Network Slice Support Indication for Secondary Node Changes
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Solution Overview
Problem
In telecommunications systems, dual connectivity between a user equipment and multiple nodes is challenging due to the lack of information about network slice support at secondary nodes, leading to inefficient handover decisions and potential service interruptions.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an apparatus that includes a master node and a secondary node, where the master node receives information about supported network slices from further nodes and transmits this information to the secondary node, enabling it to make informed decisions for secondary node changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the secondary node makes handover decisions without network slice support information, then the decision-making process is simple and fast, but the handover may fail due to unsupported network slices causing service interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The master node performs preliminary actions by collecting network slice support information from target secondary nodes before the secondary node change is executed. This advance information gathering allows the source secondary node to make informed handover decisions, preventing failures caused by unsupported network slices while maintaining efficient decision-making processes.
2Reliability
If the master node collects and transmits network slice support information to the secondary node, then handover decisions become more reliable, but the information exchange overhead and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The master node acts as an intermediary that collects network slice support information from target secondary nodes and transmits it to the source secondary node. This mediator approach centralizes the information gathering function, simplifying the overall system architecture while ensuring reliable information delivery for handover decisions, thus balancing reliability improvement with system complexity management.
Data Source
AI summary
A master node is provided for a user equipment operating in dual-connectivity with the master node and a secondary node. The master node may be configured to receive information that indicates supported network slices of one or more further nodes. The master node may be configured to transmit slice support information for the one or more further nodes, based on the information. The slice support information may indicate one or more of the supported network slices, at least one non-supported network slice of the one or more further nodes, or at least one communication session of the user equipment that is associated with at least one non-supported network slice. The secondary node may receive the slice support information, and make a secondary node change determination at the secondary node, based on the slice support information.