Network Slice-Specific NAS Signaling for 5G Traffic Prioritization
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current communication networks face challenges in efficiently managing and prioritizing signaling traffic across multiple network slices, leading to suboptimal performance and resource utilization, especially with the increasing demand for diverse services and use cases in 5G networks.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of slice-specific NAS signaling allows for differentiation and prioritization of NAS PDUs over the air interface and CN-RAN interface, enabling the receiving communication device to associate and handle signaling traffic more efficiently by indicating the network slice association, thereby improving communication network performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional communication networks manage signaling traffic without slice-specific differentiation, then network infrastructure remains simple and unified, but network performance and resource utilization become suboptimal for diverse services
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments signaling traffic into slice-specific NAS signaling and non-slice-specific NAS signaling. The transmitting communication device determines whether each NAS PDU should be handled via slice-specific or non-slice-specific signaling based on service requirements, allowing differentiated treatment of different service types while maintaining a unified network infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic selection mechanisms where the transmitting communication device can adaptively choose between slice-specific and non-slice-specific NAS signaling paths based on real-time service requirements and network conditions. This dynamic approach allows the network to optimize performance for different services without requiring permanent separate infrastructure for each service type.
2Reliability
If slice-specific NAS signaling is introduced to differentiate and prioritize traffic, then resource utilization and service-level agreement fulfillment improve, but signaling connection complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing slice-specific handling only where needed. The transmitting communication device determines on a per-NAS-PDU basis whether slice-specific differentiation is required, applying specialized handling only to traffic that needs it while keeping other traffic on the standard path. This ensures high reliability for critical services without unnecessarily complicating the overall signaling structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary determination mechanism at the transmitting communication device that decides whether to route NAS PDUs through slice-specific or non-slice-specific signaling paths. This intermediary layer manages the complexity by providing a unified interface for upper layers while handling the complexity of multiple signaling paths internally, shielding other network elements from the increased complexity.
3Speed
If multiple NAS signaling paths are established for different network slices, then traffic prioritization and performance optimization improve, but overhead and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements partial action by applying slice-specific NAS signaling only to the extent necessary for services that require it. The transmitting communication device evaluates each NAS PDU and applies slice-specific handling only when needed, rather than universally applying complex multi-path signaling to all traffic. This reduces signaling overhead while maintaining high processing speed for priority traffic.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
Embodiments herein relate to a methodperformed by atransmitting communication device(110, 10, 12, 16)for handlingcommunication for a wireless device (10) in a communication network (1). Thecommunication network (1) comprises one or more networks comprising partitioned sets of functionalities wherein a first set of functionalities belongs to a first network slice supporting the wireless device (10), and which first set of functionalities is separated from another set of functionalities out of atotal set of functionalities in the one or more networks. The transmitting communication device (110, 10, 12, 16) transmitsa Non Access Stratum Protocol Data Unit, NAS PDU, and an indication over a signalling connection carrying NAS PDUs, to a receiving communication device (112, 16, 12, 10), which indication indicates that the NAS PDU is associated with the first network slice.