MEC Application Instance Selection via Terminal Location

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing technologies face challenges in providing an optimal Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC) application instance for terminals, leading to increased latency and reduced quality of service due to suboptimal placement of MEC application instances relative to the terminal's location.

Innovation Solution

A method is introduced where a first network element obtains the location information of a terminal and determines the optimal MEC application instance based on this information. This involves maintaining a correspondence between location information and MEC application instances and sending address information of the optimal instance to the terminal.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If MEC application instances are deployed without considering terminal location information, then the deployment process is simple, but the packet transmission latency increases and quality of service deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepacket transmission latencyVSAvoidapplication instance selection complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The network element maintains a pre-established correspondence relationship between location information and MEC application instances before the terminal makes a service request. When a request arrives, the system retrieves the appropriate applicationinstance based on the terminal's location information from this pre-built mapping, avoiding complex real-time calculations and enabling fast selection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces location information as an intermediary parameter that mediates between the terminal and MEC application instances. By using location information as the key for selecting application instances, the system achieves optimal placement without requiring complex analysis of terminal characteristics or service requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the system maintains correspondence between location information and MEC application instances, then the quality of service improves, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvequality of serviceVSAvoidnetwork element complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by selecting MEC application instances based on their spatial proximity to the terminal. The system identifies application instances located in the same or nearby network regions as the terminal and prioritizes these for service provision, ensuring that each terminal receives service from the most appropriately located instance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The correspondence relationship between location information and application instances serves multiple functions: it enables fast instance selection, ensures optimal placement, and can be dynamically updated as terminal locations change. This single mechanism handles both the reliability requirement and the complexity management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Speed

If MEC application instances are selected without considering terminal location, then the selection process is fast, but the transmission distance increases and latency rises

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransmission speedVSAvoidtransmission time
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically selects MEC application instances based on the terminal's current location information. As the terminal moves or as network topology changes, the correspondence relationship can be updated to reflect new optimal mappings, ensuring that the selected instance always provides the best transmission characteristics.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS20250193272A1Method for determining application instance, apparatus, and system
Publication Date: 2025.06.12 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • US20250193272A1 patent drawing
  • US20250193272A1 patent drawing
  • US20250193272A1 patent drawing

AI summary

This application provides a method for determining an application instance, an apparatus, and a system. The method includes: A first network element obtains location information of a terminal, determines first at least one MEC application instance based on the location information of the terminal, and sends address information of the first at least one MEC application instance to the terminal. This reduces a latency of packet transmission between an MEC application instance and the terminal, and improves quality of services.