User Equipment Network Slice Registration Across Visited Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
In wireless communication systems, user equipment (UE) faces challenges in efficiently managing network slices across multiple visited networks, particularly when not all required network slices are provided by the preferred visited network, leading to suboptimal service access and registration inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
The UE provides registration requests to multiple visited networks, with specific time periods for active and inactive states, allowing it to access subscribed network slices from different providers, and the home network manages registration information and updates for each visited network, enabling flexible and efficient slice access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the UE registers with only the preferred visited network, then the registration process is simple and energy consumption is low, but the UE cannot access network slices provided by other visited networks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the registration process by introducing separate registration procedures for the preferred visited network and non-preferred visited networks. The UE maintains independent registration states for each network type, allowing it to access different network slices from different networks without managing a single complex registration process. This segmentation enables versatile slice access while keeping individual registration procedures manageable.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the UE continuously monitors paging requests from multiple visited networks, then the UE can access network slices from different networks, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic monitoring of paging requests instead of continuous monitoring. The UE alternates between active states (monitoring paging requests from non-preferred visited networks) and inactive states (not monitoring), with configurable time periods for each state. This periodic approach enables the UE to access network slices from multiple networks while significantly reducing energy consumption compared to continuous monitoring.
3Productivity
If the UE switches between different visited networks for different network slices, then service access is optimized, but registration state management becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces the home network as an intermediary that centralizes the management of registration information for multiple visited networks. The UE registers with both the preferred and non-preferred visited networks, and the home network maintains and coordinates the registration states. This intermediary approach enables efficient service access across networks while simplifying the UE's registration state management burden.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the UE uses a single registration state for the preferred visited network, then the registration process is simple, but the UE cannot efficiently access network slices from other networks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary registration with non-preferred visited networks before actual service access is needed. The UE proactively registers with multiple visited networks and establishes registration states in advance, so when service is required, the UE can quickly switch to the appropriate network without performing time-consuming registration procedures at that moment. This preliminary action reduces latency and improves service access efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided an apparatus, said apparatus comprising means for providing a first registration request from a user equipment to a first visited network for a first network slice provided by the first visited network and providing a further registration request from the user equipment to at least one second visited network for at least one second network slice provided by the second visited network, wherein the first network slice and at least one second network slice are mapped to subscribed network slices in a home network and the at least one second network slice is not provided by the first visited network.