UE Session Management Capability Negotiation for Reflective QoS
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Solution Overview
Problem
The 5G cellular network faces challenges in providing flexible and efficient quality of service (QoS) control mechanisms to support diverse service data flows with dynamic QoS requirements, particularly in managing reflective QoS and session management capabilities across the wireless access network and core network.
Innovation Solution
Implementing UE session management capability negotiation and QoS control mechanisms, including encoding and signaling of QoS classification and marking rules, to enable reflective QoS support and enhance PDU session establishment processes, with separate mobility management and session management functions in the 5G system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate mobility management and session management functions are implemented in 5G network, then QoS control flexibility and efficiency are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent separates mobility management function (MMF) and session management function (SMF) into distinct network entities. The MMF handles mobility-related signaling while the SMF handles session establishment, modification, and QoS control. This segmentation allows each function to be optimized independently, improving QoS control flexibility while managing complexity through functional separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a session management function (SMF) as an intermediary between the mobility management function and the user plane. The SMF receives session management messages from the MMF, processes QoS requirements, and establishes appropriate session contexts. This intermediary structure enables flexible QoS control without requiring the MMF to handle complex session management directly.
2Reliability
If UE session management capability negotiation is implemented, then reflective QoS support is improved, but signaling overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements UE session management capability negotiation during the PDU session establishment phase. The UE indicates its session management capabilities (including reflective QoS support) in the PDU session establishment request message. The network acknowledges these capabilities in the acceptance message. This preliminary action ensures reflective QoS support is established before actual data transmission begins, avoiding the need for continuous capability negotiation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent establishes a feedback mechanism where the network acknowledges UE session management capabilities in the PDU session establishment acceptance message. This feedback confirms whether the network supports the requested session management capabilities, including reflective QoS. The feedback mechanism ensures reliable capability negotiation while minimizing signaling overhead by performing the negotiation once during session establishment rather than continuously.
3Productivity
If QoS classification and marking rules are encoded and signaled, then resource allocation efficiency is improved, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent encodes QoS classification and marking rules as specific parameters within session management messages. The SMF configures QoS parameters (such as QoS flow identifiers, packet filters, and marking rules) that are transmitted to the UE and user plane functions. By representing complex QoS policies as structured parameters, the system improves resource allocation efficiency while managing processing complexity through standardized parameter formats.
Data Source
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AI summary
In some example embodiments, there may be provided a method that includes forming, by a user equipment, a session establishment message including an indication of at least one session management capability supported by the user equipment, the session management capability being reflective quality of service; sending, by the user equipment, the session establishment message including the indication towards a session management function; and receiving, by the user equipment and from the session management function, a response indicative of whether the session management function enables the at least one session management capability to configure the user equipment to operate in accordance with the at least one session management capability, wherein the response includes a timer value for a timer associated with the reflective quality of service, the timer value being indicative of whether the session management function enables the reflective quality of service. Related systems, methods, and articles of manufacture are also described.