Wireless Device Resuming Communication Session with Preferred Network Slice Indication

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Solution Overview

Problem

In wireless networks, resuming a communication session after a period of inactivity often requires substantial time-consuming signaling to determine which network slice to use, as the network node lacks information on the user's preferred network slice.

Innovation Solution

A wireless device sends a resuming request to a network node indicating its preferred network slice from a set used before inactivity, allowing the node to determine and prioritize slices efficiently, reducing the need for extensive signaling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the network node uses traditional signaling procedures to determine network slice during session resumption, then the session can be resumed, but the process becomes time-consuming and requires substantial signaling overhead

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesession resumption reliabilityVSAvoidsession resumption latency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The UE includes an indication of preferred network slice in the RRC Resume Request message before the network node needs to determine which slice to use. This preliminary provision of information eliminates the need for subsequent signaling exchanges to determine network slice preference, thereby reducing resumption latency while ensuring reliable session restoration

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If the network node requests detailed network slice information during session resumption, then accurate slice determination is achieved, but signaling overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork slice identification accuracyVSAvoidsignaling overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts only the essential information needed for network slice determination (indication of preferred network slice) and includes it directly in the RRC Resume Request message. This selective extraction of necessary information achieves accurate slice identification without requiring extensive signaling exchanges for complete network slice configuration details

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Ease of operation

If the network node stores complete UE context information including network slice preferences, then slice determination is simplified, but network node memory requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveslice determination simplicityVSAvoidnetwork node memory storage

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The UE autonomously maintains knowledge of its preferred network slice from the PDU session establishment phase and proactively provides this information during session resumption. This self-service approach eliminates the need for the network node to store and retrieve detailed UE context information, simplifying slice determination while reducing network node memory requirements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS11083035B2Methods, wireless device and network node for resuming a communication session

Publication Date: 2021.08.03 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)

AI summary

Methods, wireless device (500) and network node (502) which can be used when resuming a communication session after a period of inactivity of the wireless device (500). The wireless device (500) sends to a network node (502) a resuming request comprising an indication of at least one preferred network slice out of a set of network slices that was used in the communication session before said period of inactivity. Thereby, the network node (502) is able to determine the preferred network slice(s) based on the indication in the resuming request.