AF Session for SNPN-PLMN QoS Enforcement
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current mechanisms for integrating Standalone Non-Public Networks (SNPN) with Public Land Mobile Networks (PLMN) face challenges in enforcing quality of service (QoS) due to delays in detecting PLMN flows and inefficient resource utilization, as well as misalignment with service level agreements between SNPN and PLMN operators.
Innovation Solution
Establishing an Application Function (AF) session between Policy Control Functions (PCF) in the SNPN and PLMN domains to mirror PLMN sessions in the SNPN domain, enabling signaling-based QoS enforcement by transmitting flow information from the PLMN domain to the SNPN domain via the N5 interface, ensuring QoS levels are maintained according to service level agreements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If network requested QoS mechanism is used, then QoS enforcement is implemented, but detection delay occurs and resources are wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes an AF session between PCFs in SNPN and PLMN domains before actual data flow occurs. This preliminary setup enables the SNPN to receive and process flow information from the PLMN in advance, allowing QoS enforcement to be activated immediately when data flows appear, eliminating detection delays that occur with reactive network-requested mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the PLMN domain continuously provides flow information to the SNPN domain through the AF session. This feedback loop allows the SNPN to receive real-time updates about PLMN data flows and adjust QoS parameters dynamically, ensuring timely response without the delays inherent in traditional network-requested approaches.
2Reliability
If user equipment requested QoS mechanism is used, then control plane signaling is implemented, but signaling overhead increases and service level agreements are not aligned
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an AF session as an intermediary mechanism between the PLMN and SNPN domains. This intermediary structure handles the QoS coordination centrally, allowing the PLMN to provide flow information to the SNPN without requiring extensive UE-side signaling. The AF session absorbs the complexity of service level agreement alignment and QoS parameter translation, reducing the burden on user equipment.
3Reliability
If PLMN flows are detected from data path, then QoS enforcement is triggered, but resource utilization is inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
By establishing the AF session in advance and pre-configuring the SNPN to receive flow information from the PLMN, the system prepares everything needed for efficient QoS enforcement before actual data transmission begins. This preliminary arrangement eliminates the need for reactive resource allocation and enables continuous, efficient resource utilization aligned with actual traffic patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
The continuous feedback mechanism through the AF session allows the SNPN to receive real-time flow information from the PLMN and adjust resource allocation dynamically. This feedback loop enables the SNPN to optimize resource utilization by allocating resources only when and where needed, based on actual PLMN traffic patterns, rather than relying on delayed or speculative detection.
Data Source
AI summary
Presented herein are efficient techniques in which an application function (AF) session is established between a first policy control function (PCF) in a standalone non-public network (SNPN) domain and a second PCF in a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) domain, wherein a user equipment has a first session with the SNPN domain, the AF session is established for a second session of the user equipment with the PLMN domain, and the AF session is bound to the first session. The second PCF obtains an indication of a data flow initiated for the user equipment for the second session within the PLMN domain and determines flow information associated with the data flow. The second PCF transmits to the first PCF the flow information associated with the data flow for creating the data flow in the SNPN domain.