Dual Connectivity for Simultaneous Network Slice Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
User Equipment (UE) may be camped on a cell that does not provide access to the network slices it is interested in accessing, limiting simultaneous usage of multiple network slices.
Innovation Solution
A mechanism is implemented in the radio access network (RAN) and access and mobility management function (AMF) to configure the UE with dual connectivity (DC), allowing simultaneous access to multiple network slices by identifying and utilizing secondary cell groups (SCGs) operating on different frequency bands.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the UE camps on a single cell to access network slices, then the connection establishment is simple, but the UE cannot access multiple network slices simultaneously when the cell does not provide access to all desired slices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the cell connection into multiple cell groups (first cell group and second cell group) with different frequency bands. Each cell group can be configured to access different network slices, allowing the UE to simultaneously access multiple network slices through segmented connections rather than a single unified connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces frequency band as an additional dimension for differentiation. By configuring cell groups on different frequency bands (first frequency band and second frequency band), the system enables simultaneous access to multiple network slices that would otherwise be mutually exclusive on a single frequency, adding a new dimension to the connection architecture.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the UE is configured with dual connectivity to access multiple network slices, then simultaneous access to multiple slices is enabled, but the configuration and management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the cell group configuration universal by allowing the same structural framework to serve multiple purposes. The first and second cell groups can each be configured to access different network slices, and the framework can accommodate various combinations of slices and frequency bands, making the system adaptable to different deployment scenarios without requiring separate specialized configurations for each case.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic configuration capabilities where the cell groups can be selectively activated and deactivated based on the UE's current needs. The system can dynamically adjust which cell groups are active, allowing flexible adaptation to changing network slice requirements while maintaining the dual connectivity framework when needed.
Data Source
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AI summary
A network component of a radio access network (RAN) is configured to provide network slice information to a user equipment (UE). The network component receives an indication that a user equipment (UE) is requesting to access a network slice, determines a frequency associated with the network slice, identifies a cell within the RAN that operates on the frequency associated the network slice and transmits a message to the UE, wherein the message indicates the cell within the RAN that operates on the frequency associated with the network slice.