Determining slice support for neighboring cells

Abstract

Apparatus, methods, and systems for identifying slice support information of neighboring cells are disclosed. One method (1100) includes receiving (1105) from a serving cell an indication of at least one frequency and at least one slice group corresponding to the at least one frequency. The method (1100) includes receiving (1110) for each of the at least one frequency a list of PCIs that support a combination of the respective frequency and the respective slice group, the received list including one of a list of allowed cells or a list of blocked cells. The method (1100) includes determining (1115) slice support of the neighboring cell based on the list of PCIs.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 314,359, filed February 25, 2022, to Prateek Basu Mallick, entitled “SIGNALING NEIGHBOR CELLS SUPPORTING NETWORK SLICES,” which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The subject matter disclosed herein relates generally to wireless communications, and more particularly, to signaling slice support information for neighboring cells. [Background technology]

[0003] One of the new features introduced in the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Fifth Generation (5G) communication system is support for network slicing. A "network slice" refers to a portion of a mobile communication network optimized for a particular traffic type or communication service. A network slice instance may be identified by single-network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI). [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0004] [Non-Patent Document 1] 3GPP TS 38.133 [Non-Patent Document 2] 3GPP TS 38.304 Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] Disclosed are solutions for determining slice support information of neighboring cells, which may be implemented by an apparatus, a system, a method, and / or a computer program product.

[0006] One method in a user equipment (UE) includes receiving, from a serving cell, an indication of at least one frequency and at least one slice group corresponding to the at least one frequency. The method includes receiving, for each of the at least one frequency, a list of Physical Cell Identities (PCIs) that support a combination of the respective frequency and the respective slice group, the received list including one of a list of allowed cells or a list of blocked cells. The method includes determining slice support of neighboring cells based on the list of PCIs.

[0007] A method in a network entity includes transmitting an indication of at least one frequency and at least one slice group corresponding to the at least one frequency, the method including, for each of the at least one frequency, broadcasting a list of PCIs that support a combination of the respective frequency and the respective slice group, the list of PCIs including one of a list of allowed cells or a list of blocked cells.

[0008] A more particular description of the embodiments briefly described above will be made by reference to specific embodiments which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which the embodiments will be described and explained with more specificity and detail, with the understanding that these drawings illustrate only some embodiments and therefore should not be considered limiting in scope, and in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a wireless communication system for determining slice support information of a neighboring cell. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating one embodiment of a New Radio (NR) protocol stack. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a cell and frequency deployment. [Figure 4A] FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a Cell Information table organized according to slice groups. [Figure 4B] FIG. 13 illustrates another embodiment of a Cell Information table organized according to slice groups. [Figure 5A] FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a Cell Information table organized according to frequency. [Figure 5B] FIG. 13 illustrates another embodiment of a Cell Information table organized according to frequency. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 illustrates one embodiment of an Abstract Syntax Notation 1 (ASN.1) representation of a cell list information element (IE). [Figure 7] FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of an ASN.1 implementation of the Cell List IE. [Figure 8A] A diagram illustrating one embodiment of a procedure for determining slice support information of a neighboring cell. [Figure 8B] FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a distribution mechanism for the contents of a Cell Information table. [Figure 9] 1 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a user equipment device that may be used to determine slice support information of a neighboring cell. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a network device that may be used to determine slice support information of a neighboring cell. [Figure 11] 1 is a flow diagram illustrating an embodiment of a first method for determining slice support information of a neighboring cell. [Figure 12] 11 is a flow diagram illustrating an embodiment of a second method for determining slice support information of a neighboring cell. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the embodiments may be embodied as a system, apparatus, method, or program product. Accordingly, the embodiments may take the form of an all-hardware embodiment, an all-software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects.

[0011] For example, the disclosed embodiments may be implemented as a hardware circuit comprising custom very large scale integrated ("VLSI") circuits or gate arrays, off-the-shelf semiconductors such as logic chips, transistors, or other discrete components. The disclosed embodiments may also be implemented in programmable hardware devices such as field programmable gate arrays, programmable array logic, programmable logic devices, etc. As another example, the disclosed embodiments may include one or more physical or logical blocks of executable code which may be organized as, for example, objects, procedures, or functions.

[0012] Furthermore, embodiments may take the form of a program product embodied in one or more computer-readable storage devices storing machine-readable code, computer-readable code, hereinafter referred to as code, and / or program code. The storage devices may be tangible, non-transitory, and / or non-transmittable. The storage devices may not embody signals. In certain embodiments, the storage devices employ only signals to access the code.

[0013] Any combination of one or more computer readable media may be utilized. The computer readable medium may be a computer readable storage medium. The computer readable storage medium may be a storage device that stores the code. The storage device may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, holographic, micro-mechanical, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0014] More specific examples (non-exhaustive list) of storage devices include the following: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory ("RAM"), a read-only memory ("ROM"), an erasable programmable read-only memory ("EPROM" or flash memory), a portable compact disk read-only memory ("CD-ROM"), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of these. In the context of this specification, a computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that can contain or store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0015] The code for carrying out the operations of the embodiments may be any number of lines and may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Python, Ruby, Java, Smalltalk, C++, ordinary procedural programming languages ​​such as the "C" programming language, and / or machine code such as assembly language. The code may run entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer as a standalone software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In the last scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer via any type of network, including a local area network ("LAN"), wireless LAN ("WLAN"), or wide area network ("WAN"), or a connection to an external computer may be made (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet Service Provider ("ISP").

[0016] Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics of the embodiments may be combined in any suitable manner. In the following description, numerous specific details, such as examples of programming, software modules, user selections, network transactions, database queries, database structures, hardware modules, hardware circuits, hardware chips, etc., are provided to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments may be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other cases, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the embodiments.

[0017] Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, throughout this specification, the appearance of the phrases "in one embodiment," "in an embodiment," and similar language may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment and may mean "one or more, but not all, embodiments" unless otherwise specified. The terms "including," "comprising," "having," and variations thereof mean "including, but not limited to," unless otherwise specified. An enumerated list of items does not imply that any or all of the items are mutually exclusive, unless otherwise specified. Additionally, the terms "a," "an," and "the" refer to "one or more," unless otherwise specified.

[0018] As used herein, a list using the conjunction "and / or" includes any single item in the list or a combination of items in the list. For example, a list of A, B, and / or C includes only A, only B, only C, a combination of A and B, a combination of B and C, a combination of A and C, or a combination of A, B, and C. As used herein, a list using the term "one or more of" includes any single item in the list or a combination of items in the list. For example, one or more of A, B, and C includes only A, only B, only C, a combination of A and B, a combination of B and C, a combination of A and C, or a combination of A, B, and C. As used herein, a list using the term "one of" includes only one of any single item in the list. For example, "one of A, B, and C" includes only A, only B, or only C, and excludes the combination of A, B, and C. As used herein, "at least one of A, B, and C" includes only A, only B, only C, a combination of A and B, a combination of B and C, a combination of A and C, or a combination of A, B, and C. As used herein, "a member selected from the group consisting of A, B, and C" includes only one of A, B, or C, and excludes the combination of A, B, and C. As used herein, "a member selected from the group consisting of A, B, and C and combinations thereof" includes only A, only B, only C, a combination of A and B, a combination of B and C, a combination of A and C, or a combination of A, B, and C.

[0019] Aspects of the embodiments are described below with reference to schematic flow charts and / or schematic block diagrams of methods, apparatus, systems, and program products according to the embodiments. It will be understood that each block of the schematic flow charts and / or schematic block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the schematic flow charts and / or schematic block diagrams, may be implemented by code. This code may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to generate a machine, such that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus produce means for performing the functions / acts specified in the flow charts and / or block diagrams.

[0020] The code may be stored in a storage device that can instruct a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the storage device produce an article of manufacture that includes instructions that perform the functions / acts specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams.

[0021] The code may be loaded into a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device to perform a series of operational steps to produce a computer-implemented process such that the code executing on the computer or other programmable apparatus provides a process for performing the functions / acts specified in the flow charts and / or block diagrams.

[0022] The call-flow diagrams, flow charts, and / or block diagrams in the Figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of apparatus, systems, methods, and program products according to various embodiments. In this regard, each block in the flow charts and / or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of code that includes one or more executable instructions of code for implementing the specified logical function(s).

[0023] It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may be executed in the reverse order, depending on the functionality involved. Other steps and methods may be conceived that are equivalent in function, logic, or effect to one or more blocks of the illustrated figures, or portions thereof.

[0024] Although various arrow types and line types may be used in the call flow diagrams, flow diagrams, and / or block diagrams, it is understood that they do not limit the scope of the corresponding embodiments. Indeed, some arrows or other connectors may be used to indicate only the logical flow of the illustrated embodiments. For example, arrows may indicate wait or monitoring periods of unspecified duration between recited steps of the illustrated embodiments. It is also noted that each block of the block diagrams and / or flow diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flow diagrams, may be implemented by dedicated hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts, or a combination of dedicated hardware and code.

[0025] The description of the elements in each figure may refer to the elements in the procedure figures. Like numbers refer to like elements in all figures, including alternative embodiments of like elements.

[0026] In general, the present disclosure describes systems, methods, and apparatus for identifying slice support information of neighboring cells. In certain embodiments, the methods may be performed using computer code embodied in a computer-readable medium. In certain embodiments, the apparatus or system may include a computer-readable medium including computer-readable code that, when executed by a processor, causes the apparatus or system to perform at least a portion of the solutions described below.

[0027] In 3GPP, a mobile communications network (i.e., including a radio access network (RAN) and / or a core network (CN)) may indicate a list of physical cell identities (referred to as a "PCI list"). In one embodiment, the PCI list may correspond to a blocked list, i.e., a list of at least one physical cell identity ("PCI") corresponding to cells that do not support the corresponding slice group. In another embodiment, the PCI list may correspond to an allowed list, i.e., a list of at least one PCI corresponding to cells that support the corresponding slice group. However, current specifications and agreements do not describe or suggest how a UE should handle detected cells that are not in the blocked or allowed list.

[0028] One possibility is that the network provides an exhaustive list of neighbor cells in both the allowed list and the blocked list. However, this solution may result in unnecessarily high signaling overhead, especially since broadcasting would be used. Therefore, the network may reduce the signaling overhead by, for example, transmitting only the blocked list or only the allowed list for a particular combination of carrier frequency and slice group, and the UE is configured to determine non-listed cells (i.e., detected cells whose corresponding PCI is not in the blocked list (or not in the allowed list)).

[0029] In some embodiments, the network (e.g., serving cell) broadcasts one or both lists (allowed and blocked) for one frequency and slice group combination. In addition, another IE (e.g., called "detected-cell") is also signaled. This additional IE explicitly informs the UE whether any detected cell should be treated as an allowed cell, a blocked cell, or whether the UE must verify itself by reading the System Information Block #1 (SIB1) of the corresponding cell.

[0030] FIG. 1 illustrates a wireless communication system 100 for identifying slice support information of neighboring cells according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, the wireless communication system 100 includes at least one remote unit 105, a RAN 120, and a mobile core network 140. The RAN 120 and the mobile core network 140 form a mobile communication network. The RAN 120 may be composed of a base station unit 121 with which the remote unit 105 communicates using a wireless communication link 123. Even though a certain number of remote units 105, base station units 121, wireless communication links 123, RAN 120, and mobile core network 140 are illustrated in FIG. 1, one skilled in the art will recognize that any number of remote units 105, base station units 121, wireless communication links 123, RAN 120, and mobile core network 140 may be included in the wireless communication system 100.

[0031] In one implementation, the RAN 120 complies with a 5G system defined in 3GPP specifications. For example, the RAN 120 may be a Next Generation Radio Access Network ("NG-RAN") that implements a NR radio access technology ("RAT") and / or a Long Term Evolution ("LTE") RAT. In another example, the RAN 120 may include a non-3GPP RAT (e.g., Wi-Fi or a WLAN compliant with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers ("IEEE") 802.11 family). In another implementation, the RAN 120 complies with an LTE system defined in 3GPP specifications. However, more broadly, the wireless communications system 100 may implement any other open or proprietary communications network, such as the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access ("WiMAX") or IEEE 802.16 family of standards, among other networks. This disclosure is not intended to be limited to any particular wireless communications system architecture or protocol implementation.

[0032] In one embodiment, the remote unit 105 may include a computing device such as a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant ("PDA"), a tablet computer, a smartphone, a smart television (e.g., a television connected to the Internet), a smart appliance (e.g., an appliance connected to the Internet), a set-top box, a game console, a security system (including security cameras), an in-vehicle computer, a network device (e.g., a router, a switch, a modem), etc. In some embodiments, the remote unit 105 includes a wearable device such as a smart watch, a fitness band, an optical head mounted display, etc. Additionally, the remote unit 105 may be referred to as a UE, a subscriber unit, a mobile phone, a mobile station, a user, a terminal, a mobile terminal, a fixed terminal, a subscriber station, a user terminal, a wireless transmit / receive unit ("WTRU"), a device, or other terminology used in the art.

[0033] In various embodiments, the remote unit 105 includes a subscriber identity and / or identification module ("SIM") and a mobile equipment ("ME") that provides mobile termination functions (e.g., wireless transmission, handover, voice coding and decoding, error detection and correction, signaling, and access to the SIM). In certain embodiments, the remote unit 105 may include terminal equipment ("TE") and / or may be incorporated into a home appliance or device (e.g., a computing device as described above). The remote unit 105 allows a user to access network services. In various embodiments, the interface between the remote unit 105 and the network is a wireless interface. The remote unit 105 may be sub-divided into several domains, and the domains are separated by reference points. For example, the remote unit 105 may be sub-divided into a Universal Integrated Circuit Card ("UICC") domain and an ME domain. The ME domain may be further sub-divided into one or more Mobile Terminations ("MT") and TE components with connections between multiple functional groups.

[0034] The remote unit 105 may communicate directly with one or more of the base station units 121 in the RAN 120 by uplink ("UL") and downlink ("DL") communication signals. Furthermore, the UL and DL communication signals may be carried over a wireless communication link 123. Furthermore, the UL communication signals may include one or more uplink channels, such as a physical uplink control channel ("PUCCH") and / or a physical uplink shared channel ("PUSCH"), while the DL communication signals may include one or more DL channels, such as a physical downlink control channel ("PDCCH") and / or a physical downlink shared channel ("PDSCH"). Here, the RAN 120 is an intermediate network that provides the remote unit 105 with access to the mobile core network 140.

[0035] In various embodiments, the remote units 105 may communicate directly with each other (e.g., device-to-device communication) using a sidelink communication link (not shown in FIG. 1 ) including one or more sidelink channels such as a Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH), a Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH), and / or a Physical Sidelink Feedback Channel (PSFCH). Here, sidelink transmissions may be made on sidelink resources. The remote units 105 may be provided with different sidelink communication resources according to different allocation modes. As used herein, a “resource pool” refers to a set of resources allocated for sidelink operation. A resource pool consists of a set of resource blocks (i.e., physical resource blocks ("PRBs") over one or more time units (e.g., orthogonal frequency division multiplexing ("OFDM") symbols, subframes, slots, subslots, etc.). In some embodiments, the set of resource blocks includes PRBs that are contiguous in the frequency domain. As used herein, a PRB consists of 12 contiguous subcarriers in the frequency domain.

[0036] In some embodiments, the remote unit 105 communicates with the application server 151 via a network connection with the mobile core network 140. For example, an application 107 (e.g., a web browser, a media client, a telephone and / or a voice over Internet protocol ("VoIP") application) in the remote unit 105 may trigger the remote unit 105 to establish a protocol data unit ("PDU") session (or a packet data network ("PDN") connection) with the mobile core network 140 via the RAN 120. The PDU session represents a logical connection between the remote unit 105 and a user plane function ("UPF") 141. The mobile core network 140 then relays traffic between the remote unit 105 and the application server 151 in the packet data network 150 using the PDU session (or other data connection).

[0037] To establish a PDU session (or PDN connection), the remote unit 105 must register with the mobile core network 140 (also referred to as "attached to the mobile core network" in the context of fourth generation ("4G") systems). It should be noted that the remote unit 105 may establish one or more PDU sessions (or other data connections) with the mobile core network 140. Thus, the remote unit 105 may have at least one PDU session for communicating with the packet data network 150. The remote unit 105 may establish additional PDU sessions for communicating with other data networks and / or other communication peers.

[0038] In the context of 5G systems ("5GS"), the term "PDU session" refers to a data connection that provides end-to-end ("E2E") user plane ("UP") connectivity between a remote unit 105 and a particular data network ("DN") via the UPF 141. A PDU session supports one or more Quality of Service ("QoS") flows. In certain embodiments, there may be a one-to-one mapping between QoS flows and QoS profiles such that all packets belonging to a particular QoS flow have the same 5G QoS Identifier ("5QI").

[0039] In the context of 4G / LTE systems, such as the Evolved Packet System ("EPS"), a PDN connection (also called an EPS session) provides an E2E UP connection between a remote unit and a PDN. The PDN connection procedure establishes an EPS bearer, i.e., a tunnel between the remote unit 105 and a PDN Gateway ("PGW") (not shown in FIG. 1) in the mobile core network 140. In certain embodiments, there is a one-to-one mapping between EPS bearers and QoS profiles, such that all packets belonging to a particular EPS bearer have the same QoS Class Identifier ("QCI").

[0040] The base station units 121 may be distributed in a geographical region. In certain embodiments, the base station units 121 may be referred to as access terminals, access points, base, base stations, Node Bs ("NBs"), Evolved Node Bs (abbreviated as eNodeBs or "eNBs" and also known as Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network ("E-UTRAN") Node Bs), gNBs, Home Node Bs, relay nodes, RAN nodes, or any other terminology used in the art. The base station units 121 are generally part of a RAN, such as the RAN 120, which may include one or more controllers communicatively coupled to one or more corresponding base station units 121. These and other elements of a radio access network are not shown, but are generally familiar to those skilled in the art. The base station units 121 connect to a mobile core network 140 via the RAN 120.

[0041] The base station unit 121 may serve multiple remote units 105 in a serving area, e.g., a cell or a sector of a cell, via wireless communication link 123. The base station unit 121 may directly communicate with one or more of the remote units 105 by communication signals. In general, the base station unit 121 transmits DL communication signals to serve the remote units 105 in time, frequency, and / or space domains. Furthermore, the DL communication signals may be carried on the wireless communication link 123. The wireless communication link 123 may be any suitable carrier in a licensed or unlicensed radio spectrum. The wireless communication link 123 facilitates communication between one or more of the remote units 105 and / or one or more of the base station units 121.

[0042] It should be noted that during NR operation on an unlicensed spectrum (referred to as "NR-U"), the base station unit 121 and the remote unit 105 communicate on an unlicensed (i.e., shared) radio spectrum. Similarly, during LTE operation on an unlicensed spectrum (referred to as "LTE-U"), the base station unit 121 and the remote unit 105 also communicate on an unlicensed (i.e., shared) radio spectrum. For operation in an unlicensed spectrum (e.g., NR-U or LTE-U), when the remote unit 105 or the base station unit 121 wants to transmit, it must detect an energy level at a specified time for a duration equal to a Clear Channel Assessment ("CCA") period. If the energy level of the channel is below the CCA threshold, the device can transmit for a duration equal to a (i.e., predefined) Channel Occupancy Time ("COT"). The device must then repeat the CCA process if it wants to continue transmitting.

[0043] In one embodiment, the mobile core network 140 is a 5G Core Network ("5GC") or Evolved Packet Core ("EPC") that may be coupled to a packet data network 150, such as the Internet and private data networks, among other data networks. The remote units 105 may have a subscription or other account with the mobile core network 140. In various embodiments, each mobile core network 140 belongs to a single mobile network operator ("MNO") and / or public land mobile network ("PLMN"). This disclosure is not intended to be limited to any particular wireless communications system architecture or protocol implementation.

[0044] The mobile core network 140 includes several network functions ("NFs"). As shown, the mobile core network 140 includes at least one UPF 141. The mobile core network 140 also includes multiple control plane ("CP") functions, including but not limited to an Access and Mobility Management Function ("AMF") 143, a Session Management Function ("SMF") 145, a Policy Control Function ("PCF") 147, a Unified Data Management function ("UDM"), and a User Data Repository ("UDR") (also referred to as a "Unified Data Repository"), that serve the RAN 120. Although a particular number and type of network functions are shown in FIG. 1, one skilled in the art will recognize that any number and type of network functions may be included in the mobile core network 140.

[0045] The UPF 141 is responsible for packet routing and forwarding, packet inspection, QoS handling, and external PDU sessions for interconnecting data networks ("DNs") in the 5G architecture. The AMF 143 is responsible for terminating non-access stratum ("NAS") signaling, encryption and integrity protection of NAS, registration management, connection management, mobility management, access authentication and authorization, and security context management.

[0046] The SMF 146 is responsible for session management (i.e., session establishment, modification, release), allocation and management of remote unit (i.e., UE) Internet Protocol ("IP") addresses, DL data notification, and traffic steering configuration of the UPF 141 for proper traffic routing. The RAN 120 configures the remote unit 105 using radio resource control ("RRC") protocols over the Uu interface (e.g., LTE-Uu and / or NR-Uu). The PCF 147 is responsible for a unified policy framework, providing policy rules to the CP function, and access subscription information for policy decisions in the UDR.

[0047] The UDM is responsible for Authentication and Key Agreement ("AKA") credential generation, user identification, access authorization, and subscription management. The UDR is a repository of subscriber information and can be used to provide services to many network functions. For example, the UDR may store subscription data, policy related data, subscriber related data that is allowed to be exposed to third party applications, etc. In some embodiments, the UDM is co-located with the UDR and is shown as a combined entity "UDM / UDR" 149.

[0048] In various embodiments, the mobile core network 140 may also include a Network Repository Function ("NRF") (which provides registration and discovery of Network Function ("NF") services, enabling NFs to identify each other's appropriate services and communicate with each other via application programming interfaces ("APIs")), a Network Exposure Function ("NEF") (responsible for making network data and resources easily accessible to customers and network partners), an Authentication Server Function ("AUSF"), or other NFs defined for 5GC. When present, the AUSF may act as an authentication server and / or authentication proxy, thereby enabling the AMF 143 to authenticate the remote unit 105. In certain embodiments, the mobile core network 140 may include an Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting ("AAA") server.

[0049] In various embodiments, the mobile core network 140 supports different types of mobile data connections and different types of network slices, each of which utilizes a particular network slice. Here, a "network slice" refers to a portion of the mobile core network 140 optimized for a particular traffic type or communication service. For example, one or more network slices may be optimized for enhanced mobile broadband ("eMBB") services. As another example, one or more network slices may be optimized for ultra-reliable low-latency communication ("URLLC") services. In other examples, a network slice may be optimized for machine type communication ("MTC") services, massive MTC ("mMTC") services, Internet of Things ("IoT") services. In still other examples, a network slice may be deployed for a particular application service, vertical service, a particular use case, or the like.

[0050] A network slice instance may be specified by an S-NSSAI, while a set of network slices that the remote unit 105 is authorized to use is specified by a network slice selection assistance information ("NSSAI"), where "NSSAI" refers to a vector value that includes one or more S-NSSAI values. In certain embodiments, various network slices may include separate instances of network functions, such as the SMF 146 and the UPF 141. In some embodiments, different network slices may share some common network functions, such as the AMF 143. For ease of illustration, different network slices are not shown in FIG. 1, but their support is assumed. When different network slices are deployed, the mobile core network 140 may include a network slice selection function ("NSSF") that is responsible for selecting a network slice instance to serve the remote unit 105, determining the allowed NSSAI, and determining the AMF set used to serve the remote unit 105.

[0051] The solutions described herein enable the mobile core network 140 to identify slice support information of neighboring cells using the PCI list 125. In one embodiment, the base station unit 121 may be configured to transmit a set of one or more permission lists to the remote unit 105. In another embodiment, the base station unit 121 may be configured to transmit a set of one or more block lists to the remote unit 105. In other embodiments, the base station unit 121 may be configured to transmit at least one permission list and at least one block list to the remote unit 105. In various embodiments, the remote unit 105 may be configured to determine slice support information of a set of neighboring cells (e.g., one or more) based on the PCI list 125, as described in further detail below.

[0052] Although FIG. 1 shows components of a 5G RAN and a 5G core network, the described embodiments for identifying slice support information of neighboring cells apply to other types of communication networks and RATs, including variants of IEEE 802.11, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) (i.e., 2G digital cellular networks), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), variants of LTE, CDMA2000, Bluetooth, ZigBee, Sigfox, etc.

[0053] Further, in variants of LTE where the mobile core network 140 is the EPC, the depicted network functions may be replaced by appropriate EPC entities such as a Mobility Management Entity ("MME"), a Serving Gateway ("SGW"), a PGW, a Home Subscriber Server ("HSS"), etc. For example, the AMF 143 may be mapped to the MME, the SMF 146 may be mapped to the control plane portion of the PGW and / or to the MME, the UPF 141 may be mapped to the SGW and the user plane portion of the PGW, the UDM / UDR 149 may be mapped to the HSS, etc.

[0054] In the following description, the term "RAN node" is used for a base station / base unit, but it may be replaced by any other radio access node, e.g., gNB, ng-eNB, eNB, base station ("BS"), base station unit, access point ("AP"), NR BS, 5G NB, transmission and reception point ("TRP"), etc. Additionally, the term "UE" is used for a mobile station / remote unit, but it may be replaced by any other remote device, e.g., remote unit, MS, ME, etc.

[0055] Additionally, the operations are described primarily in the context of 5G NR, however, the solutions / methods described below are equally applicable to other mobile communication systems that identify slice support information of neighboring cells.

[0056] 2 illustrates an NR protocol stack 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 illustrates a UE 205, a RAN node 210, and an AMF 215, e.g., in 5GC, which are representative of a set of remote units 105 that interact with a base station unit 121 and a mobile core network 140. As shown, the NR protocol stack 200 includes a user plane protocol stack 201 and a control plane protocol stack 203. The user plane protocol stack 201 includes a physical ("PHY") layer 220, a medium access control ("MAC") sublayer 225, a radio link control ("RLC") sublayer 230, a packet data convergence protocol ("PDCP") sublayer 235, and a service data adaptation protocol ("SDAP") sublayer 240. The control plane protocol stack 203 includes a PHY layer 220, a MAC sublayer 225, an RLC sublayer 230, and a PDCP sublayer 235. The control plane protocol stack 203 also includes an RRC layer 245 and a NAS layer 250.

[0057] The access stratum ("AS") layer 255 (also referred to as the "AS protocol stack") of the user plane protocol stack 201 is composed of at least the SDAP, PDCP, RLC, and MAC sublayers, and a physical layer. The AS layer 260 of the control plane protocol stack 203 is composed of at least the RRC, PDCP, RLC, MAC sublayers, and a physical layer. Layer 1 ("Layer-1: L1") consists of the PHY layer 220. Layer 2 ("Layer-2: L2") is divided into the SDAP sublayer 240, the PDCP sublayer 235, the RLC sublayer 230, and the MAC sublayer 225. Layer 3 ("L3") includes the RRC layer 245 and the NAS layer 250 of the control plane, e.g., the IP layer and / or the PDU layer of the user plane (not shown in FIG. 1). L1 and L2 are referred to as "lower layers," while L3 and above (eg, the transport layer, application layer) are referred to as "higher layers" or "upper layers."

[0058] The PHY layer 220 provides transport channels to the MAC sublayer 225. The PHY layer 220 may use an energy detection threshold to perform clear channel assessment ("CCA") and / or listen-before-talk ("LBT") procedures. In certain embodiments, the PHY layer 220 may send a beam failure indication to a MAC entity of the MAC sublayer 225. In certain embodiments, the PHY layer 220 may send a listen-before-talk ("LBT") failure notification to a MAC entity of the MAC sublayer 235. The MAC sublayer 225 provides logical channels to the RLC sublayer 230. The RLC sublayer 230 provides RLC channels to the PDCP sublayer 235. The PDCP sublayer 235 provides radio bearers to the SDAP sublayer 240 and / or the RRC layer 245. The SDAP sublayer 240 provides QoS flows to the core network (e.g., 5GC). The RRC layer 245 provides functionality for adding, modifying, and releasing carrier aggregation and / or dual connectivity. The RRC layer 245 also manages the establishment, configuration, maintenance, and release of signaling radio bearers ("SRBs") and data radio bearers ("DRBs").

[0059] The NAS layer 250 is between the UE 205 and the AMF 215 in the 5GC. NAS messages are passed transparently through the RAN. The NAS layer 250 is used to manage the establishment of communication sessions and maintain continuous communication with the UE 205 as the UE 205 moves between different cells of the RAN. In contrast, the AS layers 255 and 260 are between the UE 205 and the RAN (i.e., the RAN node 210) and carry information over the wireless part of the network. Although not shown in FIG. 2, an IP layer resides above the NAS layer 250, a transport layer resides above the IP layer, and an application layer resides above the transport layer.

[0060] The MAC sublayer 225 is the lowest sublayer of the L2 architecture of the NR protocol stack. The MAC sublayer 225's connection with the PHY layer 220 below is via transport channels, and its connection with the RLC sublayer 230 above is via logical channels. Thus, the MAC sublayer 225 performs multiplexing and demultiplexing between logical and transport channels, i.e., the MAC sublayer 225 on the transmitting side builds MAC PDUs (also known as transport blocks ("TBs")) from MAC service data units ("SDUs") received over logical channels, and the MAC sublayer 225 on the receiving side recovers MAC SDUs from MAC PDUs received over transport channels.

[0061] The MAC sublayer 225 provides data transfer services for the RLC sublayer 230 over logical channels that are either control logical channels carrying control data (e.g., RRC signaling) or traffic logical channels carrying user plane data. Data from the MAC sublayer 225 is in turn transferred to and from the PHY layer 220 over transport channels classified as UL or DL. Data is multiplexed into the transport channels depending on how it is transmitted over the air wirelessly.

[0062] The PHY layer 220 is responsible for the actual transmission of data and control information over the air interface, i.e., the PHY layer 220 carries all information from the MAC transport channel over the air interface on the transmit side. Some of the important functions performed by the PHY layer 220 include coding and modulation, link adaptation (e.g., Adaptive Modulation and Coding ("AMC")), power control, cell search and random access (for initial synchronization and handover purposes), and other measurements (within 3GPP systems (i.e., NR and / or LTE systems) and between systems) for the RRC layer 245. The PHY layer 220 performs transmission based on transmission parameters such as modulation scheme, coding rate (i.e., modulation and coding scheme ("MCS")), number of PRBs, etc.

[0063] 5G network slicing is a network architecture that enables the multiplexing of independent virtualized logical networks over the same physical network infrastructure. Each network slice is an isolated end-to-end network tailored to meet the diverse requirements dictated by a specific application.

[0064] This technology therefore plays a central role in supporting 5G mobile networks that are designed to efficiently encompass a plethora of services with widely differing service level requirements (SLRs). The realization of this service-oriented view of the network leverages the concepts of software-defined networking (SDN) and network function virtualization (NFV), which allow for the implementation of flexible and scalable network slices on top of a common network infrastructure.

[0065] Strong demand for wireless communications is expected in vertical markets as connectivity and mobility drive transformation and innovation in industries such as manufacturing, transportation, energy and government services, healthcare, and many others. These diverse vertical services bring a wide range of performance requirements such as throughput, capacity, latency, mobility, reliability, location accuracy, etc. NR technology promises a common RAN platform that addresses the challenges of current and future use cases and services. Network slicing may therefore be used to achieve further flexibility and higher scalability for a multitude of services with quite different requirements. Future networks are therefore expected to support slice-based cell reselection.

[0066] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a cell and frequency deployment 300 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The cell and frequency deployment 300 includes a serving cell 301 operating at carrier frequency "f0" and a number of neighboring cells operating at other carrier frequencies, including a first neighboring cell 303 (denoted as "N-Cell-B1") operating at carrier frequency "f1", a second neighboring cell 305 (denoted as "N-Cell-B2") operating at carrier frequency "f1", a third neighboring cell 307 (denoted as "N-Cell-B3") operating at carrier frequency "f2", a fourth neighboring cell 309 (denoted as "N-Cell-B4") operating at carrier frequency "f2", a fifth neighboring cell 311 (denoted as "N-Cell-B5") operating at carrier frequency "f3", and a sixth neighboring cell 313 (denoted as "N-Cell-B6") operating at carrier frequency "f3". Although not shown in FIG. 3, it is assumed that an instance of UE 205 is located within serving cell 301 .

[0067] In the shown deployment, the frequencies corresponding to the neighboring cells 303-313 may not necessarily support the same network slice (or slice group) as the current serving cell 301, e.g., as received from the NAS layer 250 of the UE 205.

[0068] During initialization, the UE 205 performs a cell selection process and acquires basic network information. For example, at power-on, the UE 205 searches for a cell to camp on. Camping on a cell means tuning to the control channel of that cell, thus allowing the UE 205 to receive broadcast messages transmitted by the cell. Then, the UE 205 performs a random access procedure to access the network via the selected cell and sets up a dedicated connection with the RAN node 210 (e.g., gNB). Once the connection is established, the UE 205 registers with the core network (e.g., 5GC) and performs an authentication procedure.

[0069] When the access stratum of the UE (e.g., corresponding to AS layer 255 and / or AS layer 260) receives at least one slice group information from the NAS layer 250, optionally together with a corresponding priority of the slice group, the access stratum of the UE may initiate a cell reselection based on the slice group to ensure that the access stratum of the UE reselects to a cell supporting the highest / higher priority slice group indicated by the NAS layer 250.

[0070] During the cell selection process, the UE 205 sequentially scans the radio frequency ("RF") bands that it supports. This band scan allows the UE to find active RF carriers (e.g., frequencies where the received signal strength indicator ("RSSI") exceeds a certain threshold). The UE 205 determines the physical layer identity and physical cell identity group of the cell. The physical cell identity group, together with the physical layer identity, provides an unambiguous PCI. In various embodiments, the cell search and selection conform to the standards set forth in 3GPP Technical Specification ("TS") 38.133 and 38.304.

[0071] To support slice-based cell reselection, the serving cell may broadcast supported slice information of the current cell and neighboring cells, e.g., in a system information message. The serving cell may also broadcast cell reselection priorities per slice, e.g., in a system information message. In some embodiments, the RAN may include slice information (with similar information as in the system information message described above) in an RRCRelease message to the UE, e.g., to support slice-based cell reselection.

[0072] In some embodiments, the UE 205 determines the frequency priority according to the following rules. a. Taking into account the slice / slice group priority provided by the NAS, frequencies supporting higher priority slices / slice groups have a higher slice-based frequency priority than frequencies supporting lower priority slices / slice groups. b. Among frequencies supporting slices / slice groups with the same priority, the UE 205 will follow the slice-specific frequency priority received in the System Information Block (SIB) or RRCRelease message (if configured). c. Among frequencies supporting the same slice / slice group, frequencies not configured with slice-specific reselection priority shall be considered lower priority than other frequencies configured with slice-specific reselection priority. d. A frequency that supports any slice / slice group has a higher slice-based frequency priority than a frequency that does not support any slice / slice group. e. For frequencies that do not support any slices / slice groups, the UE shall follow the legacy cell reselection priority received in the SIB.

[0073] In some embodiments, if the UE 205 may be configured with slice-specific frequency priorities via the RRCRelease message, the UE 205 ignores all slice-specific priorities provided in the system information. When the UE 205 is configured with slice-based dedicated priorities, if the UE 205 cannot find a suitable cell using any cell reselection priorities (including slice-based priorities and legacy (i.e., non-slice-based) priorities), the UE 205 may first enter any cell selection state and perform cell selection according to, for example, legacy procedures.

[0074] In some embodiments, inter-RAT frequencies are not configured with slice-specific frequency priorities, but may be considered using legacy cell reselection frequency priorities after all NR frequencies that support any slice / slice group. In some embodiments, slice-specific cell reselection information provided by the network in the SIB is slice group specific. In some embodiments, the legacy T320 timer is reused for slice-specific frequency priorities in the RRCRelease message. In some embodiments, RAN sharing may be supported for slice-based cell reselection and random access channel procedure (RACH) via network implementation (e.g., dedicated priorities in RRCRelease).

[0075] As one example implementation, the UE 205 selects the highest priority slice or slice group among the slices and slice groups indicated by the NAS that are supported in at least one frequency present in the slice reselection information. For the selected slice (or slice group), the UE 205 assigns a frequency priority to each of the supported frequencies of the selected slice from the slice reselection information. As used herein, "slice reselection information" refers to information regarding support of slices / slice groups in neighboring frequencies and / or cells broadcast by the serving cell or received in the RRCRelease message.

[0076] Then, starting from the highest priority frequency, for each supported frequency of the selected slice or slice group, the UE 205 performs a cell search and selects the highest ranked preferred cell as a candidate for camping. The UE 205 camps on the highest ranked preferred cell if it supports the selected slice.

[0077] If such a cell is not found, the UE 205 selects the next lower priority slice or slice group among the slice and slice group priorities indicated by the NAS that is supported on at least one frequency present in the slice reselection information and repeats the procedure, and while doing so, the UE 205 may use stored slice information and recent measurements to minimize measurements.

[0078] For slice-based cell reselection, the UE 205 needs to ensure that neighboring cells on neighboring frequencies actually support the selected slice. This can be done by reading the SIB1 of the corresponding cell, but if the UE 205 needs to read the SIB1 of many cells by trial and error, it will consume too much time and battery. For this reason, the serving cell of the UE 205 can indicate slice support information of neighboring cells. In some embodiments, the network can indicate whether the PCI list is a blocked list ("cells that do not support the corresponding slice group") or an allowed list ("cells that support the corresponding slice group"). Note that to detect a cell Id as a PCI, the UE only needs to read the MIB (not SIB1) of the cell.

[0079] As used herein, a "block list" refers to a list of cells that do not support a slice-frequency combination, whereas an "allowed list" indicates cells that support the slice-frequency combination. The term "slice support information" refers to information that indicates whether a cell supports a particular slice / slice group or slice-frequency combination.

[0080] Furthermore, in the following description, it is assumed that the network lists only frequencies in which at least one cell supports one or more network slices. The term "slice group" refers to a group of network slices having a common identifier. Thus, the term "slice" as used herein also refers to a "slice group." In certain embodiments, the term "slice / slice group" is used to indicate a set (i.e., one or more) network slices having a common identifier.

[0081] This disclosure details a solution for signaling slice support information of neighboring cells. An overview of the solution is presented as follows.

[0082] In the first solution, the network signals only one PCI list (ie, allowed list or blocked list) for one combination of frequency and slice / slice group.

[0083] In a second solution, the network indicates whether a cell that is not included in the allowed list or the blocked list should be treated as an allowed cell or a blocked cell, or the UE must read the system information of the corresponding cell to determine whether the cell supports a particular slice / slice group or not.

[0084] It should be noted that the solutions described herein are not mutually exclusive, and in fact, in various embodiments, the solutions described herein may be implemented in combination with one another to signal neighboring cells that support network slice groups.

[0085] According to a first solution embodiment, the network broadcasts only one list (allowed or blocked) for one frequency-slice / slice group combination (as shown in Figures 4A-4B and 5A-5B). Thus, for one combination the network can show only a list of blocked cells and for another combination only a list of allowed cells or vice versa.

[0086] For example, if the network only broadcasts an allowed list for a particular frequency and slice group combination, the UE 205 assumes that all cells that are not on the allowed list for a given combination do not support the corresponding slice / slice group of the combination. In such a case, the detected cells (i.e., cells that are not on the allowed list) c1, c2, etc. do not support the corresponding frequency and slice group combination.

[0087] As another example, if the network broadcasts only a block list for a particular frequency and slice group combination, the UE 205 assumes that all cells not on the block list for a given combination support the corresponding slice / slice group of the combination. In such a case, the detected cells (i.e., cells not on the allowed list) c1, c2, etc. support the corresponding frequency and slice group combination.

[0088] FIG. 4A illustrates a cell information table 400 organized according to slice groups, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The cell information table 400 includes a column 405 of slice group identities (denoted as “Slice-grp-1”, “Slice-grp-2”, “Slice-grp-3”) and a column 410 of corresponding carrier frequencies (denoted as “f1”, “f2”), where each row of the cell information table 400 represents a unique combination of slice group identity and carrier frequency. In the illustrated embodiment, the cell information table 400 includes a column 415 of priority values ​​(denoted as “p1”, “p2”, “p3”). However, in other embodiments, the priority value column 415 may not be present, and the corresponding priority value of each row of the cell information table 400 may be implicitly signaled from the order of the cell information table 400.

[0089] Additionally, cell information table 400 includes a column 420 of a permission list (e.g., cells supporting the corresponding slice-frequency combination). In the illustrated embodiment, column 420 indicates that cells "a1" and "a2" support slice group 1 on frequency "f1", cells "a1" and "a3" support slice group 1 on frequency "f2", and cells "a1" and "a4" support slice group 2 on frequency "f1". Note that the values ​​"a1", "a2", "a3", "a4" are cell IDs, e.g., PCI.

[0090] The cell information table 400 also includes a column 425 of neighboring cells detected by the UE 205 for which slice support information must be determined. In the illustrated embodiment, the UE 205 detects nearby cells (e.g., neighboring cells) including cells "c1", "c2", "c3", and "c4" that are not on the allowed list. According to a first solution embodiment, the UE 205 determines that slice group connection is not supported for cells "c1", "c2", "c3", and "c4" for the corresponding combination of frequency and slice group. It should be noted that the values ​​"c1", "c2", "c3", and "c4" are cell IDs, e.g., PCI.

[0091] With respect to the illustrated cell information table 400, the information 430 (e.g., including columns 405, 410, 415, and 420) is configured in the UE 205 by the network (e.g., the RAN node 210), while the information 435 is derived by the UE (e.g., by performing signal measurements). In various embodiments, the allowed list is broadcast from the RAN node 210 of the current serving cell (e.g., the serving cell 301) to the UE 205, e.g., via RRC broadcast signaling. In some embodiments, the slice group identity, corresponding frequency, and (optional) priority value are broadcast from the RAN node 210 to the UE 205, e.g., via RRC broadcast signaling. In other embodiments, the slice group identity, corresponding frequency, and (optional) priority value are transmitted to the UE 205 (from the RAN node 210) using dedicated RRC signaling.

[0092] As used herein, dedicated signaling refers to signaling over network resources, called "dedicated resources," that are configured in only one UE and generally not shared among multiple UEs. Signaling over dedicated resources may be established by configuration applicable to a single UE, such as, for example, user-specific, UE-specific, or device-specific configuration parameters. However, it should be noted that, as an implementation choice, two different user-specific dedicated parameters that indicate a dedicated resource may indicate the same dedicated resource.

[0093] In one embodiment, the UE 205 detects cells "a1", "a2", "c1", and "c2" that operate using frequency "f1". Here, it is assumed that the values ​​"c1" and "c2" are different cell IDs from the values ​​"a1" and "a2". However, it should be noted that the values ​​"c1" and "c2" could be the same cell ID as "a3" or "a4". From the signaled allowed list, the UE 205 knows that cells "a1" and "a2" support connection to slice group 1 on frequency "f1", but since cells "c1" and "c2" are not in the allowed list, the UE 205 determines that these cells do not support connection to slice group 1 on frequency "f1".

[0094] In another embodiment, the UE 205 detects cells "a1", "a3", "c1", and "c3" that operate using frequency "f2". Here, it is assumed that the values ​​"c1" and "c3" are different cell IDs from the values ​​"a1" and "a3". However, it should be noted that the values ​​"c1" and "c3" could be the same cell ID as "a2" or "a4". From the signaled allowed list, the UE 205 knows that cells "a1" and "a3" support connection to slice group 1 on frequency "f2", but since cells "c1" and "c2" are not in the allowed list, the UE 205 determines that these cells do not support connection to slice group 1 on frequency "f2".

[0095] In yet another embodiment, the UE 205 detects cells "a1", "a4", "c1", and "c4" that operate using frequency "f1". Here, it is assumed that values ​​"c1" and "c4" are different cell IDs from values ​​"a1" and "a4". However, it should be noted that values ​​"c1" and "c2" could be the same cell ID as "a2" or "a3". From the signaled allowed list, the UE 205 knows that cells "a1" and "a4" support connection to slice group 2 on frequency "f1", but since cells "c1" and "c4" are not in the allowed list, the UE 205 determines that these cells do not support connection to slice group 2 on frequency "f1".

[0096] 4B illustrates a cell information table 450 organized according to slice groups, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The cell information table 450 includes a column 405 of slice group identity, a column 410 of corresponding carrier frequency, and a column 420 of permission list, which are substantially similar to the columns described above with reference to FIG. 4A. In the illustrated embodiment, the cell information table 450 also includes an optional column 415 of priority values, although in other embodiments, the priority value column 415 may not be present in the cell information table 450 and the corresponding priority values ​​may be implicitly determined as described above.

[0097] Additionally, cell information table 400 includes a column 455 for a block list (e.g., cells that do not support the corresponding slice-frequency combination). In the illustrated embodiment, column 455 indicates that cells "b1" and "b2" do not support slice group 1 at frequency "f1", cells "b1" and "b3" do not support slice group 1 at frequency "f2", and cells "b1" and "b4" do not support slice group 2 at frequency "f1". Note that the values ​​"b1", "b2", "b3", "b4" are cell IDs, e.g., PCI.

[0098] The cell information table 450 also includes a column 425 of neighboring cells detected by the UE 205 for which slice support information has to be determined. In the illustrated embodiment, the UE 205 detects nearby cells (e.g., neighboring cells) including cells "c1", "c2", "c3", and "c4" that are not on the blocked list. According to a first solution embodiment, the UE 205 determines that slice group connection is supported for cells "c1", "c2", "c3", and "c4" for the corresponding combinations of frequency and slice group.

[0099] With respect to the illustrated cell information table 450, information 460 (e.g., including columns 405, 410, 415, and 455) is configured in the UE 205 by the network (e.g., RAN node 210), while information 435 is derived by the UE (e.g., by performing signal measurements). In various embodiments, the block list is broadcast from the RAN node 210 of the current serving cell (e.g., serving cell 301) to the UE 205, e.g., via RRC broadcast signaling. As mentioned above, the slice group identity, corresponding frequency, and (optional) priority value may be signaled from the RAN node 210 to the UE 205 via RRC broadcast signaling or via dedicated RRC signaling.

[0100] In one embodiment, the UE 205 detects cells "b1", "b2", "c1", and "c2" that operate using frequency "f1". Here, it is assumed that values ​​"c1" and "c2" are different cell IDs from values ​​"b1" and "b2". However, it should be noted that values ​​"c1" and "c2" could be the same cell ID as "b3" or "b4". From the signaled block list, the UE 205 knows that cells "b1" and "b2" do not support connection to slice group 1 on frequency "f1", but since cells "c1" and "c2" are not in the block list, the UE 205 determines that these cells support connection to slice group 1 on frequency "f1".

[0101] In another embodiment, the UE 205 detects cells "b1", "b3", "c1", and "c3" that operate using frequency "f2". Here, it is assumed that the values ​​"c1" and "c3" are different cell IDs from the values ​​"b1" and "b3". However, it should be noted that the values ​​"c1" and "c3" could be the same cell ID as "b2" or "b4". From the signaled block list, the UE 205 knows that cells "b1" and "b3" do not support connection to slice group 1 on frequency "f2", but since cells "c1" and "c2" are not in the block list, the UE 205 determines that these cells support connection to slice group 1 on frequency "f2".

[0102] In yet another embodiment, the UE 205 detects cells "b1", "b4", "c1", and "c4" that operate using frequency "f1". Here, it is assumed that values ​​"c1" and "c4" are different cell IDs from values ​​"b1" and "b4". However, it should be noted that values ​​"c1" and "c2" could be the same cell ID as "b2" or "b3". From the signaled block list, the UE 205 knows that cells "b1" and "b4" do not support connection to slice group 2 on frequency "f1", but since cells "c1" and "c4" are not in the block list, the UE 205 determines that these cells support connection to slice group 2 on frequency "f1".

[0103] FIG. 5A illustrates a cell information table 500 organized according to frequency, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The cell information table 500 includes a column 505 of carrier frequencies (denoted as “f1”, “f2”) and a column 510 of corresponding slice group identities (denoted as “Slice-grp-1”, “Slice-grp-2”, “Slice-grp-3”), where each row of the cell information table 500 represents a unique combination of slice group identity and carrier frequency. In the illustrated embodiment, the cell information table 500 includes a column 515 of priority values ​​(denoted as “p1”, “p2”, “p3”). However, in other embodiments, the priority value column 515 may not be present, and the corresponding priority value of each row of the cell information table 500 may be implicitly signaled, for example, from the order of the cell information table 500.

[0104] Additionally, cell information table 500 includes a column 520 of a permission list (e.g., cells supporting the corresponding slice-frequency combination). In the illustrated embodiment, column 520 indicates that cells "a1" and "a2" support slice group 1 at frequency "f1", cells "a1" and "a3" support slice group 1 at frequency "f2", and cells "a1" and "a4" support slice group 2 at frequency "f1". Note that the values ​​"a1", "a2", "a3", "a4" are cell IDs, e.g., PCI.

[0105] The cell information table 500 also includes a column 525 of neighboring cells detected by the UE 205 for which slice support information must be determined. In the illustrated embodiment, the UE 205 detects nearby cells (e.g., neighboring cells) including cells "c1", "c2", "c3", and "c4" that are not on the allowed list. According to a first solution embodiment, the UE 205 determines that slice group connection is not supported for cells "c1", "c2", "c3", and "c4" for the corresponding combination of frequency and slice group. It should be noted that the values ​​"c1", "c2", "c3", and "c4" are cell IDs, e.g., PCI.

[0106] With respect to the illustrated cell information table 500, the information 530 (e.g., including columns 505, 510, 515, and 520) is provisioned to the UE 205 by the network (e.g., the RAN node 210), while the information 535 is derived by the UE (e.g., by performing signal measurements). In various embodiments, the permission list is broadcast from the RAN node 210 of the current serving cell (e.g., the serving cell 301) to the UE 205, e.g., via RRC broadcast signaling. In some embodiments, the slice group identity, corresponding frequency, and (optional) priority value are broadcast from the RAN node 210 to the UE 205, e.g., via RRC broadcast signaling. In other embodiments, the slice group identity, corresponding frequency, and (optional) priority value are transmitted to the UE 205 (from the RAN node 210) using dedicated RRC signaling.

[0107] In one embodiment, the UE 205 detects cells "a1", "a2", "c1", and "c2" that operate using frequency "f1". Here, it is assumed that the values ​​"c1" and "c2" are different cell IDs from the values ​​"a1" and "a2". However, it should be noted that the values ​​"c1" and "c2" could be the same cell ID as "a3" or "a4". From the signaled allowed list, the UE 205 knows that cells "a1" and "a2" support connection to slice group 1 on frequency "f1", but since cells "c1" and "c2" are not in the allowed list, the UE 205 determines that these cells do not support connection to slice group 1 on frequency "f1".

[0108] In another embodiment, the UE 205 detects cells "a1", "a3", "c1", and "c3" that operate using frequency "f2". Here, it is assumed that the values ​​"c1" and "c3" are different cell IDs from the values ​​"a1" and "a3". However, it should be noted that the values ​​"c1" and "c3" could be the same cell ID as "a2" or "a4". From the signaled allowed list, the UE 205 knows that cells "a1" and "a3" support connection to slice group 1 on frequency "f2", but since cells "c1" and "c2" are not in the allowed list, the UE 205 determines that these cells do not support connection to slice group 1 on frequency "f2".

[0109] In yet another embodiment, the UE 205 detects cells "a1", "a4", "c1", and "c4" that operate using frequency "f1". Here, it is assumed that values ​​"c1" and "c4" are different cell IDs from values ​​"a1" and "a4". However, it should be noted that values ​​"c1" and "c2" could be the same cell ID as "a2" or "a3". From the signaled allowed list, the UE 205 knows that cells "a1" and "a4" support connection to slice group 2 on frequency "f1", but since cells "c1" and "c4" are not in the allowed list, the UE 205 determines that these cells do not support connection to slice group 2 on frequency "f1".

[0110] 5B illustrates a cell information table 550 organized according to frequency, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The cell information table 550 includes a carrier frequency column 505, a corresponding slice group identity column 510, and a permission list column 520, which are substantially similar to the columns described above with reference to FIG. 5A. In the illustrated embodiment, the cell information table 550 also includes an optional column 515 of priority values, although in other embodiments, the priority value column 515 may not be present in the cell information table 550 and the corresponding priority values ​​may be implicitly determined as described above.

[0111] Additionally, cell information table 500 includes a column 555 for a block list (e.g., cells that do not support the corresponding slice-frequency combination). In the illustrated embodiment, column 555 indicates that cells "b1" and "b2" do not support slice group 1 at frequency "f1", cells "b1" and "b3" do not support slice group 1 at frequency "f2", and cells "b1" and "b4" do not support slice group 2 at frequency "f1". Note that the values ​​"b1", "b2", "b3", "b4" are cell IDs, e.g., PCI.

[0112] The cell information table 550 also includes a column 525 of neighboring cells detected by the UE 205 for which slice support information has to be determined. In the illustrated embodiment, the UE 205 detects nearby cells (e.g., neighboring cells) including cells "c1", "c2", "c3", and "c4" that are not on the blocked list. According to a first solution embodiment, the UE 205 determines that slice group connections are supported for cells "c1", "c2", "c3", and "c4" for the corresponding combinations of frequency and slice group.

[0113] With respect to the illustrated cell information table 550, information 560 (e.g., including columns 505, 510, 515, and 555) is configured in the UE 205 by the network (e.g., RAN node 210), while information 535 is derived by the UE (e.g., by performing signal measurements). In various embodiments, the block list is broadcast from the RAN node 210 of the current serving cell (e.g., serving cell 301) to the UE 205, e.g., via RRC broadcast signaling. As mentioned above, the slice group identity, corresponding frequency, and (optional) priority value may be signaled from the RAN node 210 to the UE 205 via RRC broadcast signaling or via dedicated RRC signaling.

[0114] In one embodiment, the UE 205 detects cells "b1", "b2", "c1", and "c2" that operate using frequency "f1". Here, it is assumed that values ​​"c1" and "c2" are different cell IDs from values ​​"b1" and "b2". However, it should be noted that values ​​"c1" and "c2" could be the same cell ID as "b3" or "b4". From the signaled block list, the UE 205 knows that cells "b1" and "b2" do not support connection to slice group 1 on frequency "f1", but since cells "c1" and "c2" are not in the block list, the UE 205 determines that these cells support connection to slice group 1 on frequency "f1".

[0115] In another embodiment, the UE 205 detects cells "b1", "b3", "c1", and "c3" that operate using frequency "f2". Here, it is assumed that the values ​​"c1" and "c3" are different cell IDs from the values ​​"b1" and "b3". However, it should be noted that the values ​​"c1" and "c3" could be the same cell ID as "b2" or "b4". From the signaled block list, the UE 205 knows that cells "b1" and "b3" do not support connection to slice group 1 on frequency "f2", but since cells "c1" and "c2" are not in the block list, the UE 205 determines that these cells support connection to slice group 1 on frequency "f2".

[0116] In yet another embodiment, the UE 205 detects cells "b1", "b4", "c1", and "c4" that operate using frequency "f1". Here, it is assumed that values ​​"c1" and "c4" are different cell IDs from values ​​"b1" and "b4". However, it should be noted that values ​​"c1" and "c2" could be the same cell ID as "b2" or "b3". From the signaled block list, the UE 205 knows that cells "b1" and "b4" do not support connection to slice group 2 on frequency "f1", but since cells "c1" and "c4" are not in the block list, the UE 205 determines that these cells support connection to slice group 2 on frequency "f1".

[0117] 6 shows an example ASN.1 structure of a Cell List IE 600 that may be used to implement the first solution. In one embodiment, the Cell List IE includes a Allowed List. In another embodiment, the Cell List IE includes a Blocked List. In some embodiments, the Cell List IE 600 includes a Allowed List for a first set of cell IDs and may include a Blocked List for a different set of cell IDs.

[0118] According to a second solution embodiment, the network broadcasts one or both lists (allowed and blocked) for one frequency and slice / slice group combination. In addition, another parameter is also signaled (called "detected cells" in the example of FIG. 7). This additional parameter explicitly informs the UE 205 how to handle detected cells that are not in the blocked or allowed list. In one embodiment, such detected cells are to be treated as allowed cells. In another embodiment, such detected cells are to be treated as blocked cells. In other embodiments, the additional parameter indicates that for all detected cells that are not included in the blocked or allowed list, the UE 205 should read the system information (e.g., SIB1) of the corresponding cell to determine slice support information for that cell.

[0119] 7 illustrates an example ASN.1 structure of a Cell List IE 700 that may be used to implement the second solution. In one embodiment, the Cell List IE includes either an Allowed List or a Blocked List. In another embodiment, the Cell List IE includes both an Allowed List and a Blocked List. In a particular embodiment, the Cell List IE 700 may include an Allowed List for a first set of cell IDs and a Blocked List for a different set of cell IDs. As discussed above, the Cell List includes a parameter (e.g., "Detected Cells") that explicitly informs the UE 205 how to handle detected cells that are not in the included list for a particular frequency and slice / slice group combination.

[0120] 8A illustrates an example procedure 800 for identifying slice support information of a neighboring cell according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The procedure 800 includes a UE 205 and a serving cell 805 (e.g., an embodiment of the serving cell 301 including a base station unit 121 and / or a RAN node 210). As a prerequisite, it is assumed that the UE 205 is in a serving area of ​​the serving cell 805 and that the serving cell 805 is a current serving cell of the UE 205.

[0121] In step 1, the serving cell 805 provisions the UE 205 with an indication of at least one frequency and at least one slice group corresponding to each frequency (see block 810). In various embodiments, the serving cell 805 may provision columns 405 and 410 or columns 505 and 510 as described above in the examples shown in Figures 4A-4B and 5A-5B.

[0122] In step 2, the serving cell 805 broadcasts at least one allowed list and / or at least one blocked list (see signaling 815). As discussed in the first solution, the serving cell 805 may broadcast a single list, i.e., the allowed list or the blocked list, for each unique combination of frequency and slice group. Alternatively, as discussed in the second solution, the serving cell may broadcast both the allowed list and the blocked list for one or more combinations of frequency and slice group.

[0123] In step 3, the UE 205 detects nearby cells (see block 820). In various embodiments, the UE 205 performs a cell search procedure (e.g., in conjunction with cell selection and / or cell reselection) to detect nearby cells and obtain corresponding PCIs of the nearby cells.

[0124] In step 4, the UE 205 determines, for each detected cell, for example, slice support information of neighboring cells (see block 825). As described above, the UE 205 uses the received allowed list and / or blocked list to determine whether a cell supports connection to a particular network slice group on a particular frequency.

[0125] 8B illustrates a table 850 of distribution mechanisms for cell information provided by the network, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Information that may be distributed via broadcast or dedicated signaling includes operating frequency and slice group identity. However, allowed lists and / or blocked lists are transmitted using broadcast signaling.

[0126] According to an embodiment of the third solution, the network is allowed the flexibility to use the first solution for certain frequency and slice / slice group combinations and the second solution for other frequency and slice / slice group combinations.

[0127] 9 illustrates a user equipment device 900 that may be used to determine slice support information of a neighboring cell according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In various embodiments, the user equipment device 900 is used to implement one or more of the solutions described above. The user equipment device 900 may be an embodiment of a user endpoint, such as the remote unit 105 and / or UE 205 described above. Additionally, the user equipment device 900 may include a processor 905, a memory 910, an input device 915, an output device 920, and a transceiver 925.

[0128] In some embodiments, the input devices 915 and the output devices 920 are combined into a single device, such as a touch screen. In certain embodiments, the user equipment device 900 may not include any input devices 915 and / or output devices 920. In various embodiments, the user equipment device 900 may include one or more of the processor 905, the memory 910, and the transceiver 925, and may not include the input devices 915 and / or the output devices 920.

[0129] As shown, the transceiver 925 includes at least one transmitter 930 and at least one receiver 935. In some embodiments, the transceiver 925 communicates with one or more cells (or wireless coverage areas) supported by one or more base station units 121. In various embodiments, the transceiver 925 is operable in an unlicensed spectrum. Further, the transceiver 925 may include multiple UE panels supporting one or more beams. In addition, the transceiver 925 may support at least one network interface 940 and / or application interface 945. The application interface 945 may support one or more APIs. The network interface 940 may support 3GPP reference points such as Uu, N1, PC5, etc. Other network interfaces 940 may be supported as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

[0130] The processor 905, in one embodiment, may include any known controller capable of executing computer-readable instructions and / or performing logical operations. For example, the processor 905 may be a microcontroller, microprocessor, central processing unit ("CPU"), graphics processing unit ("GPU"), auxiliary processing unit, field programmable gate array ("FPGA"), or similar programmable controller. In some embodiments, the processor 905 executes instructions stored in memory 910 to perform the methods and routines described herein. The processor 905 is communicatively coupled to the memory 910, the input device 915, the output device 920, and the transceiver 925.

[0131] In various embodiments, the processor 905 controls the user equipment device 900 to implement the UE behaviors described above. In particular embodiments, the processor 905 may include an application processor (also known as a “main processor”) that manages application domains and operating system (“OS”) functions, and a baseband processor (also known as a “baseband radio processor”) that manages radio functions.

[0132] In various embodiments, via the transceiver 925, the processor 905 receives from the serving cell an indication of at least one frequency and at least one slice group corresponding to (e.g., each of) the at least one frequency. Additionally, via the transceiver 925, the processor 905 receives, for each of the at least one frequency, a list of PCIs that support a combination of the respective frequency and the respective slice group, the received list including one of a list of allowed cells or a list of blocked cells. The processor 905 determines the slice support of the neighboring cell based on the list of PCIs.

[0133] In some embodiments, the list of allowed cells indicates that the list of PCIs supports connection to the respective slice groups using the respective frequencies. In such embodiments, to determine neighbor cell slice support, the processor 905 may determine that a particular neighbor cell not included in the list of PCIs does not support connection to the respective slice groups using the respective frequencies.

[0134] In some embodiments, the list of blocked cells indicates that the list of PCIs does not support connection to the respective slice groups using the respective frequencies. In such embodiments, to determine slice support for neighboring cells, the processor 905 may determine that a particular neighboring cell not included in the list of PCIs supports connection to the respective slice groups using the respective frequencies.

[0135] In a particular embodiment, the processor 905 controls the transceiver 925 to receive the at least one frequency and the at least one slice group corresponding to the at least one frequency in dedicated RRC signaling, while in other embodiments, the processor 905 controls the transceiver 925 to receive the at least one frequency and the at least one slice group corresponding to the at least one frequency in broadcast RRC signaling.

[0136] Memory 910, in one embodiment, is a computer-readable storage medium. In some embodiments, memory 910 includes volatile computer storage media. For example, memory 910 may include RAM, including dynamic RAM ("DRAM"), synchronous dynamic RAM ("SDRAM"), and / or static RAM ("SRAM"). In some embodiments, memory 910 includes non-volatile computer storage media. For example, memory 910 may include a hard disk drive, a flash memory, or any other suitable non-volatile computer storage device. In some embodiments, memory 910 includes both volatile and non-volatile computer storage media.

[0137] In some embodiments, memory 910 stores data related to determining neighboring cell slice support information. For example, memory 910 may store the parameters, configurations, etc. described above. In particular embodiments, memory 910 also stores program code and associated data, such as operating system or other controller algorithms running on user equipment device 900.

[0138] The input device 915, in one embodiment, may include any known computer input device, including a touch panel, buttons, a keyboard, a stylus, a microphone, etc. In some embodiments, the input device 915 may be integrated with the output device 920, for example as a touch screen or similar touch-sensitive display. In some embodiments, the input device 915 includes a touch screen, such that text may be entered using a virtual keyboard displayed on the touch screen and / or by handwriting on the touch screen. In some embodiments, the input device 915 includes two or more different devices, such as a keyboard and a touch panel.

[0139] The output device 920, in one embodiment, is designed to output visual, auditory, and / or tactile signals. In some embodiments, the output device 920 includes an electronically controllable display or display device capable of outputting visual data to a user. For example, the output device 920 may include, but is not limited to, a liquid crystal display ("LCD"), a light emitting diode ("LED") display, an organic LED ("OLED") display, a projector, or similar display device capable of outputting images, text, and the like to a user. As another non-limiting example, the output device 920 may include a wearable display that is separate from but communicatively coupled to the remainder of the user equipment device 900, such as a smart watch, smart glasses, a head-up display, and the like. Additionally, the output device 920 may be a component of a smartphone, a personal digital assistant, a television, a table computer, a notebook (laptop) computer, a personal computer, a vehicle dashboard, and the like.

[0140] In certain embodiments, the output device 920 includes one or more speakers for generating sound. For example, the output device 920 may generate an audible alert or notification (e.g., a beep or chime). In some embodiments, the output device 920 includes one or more haptic devices for generating vibration, movement, or other haptic feedback. In some embodiments, all or a portion of the output device 920 may be integrated with the input device 915. For example, the input device 915 and the output device 920 may form a touchscreen or similar touch-sensitive display. In other embodiments, the output device 920 may be located near the input device 915.

[0141] The transceiver 925 communicates with one or more network functions of a mobile communications network via one or more access networks. The transceiver 925 operates under the control of the processor 905 to transmit messages, data, and other signals and to receive messages, data, and other signals. For example, the processor 905 may selectively activate the transceiver 925 (or a portion thereof) at particular times to transmit and receive messages.

[0142] The transceiver 925 includes at least one transmitter 930 and at least one receiver 935. The one or more transmitters 930 may be used to provide UL communication signals, such as UL transmissions described herein, to the base station unit 121. Similarly, the one or more receivers 935 may be used to receive DL communication signals from the base station unit 121, as described herein. Although only one transmitter 930 and one receiver 935 are shown, the user equipment device 900 may have any suitable number of transmitters 930 and receivers 935. Furthermore, the transmitters 930 and receivers 935 may be any suitable type of transmitter and receiver. In one embodiment, the transceiver 925 includes a first transmitter / receiver pair used to communicate with a mobile communications network over a licensed radio spectrum and a second transmitter / receiver pair used to communicate with a mobile communications network over an unlicensed radio spectrum.

[0143] In certain embodiments, a first transmitter / receiver pair used to communicate with a mobile communications network over a licensed radio spectrum and a second transmitter / receiver pair used to communicate with a mobile communications network over an unlicensed radio spectrum may be combined into a single transceiver unit, e.g., a single chip that performs functions for use in both the licensed and unlicensed radio spectrum. In some embodiments, the first transmitter / receiver pair and the second transmitter / receiver pair may share one or more hardware components. For example, a particular transceiver 925, transmitter 930, and receiver 935 may be implemented as physically separate components that access shared hardware and / or software resources, such as, for example, a network interface 940.

[0144] In various embodiments, one or more transmitters 930 and / or one or more receivers 935 may be implemented and / or integrated in a single hardware component, such as a multi-transceiver chip, a system-on-chip, an application specific integrated circuit ("ASIC"), or other type of hardware component. In particular embodiments, one or more transmitters 930 and / or one or more receivers 935 may be implemented and / or integrated in a multi-chip module. In some embodiments, other components, such as a network interface 940 or other hardware components / circuits, may be integrated in a single chip with any number of transmitters 930 and / or receivers 935. In such embodiments, the transmitters 930 and receivers 935 may be logically configured as a transceiver 925 using one or more common control signals, or as modular transmitters 930 and receivers 935 implemented in the same hardware chip or multi-chip module.

[0145] 10 illustrates a network device 1000 that may be used to determine slice support information of a neighboring cell, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, the network device 1000 may be an implementation of one of the network endpoints, such as the base station unit 121 and / or the RAN node 210 described above. Additionally, the network device 1000 may include a processor 1005, a memory 1010, an input device 1015, an output device 1020, and a transceiver 1025.

[0146] In some embodiments, the input device 1015 and the output device 1020 are combined into a single device, such as a touch screen. In certain embodiments, the network device 1000 may not include any input device 1015 and / or output device 1020. In various embodiments, the network device 1000 may include one or more of the processor 1005, the memory 1010, and the transceiver 1025, and may not include the input device 1015 and / or the output device 1020.

[0147] As shown, the transceiver 1025 includes at least one transmitter 1030 and at least one receiver 1035, where the transceiver 1025 communicates with one or more remote units 105. In addition, the transceiver 1025 may support at least one network interface 1040 and / or application interface 1045. The application interface 1045 may support one or more APIs. The network interface 1040 may support 3GPP reference points such as Uu, N1, N2, and N3. As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, other network interfaces 1040 may be supported.

[0148] The processor 1005, in one embodiment, may include any known controller capable of executing computer-readable instructions and / or performing logical operations. For example, the processor 1005 may be a microcontroller, microprocessor, CPU, GPU, auxiliary processing unit, FPGA, or similar programmable controller. In some embodiments, the processor 1005 executes instructions stored in the memory 1010 to perform the methods and routines described herein. The processor 1005 is communicatively coupled to the memory 1010, the input device 1015, the output device 1020, and the transceiver 1025.

[0149] In various embodiments, the network device 1000 is a RAN node (e.g., gNB) that communicates with one or more UEs as described herein. In such embodiments, the processor 1005 controls the network device 1000 to perform the RAN behavior described above. When operating as a RAN node, the processor 1005 may include an application processor (also known as a “main processor”) that manages application domains and operating system (“OS”) functions, and a baseband processor (also known as a “baseband radio processor”) that manages radio functions.

[0150] In various embodiments, via the transceiver 1025, the processor 1005 transmits an indication of at least one frequency and at least one slice group corresponding to (e.g., each of) the at least one frequency, and for each of the at least one frequency, broadcasts a list of PCIs that support a combination of the respective frequency and the respective slice group, where the list of PCIs includes one of a list of allowed cells or a list of blocked cells.

[0151] In some embodiments, the list of allowed cells indicates that the list of PCIs supports connection to the respective slice groups using the respective frequencies, while in certain embodiments, certain neighboring cells not included in the list of PCIs do not support connection to the respective slice groups using the respective frequencies.

[0152] In some embodiments, the list of blocked cells indicates that the PCI list does not support connection to the respective slice group using the respective frequency, while in certain embodiments, certain neighboring cells not included in the PCI list support connection to the respective slice group using the respective frequency.

[0153] In a particular embodiment, the processor 1005 controls the transceiver 1025 to transmit an indication of the at least one frequency and the at least one slice group corresponding to the at least one frequency via dedicated RRC signaling, In other embodiments, the processor 1005 controls the transceiver 1025 to transmit an indication of the at least one frequency and the at least one slice group corresponding to the at least one frequency via broadcast RRC signaling.

[0154] The memory 1010, in one embodiment, is a computer-readable storage medium. In some embodiments, the memory 1010 includes a volatile computer storage medium. For example, the memory 1010 may include RAM, including DRAM, SDRAM, and / or SRAM. In some embodiments, the memory 1010 includes a non-volatile computer storage medium. For example, the memory 1010 may include a hard disk drive, a flash memory, or any other suitable non-volatile computer storage device. In some embodiments, the memory 1010 includes both volatile and non-volatile computer storage media.

[0155] In some embodiments, memory 1010 stores data related to determining slice support information of neighboring cells. For example, memory 1010 may store the parameters, configurations, etc. described above. In particular embodiments, memory 1010 also stores program code and associated data, such as operating system or other controller algorithms running on network device 1000.

[0156] The input device 1015, in one embodiment, may include any known computer input device, including a touch panel, buttons, a keyboard, a stylus, a microphone, etc. In some embodiments, the input device 1015 may be integrated with the output device 1020, for example as a touch screen or similar touch-sensitive display. In some embodiments, the input device 1015 includes a touch screen, such that text may be entered using a virtual keyboard displayed on the touch screen and / or by handwriting on the touch screen. In some embodiments, the input device 1015 includes two or more different devices, such as a keyboard and a touch panel.

[0157] The output device 1020, in one embodiment, is designed to output visual, auditory, and / or tactile signals. In some embodiments, the output device 1020 includes an electronically controllable display or display device capable of outputting visual data to a user. For example, the output device 1020 may include, but is not limited to, an LCD display, an LED display, an OLED display, a projector, or similar display device capable of outputting images, text, and the like to a user. As another non-limiting example, the output device 1020 may include a wearable display separate from but communicatively coupled to the rest of the network device 1000, such as a smart watch, smart glasses, a head-up display, and the like. Additionally, the output device 1020 may be a component of a smartphone, a personal digital assistant, a television, a table computer, a notebook (laptop) computer, a personal computer, a vehicle dashboard, and the like.

[0158] In certain embodiments, the output device 1020 includes one or more speakers for generating sound. For example, the output device 1020 may generate an audible alert or notification (e.g., a beep or chime). In some embodiments, the output device 1020 includes one or more haptic devices for generating vibration, movement, or other haptic feedback. In some embodiments, all or a portion of the output device 1020 may be integrated with the input device 1015. For example, the input device 1015 and the output device 1020 may form a touchscreen or similar touch-sensitive display. In other embodiments, the output device 1020 may be located near the input device 1015.

[0159] The transceiver 1025 includes at least one transmitter 1030 and at least one receiver 1035. The one or more transmitters 1030 may be used to communicate with a UE as described herein. Similarly, the one or more receivers 1035 may be used to communicate with a network function of a PLMN and / or a RAN as described herein. Although only one transmitter 1030 and one receiver 1035 are shown, the network device 1000 may have any suitable number of transmitters 1030 and receivers 1035. Moreover, the transmitters 1030 and receivers 1035 may be any suitable type of transmitter and receiver.

[0160] 11 illustrates one embodiment of a method 1100 for determining slice support information of a neighboring cell according to an embodiment of the disclosure. In various embodiments, the method 1100 is performed by a communications device, such as the remote unit 105, UE 205, and / or user equipment device 900 described above. In some embodiments, the method 1100 is performed by a processor, such as a microcontroller, microprocessor, CPU, GPU, auxiliary processing unit, FPGA, or the like.

[0161] The method 1100 includes receiving 1105 an indication of at least one frequency and at least one slice group corresponding to (e.g., each of) the at least one frequency from a serving cell. The method 1100 includes receiving 1110, for each of the at least one frequency, a list of PCIs that support a combination of the respective frequency and the respective slice group, the received list including one of a list of allowed cells or a list of blocked cells. The method 1100 includes determining 1115 slice support for neighboring cells based on the list of PCIs.

[0162] 12 illustrates one embodiment of a method 1200 for determining slice support information of a neighboring cell according to an embodiment of the disclosure. In various embodiments, the method 1200 is performed by a network entity, such as the base unit 121, the RAN node 210, and / or the network device 1000 described above. In some embodiments, the method 1200 is performed by a processor, such as a microcontroller, a microprocessor, a CPU, a GPU, an auxiliary processing unit, an FPGA, or the like.

[0163] The method 1200 includes transmitting 1205 an indication of at least one frequency and at least one slice group corresponding to (e.g., each of) the at least one frequency. The method 1200 includes broadcasting 1210, for each of the at least one frequency, a list of PCIs that support a combination of the respective frequency and the respective slice group, where the list of PCIs includes one of a list of allowed cells or a list of blocked cells.

[0164] Disclosed herein is a first apparatus for identifying slice support information of a neighboring cell according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The first apparatus may be implemented by a communication device such as the remote unit 105, the UE 205, and / or the user equipment device 900 described above. The first apparatus includes a processor coupled to a memory, and the processor is configured to cause the first apparatus to: A) receive, from a serving cell, an indication of at least one frequency and at least one slice group corresponding to the at least one frequency (e.g., each of them); B) receive, for each of the at least one frequency, a list of PCIs supporting a combination of the respective frequency and the respective slice group, the received list including one of a list of allowed cells or a list of blocked cells; and C) determine slice support of the neighboring cell based on the list of PCIs.

[0165] In some embodiments, the list of allowed cells indicates that the list of PCIs supports connection to the respective slice groups using the respective frequencies. In particular embodiments, to determine slice support for neighboring cells, the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the first device to determine that a particular neighboring cell not included in the list of PCIs does not support connection to the respective slice groups using the respective frequencies.

[0166] In some embodiments, the list of blocked cells indicates that the list of PCIs does not support connection to the respective slice groups using the respective frequencies. In particular embodiments, to determine slice support for neighboring cells, the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the first device to determine that a particular neighboring cell not included in the list of PCIs supports connection to the respective slice groups using the respective frequencies.

[0167] In some embodiments, the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the first device to receive at least one frequency and at least one slice group corresponding to the at least one frequency in dedicated RRC signaling or in broadcast RRC signaling.

[0168] Disclosed herein is a first method for identifying slice support information of a neighboring cell according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The first method may be performed by a communication device such as the remote unit 105, UE 205, and / or user equipment device 1000 described above. The first method includes receiving, from a serving cell, an indication of at least one frequency and at least one slice group corresponding to the at least one frequency (e.g., each of them), and receiving, for each of the at least one frequency, a list of PCIs supporting a combination of the respective frequency and the respective slice group, the received list including one of a list of allowed cells or a list of blocked cells. The first method includes determining slice support of the neighboring cell based on the list of PCIs.

[0169] In some embodiments, the list of allowed cells indicates that the list of PCIs supports connection to the respective slice groups using the respective frequencies. In certain embodiments, determining slice support for neighboring cells includes determining that certain neighboring cells not included in the list of PCIs do not support connection to the respective slice groups using the respective frequencies.

[0170] In some embodiments, the list of blocked cells indicates that the list of PCIs does not support connection to the respective slice groups using the respective frequencies. In certain embodiments, determining slice support for neighboring cells includes determining that a particular neighboring cell not included in the list of PCIs supports connection to the respective slice groups using the respective frequencies.

[0171] In some embodiments, receiving at least one frequency and at least one slice group corresponding to the at least one frequency includes receiving one of dedicated RRC signaling, broadcast RRC signaling, or a combination thereof.

[0172] Disclosed herein is a second apparatus for identifying slice support information of a neighboring cell according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The second apparatus may be implemented by a network entity, such as the base station unit 121, the RAN node 210, and / or the network apparatus 1100 described above. The second apparatus includes a processor coupled to a memory, the processor configured to cause the second apparatus to: A) transmit an indication of at least one frequency and at least one slice group corresponding to the at least one frequency (e.g., each of them); and B) broadcast, for each of the at least one frequency, a list of PCIs that support a combination of the respective frequency and the respective slice group, the list of PCIs including one of a list of allowed cells or a list of blocked cells.

[0173] In some embodiments, the list of allowed cells indicates that the list of PCIs supports connection to the respective slice groups using the respective frequencies, while in certain embodiments, certain neighboring cells not included in the list of PCIs do not support connection to the respective slice groups using the respective frequencies.

[0174] In some embodiments, the list of blocked cells indicates that the PCI list does not support connection to the respective slice group using the respective frequency, while in certain embodiments, certain neighboring cells not included in the PCI list support connection to the respective slice group using the respective frequency.

[0175] In some embodiments, the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the second device to transmit, via dedicated RRC signaling or via broadcast RRC signaling, an indication of the at least one frequency and at least one slice group corresponding to the at least one frequency.

[0176] Disclosed herein is a second method for identifying slice support information of neighboring cells according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The second method may be performed by a network entity, such as the base station unit 121, the RAN node 210, and / or the network device 1100 described above. The second method includes transmitting an indication of at least one frequency and at least one slice group corresponding to (e.g., each of) the at least one frequency. The second method includes broadcasting, for each of the at least one frequency, a list of PCIs that support a combination of the respective frequency and the respective slice group, where the list of PCIs includes one of a list of allowed cells or a list of blocked cells.

[0177] In some embodiments, the list of allowed cells indicates that the list of PCIs supports connection to the respective slice groups using the respective frequencies, while in certain embodiments, certain neighboring cells not included in the list of PCIs do not support connection to the respective slice groups using the respective frequencies.

[0178] In some embodiments, the list of blocked cells indicates that the PCI list does not support connection to the respective slice group using the respective frequency, while in some embodiments, certain neighboring cells not included in the PCI list support connection to the respective slice group using the respective frequency.

[0179] In some embodiments, the step of transmitting an indication of the at least one frequency and the at least one slice group corresponding to the at least one frequency includes transmitting the indication via dedicated RRC signaling or via broadcast RRC signaling.

[0180] The embodiments may be embodied in other specific forms. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is therefore indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope. [Explanation of symbols]

[0181] 100 Wireless communication system 105 Remote Unit 107 Applications 120 RAN 121 Base station unit, base unit 123 Wireless Communication Links 125 PCI List 140 Mobile Core Network 141 User Plane Function (UPF) 143 Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) 146 Session Management Facility (SMF) 147 Policy Control Function (PCF) 149 UDM / UDR 150 Packet Data Network 151 Application Server 200 NR Protocol Stack 201 User Plane Protocol Stack 203 Control Plane Protocol Stack 205 UE 210 RAN nodes 215 AMF 220 Physical (PHY) Layer 225 MAC Sublayer 230 Radio Link Control (RLC) Sublayer 235 PDCP Sublayer 240 Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) Sublayer 245 RRC Layer 250 NAS Layer 255 Access Layer (AS) 260 AS Layer 300 Cell and Frequency Deployment 301 Serving Cells 303 1st neighboring cell 305 Second adjacent cell 307 Third adjacent cell 309 4th adjacent cell 311 5th adjacent cell 313 6th adjacent cell 400 Cell Information Table 405 Slice Group Identity Column 410 Carrier Frequency Series 415 Priority Value Column 420 Allow List Columns 425 Detected adjacent cell columns 430 Information 435 Information 450 Cell Information Table 455 Block List Column 460 Information 500 Cell Information Table 505 Carrier Frequency Series 510 Slice Group Identity Column 515 Priority Value Column 520 Allow List Columns 525 Detected adjacent cell columns 530 Information 535 Information 550 Cell Information Table 555 Block List Column 560 Information 600 Cell List IE 700 Cell List IE 800 Procedures 805 Serving Cell 850 Table 900 User Equipment Device 905 Processor 910 Memory 915 Input Devices 920 Output Device 925 Transceiver 930 Transmitter 935 Receiver 940 Network Interface 1000 Network Devices 1005 Processor 1010 Memory 1015 Input Devices 1020 output device 1025 Transceiver 1030 Transmitter 1035 Receiver 1100 methods 1040 Network Interface 1200 methods

Claims

A user equipment (UE) for wireless communication, comprising: at least one memory; at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory, the at least one processor causing the UE to: receive from a serving cell an indication of at least one frequency and at least one slice group corresponding to the at least one frequency; for each of the at least one frequency, receive a list of Physical Cell Identities (PCI) associated with respective slice groups, the received list of PCI including a list of permitted cells or a list of blocked cells; determine slice support for a set of neighboring cells based on the list of PCI. The UE as claimed in claim 1.

2. The list of permitted cells indicates that each cell in the list of permitted cells supports connectivity to respective slice groups using respective frequencies. The UE according to claim 1.

3. To determine the slice support for the set of neighboring cells, the at least one processor causes the UE to determine that a particular neighboring cell not included in the list of permitted cells does not support connectivity to the respective slice groups using the respective frequencies. The UE according to claim 2.

4. The list of blocked cells indicates that each cell in the list of blocked cells does not support connectivity to the respective slice groups using the respective frequencies. The UE according to claim 1.

5. To determine the slice support for the set of neighboring cells, the at least one processor causes the UE to determine that a particular neighboring cell not included in the list of blocked cells supports connectivity to the respective slice groups using the respective frequencies. The UE according to claim 4.

6. The at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to receive an indication of the at least one frequency and the at least one slice group corresponding to the at least one frequency by dedicated radio resource control (RRC) signaling or broadcast RRC signaling The UE according to claim 1

7. A method performed by a user equipment (UE), comprising: receiving, from a serving cell, an indication of at least one frequency and at least one slice group corresponding to the at least one frequency; for each of the at least one frequency, receiving a list of Physical Cell Identities (PCI) associated with respective slice groups, wherein the received list of PCI includes a list of permitted cells or a list of blocked cells; determining slice support for a set of neighboring cells based on the list of PCI The method

8. A base station for wireless communication, comprising: at least one memory; at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory, the at least one processor configured to cause the base station to: transmit an indication of at least one frequency and at least one slice group corresponding to the at least one frequency; broadcast, for each of the at least one frequency, a list of Physical Cell Identities (PCI) associated with respective slice groups, wherein the list of PCI includes a list of permitted cells or a list of blocked cells The base station

9. ​ The list of allowed cells indicates that the list of PCIs supports connectivity to the respective slice groups using the respective frequencies, and specific neighboring cells not included in the list of allowed cells do not support connectivity to the respective slice groups using the respective frequencies. The base station according to claim 8.

10. The list of blocked cells indicates that the list of PCIs does not support connectivity to the respective slice groups using the respective frequencies, and specific neighboring cells not included in the list of blocked cells support connectivity to the respective slice groups using the respective frequencies. The base station according to claim 8.

11. To transmit an indication of the at least one frequency and the at least one slice group corresponding to the at least one frequency, the at least one processor is configured to cause the base station to transmit dedicated radio resource control (RRC) signaling, broadcast RRC signaling, or a combination thereof. The base station according to claim 8.

12. A method performed by a base station, comprising: transmitting an indication of at least one frequency and at least one slice group corresponding to the at least one frequency; broadcasting, for each of the at least one frequency, a list of physical cell identities (PCIs) associated with the respective slice groups, wherein the list of PCIs includes a list of allowed cells or a list of blocked cells. Method.

13. The list of allowed cells indicates that the list of PCIs supports connectivity to the respective slice groups using the respective frequencies, and specific neighboring cells not included in the list of allowed cells do not support connectivity to the respective slice groups using the respective frequencies. The method according to claim 12.

14. The list of blocked cells indicates that the list of PCIs does not support connectivity to the respective slice groups using the respective frequencies, and specific neighboring cells not included in the list of blocked cells support connectivity to the respective slice groups using the respective frequencies. The method according to claim 12.

15. The step of transmitting an indication of the at least one frequency and the at least one slice group corresponding to the at least one frequency includes the step of transmitting dedicated radio resource control (RRC) signaling, broadcast RRC signaling, or a combination thereof. The method according to claim 12.

Images