NEF QoS Notification Flow for AF Rate Adaptation

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Solution Overview

Problem

The 3GPP standardization lacks clarity on whether and how the Network Exposure Function (NEF) should provide Quality of Service (QoS) notifications to Application Functions (AFs), specifically regarding the information included in such notifications.

Innovation Solution

The NEF is enabled to subscribe to QoS notifications from a Policy Control Function (PCF) and transmit appropriate QoS notifications to AFs, indicating whether the requested QoS is guaranteed or not, potentially including alternative QoS requirements that can be applied.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the NEF provides QoS notifications to the AF, then the AF can apply rate adaptations or update QoS based on notifications, but the 3GPP standardization lacks clarity on whether and how the NEF should provide QoS notifications and what information should be included

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveQoS management capabilityVSAvoidClarity on notification content

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the NEF subscribes to QoS notifications from the PCF and forwards them to the AF. This allows the AF to receive real-time information about QoS guarantee status and alternative QoS requirements, enabling dynamic rate adaptation and QoS updates based on current network conditions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The NEF acts as an intermediary between the PCF and the AF. It receives QoS notification information from the PCF, processes and formats it according to the API specification, and transmits it to the AF. This intermediary role clarifies the information flow and resolves the standardization ambiguity by defining the exact notification content structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the NEF subscribes to QoS notifications from PCF and transmits them to AF, then effective QoS management is enabled, but the system complexity increases with additional subscription and notification transmission procedures

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveQoS guaranteeVSAvoidNotification procedure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent defines a universal notification mechanism that the NEF can use for multiple AFs and multiple QoS parameters. The Nnef_AFsessionWithQoS_Notify API provides a standardized, multi-functional interface that handles various QoS notification scenarios (QoS guarantee status, alternative QoS requirements) through a single unified procedure, reducing overall system complexity despite the added functionality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS12513561B2Method and network node for QoS notification

Publication Date: 2025.12.30 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)

AI summary

The present disclosure provides a method (200) in a Network Exposure Function, NEF. The method (200) includes: receiving (210), from an Application Function, AF, a request to create a session with a requested Quality of Service, QoS; subscribing (220) to a first QoS notification from a Policy Control Function, PCF; receiving (230), from the PCF, the first QoS notification indicating that the requested QoS is not guaranteed or the requested QoS is guaranteed; and transmitting (240), in response to receiving the first QoS notification, a second QoS notification indicating that the requested QoS is not guaranteed or the requested QoS is guaranteed to the AF.