UE Routing Information Retrieval With Service-Specific Error Codes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication network protocols, such as LTE and NR, do not adequately indicate when a user equipment (UE) is unreachable for a service like SMS or when a subservice of the service is barred or not provisioned, leading to incorrect status codes and unnecessary signaling.
Innovation Solution
Implement a method where network functions send and receive requests with status codes indicating errors related to UE routing for services, such as SMS, and include cause attributes like 'ABSNET_SUBSCRIBER_SM' or 'MTSMS_BARRED' to accurately reflect service availability, allowing network functions to take appropriate actions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If existing communication network protocols are used for retrieving UE registration information, then the basic service functionality is maintained, but accurate indication of UE reachability and service availability is lost leading to incorrect status codes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the service retrieval process into distinct error condition categories (UE not reachable, subservice barred, subservice not provisioned) with specific status codes for each. This segmentation allows precise indication of different error states that were previously indistinguishable under existing protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces new parameters (status codes with specific cause values) to enhance the information content of the response. By changing the parameter structure of the status code to include detailed cause indicators, the system achieves more precise measurement and communication of service availability states.
2Productivity
If existing protocols are used without enhanced error indication, then the system complexity is kept simple, but unnecessary signaling occurs due to inability to differentiate error conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by defining and implementing enhanced status codes with cause attributes in advance. This allows the system to preemptively identify and differentiate error conditions before they lead to unnecessary signaling, enabling more efficient service retrieval operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the UDM provides detailed error information back to the NF service consumer through enhanced status codes. This feedback loop enables the consumer to make informed decisions about whether to retry or take alternative actions, reducing unnecessary signaling.
3Reliability
If generic error handling is used, then ease of operation is maintained, but correct error differentiation and appropriate network function responses are prevented
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables self-service by providing the NF service consumer with the information needed to autonomously determine the appropriate response to each error condition. The detailed status codes and cause attributes allow the consumer to self-diagnose and self-correct without complex external intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by providing specific error information tailored to each error condition. Instead of generic error handling, the system delivers localized, condition-specific status codes that enable precise error differentiation and appropriate responses for each scenario.
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide method and apparatus for routing information retrieval. A method performed by a first network function comprises sending a first request to a second network function. The first request requests to receive at least one registration data set for a service for a user equipment (UE). The method further comprises receiving a first response from the second network function. When there is an error related to routing of the UE for the service, the first response comprises a status code indicating the error related to routing of the UE for the service. When there is no the error related to routing of the UE for the service, the first response comprises the at least one registration data set for the service for the UE.