Application-Based QoS Flows for Flexible MEC Traffic Routing
Solution Overview
Problem
Current multi-access edge computing (MEC) connectivity models fail to allocate different traffic from user equipment (UE) with varying quality of service (QoS) requirements, leading to inefficient use of computing and networking resources and poor user experience.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a session management function (SMF) that supports application-based QoS flows by selecting and routing traffic per application flow, rather than per PDU session, and applying logical channel prioritization to ensure higher QoS for critical applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If current MEC connectivity models allocate QoS per PDU session, then all traffic receives uniform QoS treatment, but this leads to inefficient resource usage and poor user experience for applications requiring different QoS levels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the PDU session into multiple application-specific QoS flows, each with dedicated QoS parameters. The SMF creates separate QoS flow identifiers (QFIs) for different applications (e.g., VoIP, video streaming, file transfer), allowing each application to receive appropriate QoS treatment independently within the same PDU session, thereby resolving the contradiction between uniform treatment and differentiated service.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different QoS characteristics to different application flows within the same PDU session. Each QoS flow receives localized QoS parameters (priority, guaranteed bit rate, maximum bit rate) tailored to its specific application requirements, rather than applying uniform QoS across all traffic, thus improving adaptability while optimizing resource usage.
2Reliability
If QoS is allocated to all traffic uniformly per PDU session, then implementation is simple, but critical applications do not receive prioritized treatment leading to poor user experience
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-configuring QoS flow templates and priority rules in the SMF before actual traffic arrives. The system pre-establishes QoS flow mappings for known application types, so when traffic arrives, the SMF can quickly match it to the appropriate pre-defined QoS flow without complex real-time decision-making, thereby improving reliability while controlling complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces the SMF as an intermediary between the UE and the core network that mediates QoS flow management. The SMF receives QoS requirements from applications, creates appropriate QoS flows, and manages the mapping between applications and QoS parameters, thereby shielding the complexity of QoS management from both the UE and the core network while ensuring reliable QoS delivery.
3Adaptability or versatility
If application-based QoS flows are implemented with per-flow routing, then specific applications receive prioritized QoS, but this increases complexity in flow selection and routing management
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements universality by creating a standardized QoS flow management framework in the SMF that can handle multiple application types and QoS requirements through a unified interface. The same QoS flow creation and management mechanisms serve diverse applications (voice, video, data, IoT), reducing the need for application-specific complex logic while maintaining high adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dynamics by enabling the QoS flow configuration to be dynamically adjusted based on application requirements and network conditions. The SMF can create, modify, and release QoS flows dynamically as applications start, change requirements, or terminate, allowing the system to adapt to changing conditions without requiring static pre-configuration for every scenario.
Data Source
AI summary
A network device may select a first user plane function for establishing, with a user equipment, a protocol data unit session with a single flow and may receive an application function trigger associated with a first new flow for a first application of the user equipment. The network device may cause a first traffic filter to be provided to the user equipment to enable the user equipment to route first application traffic, based on the first traffic filter, to a second user plane function and a first multi-access edge computing device associated with the second user plane function.