UE Outgoing Traffic Routing via Proscribed Descriptor Filtering

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Solution Overview

Problem

In 5G wireless communication systems, user equipment (UE) faces challenges in matching outgoing traffic to UE Route Selection Policy (URSP) rules due to incomplete access to traffic parameters, leading to potential misalignment and failure in applying applicable rules.

Innovation Solution

The UE determines proscribed traffic descriptors it cannot support and either ignores rules referencing only these descriptors or applies rules using only permissible traffic descriptors, while also prioritizing local rules over network-provided rules that include forbidden descriptors.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the UE applies CN-specified URSP rules with multiple traffic descriptors, then the network flexibility and routing precision are improved, but the UE complexity and difficulty in matching traffic increase due to incomplete access to traffic parameters

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetraffic matching precisionVSAvoidUE complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and identifies the specific traffic descriptors that the UE cannot access or support (proscribed traffic descriptors). By separating these unsupported descriptors from the supported ones, the UE can selectively apply only the permissible traffic descriptors for rule matching, reducing the complexity burden while maintaining accurate routing for supported traffic types.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of trying to support all possible traffic descriptors (the conventional approach), the patent inverts the approach by explicitly identifying and excluding the proscribed descriptors. This inversion strategy allows the UE to operate with limited capabilities while still achieving effective traffic routing by focusing only on supported descriptors.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Ease of operation

If the UE ignores URSP rules with unsupported traffic descriptors, then the UE operational simplicity is improved, but the network flexibility and reliability deteriorate due to potential misalignment and rule application failures

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveUE ease of operationVSAvoidnetwork reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the UE identifies and communicates its supported traffic descriptors to the network. This feedback loop allows the network to adjust the URSP rules accordingly, ensuring that only rules with supported descriptors are applied. This feedback mechanism maintains both UE operational simplicity and network reliability by preventing misalignment before it occurs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary identification of proscribed traffic descriptors before applying URSP rules. By pre-determining which descriptors are unsupported, the UE can preemptively exclude rules containing these descriptors from application. This preliminary action prevents rule application failures and maintains network reliability while keeping the UE operation simple.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If the UE applies all received URSP rules without filtering, then the network flexibility is maximized, but the traffic routing accuracy deteriorates due to inclusion of rules with unknown or unsupported descriptors

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork flexibilityVSAvoidtraffic routing accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and removes rules containing proscribed traffic descriptors from the set of applicable URSP rules. By separating valid rules (with supported descriptors) from invalid rules (with unsupported descriptors), the UE maintains accurate traffic routing for supported traffic types while still benefiting from network flexibility through the remaining valid rules.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different quality standards to different rules: rules with supported traffic descriptors are applied with full accuracy, while rules with unsupported descriptors are excluded. This local quality approach allows the UE to maintain high routing accuracy for applicable traffic while preserving network flexibility through the valid rules.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4042740B1Applying rules for routing outgoing traffic at a user device
Publication Date: 2025.04.30 GOOGLE LLC
  • EP4042740B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4042740B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4042740B1 patent drawingFigure 3A

AI summary

Processing hardware in a user equipment (UE) that communicates with a core network (CN) via a radio access network (RAN) can implement a method of routing outgoing traffic from the UE. The method includes determining a proscribed traffic descriptor which the UE is to match to rules defined by the CN that specify route selection for outgoing traffic (602). The method further includes preventing use of the traffic descriptor for application of a rule specifying route selection to the outgoing traffic (606).