Network Slice Support Signaling for Low-Latency UE Registration
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Solution Overview
Problem
User equipment in 5G networks face inefficiencies due to unawareness of network slice support changes, leading to cost signaling overhead and latency when requesting unsupported slices and missing available slices.
Innovation Solution
A network entity transmits slice support information to user equipment, indicating supported and unsupported network slices within specific areas, optimizing registration areas based on user equipment state and capabilities, and integrating this information into existing registration and configuration procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the UE requests service for network slices without awareness of slice support changes, then the UE can maintain simple operation, but signaling overhead and latency increase due to requesting unsupported slices
Solution Approach 1:
The network proactively provides slice support information to the UE in advance before the UE attempts to access services. This preliminary action allows the UE to know which slices are supported before making service requests, avoiding unnecessary signaling for unsupported slices and reducing latency.
2Loss of information
If the UE continuously monitors network slice support changes, then the UE can maintain accurate slice awareness, but signaling overhead and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The network provides feedback information about slice support changes to the UE through system information blocks or dedicated signaling. This feedback mechanism allows the UE to stay informed about slice support changes without continuously monitoring, reducing energy consumption while maintaining accurate information.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of continuous monitoring, the network updates slice support information periodically or event-driven (when changes occur). This periodic action reduces the energy consumption and signaling overhead compared to continuous monitoring, while still keeping the UE informed of slice support changes.
3Loss of information
If the network provides detailed slice support information to all UEs, then all UEs can have complete slice awareness, but network signaling overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The network divides slice support information by geographic area (slice support areas) and provides information relevant to each UE's current location. This segmentation allows the network to send only the necessary slice information to each UE rather than all possible slice information, reducing signaling overhead while maintaining complete awareness for each UE.
Solution Approach 2:
The network provides slice support information tailored to local conditions - each UE receives slice support information specific to its current registration area or serving cell. This local quality approach ensures each UE has complete information for its location without the network transmitting redundant information to all UEs, optimizing the balance between information completeness and signaling efficiency.
Data Source
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AI summary
A network entity is proposed for controlling the use, by a user equipment, of network slices of a communication network comprising a plurality of slice support areas. Each slice support area comprises at least one cell, and all cells of a given slice support area support the same network slices. A registration area for the registration of the user equipment with the communication network comprises at least one slice support area. The network entity is adapted to transmit, to the user equipment, slice support information for at least one slice support area of the communication network. The slice support information for a given slice support area indicates at least one network slice supported by the given slice support area and/or at least one network slice not supported by the given slice support area.