UE Route Selection Policy Updates via SIM-OTA Fallback

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current mechanisms for providing user equipment route selection policy (URSP) updates in 5G networks fail to address dynamic updates across different coverage scenarios, leading to resource consumption and poor user experiences due to the lack of an interface between the policy control function (PCF) and the subscriber identity module (SIM)-over-the-air (OTA) system.

Innovation Solution

Establishing an interface between the PCF and the SIM-OTA system to enable over-the-air URSP configuration updates, allowing the PCF to provide updated URSPs to user equipment (UE) via NAS signaling when available, and through the SIM-OTA system when NAS signaling is unavailable.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If NAS signaling is used for URSP updates, then update speed is improved, but reliability deteriorates when NAS signaling is unavailable

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveURSP update speedVSAvoidURSP update reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an SMS message as an intermediary carrier to transmit URSP configuration information. When NAS signaling is unavailable, the PCF sends URSP updates via SMS to the UE, ensuring reliable delivery. The SMS acts as a fallback communication channel that bridges the gap when primary NAS signaling fails, resolving the contradiction between speed and reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple update mechanisms are supported, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveCoverage scenario adaptabilityVSAvoidPCF and UE system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a dynamic selection mechanism where the PCF and UE adaptively choose between NAS signaling and SMS-based URSP updates based on current network conditions and coverage scenarios. The system dynamically switches between update mechanisms: using NAS signaling when available for fast updates, and falling back to SMS when NAS is unavailable, thereby achieving high adaptability without permanently increasing system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If URSP updates are provided via SIM-OTA system, then reliability is improved for unavailable NAS signaling, but loss of time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveURSP update delivery reliabilityVSAvoidURSP update time delay

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a conditional periodic action strategy where the system attempts NAS signaling first (fast path), and only periodically falls back to SMS when NAS signaling is determined to be unavailable. This periodic fallback mechanism ensures that the time-consuming SMS method is only invoked when necessary, minimizing time loss while maintaining reliability for scenarios where NAS is unavailable.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentUS20260025735A1Systems and methods for providing over-the-air user equipment route selection policy configuration updates

Publication Date: 2026.01.22 VERIZON PATENT & LICENSING INC

AI summary

A network device may determine a user equipment route selection policy (URSP) for a first network slice, and may provide the URSP to a user equipment (UE) via non-access stratum (NAS) signaling. The network device may determine an updated URSP for a second network slice that is different than the first network slice, and may determine that the NAS signaling is unavailable for the UE. The network device may provide, based on determining that the NAS signaling is unavailable, the updated URSP to a subscriber identity module (SIM) over-the-air (OTA) system to cause the SIM-OTA system to provide the updated URSP to the UE.