Hosting AMF NSSAI Translation for Indirect Network Sharing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing framework for network slicing in wireless communications systems does not adequately support roaming scenarios, particularly in indirect network sharing where a hosting network acts as a visited public land mobile network (VPLMN) and a participating network acts as a home public land mobile network (HPLMN), leading to inconsistencies in network slice configuration and privacy issues.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves the serving access and mobility management function (AMF) in the hosting network mimicking the behavior of a participating network's AMF by providing allowed Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (NSSAI) to user equipment (UE), while maintaining transparency to the UE and ensuring network slice configurations align with the participating network's requirements, thus enabling seamless registration and traffic forwarding through home-routed PDU sessions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the hosting network uses the existing network slicing framework for roaming scenarios, then the network can support basic roaming functionality, but network slice configuration inconsistencies and privacy issues occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism where the hosting network's AMF acts as a mediator between the UE and the participating network's AMF. The hosting AMF receives registration requests from UEs, determines the appropriate participating network, and forwards requests while maintaining proper slice configuration mapping. This intermediary approach resolves the contradiction by enabling versatile roaming support while ensuring configuration consistency through centralized control and coordination.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the network slicing configuration management into distinct components: the hosting network manages the overall roaming coordination and slice mapping, while the participating network manages local slice resources. This segmentation allows each network to operate independently within its domain while maintaining global consistency through defined interfaces and protocols, thus achieving both adaptability and reliability.
2Ease of operation
If the hosting network provides direct network slice configuration to UE, then registration process is simplified, but privacy issues arise and participating network requirements may not be met
Solution Approach 1:
The hosting network's AMF serves as a privacy-protecting intermediary that receives registration requests from UEs and forwards them to the appropriate participating network's AMF. The UE interacts only with the hosting AMF, unaware of the participating network's internal structure, thus protecting privacy while maintaining registration simplicity. The intermediary translates and maps slice configurations appropriately without exposing sensitive information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a copying mechanism where the hosting network creates a simplified view of the network slice configuration that is presented to the UE, while the actual detailed configuration resides in the participating network. This allows the UE to interact with a simplified interface without exposing the complex underlying structure, maintaining ease of operation while protecting privacy through informational abstraction.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the hosting network fully supports all participating network slice configurations, then compatibility is improved, but device complexity and resource utilization increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments slice configuration support responsibilities between the hosting network and participating networks. The hosting network maintains a mapping of supported participating networks and their slice configurations, while actual slice resource management remains distributed to participating networks. This segmentation achieves broad compatibility without concentrating all complexity in one entity, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic slice configuration mapping where the hosting network adapts its behavior based on the identified participating network and the UE's slice requirements. Rather than statically supporting all possible configurations, the system dynamically determines appropriate slice mappings and forwarding actions, achieving high compatibility with lower complexity through context-aware adaptation.
4Ease of manufacture
If indirect network sharing is implemented without proper slice configuration mapping, then deployment flexibility is improved, but network slice selection accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-configuring mapping relationships between hosting network identifiers and participating network slice configurations. Before actual UE registration and slice selection occur, the hosting network already has established mapping tables and forwarding rules in place. This preliminary preparation enables flexible deployment while ensuring accurate slice selection when UEs connect, as the mapping infrastructure is already prepared and validated.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates feedback mechanisms where the hosting network receives information about participating network capabilities and slice configurations, uses this information to refine its mapping and forwarding decisions, and continuously optimizes slice selection accuracy. The feedback loop allows the system to maintain deployment flexibility while improving selection precision through learned patterns and experience.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Various aspects of the present disclosure relate to techniques for indirect network sharing. An apparatus is configured to receive a first message for registering a UE with a participating network associated with a hosting network, transmit a second message comprising assistance information based at least in part on the received first message, wherein the assistance information comprises allowed NSSAI for the UE or partial allowed NSSAI for the UE, or both, and wherein each of the allowed NSSAI or the partial allowed NSSAI, or both is associated with corresponding allowed NSSAI or corresponding partial allowed NSSAI associated with the hosting network, and transmit a third message to a second network entity of the hosting network, the third message comprising allowed NSSAI or partial allowed NSSAI, or both, associated with the hosting network corresponding to the allowed NSSAI or the partial allowed NSSAI for the UE, or both.