NWDAF AMF Identification via UDM Mapping

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Solution Overview

Problem

In 5G wireless communication core networks, the Network Data Analysis Function (NWDAF) faces inefficiencies and high power consumption due to the need to contact each Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) one by one to identify and obtain mobility information for user equipment (UE), resulting in time-consuming and power-intensive message transmissions.

Innovation Solution

The NWDAF obtains the identity of the serving AMF from the Unified Data Management (UDM) or via the Network Exposure Function (NEF), allowing direct access to the required mobility information and generating analytics reports without contacting unrelated AMFs, thereby reducing unnecessary message transmissions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the NWDAF contacts each AMF one by one to identify the serving AMF and obtain mobility information, then the mobility information can be obtained, but the time consumption and power consumption increase significantly due to huge message transmission between NWDAF and unrelated AMFs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemobility information acquisitionVSAvoidtime consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces the UDM (Unified Data Management) as an intermediary that stores the mapping relationship between UE identity and AMF identity. The NWDAF queries the UDM to obtain the serving AMF identity directly, rather than contacting each AMF individually. This intermediary mechanism significantly reduces the number of communication steps and message transmissions required to identify the serving AMF.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The UDM pre-stores the mapping relationships between UE identities and AMF identities in advance. When the NWDAF needs to identify the serving AMF, it can directly query this pre-established mapping information from the UDM without performing time-consuming sequential searches or contacts with multiple AMFs. This preliminary preparation of data accelerates the information retrieval process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If the NWDAF contacts each AMF one by one to identify the serving AMF and obtain mobility information, then the mobility information can be obtained, but the power consumption increases due to huge message transmission

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemobility information acquisitionVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The UDM serves as a centralized intermediary that consolidates the UE-AMF mapping information. By querying the UDM once, the NWDAF obtains the target AMF identity without needing to establish multiple communication connections with different AMFs. This significantly reduces the total volume of message transmissions and the associated power consumption across the network.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the UE-AMF mapping relationship from the complex network of AMFs and centralizes it in the UDM. This extraction allows the NWDAF to obtain the necessary routing information through a single query rather than performing multiple trial communications, thereby reducing energy expenditure on unnecessary message transmissions with unrelated AMFs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Reliability

If the NWDAF contacts each AMF one by one to identify the serving AMF, then the serving AMF can be identified, but the message transmission volume increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveAMF identificationVSAvoidmessage transmission volume

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The UDM acts as a centralized registry that stores all UE-AMF mapping relationships. The NWDAF sends a single query message to the UDM containing the UE identity, and the UDM responds with the corresponding AMF identity. This eliminates the need for multiple sequential message exchanges with different AMFs, drastically reducing the total message transmission volume in the network.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The mapping relationships between UE identities and AMF identities are pre-established and stored in the UDM before any analytics operations occur. This preliminary organization of data allows for efficient O(1) lookup operations rather than requiring O(N) sequential queries to multiple AMFs, where N is the number of AMFs in the network.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS11115913B2Wireless communication core network and method for analyzing user equipment mobility in the same

Publication Date: 2021.09.07 INSTITUTE FOR INFORMATION INDUSTRY

AI summary

In a wireless communication core network, an Application Function (AF) make an analysis request for a mobility analytics report of a UE, which includes first UE mobility information of the UE. In the wireless communication core network, a Network Data Analysis Function (NWDAF) obtains an identity of an Access and Mobility ManagementFunction (AMF) serving the UE from a Unified Data Management (UDM), on its own or via a Network Exposure Function (NEF), based on the request. Then, the NWDAF obtains second UE mobility information of the UE from the AMF according to the identity of the AMF, and generates and transmits the mobility analytics report to the AF according to the first and second UE mobility information.