6. Thus, in step 709, the RAN node gNB1 configures the UE with the determined list of SGMs contained in the determined SGM configuration. The list of SGMs can be configured in the respective UE via an RRCReconfiguration or Handover Command message. Similarly, the message can be broadcast in a manner that is decodable only by a subset of the UEs. In step 710, the UE performs slice-based cell reselection and / or slice-specific RACH operations using the mapping provided by the RAN node.

[0159] As an additional note to the exemplary embodiment given by the signaling charts 600 and 700, the list of SGMs, each corresponding to a different TA, can be separate for cell reselection and RACH. The list of SGMs can be further extended for other slice-specific functional operations through other lists. Furthermore, if RA is not available in the RAN, the SGM may be determined solely based on information exchange over Xn. Thus, the effective area of ​​the SGM provided may be smaller than the RA. Thus, when the UE is located outside the list of TAs provided by the RAN, the UE may fall back to legacy cell reselection. In another example of the intra-CU case, the SGM information may be exchanged via the F1AP procedure.

[0160] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating examples of tangible and non-transitory computer-readable storage media according to the present disclosure that may be used, for example, to implement memory 102 of Figure 1 or memory 202 of Figure 2. To this end, Figure 8 displays a flash memory 800, which may be soldered or glued to, for example, a printed circuit board, a solid-state drive 801 including multiple memory chips (e.g., flash memory chips), a magnetic hard drive 802, a secure digital (SD) card 803, a universal serial bus (USB) memory stick 804, an optical storage medium 805 (such as, for example, a CD-ROM or DVD), and a magnetic storage medium 806.

[0161] All connections presented in the described embodiments should be understood in the sense that the components involved are functionally coupled. Thus, the connections may be direct or indirect, regardless of the number or combination of intervening elements, and there may be merely a functional relationship between the components.

[0162] Furthermore, the term "circuit" as used herein refers to any of the following: (a) Hardware-only circuit implementations (e.g., analog and / or digital-only implementations) (b) a combination of circuitry and software (and / or firmware), including (i) a combination of processor(s), or (ii) a portion of processor(s) / software (including digital signal processor(s)), software, and memory(s) that work together to cause a device, such as a mobile phone, to perform various functions; and (c) Any circuitry that requires software or firmware for its operation, such as a microprocessor or part of a microprocessor, even if that software or firmware is not physically present.

[0163] This definition of "circuitry" applies to all uses of the term in this document, including the claims. As a further example, the term "circuitry" in this embodiment may simply cover a processor (or processors) or part of a processor and its (or their) associated software and / or firmware implementations. The term "circuitry" may also cover, for example, a baseband integrated circuit or an application processor integrated circuit for a mobile phone.

[0164] The processor may be any suitable type of processor, including but not limited to any of the processors mentioned herein, particularly processors 101 and 201 of Figures 1 and 2. Any processor may be comprised of, but is not limited to, one or more microprocessors, one or more processors with an associated digital signal processor, one or more processors without an associated digital signal processor, one or more special purpose computer chips, one or more Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAS), one or more controllers, one or more Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICS), or one or more computer(s). The associated structure / hardware is programmed to perform the described functions.

[0165] Additionally, any of the operations or steps described or illustrated herein may be implemented using executable instructions on a general-purpose or special-purpose processor and stored on a computer-readable storage medium (e.g., disk, memory, etc.) for execution by such a processor. References to "computer-readable storage medium" should be understood to encompass specialized circuitry such as FPGAs, ASICs, signal processing devices, and other devices.

[0166] Additionally, any of the operations described or illustrated herein may be implemented using executable instructions on a general-purpose or special-purpose processor and stored on a computer-readable storage medium (e.g., disk, memory, etc.) for execution by such a processor. References to "computer-readable storage medium" should be understood to encompass specialized circuitry such as FPGAs, ASICs, signal processing devices, and other devices.

[0167] The phrase "A, or B, or C, or a combination thereof" or "at least one of A, B, and C" is not exhaustive and can be understood to include at least: (i) A, or (ii) B, or (iii) C, or (iv) A and B, or (v) A and C, or (vi) B and C, or (vii) A and B and C, (i) A, (ii) B, (iii) A and B. Furthermore, the phrase "A and / or B" is considered equivalent to the phrase "at least one of A and B."

[0168] It will be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein are merely exemplary, and that any feature presented with respect to a particular exemplary embodiment may be used with any aspect of the disclosure, either by itself or in combination with any feature presented with the same or other particular exemplary embodiment, and / or in combination with any other feature not mentioned. It will be further understood that any feature presented with respect to an exemplary embodiment in a particular category may also be used in a corresponding manner with exemplary embodiments in other categories.

Claims

1. A user equipment for slice management, comprising: at least one processor, the at least one processor comprising: Obtain a slice group mapping (SGM) configuration, the SGM configuration indicating a mapping between slice groups and tracking areas (TAs); performing a cell reselection and / or random access operation based at least in part on the obtained slice group mapping configuration.

4. A user equipment configured to:

2. The user equipment acquiring the SGM configuration includes: Obtaining the SGM configuration from a core network; or obtaining the SGM configuration from a radio access network; The user equipment of claim 1 , comprising:

3. The at least one processor further comprises: When the user equipment moves from a first TA to a second TA, checking whether the SGM configuration is valid for the second TA, or When the user equipment moves from a first RA to a second RA, checking whether the SGM setting is valid for a second RA; 3. A user equipment according to claim 1 or 2, configured to:

4. The at least one processor further comprises: Fall back to the legacy Random Access Channel (RACH), The legacy RACH uses RACH resources without SGM support. The user equipment of claim 3 configured to:

5. Obtaining the SGM configuration from a network includes: obtaining said SGM configuration via non-access stratum (NAS) signaling and / or messages; Obtaining the SGM configuration from a radio access network includes: obtaining the SGM configuration in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling and / or message; The user equipment of claim 2 , comprising:

6. The at least one processor further comprises: Indicating an invalid SGM to the network in uplink signaling and / or messages, the uplink signaling and / or messages including random access channel, RACH or RRC signaling message 3, MSG3 or MSG5 or MSG1; A user equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 5, configured to:

7. The slice group mapping setting includes: a set of slice groups corresponding to a set of TAs, or One or more mappings between slice groups and TAs, or One or more mappings between physical cell identifiers (PCIs), slice groups; 7. A user equipment according to claim 1, comprising:

8. 8. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the slice group mapping further comprises at least one slice to slice group mapping.

9. A first network node for slice management, comprising at least one processor, the at least one processor comprising: Obtaining a slice group mapping (SGM) configuration, the SGM configuration indicating a mapping between slice groups and tracking areas (TAs); providing said SGM configuration to a user equipment; A first network node configured to:

10. The SGM setting is: A set of slice groups that map to a set of TAs, or One or more mappings between slice groups and TAs, or One or more mappings between physical cell identifiers (PCIs) and slice groups; The first network node according to claim 9, comprising:

11. The first network node according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the slice group mapping further comprises at least one inter-slice mapping.

12. The first network node further comprises at least one transceiver, the at least one transceiver comprising: Sending a slice configuration update to the second network node; receiving a slice configuration update from the second network node; The slice setting update includes at least one SGM setting. A first network node according to any one of claims 9 to 11, adapted to:

13. The at least one processor further comprises: determining the settings of the SGM; A first network node according to any one of claims 9 to 12, adapted to:

14. The at least one processor further comprises: obtaining a Registration Area (RA) configuration of the user equipment from a core network node and determining the SGM configuration; A first network node according to any one of claims 9 to 13, adapted to:

15. The at least one processor further comprises: Obtaining assistance information, the assistance information indicating that the user equipment has an invalid SGM configuration; and / or providing the user equipment with a valid SGM configuration based on the indicated invalid SGM configuration; A first network node according to any one of claims 9 to 14, adapted to:

16. The first network node according to any one of claims 9 to 15, wherein the first network node comprises a core network node and / or a radio access network node.

17. A slice management method performed by a user equipment, comprising: The user equipment obtains a slice group mapping (SGM) configuration, the SGM configuration indicating a mapping between slice groups and tracking areas (TAs); performing a cell reselection and / or random access operation based at least in part on the received slice group mapping configuration. A slice management method comprising:

18. 1. A slice management method performed by a first network node, comprising: The first network node obtains a slice group mapping (SGM) configuration, the SGM configuration indicating a mapping between slice groups and tracking areas (TAs); providing said SGM configuration to a user equipment; A slice management method comprising:

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