Mutually Exclusive Network Slice Handling With Priority Rules

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing network slice management systems struggle to efficiently handle mutually exclusive network slices with different priority levels, leading to conflicts and suboptimal resource allocation.

Innovation Solution

Implementing an exclusion rule for network slices based on priority levels to ensure that high-priority slices are not allocated resources that could interfere with lower-priority slices, using a registration procedure that considers slice priority information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If network slices are allocated based on available resources without priority consideration, then resource utilization is improved, but service reliability deteriorates due to conflicts between critical and non-critical services

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource utilization efficiencyVSAvoidservice reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by assigning different priority levels to different network slices, allowing critical services to receive preferential resource allocation while non-critical services utilize remaining resources. This creates differentiated quality of service across different slices, resolving the contradiction between overall resource utilization and service reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter of resource allocation by introducing priority-based allocation mechanisms. Instead of uniform resource distribution, the system dynamically adjusts resource allocation parameters based on slice priority, ensuring critical services maintain reliable operation while maximizing overall resource utilization efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If exclusion rules are implemented to prevent conflicts between network slices, then service reliability is improved, but system complexity increases due to additional management overhead

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice reliabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by establishing exclusion rules and priority relationships between network slices in advance, before conflicts occur. The system pre-configures which slices are mutually exclusive and their relative priorities, allowing automated conflict resolution without complex real-time decision-making, thus improving reliability while limiting complexity growth.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism in the form of a priority management system that mediates resource allocation between conflicting network slices. This intermediary layer handles exclusion rule enforcement and priority-based scheduling, isolating the complexity of conflict management from individual slice operations and providing a structured approach to maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3811684B1Handling mutually exclusive network slices
Publication Date: 2025.10.29 INTERDIGITAL PATENT HOLDINGS INC
  • EP3811684B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP3811684B1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP3811684B1 patent drawingFigure 1C

AI summary

Methodologies, technologies, etc., directed to handling of mutually exclusive network slices are provided herein. Pursuant to the methodologies and technologies a device or network may select a set of network slices that may serve the device simultaneously. The methodologies and technologies may involve using allowed Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (NSSAI), prior to applying exclusion rules and network slice exclusion rules, to enable selection of mutually exclusive network slices to be used by the device after registration. The methodologies and technologies may involve a device applying network slice exclusion rules for entries in the allowed NSSAI based on location and time when establishing a PDU session on a particular single NSSAI and/or involve requesting release of PDU session(s) served by currently accessed network slices when requesting establishment of new PDU session(s) on a network slice that cannot be accessed simultaneously as those currently accessed network slices.