User Plane Path Selection via Service Experience Analytics
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing user plane function network element selection methods in mobile communication technologies often fail to select a path that meets the specific service requirements, such as delay requirements for MEC services, as they are not associated with specific services.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for selecting a user plane path for a terminal device by determining the service type based on service experience analytics data, allowing for the selection of appropriate user plane paths that meet service experience requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a session management network element selects a user plane function network element based on general information (DNN, location, load), then the selection process is simple and fast, but the selected path may not meet specific service requirements such as delay constraints for MEC services
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-establishes service experience analytics data and user plane path templates before actual service delivery. The network element pre-evaluates multiple user plane paths and stores their service experience characteristics (delay, throughput, reliability) in advance. When a service request arrives, the system quickly matches the service requirements with pre-evaluated paths, avoiding complex real-time evaluation while ensuring service requirement compliance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces service experience analytics data as an intermediary layer between the session management network element and user plane function network elements. This intermediary contains pre-analyzed service quality metrics and path characteristics, allowing the selection process to reference established performance data rather than performing complex real-time assessments, thus balancing simplicity with reliability.
2Productivity
If the system selects a remote user plane function network element to handle general traffic, then network resource utilization is improved, but the delay requirement of mobile edge computing services cannot be met
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by matching user plane path selection to specific service requirements. Instead of using a uniform remote user plane function for all traffic, the system identifies service types (e.g., MEC services requiring low delay) and selects user plane paths with appropriate local characteristics (edge-located paths for low-delay services, centralized paths for non-time-sensitive services). This ensures that services receiving time-critical treatment are handled by locally-optimized paths while maintaining overall network resource utilization efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic user plane path selection based on service type and real-time conditions. The system can switch between different user plane paths depending on the service requirements and current network state. For MEC services, it dynamically selects edge-located user plane functions to minimize delay, while for other services it can utilize remote user plane functions to maximize resource utilization, thus adapting the system behavior to different operational contexts.
3Measurement precision
If service experience analytics data is collected and analyzed for each service type, then accurate user plane path selection is achieved, but the data processing overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs service experience analytics data collection and processing in advance, before actual service delivery. The system pre-measures and stores service experience metrics (delay, throughput, packet loss) for different user plane paths under various service types. When a service request arrives, the system simply queries and matches against pre-computed data, avoiding the need for real-time measurement and analysis, thus achieving high measurement precision with minimal processing overhead.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by selectively collecting and analyzing service experience data only for relevant service types and user plane paths. Instead of continuously monitoring all possible paths for all services, the system focuses data collection on paths and service types that are actually being used or are likely to be used, reducing unnecessary data processing while maintaining accurate measurements for decision-making.
Data Source
AI summary
This application provides a user plane path selection method and an apparatus. The method includes: A first network element determines, based on at least one service type corresponding to a terminal device, service experience analytics data corresponding to the at least one service type, and then selects one or more user plane paths for a session of the terminal device based on the service experience analytics data. This enables a user plane path to be associated with a service, helps select a more appropriate user plane path for the terminal device, and can improve communication efficiency.