Network Function Region Registration for 5G Service Area Management

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current service region management methods in 5G network architectures are complex due to the granular management of network elements, leading to increased deployment and management complexity during network scale-out or scale-in.

Innovation Solution

Introduce the concept of a network function region to manage service regions, allowing network elements to be registered and managed through identification information of the network function region, simplifying the management process by reducing the need for detailed service region information in registration procedures.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If service region management is performed at network element granularity, then service region information can be stored and managed, but deployment and management complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice region management accuracyVSAvoiddeployment and management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the service region management into two levels: network function region level (coarse-grained) and network element level (fine-grained). The network function region is identified by region identification information, while network elements within the region are identified by their respective identifiers. This segmentation allows the system to manage service regions at a higher abstraction level, reducing the complexity of deployment and management while maintaining accurate service region information through the hierarchical structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Measurement precision

If detailed service region information is included in registration messages, then service region management precision is improved, but registration overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice region management precisionVSAvoidregistration message overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the service region identification information from the network element registration message. Instead of including detailed service region information in each network element's registration message, the system uses the network function region identification information that is already available or obtained separately. This extraction reduces the amount of data that needs to be transmitted and stored in registration messages, thereby reducing overhead while maintaining management precision through the network function region level abstraction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Adaptability or versatility

If network elements are registered with service region information, then service region management capability is enhanced, but storage requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice region management capabilityVSAvoidstorage requirements
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the service region management function with the network function region identification system. The network function region identification information serves as a common reference that combines multiple network elements sharing the same service region into a single management entity. This merging approach allows the system to maintain service region management capability while reducing storage requirements, as the service region information is stored once at the network function region level rather than being duplicated for each network element.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3813447B1Service area management method and apparatus
Publication Date: 2026.03.04 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3813447B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3813447B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3813447B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

This application provides a service region management method and apparatus. The method includes: sending, by a network management system, a first message to a network storage network element, where the first message includes identification information of a network function region and information about a service region corresponding to the network function region, and the first message is used to request to register the network function region; and receiving, by the network management system, notification information from the network storage network element, where the notification information is used to notify that registration of the network function region is completed. Based on this solution, the network management system sends the first message to the network storage network element, to request to register the network function region with the network storage network element, so that the network storage network element manages the network function region and the service region corresponding to the network function region.