Terminal

Abstract

To provide a terminal capable of coping with network slicing.SOLUTION: A terminal capable of supporting network slicing includes a reception unit capable of receiving, from a base station device, slice information that can be provided by the base station device and information regarding a cell of the base station device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a terminal device. [Background technology]

[0002] In a conventional network system using virtualization technology, hardware resources are virtually divided to generate slices, which are virtual networks logically generated on the network infrastructure. By allocating services to slices, services can be provided to terminal devices using networks of independent slices. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method for routing data to an appropriate slice depending on the application of the data sender.

[0003] The 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project), which is currently working on standardizing mobile communication systems, is currently working on the specification of network slicing, a virtualization technology similar to the one described above. Network slicing is a technology that divides network resources to enable flexible network construction and optimization. Network slicing makes it possible to provide a variety of performance requirements, such as enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable and low latency communications (URLLC), and massive machine type communication (mMTC), on a single core network. According to 3GPP, user equipment (UE) can request network slicing from a base station using network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-164231 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] As operators transition from fully deployed non-standalone (NSA) 5G networks to standalone (SA) 5G networks, situations will arise where 5GC (5G Core network) is only available in certain areas. For example, millimeter wave support for mobile communication systems will only be rolled out in certain areas, meaning millimeter wave-compatible 5GC will only be available in certain areas. In this case, millimeter wave-compatible 5GC functions (such as network slicing) will also be provided in a spot manner.

[0006] Even in 5GC, it is expected that some services will not be supported or will only be partially provided. In this case, network slicing requested by UEs in 5GC may be denied, resulting in areas where network slicing cannot be used. If a UE that has been denied network slicing can perform wireless communication, users may not be able to determine whether the UE is operating at the expected specifications for network slicing.

[0007] One aspect of the present disclosure aims to provide a terminal device that is compatible with network slicing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One aspect of the present disclosure is a terminal device capable of supporting network slicing, which is equipped with a receiving unit capable of receiving, from a base station device, slice information that the base station device can provide and information regarding the cell of the base station device.

[0009] The terminal device further includes a storage unit, and stores the slice information and the information about the cells in the storage unit. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a communication system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining network slicing. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the physical configuration of a terminal device. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a control unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing a flow of establishing a wireless connection of a terminal device in the first embodiment. [Figure 6A] 10 is an example of a notification screen displaying the availability status of slices. [Figure 6B] 10 is an example of a notification screen displaying the availability status of slices. [Figure 6C] 10 is an example of a notification screen displaying the availability status of slices. [Figure 7A] 10 is an example of a notification screen that displays the availability status of slices for each application. [Figure 7B] 10 is an example of a notification screen that displays the availability status of slices for each application. [Figure 7C] 10 is an example of a notification screen that displays the availability status of slices for each application. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an overall configuration diagram of a communication system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram of a control unit according to a second embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart of a navigation process according to a second embodiment. [Figure 11] 10 is an example of a route guidance screen. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart of a navigation process according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or equivalent elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0012] First Embodiment The configuration of a communication system 100 according to the first embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating the overall configuration of the communication system 100 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating network slicing. Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating the physical configuration of a terminal device 110. Fig. 4 is a functional block diagram of a control unit 301 according to the first embodiment.

[0013] The communication system 100 of the first embodiment illustrates a 5G network with an SA (Standalone) configuration. As shown in FIG. 1, the communication system 100 includes a terminal device 110, an NR base station device 120, a core network device 130, and the like. The terminal device 110 is a communication terminal compatible with the 5G standard, such as a smartphone, tablet, or laptop PC. The terminal device 110 may also be compatible with the LTE (Long Term Evolution) or 4G standard in addition to the 5G standard.

[0014] The NR base station device 120 is a next generation NodeB (gNB) that communicates by NR (New Radio) with the terminal device 110 located in a cell that the NR base station device 120 can communicate with. In a 5G network with an SA configuration, the NR base station device 120 transmits and receives both control plane (Control) and user plane (Data) to and from the terminal device 110 by NR.

[0015] The core network device 130 is a backbone network that controls, for example, the Internet, a fixed telephone network, and a mobile network. The core network device 130 is connected to the NR base station device 120 and can communicate with each other. The core network device 130 of this embodiment is a 5G core network (5GC) and includes a user packet function (UPF) that handles user data, an access and mobility management function (AMF) that manages access and mobility, a session management function (SMF) that manages communication sessions, and the like.

[0016] In the communication system 100, while moving, the terminal device 110 selects the optimal NR base station device 120 at the moving location and attempts to establish a wireless connection with the selected NR base station device 120. The terminal device 110 connects to the core network device 130 via the NR base station device 120 with which the wireless connection has been established. The core network device 130, which is 5GC, has a network slicing function.

[0017] Network slicing uses network function virtualization technology to set up multiple logical divisions on common hardware resources and manage and operate network functions separately. Network slicing virtually separates the SMF and UPF in the core network device 130 into multiple logical blocks. These blocks are used as slices to provide services such as enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable and low-latency LAN (URLLC), and multiple simultaneous connections (mMTC).

[0018] The NR base station device 120 is connected to the core network device 130 and can therefore provide 5GC network slicing to the terminal device 110. The terminal device 110 that is compatible with network slicing can connect to a DN (Data Network) using the services provided by the slice.

[0019] In the example of Figure 2, network slicing separates the resources of the core network device 130 into a block of IPAddr1 and a block of IPAddr2. The block of IPAddr1 is used as a slice for eMBB, and the block of IPAddr2 is used as a slice for URLLC. By connecting to the slice for eMBB, the terminal device 110 can use, for example, an Internet DN at high speed and with large capacity. By connecting to the slice for URLLC, the terminal device 110 can use, for example, an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) DN with ultra-high reliability and low latency.

[0020] 3, the terminal device 110 includes a control unit 301, a storage unit 302, a communication unit 303, an output unit 304, and an operation unit 305. The control unit 301 is, for example, a processor such as a CPU. The control unit 301 may be an MCU (Micro Control Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processor Unit), or may be an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or other circuit having a calculation function.

[0021] The storage unit 302 is a device capable of storing programs and data, such as a ROM, RAM, cache memory, or flash memory. The communication unit 303 is a communication module for performing wireless communication via an antenna. The output unit 304 is a device for outputting information in a manner perceptible by the user, such as a display, lamp, speaker, or vibrator. The operation unit 305 is a button, switch, key, touch panel, or the like for the user to operate the terminal device 110.

[0022] In this embodiment, NSSAI (Network Slice Selection Assistance Information) used by the terminal device 110 when selecting a slice is set in advance in the storage unit 302. The NSSAI is a collection of S-NSSAI (Single-Network Slice Selection Assistance Information). For example, the terminal device 110 can hold up to eight S-NSSAIs.

[0023] As an example, the S-NSSAI consists of an 8-bit slice service type (SST) and a 24-bit slice distinction (SD) (however, SD is optional). In the SST, "1" indicates eMBB, "2" indicates URLCC, "3" indicates mMTC, and "4" indicates V2X (Vehicle to everything). Part of the SST (for example, "128" to "255") may be independently defined by the operator of the communication system 100.

[0024] The storage unit 302 stores a control program for controlling the terminal device 110 and various application programs (hereinafter abbreviated as applications) that a user can use on the terminal device 110. These applications are preset with respect to which services they can support from among the various services provided by network slicing.

[0025] In the terminal device 110, the control unit 301 executes a control program in the storage unit 302 to realize each functional block illustrated in FIG. 4. These functional blocks include a display control unit 401, a slicing control unit 402, and a communication control unit 403. The display control unit 401 controls the display of information on the output unit 304 as a display unit. The slicing control unit 402 controls connection to slices provided by the core network device 130 via the NR base station device 120. The communication control unit 403 controls wireless communication of the terminal device 110 by the communication unit 303. These functional blocks may be incorporated in advance as circuits.

[0026] The processing executed in the communication system 100 of the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of establishing a wireless connection of the terminal device 110 in the first embodiment. FIGS. 6A to 6C are examples of notification screens that display the availability status of slices. FIGS. 7A to 7C are examples of notification screens that display the availability status of slices for each application. Among the processing executed in the communication system 100, the processing of establishing a wireless connection between the terminal device 110 and the NR base station device 120 will be described below.

[0027] When the terminal device 110 is powered on, in S501 the communication control unit 403 controls the communication unit 303 to start location registration of the terminal device 110. Note that in S501 the communication unit 303 functions as a receiving unit capable of receiving information indicating permission or denial of slice use from the NR base station device 120. Also, in the registration procedure of S501, the communication unit 303 functions as a transmitting unit capable of transmitting a registration request message (e.g., Registration Request) including information regarding the slice requested by the terminal device 110.

[0028] In the location registration of S501, the following processing is executed. First, the communication control unit 403 executes a cell search to find the optimal NR base station device 120. The communication control unit 403 transmits an RRC Connection Establishment including a Requested NSSAI to the NR base station device 120 for which the cell search is successful, and then transmits a Registration Request including the Requested NSSAI. The Requested NSSAI is the same as the NSSAI that is set in advance in the storage unit 302. Note that, for example, even if the terminal device 110 moves, the communication control unit 403 also transmits a Registration Request to the network side in S501 and executes re-location registration of the terminal device 110.

[0029] If the Registration Request is permitted on the network side, the communication control unit 403 receives a Registration Accept including an Allowed NSSAI from the NR base station device 120. The Allowed NSSAI is a collection of S-NSSAIs permitted on the network side among the S-NSSAIs included in the Requested NSSAI. In this example, the Allowed NSSAI is a collection of S-NSSAIs corresponding to services that the core network device 130 can provide to the terminal device 110 via the NR base station device 120.

[0030] In S503, the slicing control unit 402 saves the list of Allowed / Rejected NSSAI in the memory unit 302. The list of Allowed NSSAI registers S-NSSAIs included in the Requested NSSAI that are in the Allowed NSSAI of Registration Accept. The list of Rejected NSSAI registers S-NSSAIs included in the Requested NSSAI that are not in the Allowed NSSAI of Registration Accept. In other words, the Rejected NSSAI is a collection of S-NSSAIs rejected by the network side.

[0031] Thereafter, when an application is launched in the terminal device 110, the functional block of the control unit 301 that executes the application makes a connection request to the communication control unit 403. In this case, in S505, the slicing control unit 402 selects a slice for the application from among the slices provided via the NR base station device 120 based on the URSP (UE Route Selection Policy). In detail, an S-NSSAI registered in the Allowed NSSAI list is selected from among the S-NSSAIs corresponding to the service requested by the application.

[0032] Next, in S507, the communication control unit 403 controls the communication unit 303 to start session establishment of the terminal device 110. Note that in S507, the communication unit 303 functions as a transmission unit capable of transmitting a PDU session establishment request message (for example, PDU Session Establishment Request) including information on a slice requested by the terminal device 110 in a PDU (Protocol Data Unit) session establishment procedure.

[0033] The following process is executed in the session establishment in S507: In this example, a PDU (Protocol Data Unit) session is established for each S-NSSAI selected in S505 from among the S-NSSAIs registered in the Allowed NSSAI list.

[0034] First, the communication control unit 403 transmits a PDU Session Establishment Request including the first S-NSSAI-1 selected in S505 to the core network device 130 via the NR base station device 120. In the core network device 130, the AMF transmits a PDU Session Establishment Request to the SMF. If the SMF permits connection to S-NSSAI-1, it transmits a PDU Session Establishment Accept including S-NSSAI-1 to the terminal device 110 via the NR base station device 120. In the terminal device 110 that receives the PDU Session Establishment Accept, a PDU session connecting to the slice of S-NSSAI-1 is established.

[0035] This enables the terminal device 110 to perform data communication using the services provided by the slice of S-NSSAI-1. Therefore, the application launched in S505 can fully utilize its functions by performing high-quality, high-speed, or high-performance data communication provided by the slice of S-NSSAI-1.

[0036] On the other hand, if the SMF rejects connection to S-NSSAI-1, it transmits a PDU Session Establishment Reject including S-NSSAI-1 to the terminal device 110 via the NR base station device 120. In the terminal device 110 that receives the PDU Session Establishment Reject, a PDU session connecting to the slice of S-NSSAI-1 is not established. The application launched in S505 cannot receive service from the slice of S-NSSAI-1. The communication control unit 403 performs PDU session establishment in the same manner as described above for all S-NSSAIs selected in S505.

[0037] Next, in S509, the display control unit 401 updates the notification of the slice availability status to the user of the terminal device 110. The slice availability status indicates the slices that are currently available in the terminal device 110 and their usage status. By notifying the user of the slice availability status, it is possible to make the user aware of whether the terminal device 110 and applications are operating within the specifications expected in network slicing.

[0038] An example of the notification executed in S509 will be specifically described below. Note that in S509, the display control unit 401 functions as a control unit that causes the output unit 304 to output the slice availability status based on information received by the communication unit 303. The information received by the communication unit 303 is included in a message (e.g., PDU Session Establishment Accept or Registration Accept) transmitted from the NR base station device 120 in response to the PDU session establishment request message and / or the registration request message.

[0039] In S509, the display control unit 401 updates the notification of the availability status as follows, based on the S-NSSAI permitted by PDU Session Establishment Accept and the S-NSSAI rejected by PDU Session Establishment Reject. The display control unit 401 displays a notification screen 600 (see FIGS. 6A to 6C) on the output unit 304 as a display unit. The notification screen 600 is a screen that notifies the user of the terminal device 110 of the availability status of slices. The notification screen 600 displays icons indicating services of slices that can be used by an application, but does not display icons indicating services of slices that cannot be used by an application.

[0040] As a first example, in S505, S-NSSAI-1 corresponding to the eMBB service and S-NSSAI-2 corresponding to the URLLC service are selected as slices for the launched application. In S507, both S-NSSAI-1 and S-NSSAI-2 are accepted by PDU Session Establishment Accept, and a PDU session connecting these two slices is established. In this case, in S509, the display control unit 401 displays the notification screen 600 of FIG. 6A.

[0041] 6A displays icons for the eMBB and URLLC services corresponding to the two permitted slices, along with a message indicating that these services can be used on the terminal device 110. This allows the user to recognize that applications can communicate data using all services (eMBB and URLLC).

[0042] As a second example, in S507, S-NSSAI-1 is accepted with PDU Session Establishment Accept and a PDU session is established, while S-NSSAI-2 is rejected with PDU Session Establishment Reject. In this case, in S509, the display control unit 401 displays the notification screen 600 of FIG. 6B. The notification screen 600 of FIG. 6B displays the eMBB icon and a message indicating that this service is available, but does not display the URLLC icon. This allows the user to recognize that an application can communicate data using some services (eMBB).

[0043] As a third example, in S507, both S-NSSAI-1 and S-NSSAI-2 are rejected with a PDU Session Establishment Reject, and no PDU session is established for any slice. In this case, in S509, the display control unit 401 displays the notification screen 600 of FIG. 6C. The notification screen 600 of FIG. 6C does not display any icons for eMBB or URLLC, and displays a message indicating that the service is unavailable. This allows the user to recognize that the application cannot use any services.

[0044] The display mode of notification screen 600 is not limited to the above. Notification screen 600 may display services that an application can use using images or text other than icons. Notification screen 600 may display both enabled icons indicating services that an application can use and disabled icons indicating services that an application cannot use in a visually distinguishable manner.

[0045] When multiple applications are executed on the terminal device 110, the above-described processes of S505 to S507 are executed for each of these applications. When multiple applications are executed on the terminal device 110, in S509 the display control unit 401 may switch between and display multiple notification screens 600 corresponding to the multiple applications, respectively, on the output unit 304. Based on these notification screens 600, the user can recognize the availability of slices by each application.

[0046] Incidentally, when an application uses a large number of services, a large number of icons may be displayed on the notification screen 600. Therefore, in S509, when an application uses a plurality of services, the display control unit 401 may display the notification screen 700 (see FIGS. 7A to 7C) instead of the notification screen 600. On the notification screen 700, one icon indicating the availability of slices is displayed for each application. The display mode of the icon changes depending on the extent to which the application can use the services.

[0047] As in the first example described above, if all of the slices selected in S505 are permitted in S507, the display control unit 401 displays the notification screen 700 of Fig. 7A in S509. In the notification screen 700 of Fig. 7A, the icon "APP1" corresponding to the application is displayed in a color (e.g., blue) indicating that the application can use all of the multiple services. In the example of Fig. 7A, a message also notifies the user that the application can use all of the multiple services.

[0048] As in the second example described above, if some of the slices selected in S505 are permitted in S507, the display control unit 401 displays the notification screen 700 of Fig. 7B in S509. In the notification screen 700 of Fig. 7B, the icon "APP1" corresponding to the application is displayed in a color (e.g., yellow) indicating that the application can use only some of the services. In the example of Fig. 7B, a message notifies the user of the services that the application cannot use.

[0049] As in the third example described above, if all of the slices selected in S505 are rejected in S507, the display control unit 401 displays the notification screen 700 of Fig. 7C in S509. In the notification screen 700 of Fig. 7C, the icon "APP1" corresponding to the application is displayed in a color (e.g., red) indicating that the application cannot use all of the multiple services. In the example of Fig. 7C, a message is displayed notifying the user that the functionality of the application will be reduced because the services cannot be used.

[0050] According to notification screen 700, the slice availability status is indicated by one icon corresponding to one application, so the number of icons does not increase even when an application uses multiple services, making it easy for the user to grasp the slice availability status. The display mode of notification screen 700 is not limited to the above. For example, the display mode of the icon may be changed as long as it allows the user to visually determine the number of services that the application can use, and the shape or size of the icon may be changed. The display mode of notification screen 700 may be changed depending on the ratio of the number of services that the application requires to the number of services that the application can use.

[0051] Furthermore, when multiple applications are running on the terminal device 110, in S509 the display control unit 401 may display multiple icons corresponding to the multiple applications respectively on one notification screen 700. In this way, based on the icons of the applications displayed on the notification screen 700, the availability status of slices in each application can be grasped on one screen.

[0052] In the embodiment for displaying the notification screen 700 described above, the output unit 304 functions as a display unit capable of displaying information about applications that can run on the terminal device 110. The display control unit 401 functions as a control unit that causes the display unit to display the applications together with the availability status of slices requested by the applications. The display control unit 401 functions as a control unit that causes the display unit to display, as the availability status of the slices, information according to the number of available slices among multiple slices supported by the applications.

[0053] In addition, in S509, the display control unit 401 may function as a control unit that outputs to the output unit 304 the information that the terminal device 110 is located in a cell that does not support network slicing when the message transmitted from the NR base station device 120 in response to the PDU session establishment request message and / or registration request message does not include information regarding the slice.

[0054] Specifically, if the core network device 130 to which the terminal device 110 connects via the NR base station device 120 is not a 5GC capable of providing network slicing, in S501, the terminal device 110 does not receive an NSSAI information element (e.g., Allowed NSSAI or Rejected NSSAI) from the network side. In this case, it can be determined that the terminal device 110 is connected to an NSA-configured 5G network rather than an SA-configured 5G network. The core network device 130 in the NSA-configured 5G network is, for example, an EPC (evolved packet core). In other words, the terminal device 110 is located in an area that does not support 5GC network slicing.

[0055] In this case, in S509, the display control unit 401 may notify the user that the terminal device 110 is located in an area that does not support network slicing by using an image or sound via the output unit 304. For example, the notification screen 600 or the notification screen 700 may display an image (for example, an icon or message indicating "4GC") indicating that the terminal device 110 is not connected to a 5G network with an SA configuration. This allows the user to recognize that the terminal device 110 is not located in an area that supports a 5G network with an SA configuration and therefore cannot use 5GC services including network slicing.

[0056] In the present embodiment, an example has been given in which an icon indicating the availability status of a slice is displayed, but the availability status of a slice may be notified by other methods. For example, depending on the availability status of a slice, the output unit 304 as a display unit may change the screen color or display a pop-up. Depending on the availability status of a slice, the output unit 304 as a speaker may output sound, the output unit 304 as a lamp may light up or flash, or the output unit 304 as a vibrator may vibrate.

[0057] Second Embodiment The second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment. First, the configuration of a communication system 800 according to the second embodiment will be described. Fig. 8 is an overall configuration diagram of the communication system 800 according to the second embodiment. Fig. 9 is a functional block diagram of a control unit 301 according to the second embodiment.

[0058] A communication system 800 of the second embodiment illustrates a 5G network including an SA configuration and an NSA configuration. As shown in Fig. 8, the communication system 800 includes a terminal device 110, multiple NR base station devices 120, a core network device (5GC) 130, multiple LTE (Long Term Evolution) base stations 810, a core network device (EPC) 820, etc. The terminal device 110 has the same configuration as the first embodiment and is compatible with the 5G standard.

[0059] The multiple NR base station devices 120 include an SA base station 120A, an NSA base station 120B, and an SA / NSA base station 120C. A terminal device 110 located within a cell C1 of the SA base station 120A is connected to a 5G network with an SA configuration, and can therefore wirelessly communicate with the SA base station 120A via NR, as in the first embodiment. The SA base station 120A is connected to a core network device (5GC) 130, and can therefore provide 5GC network slicing.

[0060] The terminal device 110 located in cell C2 of the NSA base station 120B can communicate wirelessly with the NSA base station 120B via NR. At the same time, the terminal device 110 is located in cell C4 of the LTE base station 810, and therefore can communicate wirelessly with the LTE base station 810 via LTE. The NSA base station 120B and the LTE base station 810 are connected to a core network device (EPC) 820. In such an NSA-configured 5G network, the LTE base station 810 transmits and receives the control plane (Control) to and from the terminal device 110 via LTE, and the NSA base station 120B transmits and receives the user plane (Data) to and from the terminal device 110 via NR. Because the NSA base station 120B is not connected to the core network device (5GC) 130, 5GC network slicing cannot be provided.

[0061] A terminal device 110 located within cell C3 of the SA / NSA base station 120C can wirelessly communicate with the SA / NSA base station 120C via NR. The SA / NSA base station 120C supports the functions of both the SA base station 120A and the NSA base station 120B. When the SA / NSA base station 120C operates as the SA base station 120A, it can provide network slicing as described above. On the other hand, when the SA / NSA base station 120C operates as the NSA base station 120B, it cannot provide network slicing as described above.

[0062] Thus, if the terminal device 110 wishes to receive network slicing in the communication system 800, it must be within the range of a slicing-enabled area, which is a cell that can provide network slicing (in the example of Figure 8, cell C1 of the SA base station 120A and cell C3 of the SA / NSA base station 120C).

[0063] 9, the functional blocks of the control unit 301 include a navigation unit 900 in addition to a display control unit 401, a slicing control unit 402, and a communication control unit 403. The navigation unit 900 guides the terminal device 110 to a slicing-compatible area. The navigation unit 900 includes a GPS function that identifies the current location of the terminal device 110.

[0064] In this embodiment, the storage unit 302 functions as a storage unit that stores information regarding whether the NR base station device 120 supports network slicing. The information stored in the storage unit includes information regarding supported slices.

[0065] Specifically, base station information and map information are stored in advance in the storage unit 302. The base station information indicates the base station type and supported slicing for multiple NR base station devices 120. The base station type indicates whether each NR base station device 120 is an SA base station 120A, an NSA base station 120B, or an SA / NSA base station 120C. The supported slicing indicates the type of slice or service that each NR base station device 120 can provide. The map information indicates the locations of these NR base station devices 120 and the cell range of each NR base station device 120.

[0066] The base station information and map information may be created by, for example, an operator of the communication system 800 and written to the storage unit 302 when the terminal device 110 is manufactured, or may be downloaded to the storage unit 302 via a network. The base station information and map information stored in the storage unit 302 may be updated with the latest versions of the base station information and map information provided via the network periodically or irregularly.

[0067] The processing executed in the communication system 800 of the second embodiment will be described. Fig. 10 is a flowchart of the navigation processing according to the second embodiment. Fig. 11 is an example of a route guidance screen 1100. In the second embodiment, when the terminal device 110 is turned on, the processing shown in Fig. 10 is executed in parallel with the processing described in the first embodiment (see Fig. 5).

[0068] 10, in S1001, the navigation unit 900 determines whether the terminal device 110 is in a slicing-enabled area. Note that in S1001, the navigation unit 900 functions as a first determination unit that determines whether the first base station device supports network slicing when the terminal device 110 is located in a first cell provided by the first base station device.

[0069] The determination process of S1001 is performed as follows: The navigation unit 900 determines that it is not within a slicing-enabled area if it has not received an Allowed NSSAI from the destination NR base station device 120 in S503. Alternatively, the navigation unit 900 may determine that it is not within a slicing-enabled area if a PDU session connecting to the S-NSSAI has not been established in S507 or if the base station type notified by the destination NR base station device 120 is an NSA base station 120B.

[0070] On the other hand, the navigation unit 900 determines that it is within a slicing-enabled area when it receives an Allowed NSSAI from the destination NR base station device 120 in S503. Alternatively, the navigation unit 900 may determine that it is within a slicing-enabled area when a PDU session connecting to the S-NSSAI is established in S507 or when the base station type received from the destination NR base station device 120 is an SA base station 120A or an SA / NSA base station 120C.

[0071] If it is determined that the terminal device 110 is not within the slicing-compatible area, the navigation unit 900 executes route guidance to guide the terminal device 110 to the slicing-compatible area in S1003, and returns the process to S1001. On the other hand, if it is determined that the terminal device 110 is within the slicing-compatible area, the navigation unit 900 ends this route guidance in S1005, and returns the process to S1001. As a result, the route guidance in S1003 continues until the terminal device 110 moves into the slicing-compatible area.

[0072] An example of route guidance will be described. In S1003, when the first determination unit determines that the first base station device does not support network slicing, the navigation unit 900 outputs information about a second base station device that supports network slicing to the output unit 304. The navigation unit 900 outputs the information about the second base station device to the output unit 304 based on the current location of the terminal device 110 and the information held in the holding unit.

[0073] Specifically, the navigation unit 900 displays a route guidance screen 1100 shown in Fig. 11 on the output unit 304. The route guidance screen 1100 displays a map image of the surrounding area including the current location of the terminal device 110, based on the base station device and map information in the storage unit 302. This map image shows the current location of the terminal device 110, as well as the base station types, locations, and cells of nearby base station devices. An arrow DR indicating the direction of movement of the terminal device 110 and a suitable route for the terminal device 110 to move from the current location into the slicing-enabled area are superimposed on this map image.

[0074] The example in Figure 11 shows that the terminal device 110 is outside the slicing-enabled area and that two SA base stations 120A are located nearby. Routes R1 and R2 indicate the optimal route (e.g., the shortest route) for moving into the cells of the two SA base stations 120A. The required time for each route R1 and R2 is also displayed along with the routes R1 and R2. By referring to the route guidance screen 1100, the user can easily move into the slicing-enabled area, enabling the terminal device 110 to receive network slicing.

[0075] However, even if the terminal device 110 is within a slicing-enabled area, there is a possibility that the terminal device 110 may be handed over to a base station device that does not support slicing (for example, an NSA base station 120B or an LTE base station 810) due to movement of the terminal device 110. To prevent this, the navigation process of Fig. 12 may be executed instead of the navigation process of Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is a flowchart of the navigation process according to a modified example.

[0076] 12, in S1001, the navigation unit 900 determines whether the terminal device 110 is in a slicing-enabled area. If it is determined that the terminal device 110 is in a slicing-enabled area, in S1201, the navigation unit 900 determines whether there is a possibility of handover to a base station device that does not support slicing. Note that in S1201, when the first determination unit determines that the first base station device supports network slicing, the navigation unit 900 functions as a second determination unit that determines whether there is a possibility of handover to a third base station device that does not support network slicing.

[0077] The determination process of S1201 is executed as follows. The communication control unit 403 controls the communication unit 303 to constantly measure the radio wave strength of neighbor cells in the vicinity of the terminal device 110. When the terminal device 110 moves from the current cell to a neighbor cell, the communication control unit 403 is notified of base station devices that are candidate handover destinations by the neighboring base station devices. The communication control unit 403 determines the handover destination base station device based on the measured radio wave strength of the neighbor cell in accordance with communication with the base station device. In other words, the communication control unit 403 can identify the neighbor cell before handover occurs.

[0078] Then, when the reception strength of radio waves from the first base station device decreases and the reception strength of radio waves from the third base station device increases while the terminal device 110 has established a PDU session with the core network device 130, the second determination unit can determine that there is a possibility that the terminal device 110 will hand over to the third base station device. For example, when the reception strength of radio waves from the base station device of a neighbor cell becomes greater than the reception strength of radio waves from the base station device to which the terminal device 110 is connected, the communication control unit 403 can determine that there is a possibility that the terminal device 110 will hand over to the base station device of the neighbor cell.

[0079] Furthermore, the navigation unit 900 can determine whether there is a possibility of handover to a base station device that does not support slicing, based on the base station type of the neighbor cell. For example, if all neighbor cells are neither the SA base station 120A nor the SA / NSA base station 120C, it is determined that there is a possibility of handover to a base station device that does not support slicing (for example, the NSA base station 120B or the LTE base station 810).

[0080] Alternatively, in S1201, the navigation unit 900 may refer to the map information in the storage unit 302 and identify a neighbor cell on an extension of the direction of movement of the terminal device 110. The navigation unit 900 may refer to the base station information in the storage unit 302 and determine that there is a possibility of handover to a base station device that does not support slicing if the base station type of this neighbor cell is neither the SA base station 120A nor the SA / NSA base station 120C.

[0081] In this way, when there is a possibility of handover to a base station device that does not support slicing, the navigation unit 900 advances the process to S1003 and executes the above-mentioned route guidance. As a result, even when the terminal device 110 is in a slicing-enabled area, if there is a possibility of handover to a base station device that does not support slicing, route guidance to a nearby slicing-enabled area is executed, thereby making it possible to suppress interruptions of network slicing due to handover.

[0082] When the navigation unit 900 of this example provides route guidance to the terminal device 110 located within a slicing-compatible area, it first outputs a message urging the user to stop moving by voice or image from the output unit 304. The navigation unit 900 then performs route guidance to a nearby slicing-compatible area. This makes it possible to guide the user to a nearby slicing-compatible area while preventing the terminal device 110 from carelessly leaving the current slicing-compatible area.

[0083] As described above, in this modification, when the second determination unit determines that there is a possibility that the terminal device 110 will be handed over to the third base station device, the navigation unit 900 can output information about the second base station device to the output unit 304. Note that when it is determined that there is no possibility of handover to a slicing-disabled base station device, the navigation unit 900 proceeds to processing S1005 and ends route guidance. Other processing is the same as in FIG. 10.

[0084] In this modification, when the terminal device 110 is present in a cell provided by a slicing-compatible base station device and none of the candidate handover destinations of the terminal device 110 support network slicing, the navigation unit 900 may cause the output unit 304 to notify the user to stay in the cell. For example, when all neighbor cells are neither the SA base station 120A nor the SA / NSA base station 120C, the navigation unit 900 may output a message urging the user to stop moving so that the terminal device 110 does not leave the current cell.

[0085] The route guidance in S1003 described above illustrates a case where the terminal device 110 is guided to a slicing-enabled area, but this is not limiting. In S1003, the navigation unit 900 may select the second base station device based on a slice requested by an application that the terminal device 110 is currently running or is about to run. Specifically, the navigation unit 900 may identify a slicing-enabled area that can provide the service requested by the application that is currently running or is about to run, based on the supported slicing indicated by the base station information in the storage unit 302, and perform route guidance to this identified slicing-enabled area. This allows the user of the terminal device 110 to be guided to a slicing-enabled area where the service requested by the application can be received.

[0086] Furthermore, when a running application requests multiple services, the navigation unit 900 may display nearby slicing-enabled areas and the number of services available in each slicing-enabled area on the route guidance screen 1100. The number of available services is the number of services that each slicing-enabled area can provide among the multiple services requested by the running application. The number of available services may be displayed numerically, or may be displayed in a color or shape. Furthermore, the navigation unit 900 may provide route guidance preferentially through nearby slicing-enabled areas that have a large number of available services.

[0087] <Notes> The present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and may be replaced with a configuration that is substantially the same as the configuration shown in the above embodiments, a configuration that has the same effect, or a configuration that can achieve the same purpose.

[0088] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, new technical features can be formed by combining the technical means disclosed in each embodiment.

[0089] [Additional Notes] A terminal device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a terminal device capable of supporting network slicing, and comprises an output unit capable of outputting information, a receiving unit capable of receiving information indicating permission or denial of use of a slice from a base station device, and a control unit that causes the output unit to output the availability status of the slice based on the received information.

[0090] A terminal device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a terminal device capable of supporting network slicing, and includes: an output unit capable of outputting information; a first determination unit that determines whether a first base station device supports network slicing when the terminal device is located in a first cell provided by the first base station device; a second determination unit that determines whether the terminal device is likely to hand over to a third base station device that does not support network slicing when the first determination unit determines that the first base station device does not support network slicing; and a navigation unit that outputs information regarding a second base station device that is capable of supporting network slicing to the output unit when the first determination unit determines that the first base station device does not support network slicing or when the second determination unit determines that there is a possibility of handing over to the third base station device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 110 terminal device, 120 NR base station device, 130 core network device, 301 control unit, 302 storage unit, 303 communication unit, 304 output unit, 401 display control unit, 900 navigation unit,

Claims

1. A terminal device capable of supporting network slicing, A terminal device including a receiving unit capable of receiving, from a base station device, slice information that can be provided by the base station device and information regarding the cell of the base station device.

2. Further comprising a storage unit, The slice information and the information about the cells are stored in the storage unit. The terminal device according to claim 1 .

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