Multi-Access PDU Session Policy for 5G Coverage
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication systems, particularly in 5G and NR, face limitations in managing multi-access protocol data unit (PDU) sessions, as they primarily support sessions with one 3GPP and one non-3GPP access, lacking the ability to efficiently utilize multiple 3GPP accesses for enhanced coverage and traffic capacity.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a user equipment (UE) route selection policy (URSP) rule that indicates a preference for multi-access PDU sessions, allowing the UE to establish sessions using multiple 3GPP or non-3GPP access links, thereby increasing coverage and traffic capacity by selecting optimal access links based on the policy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the system supports only one 3GPP and one non-3GPP access for PDU sessions, then the system complexity is low, but the coverage and traffic capacity are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic route selection policies that allow the UE to adaptively choose between single-access and multi-access PDU sessions based on current network conditions, application requirements, and available access links. This dynamic approach enables the system to support multiple 3GPP accesses when needed while maintaining simplicity when not required, resolving the contradiction between reliability improvement and complexity increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of access link quantity from fixed (one 3GPP + one non-3GPP) to variable (one or more 3GPP accesses, one or more non-3GPP accesses). By introducing URSP rules that specify preferred quantities and types of access links, the system can flexibly adjust session configuration to achieve better coverage and traffic capacity without permanently increasing complexity.
2Reliability
If the UE establishes multi-access PDU sessions with multiple access links, then the coverage and traffic capacity increase, but the route selection complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary route selection policies (URSP rules) that are pre-configured in the UE before actual data transmission. These rules contain pre-determined preferences for access link types and quantities based on application characteristics, traffic descriptors, and expected network conditions. When a PDU session needs to be established, the UE simply matches the application against these pre-defined rules rather than performing complex real-time optimization, thus maintaining ease of operation while achieving improved coverage and capacity.
3Productivity
If the system enables simultaneous use of multiple 3GPP accesses, then the network resource sharing improves, but the session establishment complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal session establishment framework that handles both traditional single-access sessions and new multi-3GPP-access sessions through the same URSP rule mechanism. The same policy rule structure (traffic descriptor, route selection descriptor, access type preferences) applies regardless of whether one or multiple access links are used. This universal approach enables efficient network resource sharing across multiple accesses while avoiding the need for separate complex management procedures, thus improving productivity without proportionally increasing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Various aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to wireless communication. In some aspects, a user equipment (UE) may receive, from a network device, a UE route selection policy (URSP) rule that indicates a preference for a multi-access protocol data unit (PDU) session and a preferred quantity and preferred types of access links for the multi-access PDU session. The UE may establish the multi-access PDU session using the preferred quantity and the preferred types of access links indicated by the URSP rule. Numerous other aspects are described.