PCF-UDM Interface for UE-Specific Network Analytics Routing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current network configurations face inefficiencies in identifying and communicating with a Policy Control Function (PCF) supporting a specific User Equipment (UE), leading to resource wastage and inability to provide effective analytics and actions based on UE-specific data.
Innovation Solution
Establishing a new interface between the PCF and Unified Data Management (UDM) device to register and exchange UE context association data, allowing the Network Data Analytics Function (NWDAF) to identify the serving PCF and retrieve necessary analytics, thereby optimizing resource utilization and enabling effective UE-specific actions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a new interface between PCF and UDM is established to enable direct registration and analytics exchange, then analytics accuracy and resource utilization improve, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a new communication interface between PCF and UDM that acts as an intermediary channel. This interface includes specific message types (registration request, registration response, analytics request, analytics response) that mediate the interaction, allowing analytics to be accurately exchanged without requiring complex direct integration between the functions.
2Loss of energy
If direct communication between PCF and UDM is established, then networking resources are conserved, but implementation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The communication protocol is segmented into distinct message types with specific purposes: registration request/response messages for initial setup, and analytics request/response messages for data exchange. This segmentation allows each message type to have a focused, simple structure that reduces implementation complexity while enabling efficient direct communication that conserves networking resources.
3Productivity
If PCF registration data is stored in UDM, then analytics delivery efficiency improves, but information security requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The PCF registration data is stored in the UDM in advance through a registration process that occurs before analytics are needed. The UDM stores the PCF identifier and associated UE context information beforehand, so when analytics are requested, the NWDAF can immediately retrieve the PCF identity and deliver analytics without delay. This preliminary storage action improves efficiency while the patent addresses security through controlled access protocols.
Data Source
AI summary
A network device may establish an interface with a unified data management (UDM) device, and may utilize the interface to register with the UDM device and to provide, to the UDM device, registration data identifying an association between the network device and a user equipment (UE). The network device may provide policy data to a network data analytics function (NWDAF) that identifies the network device based on the registration data, and may receive, from the NWDAF, analytics calculated based on the policy data. The network device may perform one or more actions based on the analytics.