RRC Inactive Mobility via Slice Remapping List
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Solution Overview
Problem
In wireless communications systems, particularly in 5G networks, user equipment experiences service continuity issues during mobility in RRC Inactive state due to inability to re-select suitable cells for PDU session slicing, leading to service disruption when moving across registration areas.
Innovation Solution
A network node transmits a slice remapping list to user equipment, allowing it to re-map existing PDU sessions to compatible slices, ensuring service continuity by evaluating conditions such as neighboring cells in external tracking areas and filtering out unsupported slices, thereby enabling informed cell selection or re-selection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If user equipment performs cell re-selection during RRC Inactive state mobility, then coverage and connectivity are improved, but service continuity is worsened due to inability to re-select suitable cells for PDU session slicing
Solution Approach 1:
The network node provides the user equipment with a slice remapping list in advance (during RRC release into inactive state) that maps existing PDU session slices to alternative slices supported by neighboring cells. This preliminary action enables the user equipment to make informed cell re-selection decisions later without service disruption, resolving the contradiction between maintaining service continuity and adapting to mobility conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The slice remapping list acts as an intermediary information structure between the network and user equipment. It contains mapping relationships that mediate the interaction during mobility, allowing the user equipment to translate its current slice requirements into compatible slice options for target cells, thus maintaining service continuity while enabling adaptability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the network supports multiple S-NSSAIs in a cell, then network slicing capability is improved, but device complexity increases due to slice remapping requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The slice remapping list segments the complex slice management task into discrete mapping relationships between source slices and target slices. Each entry in the list independently maps a specific PDU session slice to alternative slices, breaking down the overall complexity into manageable units that can be processed systematically during mobility.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of requiring the user equipment to re-establish PDU sessions or perform complex slice configuration changes, the system creates a copy of the slice mapping information (the remapping list) that allows the equipment to reference and apply pre-computed slice substitutions. This copying approach simplifies device complexity while maintaining full slicing capability.
3Productivity
If user equipment strictly follows admission control rules, then network resource allocation is improved, but service continuity is worsened when moving across registration areas
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary slice remapping before the user equipment actually needs to move to a new cell. By pre-computing and providing the slice remapping list during RRC release, the network prepares the necessary mapping information in advance, allowing the user equipment to maintain service continuity during mobility without compromising network resource allocation efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The slice remapping list provides feedback information to the user equipment about which slices are available in neighboring cells and how to map current slices to alternative slices. This feedback mechanism enables the user equipment to make informed cell re-selection decisions that maintain service continuity while respecting network admission control policies.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus, comprising at least one processor, and at least one memory storing instructions, the at least one memory and the instructions configured to, with the at least one processor, cause a network node to transmit a first information, which characterizes one or more slices onto which a network allows slices of existing PDU sessions to be re-mapped, to a user equipment.