5G Slice-Aware Vehicle Routing for QoE-Critical Services
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing navigation systems fail to optimize routes based on the availability of 5G network slices, leading to inefficient use of network resources and potential disruptions in services requiring specific Quality of Experience (QoE) levels, especially in emergency situations.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that determine the required QoE level for networked devices, access a wireless network slice coverage map, and prioritize routes based on expense, time, and performance to ensure continuous network access and optimal QoE, using an on-board management system integrated with a vehicle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional navigation systems route vehicles to the nearest highway for emergency services, then network coverage and performance are improved, but travel time and route efficiency worsen due to suboptimal path selection
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-establishes a wireless network slice coverage map database that stores geographic location information and corresponding network slice availability data before emergency situations occur. This preliminary action enables the emergency vehicle navigation system to quickly query and determine optimal routes without real-time network probing delays, resolving the contradiction between ensuring network coverage reliability and minimizing travel time by having network information ready in advance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a wireless network slice coverage map as an intermediary data structure that mediates between the vehicle's destination requirements and the network's available resources. This coverage map acts as a bridge, translating geographic locations into network slice availability information, enabling the navigation system to find routes that simultaneously satisfy both travel time efficiency and network coverage requirements without direct real-time network interaction
2Loss of time
If navigation systems prioritize fastest routes without considering network slice availability, then travel time is reduced, but Quality of Experience (QoE) for network-dependent services deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The navigation system dynamically adjusts route selection based on the specific QoE requirements of different emergency services. The system evaluates multiple routing options and selects the optimal path that satisfies the particular network slice requirements (e.g., enhanced mobile broadband for video conferencing, ultra-reliable low-latency communication for telemedicine) while minimizing travel time. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by making route selection flexible rather than fixed
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the routing parameters from simple geographic distance or travel time to a composite metric that includes network slice availability and QoE requirements. By transforming the routing problem from a purely spatial optimization to a multi-parameter optimization involving network characteristics, the system can simultaneously achieve fast travel and maintain high QoE for network-dependent emergency services
3Productivity
If multiple network slices are allocated to different geographic regions, then network resource utilization and service specialization are improved, but route determination complexity increases due to multi-dimensional constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network coverage space into distinct geographic regions, each associated with specific network slice types and characteristics. The wireless network slice coverage map database organizes network information by geographic segments, allowing the navigation system to determine routes by selecting appropriate segments rather than evaluating continuous multi-dimensional constraints. This segmentation simplifies route determination while maintaining efficient network resource utilization across different regions
4Reliability
If real-time network status monitoring is implemented for dynamic routing, then network performance reliability is improved, but system complexity and computational overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of implementing real-time network status monitoring, the system performs preliminary actions by pre-collecting and storing wireless network slice coverage information in a database before emergency situations occur. This offline data collection and storage eliminates the need for complex real-time monitoring systems while still enabling reliable route determination based on known network characteristics, thereby improving network performance reliability without increasing real-time system complexity
Data Source
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AI summary
Various arrangements for performing navigation based on characteristics of a cellular network are provided. A quality of experience (QoE) level required for a wireless service to be performed for a networked device may be determined. A current location and a destination for a vehicle may be determined. A wireless network slice coverage area map may be accessed that maps network performance characteristics for the cellular network across a geographic region. A navigation route from the current location to the destination based on the wireless network slice coverage area map and the determined QoE may be determined. The determined navigational route may be output to a navigation system.