U.S. patent application number 17/158747 was filed with the patent office on 2021-07-29 for network slice selection in cellular system.
The applicant listed for this patent is NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY. Invention is credited to Laurent THIEBAUT, Zhi WANG.
Application Number | 20210235372 17/158747 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005705653 |
Filed Date | 2021-07-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20210235372 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
WANG; Zhi ; et al. |
July 29, 2021 |
NETWORK SLICE SELECTION IN CELLULAR SYSTEM
Abstract
This document discloses a solution for selecting a network slice
for an application. According to an aspect, a method comprises as
performed by a terminal device: triggering, by the terminal device,
network slice selection in the terminal device for an application
executed in the terminal device; transmitting, by the terminal
device in response to said triggering, a network slice query
request message to a network node of a network infrastructure;
receiving, by the terminal device from the network node as a
response to the network slice query request message, a network
slice query response message indicating at least one network slice
available to the terminal device and comprising at least one
quality-of-service parameter of the at least one network slice; and
selecting, by the terminal device, a network slice of the at least
one network slice for the application on the basis of the at least
one quality-of-service parameter.
Inventors: |
WANG; Zhi; (Qingdao, CN)
; THIEBAUT; Laurent; (Antony, FR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY |
Espoo |
|
FI |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000005705653 |
Appl. No.: |
17/158747 |
Filed: |
January 26, 2021 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04W 28/0268 20130101;
H04W 48/18 20130101; H04W 48/14 20130101; H04W 48/16 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H04W 48/18 20060101
H04W048/18; H04W 48/16 20060101 H04W048/16; H04W 48/14 20060101
H04W048/14; H04W 28/02 20060101 H04W028/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 27, 2020 |
FI |
20205079 |
Claims
1. An apparatus for a terminal device, said apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer
program code, the at least one memory and computer program code
configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus
to: trigger network slice selection in the terminal device for an
application executed in the terminal device; in response to said
triggering, cause transmission of a network slice query request
message to a network node of a network infrastructure, wherein the
network slice query request message comprises at least one
information element specifying at least one criterion comprising at
least one of a quality-of-service requirement and charging
information; receive, from the network node as a response to the
network slice query request message, a network slice query response
message indicating at least one network slice available to the
terminal device and comprising at least one quality-of-service
parameter of the at least one network slice, wherein the at least
one network slice indicated by the network slice query response
message meets the at least one criterion of the network slice query
request message; and select a network slice of the at least one
network slice for the application on the basis of the at least one
quality-of-service parameter.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and
computer program code configured to, with the at least one
processor, cause the apparatus to perform said selecting by at
least transmitting to the network node a request to configure a
routing policy for data of the application in the selected network
slice.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the request to configure the
routing policy comprises at least one information element
indicating an identity of the application.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and
computer program code configured to, with the at least one
processor, cause the apparatus to perform said triggering as
responsive to the application requesting for data transfer with
determined quality-of-service constraints.
5. An apparatus for a network node of a network infrastructure,
said apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one
memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one
memory and computer program code configured to, with the at least
one processor, cause the apparatus to: receive a network slice
query request message from a terminal device requesting for
information on available network slices, wherein the network slice
query request message comprises at least one information element
specifying at least one criterion comprising at least one of a
quality-of-service requirement and charging information; determine
at least one network slice available to the terminal device and
meeting the at least one criterion of the network slice query
request message; transmit, to the terminal device as a response to
the network slice query request message, a network slice query
response message that indicates the at least one network slice
available to the terminal device, meeting the at least one
criterion of the network slice query request message, and that
comprises at least one quality-of-service parameter of the at least
one network slice; receive, from the terminal device, a message
indicating a selection of a network slice for an application
executed in the terminal device; and configure a routing policy for
data of the application in the selected network slice in the
network infrastructure.
6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the message indicating the
selection of the network slice comprises at least one information
element indicating an identity of the application.
7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the network slice query
request message comprises at least one information element
specifying at least one criterion, and wherein the at least one
memory and computer program code configured to, with the at least
one processor, cause the apparatus to include in the network slice
query response message network slices that meet the at least one
criterion and exclude from the network slice query response message
at least one network slice not meeting the at least one
criterion.
8. A method for a terminal device, said method comprising:
triggering, by the terminal device, network slice selection in the
terminal device for an application executed in the terminal device;
transmitting, by the terminal device in response to said
triggering, a network slice query request message to a network node
of a network infrastructure, wherein the network slice query
request message comprises at least one information element
specifying at least one criterion comprising at least one of a
quality-of-service requirement and charging information; receiving,
by the terminal device from the network node as a response to the
network slice query request message, a network slice query response
message indicating at least one network slice available to the
terminal device and comprising at least one quality-of-service
parameter of the at least one network slice, wherein the at least
one network slice indicated by the network slice query response
message meets the at least one criterion of the network slice query
request message; and selecting, by the terminal device, a network
slice of the at least one network slice for the application on the
basis of the at least one quality-of-service parameter.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein said selecting comprises
transmitting to the network node a request to configure a routing
policy for data of the application in the selected network
slice.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the request to configure the
routing policy comprises at least one information element
indicating an identity of the application.
11. A method for a network node of a network infrastructure, said
method comprising: receiving, by the network node, a network slice
query request message from a terminal device requesting for
information on available network slices, wherein the network slice
query request message comprises at least one information element
specifying at least one criterion comprising at least one of a
quality-of-service requirement and charging information;
determining, by the network node, at least one network slice
available to the terminal device and meeting the at least one
criterion of the network slice query request message; transmitting,
by the network node to the terminal device as a response to the
network slice query request message, a network slice query response
message that indicates the at least one network slice available to
the terminal device, meeting the at least one criterion of the
network slice query request message, and that comprises at least
one quality-of-service parameter of the at least one network slice;
receiving, by the network node from the terminal device, a message
indicating selection of a network slice for an application executed
in the terminal device; and configuring, by the network node, a
routing policy for data of the application in the selected network
slice in the network infrastructure.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the message indicating the
selection of the network slice comprises at least one information
element indicating an identity of the application.
13. The method of claim 11, further comprising excluding, by the
network node, from the network slice query response message at
least one network slice not meeting the at least one criterion.
14. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory
computer-readable medium, and comprising a computer program code
readable by a computer, wherein the computer program code
configures the computer to carry out a computer process for a
terminal device, comprising: triggering network slice selection in
the terminal device for an application executed in the terminal
device; transmitting, in response to said triggering, a network
slice query request message to a network node of a network
infrastructure, wherein the network slice query request message
comprises at least one information element specifying at least one
criterion comprising at least one of a quality-of-service
requirement and charging information; receiving, from the network
node as a response to the network slice query request message, a
network slice query response message indicating at least one
network slice available to the terminal device and comprising at
least one quality-of-service parameter of the at least one network
slice, wherein the at least one network slice indicated by the
network slice query response message meets the at least one
criterion of the network slice query request message; and selecting
a network slice of the at least one network slice for the
application on the basis of the at least one quality-of-service
parameter.
15. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory
computer-readable medium, and comprising a computer program code
readable by a computer, wherein the computer program code
configures the computer to carry out a computer process for a
network node of a network infrastructure, comprising: receiving a
network slice query request message from a terminal device
requesting for information on available network slices, wherein the
network slice query request message comprises at least one
information element specifying at least one criterion comprising at
least one of a quality-of-service requirement and charging
information; determining at least one network slice available to
the terminal device and meeting the at least one criterion of the
network slice query request message; transmitting, to the terminal
device as a response to the network slice query request message, a
network slice query response message that indicates the at least
one network slice available to the terminal device, meeting the at
least one criterion of the network slice query request message, and
that comprises at least one quality-of-service parameter of the at
least one network slice; receiving, from the terminal device, a
message indicating selection of a network slice for an application
executed in the terminal device; and configuring, by the network
node, a routing policy for data of the application in the selected
network slice in the network infrastructure.
16. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory
computer-readable medium, and comprising a computer program code
readable by a computer, wherein the computer program code
configures the computer to carry out a computer process comprising
the method according to claim 9.
17. A system comprising: a first apparatus for a terminal device,
comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including
computer program code, the at least one memory and computer program
code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the
first apparatus to: trigger network slice selection in the terminal
device for an application executed in the terminal device; in
response to said triggering, cause transmission of a network slice
query request message to a network node of a network
infrastructure, wherein the network slice query request message
comprises at least one information element specifying at least one
criterion comprising at least one of a quality-of-service
requirement and charging information; receive, from the network
node as a response to the network slice query request message, a
network slice query response message indicating at least one
network slice available to the terminal device and comprising at
least one quality-of-service parameter of the at least one network
slice, wherein the at least one network slice indicated by the
network slice query response message meets the at least one
criterion of the network slice query request message; and select a
network slice of the at least one network slice for the application
on the basis of the at least one quality-of-service parameter; and
a second apparatus for the network node, comprising at least one
processor and at least one memory including computer program code,
wherein the at least one memory and computer program code
configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the second
apparatus to: receive the network slice query request message from
the terminal device requesting for information on available network
slices, wherein the network slice query request message comprises
at least one information element specifying at least one criterion
comprising at least one of a quality-of-service requirement and
charging information; determine at least one network slice
available to the terminal device and meeting the at least one
criterion of the network slice query request message; transmit, to
the terminal device as a response to the network slice query
request message, the network slice query response message that
indicates the at least one network slice available to the terminal
device, meeting the at least one criterion of the network slice
query request message, and that comprises at least one
quality-of-service parameter of the at least one network slice;
receive, from the terminal device, a message indicating a selection
of the network slice for the application executed in the terminal
device; and configure a routing policy for data of the application
in the selected network slice in the network infrastructure.
Description
FIELD
[0001] Various embodiments described herein relate to the field of
wireless communications and, particularly, to selecting a network
slice for a terminal device in a cellular communication system.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Network slicing is a concept where network resources of an
end-to-end connection between a user device and another end point
in a public land mobile network (PLMN) are sliced. Similar network
slicing may be employed in private networks. A network slice may be
understood as a logical end-to-end network that can be dynamically
created and/or modified. The network(s) between the end devices may
all be sliced from one end device to the other end device, the
slices thus forming logical pipelines within the network(s) using
the same physical network infrastructure. User equipment (UE) may
access a slice over a radio interface. Each pipeline/slice may
serve a particular service type such as enhanced mobile broadband
(eMBB), ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC), or
massive Internet of Things (MIoT), for example. MIoT is in some
literature called Massive Machine Type Communications (MMTC). Other
slices and corresponding service types may be envisaged. Each
service type may have distinct characteristics regarding a quality
of service (QoS). For example, eMBB may support mechanisms for high
bandwidth with moderate delays, URLLC may support mechanisms for
low latencies and high reliability of data transfer, and MIoT may
support low power consumption at the UE.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
[0003] Some aspects of the invention are defined by the independent
claims.
[0004] Some embodiments of the invention are defined in the
dependent claims.
[0005] The embodiments and features, if any, described in this
specification that do not fall under the scope of the independent
claims are to be interpreted as examples useful for understanding
various embodiments of the invention. Some aspects of the
disclosure are defined by the independent claims.
[0006] According to an aspect, there is provided an apparatus for a
terminal device, comprising means for performing: triggering
network slice selection in the terminal device for an application
executed in the terminal device; in response to said triggering,
causing transmission of a network slice query request message to a
network node of a network infrastructure; receiving, from the
network node as a response to the network slice query request
message, a network slice query response message indicating at least
one network slice available to the terminal device and comprising
at least one quality-of-service parameter of the at least one
network slice; and selecting a network slice of the at least one
network slice for the application on the basis of the at least one
quality-of-service parameter.
[0007] In an embodiment, the means are configured to perform said
selecting by at least transmitting to the network node a request to
configure a routing policy for data of the application in the
selected network slice.
[0008] In an embodiment, the request to configure the routing
policy comprises at least one information element indicating an
identity of the application.
[0009] In an embodiment, the network slice query request message
comprises at least one information element specifying at least one
criterion, and wherein the at least one network slice indicated by
the network slice query response message meets the at least one
criterion.
[0010] In an embodiment, the means are configured to perform said
triggering as responsive to the application requesting for data
transfer with determined quality-of-service constraints.
[0011] According to an aspect, there is provided an apparatus for a
network node of a network infrastructure, comprising means for
performing: receiving a network slice query request message from a
terminal device requesting for information on available network
slices; determining at least one network slice available to the
terminal device; transmitting, to the terminal device as a response
to the network slice query request message, a network slice query
response message that indicates the at least one network slice
available to the terminal device and that comprises at least one
quality-of-service parameter of the at least one network slice;
receiving, from the terminal device, a message indicating a
selection of a network slice for an application executed in the
terminal device; and configuring a routing policy for data of the
application in the selected network slice in the network
infrastructure.
[0012] In an embodiment, the message indicating the selection of
the network slice comprises at least one information element
indicating an identity of the application.
[0013] In an embodiment, the network slice query request message
comprises at least one information element specifying at least one
criterion, and wherein the at least one memory and computer program
code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the
apparatus to include in the network slice query response message
network slices that meet the at least one criterion and exclude
from the network slice query response message at least one network
slice not meeting the at least one criterion.
[0014] In an embodiment, the above-described means comprise at
least one processor and at least one memory including computer
program code, wherein the at least one memory and computer program
code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the
performance of the apparatus.
[0015] According to an aspect, there is provided a method for a
terminal device, comprising: triggering, by the terminal device,
network slice selection in the terminal device for an application
executed in the terminal device; transmitting, by the terminal
device in response to said triggering, a network slice query
request message to a network node of a network infrastructure;
receiving, by the terminal device from the network node as a
response to the network slice query request message, a network
slice query response message indicating at least one network slice
available to the terminal device and comprising at least one
quality-of-service parameter of the at least one network slice; and
selecting, by the terminal device, a network slice of the at least
one network slice for the application on the basis of the at least
one quality-of-service parameter.
[0016] In an embodiment, said selecting comprises transmitting to
the network node a request to configure a routing policy for data
of the application in the selected network slice.
[0017] In an embodiment, the request to configure the routing
policy comprises at least one information element indicating an
identity of the application.
[0018] According to an aspect, there is provided a method for a
network node of a network infrastructure, comprising: receiving, by
the network node, a network slice query request message from a
terminal device requesting for information on available network
slices; determining, by the network node, at least one network
slice available to the terminal device; transmitting, by the
network node to the terminal device as a response to the network
slice query request message, a network slice query response message
that indicates the at least one network slice available to the
terminal device and that comprises at least one quality-of-service
parameter of the at least one network slice; receiving, by the
network node from the terminal device, a message indicating
selection of a network slice for an application executed in the
terminal device; and configuring, by the network node, a routing
policy for data of the application in the selected network slice in
the network infrastructure.
[0019] In an embodiment, the message indicating the selection of
the network slice comprises at least one information element
indicating an identity of the application.
[0020] In an embodiment, the network slice query request message
comprises at least one information element specifying at least one
criterion, the method further comprising including, by the network
node in the network slice query response message, network slices
that meet the at least one criterion and excluding, by the network
node, from the network slice query response message at least one
network slice not meeting the at least one criterion.
[0021] According to an aspect, there is provided a computer program
product embodied on a computer-readable medium and comprising a
computer program code readable by a computer, wherein the computer
program code configures the computer to carry out a computer
process comprising all the steps of any one of the above-described
methods.
[0022] According to an aspect, there is provided a system
comprising any one of the above-described apparatuses for the
terminal device and any one of the above-described apparatuses for
the network node.
LIST OF DRAWINGS
[0023] Embodiments are described below, by way of example only,
with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
[0024] FIG. 1 illustrates a wireless communication scenario to
which some embodiments of the invention may be applied;
[0025] FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate utilization of network slices in
a network infrastructure;
[0026] FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate processes for performing network
slice selection for an application executed in a terminal device
according to some embodiments;
[0027] FIG. 5 illustrates a signalling diagram according to an
embodiment combining the processes of FIGS. 3 and 4;
[0028] FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment of a network slice
selection process in the terminal device; and
[0029] FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate block diagrams of structures of
apparatuses according to some embodiments of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0030] The following embodiments are examples. Although the
specification may refer to "an", "one", or "some" embodiment(s) in
several locations, this does not necessarily mean that each such
reference is to the same embodiment(s), or that the feature only
applies to a single embodiment. Single features of different
embodiments may also be combined to provide other embodiments.
Furthermore, words "comprising" and "including" should be
understood as not limiting the described embodiments to consist of
only those features that have been mentioned and such embodiments
may contain also features/structures that have not been
specifically mentioned.
[0031] In the following, different exemplifying embodiments will be
described using, as an example of an access architecture to which
the embodiments may be applied, a radio access architecture based
on long term evolution advanced (LTE Advanced, LTE-A) or new radio
(NR, 5G), without restricting the embodiments to such an
architecture, however. The embodiments may also be applied to other
kinds of communications networks having suitable means by adjusting
parameters and procedures appropriately. Some examples of other
options for suitable systems are the universal mobile
telecommunications system (UMTS) radio access network (UTRAN or
E-UTRAN), long term evolution (LTE, the same as E-UTRA), wireline
or wireless local area network (e.g. WLAN or WiFi or BBF/Cable
access), worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX),
Bluetooth.RTM., personal communications services (PCS),
ZigBee.RTM., wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA),
systems using ultra-wideband (UWB) technology, sensor networks,
mobile ad-hoc networks (MANETs) and Internet Protocol multimedia
subsystems (IMS) or any combination thereof.
[0032] FIG. 1 depicts examples of simplified system architectures
only showing some elements and functional entities, all being
logical units, whose implementation may differ from what is shown.
The connections shown in FIG. 1 are logical connections; the actual
physical connections may be different. It is apparent to a person
skilled in the art that the system typically comprises also other
functions and structures than those shown in FIG. 1.
[0033] The embodiments are not, however, restricted to the system
given as an example but a person skilled in the art may apply the
solution to other communication systems provided with necessary
properties.
[0034] The example of FIG. 1 shows a part of an exemplifying radio
access network but the solution can apply to other types of access
networks such as wireline or trusted/untrusted access to the
cellular core network.
[0035] FIG. 1 shows devices 100 and 102. The devices 100 and 102
may, for example, be user devices. The devices 100 and 102 are
configured to be in a wireless connection on one or more
communication channels with a node 104. The node 104 is further
connected to a core network 110. In one example, the node 104 may
be an access node such as (e/g)NodeB providing or serving devices
in a cell. In one example, the node 104 may be a non-3GPP access
node. The physical link from a device to a (e/g)NodeB is called
uplink or reverse link and the physical link from the (e/g)NodeB to
the device is called downlink or forward link. It should be
appreciated that (e/g)NodeBs or their functionalities may be
implemented by using any node, host, server or access point etc.
entity suitable for such a usage.
[0036] A communications system typically comprises more than one
(e/g)NodeB in which case the (e/g)NodeBs may also be configured to
communicate with one another over links, wired or wireless,
designed for the purpose. These links may be used for signalling
purposes. The (e/g)NodeB is a computing device configured to
control the radio resources of communication system it is coupled
to. The NodeB may also be referred to as a base station, an access
point or any other type of interfacing device including a relay
station capable of operating in a wireless environment. The
(e/g)NodeB includes or is coupled to transceivers. From the
transceivers of the (e/g)NodeB, a connection is provided to an
antenna unit that establishes bi-directional radio links to
devices. The antenna unit may comprise a plurality of antennas or
antenna elements. The (e/g)NodeB is further connected to the core
network 110 (CN or next generation core 5GC). Depending on the
system, the counterpart on the CN side can be an AMF (Access and
Mobility management Function), Session management Function (SMF)
and Policy Control Function (PCF), for providing connectivity of
devices (UEs) to external packet data networks, etc.
[0037] The device (also called user device, UE, user equipment,
user terminal, terminal device, etc.) illustrates one type of an
apparatus to which resources on the air interface are allocated and
assigned, and thus any feature described herein with a device may
be implemented with a corresponding apparatus, such as a relay
node. An example of such a relay node is a layer 3 relay
(self-backhauling relay) towards the base station.
[0038] The device typically refers to a device (e.g. a portable or
non-portable computing device) that includes wireless mobile
communication devices operating with or without a subscriber
identification module (SIM), including, but not limited to, the
following types of devices: a mobile station (mobile phone),
smartphone, personal digital assistant (PDA), handset, device using
a wireless modem (alarm or measurement device, etc.), laptop and/or
touch screen computer, tablet, game console, notebook, and
multimedia device. It should be appreciated that a device may also
be a nearly exclusive uplink only device, of which an example is a
camera or video camera loading images or video clips to a network.
A device may also be a device having capability to operate in
Internet of Things (IoT) network which is a scenario in which
objects are provided with the ability to transfer data over a
network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer
interaction, e.g. to be used in smart power grids and connected
vehicles. The device may also utilise cloud. In some applications,
a device may comprise a user portable device with radio parts (such
as a watch, earphones or eyeglasses) and the computation is carried
out in the cloud. The device (or in some embodiments a layer 3
relay node) is configured to perform one or more of user equipment
functionalities. The device may also be called a subscriber unit,
mobile station, remote terminal, access terminal, user terminal or
user equipment (UE) just to mention but a few names or
apparatuses.
[0039] Various techniques described herein may also be applied to a
cyber-physical system (CPS) (a system of collaborating
computational elements controlling physical entities). CPS may
enable the implementation and exploitation of massive amounts of
interconnected ICT devices (sensors, actuators, processors
microcontrollers, etc.) embedded in physical objects at different
locations. Mobile cyber physical systems, in which the physical
system in question has inherent mobility, are a subcategory of
cyber-physical systems. Examples of mobile physical systems include
mobile robotics and electronics transported by humans or
animals.
[0040] Additionally, although the apparatuses have been depicted as
single entities, different units, processors and/or memory units
(not all shown in FIG. 1) may be implemented.
[0041] 5G enables using multiple input-multiple output (MIMO)
antennas, many more base stations or nodes than the LTE (a
so-called small cell concept), including macro sites operating in
co-operation with smaller stations and employing a variety of radio
technologies depending on service needs, use cases and/or spectrum
available. 5G mobile communications supports a wide range of use
cases and related applications including video streaming, augmented
reality, different ways of data sharing and various forms of
machine type applications (such as (massive) machine-type
communications (mMTC), including vehicular safety, different
sensors and real-time control. 5G is expected to have multiple
radio interfaces, namely below 6 GHz, cmWave and mmWave, and also
being integrable with existing legacy radio access technologies,
such as the LTE. Integration with the LTE may be implemented, at
least in the early phase, as a system, where macro coverage is
provided by the LTE and 5G radio interface access comes from small
cells by aggregation to the LTE. In other words, 5G is planned to
support both inter-RAT operability (such as LTE-5G) and inter-RI
operability (inter-radio interface operability, such as below 6
GHz-cmWave, below 6 GHz-cmWave-mmWave). One of the concepts
considered to be used in 5G networks is network slicing in which
multiple independent and dedicated virtual sub-networks (network
instances) may be created within the same infrastructure to run
services that have different requirements on latency, reliability,
throughput and mobility.
[0042] The current architecture in LTE networks is fully
distributed in the radio and fully centralized in the core network.
The low latency applications and services in 5G require to bring
the content close to the radio which leads to local break out and
multi-access edge computing (MEC). 5G enables analytics and
knowledge generation to occur at the source of the data. This
approach requires leveraging resources that may not be continuously
connected to a network such as laptops, smartphones, tablets and
sensors. MEC provides a distributed computing environment for
application and service hosting. It also has the ability to store
and process content in close proximity to cellular subscribers for
faster response time. Edge computing covers a wide range of
technologies such as wireless sensor networks, mobile data
acquisition, mobile signature analysis, cooperative distributed
peer-to-peer ad hoc networking and processing also classifiable as
local cloud/fog computing and grid/mesh computing, dew computing,
mobile edge computing, cloudlet, distributed data storage and
retrieval, autonomic self-healing networks, remote cloud services,
augmented and virtual reality, data caching, Internet of Things
(massive connectivity and/or latency critical), critical
communications (autonomous vehicles, traffic safety, real-time
analytics, time-critical control, healthcare applications).
[0043] The communication system is also able to communicate with
other networks, such as a public switched telephone network or the
Internet 112, or utilize services provided by them. The
communication network may also be able to support the usage of
cloud services, for example at least part of core network
operations may be carried out as a cloud service (this is depicted
in FIG. 1 by "cloud" 114). The communication system may also
comprise a central control entity, or a like, providing facilities
for networks of different operators to cooperate for example in
spectrum sharing.
[0044] The technology of Edge cloud may be brought into a radio
access network (RAN) by utilizing network function virtualization
(NFV) and software defined networking (SDN). Using the technology
of edge cloud may mean access node operations to be carried out, at
least partly, in a server, host or node operationally coupled to a
remote radio head or base station comprising radio parts. It is
also possible that node operations will be distributed among a
plurality of servers, nodes or hosts. Application of cloudRAN
architecture enables RAN real time functions being carried out at
the RAN side (in a distributed unit, DU 104) and non-real time
functions being carried out in a centralized manner (in a
centralized unit, CU 108).
[0045] It should also be understood that the distribution of labour
between core network operations and base station operations may
differ from that of the LTE or even be non-existent. Some other
technology advancements probably to be used are Big Data and
all-IP, which may change the way networks are being constructed and
managed. 5G (or new radio, NR) networks are being designed to
support multiple hierarchies, where MEC servers can be placed
between the core and the base station or nodeB (gNB). It should be
appreciated that MEC can be applied in 4G networks as well.
[0046] 5G may also utilize satellite communication to enhance or
complement the coverage of 5G service, for example by providing
backhauling. Possible use cases are providing service continuity
for machine-to-machine (M2M) or Internet of Things (IoT) devices or
for passengers on board of vehicles, or ensuring service
availability for critical communications, and future
railway/maritime/aeronautical communications. Satellite
communication may utilise geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellite
systems, but also low earth orbit (LEO) satellite systems, in
particular mega-constellations (systems in which hundreds of
(nano)satellites are deployed). Each satellite 106 in the
mega-constellation may cover several satellite-enabled network
entities that create on-ground cells. The on-ground cells may be
created through an on-ground relay node 104 or by a gNB located
on-ground or in a satellite.
[0047] It is obvious for a person skilled in the art that the
depicted system is only an example of a part of a radio access
system and in practice, the system may comprise a plurality of
(e/g)NodeBs, the device may have an access to a plurality of radio
cells and the system may comprise also other apparatuses, such as
physical layer relay nodes or other network elements, etc. At least
one of the (e/g)NodeBs or may be a Home(e/g)nodeB. Additionally, in
a geographical area of a radio communication system a plurality of
different kinds of radio cells as well as a plurality of radio
cells may be provided. Radio cells may be macro cells (or umbrella
cells) which are large cells, usually having a diameter of up to
tens of kilometers, or smaller cells such as micro-, femto- or
picocells. The (e/g)NodeBs of FIG. 1 may provide any kind of these
cells. A cellular radio system may be implemented as a multilayer
network including several kinds of cells. Typically, in multilayer
networks, one access node provides one kind of a cell or cells, and
thus a plurality of (e/g)NodeBs are required to provide such a
network structure.
[0048] For fulfilling the need for improving the deployment and
performance of communication systems, the concept of
"plug-and-play" (e/g)NodeBs has been introduced. Typically, a
network which is able to use "plug-and-play" (e/g)Node Bs,
includes, in addition to Home (e/g)NodeBs (H(e/g)nodeBs), a home
node B gateway, or HNB-GW (not shown in FIG. 1). A HNB Gateway
(HNB-GW), which is typically installed within an operator's network
may aggregate traffic from a large number of HNBs back to a core
network.
[0049] Network slicing described briefly in Background allows a
network operator to provide dedicated virtual networks over a
common network infrastructure. The different virtual or logical
networks may be designed to provide different networking
characteristics such as different qualities of service (QoS)
including the QoS at signalling level (e.g. service resiliency,
dimensioning, location of the network functions). For example, the
virtual networks may be customized to meet specific needs of
various applications, services, devices, customers and/or
operators. Network slicing thus enables support for numerous and
varied services envisaged in 5G, for example.
[0050] In a system employing the network slicing, e.g. the system
of FIG. 1, a single physical network or a group of networks is
sliced into multiple virtual networks (slices) that can support
different radio access networks (RANs) or different service types
running across a single RAN. The network slicing may be used to
partition a core network of a cellular communication system such as
a 5G system, but it may also be implemented in the RAN such as the
WLAN or cellular RAN.
[0051] Each network slice may be optimized to provide resources and
network topology for the specific service and traffic that will use
the slice. Network resources may be allocated according to
requirements in terms of mobility, capacity, connectivity and
coverage such that particular demands of each use case will be met.
Physical network components or resources may be shared across
different network slices.
[0052] Each network slice may be isolated from other network slices
so that no network slice interferes with the traffic in another
network slice. Each network slice may be configured with its own
network architecture, engineering mechanism and network
provisioning. The network slice typically contains management
capabilities, which may be controlled by the network operator or
the customer, depending on the use case. The network slice may be
independently managed and orchestrated. The user experience of the
network slice will be the same as if it was a physically separate
network.
[0053] For example, an autonomous car will rely on V2X
(vehicle-to-anything) communication which requires low latency but
not necessarily a high throughput. The URLLC network slice
described in Background may provide a suitable networking service.
A streaming service consumed while the car is in motion will
require a high throughput and is susceptible to latency. The eMBB
network slice described in Background may provide a suitable
networking service for such an application. Both networking
services can be delivered over the same common physical network(s)
on different virtual network slices.
[0054] Each virtual network (network slice) comprises a unique
identifier. 3GPP specifications define Single Network Slice
Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI) and Network Slice
Selection Assistance Information (NSSAI i.e. a collection of
S-NSSAI) for such a purpose. A device may readily have NSSAI values
and application mappings that link applications to the network
slices. The NSSAI values may be provided by a cellular
communication system, or the NSSAI values may exist in a subscriber
identification module (SIM) or equivalent identity card of the
device 100. Slice identification may also take other form than 3GPP
NSSAI.
[0055] FIG. 2A illustrates an embodiment of the network slicing.
The access node 104 may provide access to one or more sliced
networks illustrated by the network slices 120, 130. The network
slice 120 may be established to an end device 126 that may be a
network element of a PLMN, a network element of a private network,
or a server or a similar device in a public network such as the
Internet. The end device may be a network element of a core network
of a cellular communication system such as a 5G system, or a
network residing on top of the core network. In a similar manner,
the network slice 130 may be established to an end device 136 that
may be a network element of the PLMN or a private network. The end
devices 126, 136 may be different network elements, and they may
belong to the same network or different networks. The slices may
employ at least partially the same physical network components and
have unique slice identifiers, e.g. unique NSSAIs. Each network
slice 120, 130 may comprise control functions 122, 132 that control
the functions of the network slices. Examples of the control
functions may include a session management function (SMF), a policy
control function (PCF), and a network function repository function
(NRF). SMF manages data sessions, PCF manages roaming and mobility
and routing policies within the network slice, and NRF maintains a
network function profile of the network slice and supports the
discovery of the network slice. Each network slice may also
comprise user plane function(s) 124, 134 that handle data transfer
through the respective network slice. Additionally, there may be
network functions 140 that are common to multiple network slices
120, 130. Such common functions 140 may include, for example, a
network slice detection function (NSSF) and/or an access and
mobility management function (AMF). Network slice instance
selection for the terminal device 100 may be triggered as a part of
a registration procedure by the AMF that receives the registration
request from the terminal device 100. The AMF retrieves the slices
that are allowed by user subscription and interacts with the
selection of the network slice(s) for the terminal device 100, e.g.
as in the embodiments described below.
[0056] 3GPP specifications describe network slice instance
lifecycle management as depicted in FIG. 2B. A network slice is
first designed in a preparation phase 200. Then, it is instantiated
in step 202, comprising an instantiation phase, a configuration
phase, and an activation phase. Then, the network slice is
operational in step 204 where the network slice may be monitored
and, if deemed necessary, modified. Finally, the network slice may
be decommissioned (step 206) when the network slice is no longer
needed. Accordingly, the network slices may be dynamically
generated, modified, and terminated, as deemed beneficial for the
system.
[0057] Conventionally, the network slice selection policies for the
terminal device are determined in a network node of the network
infrastructure, e.g. by the PCF in the core network. Current
policies rely on the PCF sending rules (e.g. an UE route selection
policy (URSP) as defined in 3GPP specifications) to the UE where
the rules map an application identifier or a target destination,
e.g. an internet protocol (IP) address range, for application
traffic towards a slice that is to be selected by the UE for the
corresponding traffic. However, there are numerous different
applications running in the various terminal devices, and provision
of such information in the network infrastructure may be
complicated. This is complicated because it requires the operator
to be aware of all applications that get proposed in the
application store and be aware of the requirements of such
applications. Most applications can easily use a baseline (default)
slice for eMBB but some may have specific requirements that the
operator is not aware of. This is why it has been recognized by the
authors of this paper that the network slice may need to be
selected on the basis of requirements provided by the UE, e.g. in
terms of quality-of-service (QoS) requirements. The QoS
requirements are specified by a type of data that is supposed to be
delivered, and the type of data is associated with an application
that needs the data delivery. For example, a data streaming
application (e.g. video application) will set different QoS
requirements than an e-mail application, and an IoT sensor may set
different QoS requirements than a V2X application. The QoS
requirements may be accurate or less accurate in view of the true
operation of the application and, therefore, it may be beneficial
to have more detailed information on the application available.
[0058] FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate processes for performing the
network slice selection according to some embodiments. Referring to
FIG. 3, a process executed in the terminal device comprises:
triggering (block 300) network slice selection in the terminal
device for an application executed in the terminal device; in
response to said triggering, transmitting (block 302) a network
slice query request message to a network node of a network
infrastructure; receiving (block 304), from the network node as a
response to the network slice query request message, a network
slice query response message indicating at least one network slice
available to the terminal device and comprising at least one
quality-of-service parameter of the at least one network slice;
selecting (block 306) a network slice of the at least one network
slice for the application on the basis of the at least one
quality-of-service parameter.
[0059] Referring to FIG. 4, the process executed in the network
comprises: receiving (block 400) the network slice query request
message from the terminal device requesting for information on
available network slices; determining (block 402) at least one
network slice available to the terminal device; transmitting (block
402), to the terminal device as a response to the network slice
query request message, the network slice query response message
indicating the at least one network slice available to the terminal
device and comprising at least one quality-of-service parameter of
the at least one network slice; receiving (block 406), from the
terminal device, a message indicating selection of a network slice
for an application executed in the terminal device; and configuring
(block 406) a routing policy data of the application in the
selected network slice in the cellular network infrastructure.
[0060] Block 406 may include establishment of the routing policy or
update of an existing routing policy for the terminal device or for
the application.
[0061] Implementing the network slice selection for an application
in the terminal device improves the slice selection by better
adaptation between the slice capabilities and the characteristics
of the application. The terminal device may take into account
information that is not conventionally available to the PCF, such
as detailed characteristics of the data transfer for the
application. For example, the QoS requirements sent to the PCF
define the requirements on a general level in terms of reliability,
throughput, latency etc. Data traffic pattern of applications may
be highly variable between various applications and operators may
not be aware of all applications and such information cannot be
taken into account in the conventional solutions.
[0062] FIG. 5 illustrates a signalling diagram of an embodiment
that combines the processes of FIGS. 3 and 4. Referring to FIG. 5,
the procedure may start with block 300 that may be triggered upon
launching or installing the application in the terminal device,
upon reception of a new data transfer service request from a
running application, or upon the terminal device entering a new
service area through mobility. The request from the application may
define determined quality-of-service constraints required by the
application. The application may specify QoS requirements for the
data transfer service. A slice selection manager in the terminal
device may the evaluate the QoS requirements in view of the current
data routing policy or policies established for one or more other
applications in the terminal device. If the slice selection manager
finds that one or more currently used network slices meets the QoS
requirements, the terminal device may select one of the network
slices and the procedure of FIG. 5 may move directly to existing
3GPP R16 mechanisms. If a suitable network slice cannot be found
amongst the currently used network slices, the procedure may
proceed to steps 302 and 400 where the terminal device requests the
network node to provide the information on the network slices
currently available to the terminal device.
[0063] In an embodiment, the network slice query request
transferred in steps 302 and 400 comprises at least one information
element indicating an identity of the application.
[0064] In an embodiment, the network slice query request comprises
at least one information element specifying at least one criterion,
e.g. a QoS requirement. The QoS requirement may comprise at least
one of the following required of the network slice for the
application: minimum throughput, minimum latency, minimum
reliability, and charging information.
[0065] In an embodiment, the network node is the PCF and step 302
and 304 may be carried via non-access stratum (NAS), e.g. via the
AMF.
[0066] In an embodiment, the network node is a network slice
selection support function comprised in the PCF or in another
element of the network, e.g. the core network.
[0067] A network slice repository 500 may store information on
currently active network slices and information on access
permissions. The repository may be stored in an unified data
repository (UDR) of the 5G network, for example. In step 402, the
network node may access the slice repository 500 to acquire
information on those one or more network slices that meet the at
least one criterion specified in the network slice query request
and/or to which the terminal device has access permissions (user
subscription data). If no such network slice is currently
operational, block 502 may be executed where the network node
issues a network slice preparation and instantiation request to a
slice manager, e.g. a management and orchestration function (MANO).
Accordingly, blocks 200 and 202 may be executed in block 502.
[0068] Upon acquiring information on the one or more network slices
suitable for the terminal device, the network node adds the
information on the network slice(s) to the network slice query
response, and the response is delivered to the terminal device in
steps 304 and 404. The response may include identifiers of each
network slice comprised in the response. Each identifier of a
network slice may be a single network slice selection assistance
information (S-NSSAI). The response may comprise QoS parameters of
the available network slices, e.g. any one of the parameters
corresponding to the at least one criterion provided in the network
slice query request: throughput, latency, reliability, and charging
information. The parameters may be provided in terms of guaranteed
performance of each network slice. In other words, the response may
indicate for each available network slice a guaranteed throughput,
guaranteed (maximum) latency, guaranteed (minimum) reliability,
etc.
[0069] In block 504, the terminal device then selects one of the
network slices indicated in the response received in step 304. In
the selection, the terminal device may use the parameters of the
network slices provided in the response and, additionally,
requirements defined by the application. Table 1 illustrates an
example of requirements that may be defined by the application:
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Application Network Slice Identifier Traffic
identifier Requirement Remark App #1 Augmented/Virtual Throughput:
>20 Minimum Reality Traffic Mbps requirements Latency: <50 ms
Throughput: >50 Preferred Mbps requirements Latency: <20 ms
Reliability: Medium Throughput: 100 High Quality Mbps Latency:
<10 ms Reliability: High Payment Traffic Reliability: High
Minimum Latency: <1000 ms requirements Throughput: >1 Mbps
Reliability: Very Preferred High requirements Latency: <1000 ms
Throughput: >1 Mbps
[0070] As described above, an advantage of the invention is that
more information on the requirements or preferences of the
applications may be taken into account. QoS requirements typically
specify only minimum requirements for the data transfer and,
therefore, the selection performed in the network may not reach the
full potential in the selection.
[0071] Table 1 shows one example of an application requirement
profile. This profile may be provided by the application to define
its specific requirements of the network slice. At least one
network slice requirement may be provided in the profile. To
improve the selection, multiple network slice requirements may be
provided, for different service levels, e.g. the minimum service
level, preferred service level, high quality level as in Table 1.
Since there may be different traffic types used by an application,
the group of network slice requirements can also be set base on
specific traffic type instead of application type, as illustrated
in Table 1.
[0072] Block 504 may comprise searching the available network
slices to find a network slice that can provide a service level as
high as possible. For example, block 504 may first comprise
checking for a network slice that provides the highest
requirements. If such is found, then that network slice is
selected, e.g. to meet the high-quality requirements of the
application. Then, the application will get the best benefit of the
data transfer. If such a network slice cannot be found, then the
lower (preferred) requirements are cross-referenced with the
parameters of the available network slices. Accordingly, the most
suitable network slice available for the application will be
selected in block 504.
[0073] If there are other criteria for the network slice selection
on terminal device, such as the highest acceptable charging rate,
block 504 may take such criteria into account as well. Based on the
application requirements, block 504 may select a network slice that
can provide a service level as high as possible with the condition
of meeting all local provisioning thresholds such as the maximum
charging rate. This is further refined in connection with FIG.
6.
[0074] Upon selecting the network slice for the application, the
terminal device may transmit to the network node a request to
configure a routing policy for data of the application in the
selected network slice (step 506). The request may comprise at
least one information element indicating an identity of the
application and, in some embodiments, selected network slice
information. Upon receiving the request, the network node may
establish/update a routing policy for the application in the
selected network slice (block 508). The routing policy may be
established in accordance with UE route selection policy (URSP) as
defined in 3.sup.rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)
specifications for 5G. Upon establishing/updating the routing
policy for the application in the selected network slice, the
network node may respond to the terminal device in step 510 and
indicate completion of the routing policy. Step 510 may follow the
PCF downloading the routing policy to the terminal device, e.g. via
an USRP provisioning interface of the 3GPP specifications for 5G.
Once the routing policy is received by the terminal device in step
510, the terminal device may verify the routing policy and start
transfer of application data over the network slice according to
the routing policy (block 512).
[0075] In an embodiment, the terminal device indicates in step 506
information on the application, e.g. the above-described QoS
parameters of the application. The network node may use this
information when establishing/updating the routing policy.
[0076] FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment of the slice selection
process (block 306 or 504) in the terminal device. Referring to
FIG. 6, the process may start in block 600 where one of the network
slices available to the terminal device is selected. In block 602,
the QoS parameters of the picked network slice are retrieved as
well as the application requirements, e.g. the requirements set out
in Table 1. In block 604, the QoS parameters are compared with the
application requirements. If the QoS parameters of the network
slice meet the application requirements, the process proceeds to
block 606. Otherwise, the process terminates for the picked network
slice and proceeds to block 612.
[0077] In block 606, it is determined whether or not the slice is
the first slice that meets the application requirements. If yes,
the slice is stored as a preferred slice in block 608. Otherwise,
the slices that meet the application requirements are compared in
block 610 and one that can better meet the application requirements
is selected as the preferred slice in block 610. For example, if a
first slice is capable of meeting the minimum requirements of the
application while a second slice is capable of meeting the
preferred requirements of the application, the second slice is
preferred over the first slice because of the capability of meeting
the higher preferences of the application. From blocks 608 and 610,
the process may proceed to block 612. In block 612, it is
determined whether there are one or more slices that have not yet
been considered. If yes, the process proceeds to block 600 where
another slice that has not yet been picked will be picked. If all
the available network slices have been considered, the process
proceeds to block 614.
[0078] In block 614, it is determined whether or not the preferred
slice has been stored, i.e. whether or not block 608 has been
executed. If yes, the current preferred slice is selected in block
616. If no preferred slice meeting the application requirements has
not been discovered amongst the network slices currently available
to the terminal device, the process proceeds to block 618.
[0079] In block 618, it is resolved whether or not a slice can be
provided to the application. If a slice reported by the network to
the UE as a candidate for selection has been associated by the
network with an indication that this slice has not (yet) been
subscribed by the user, block 618 may comprise outputting a
notification to a user of the terminal device via a user interface.
The notification may inform the user of the situation of not
finding a network slice (or connection) that would meet all the
specifications and request the user to confirm whether or not the
slice not currently subscribed to may be selected. Based on the
user positive input, the process proceeds to the web page provided
by the network in step 304/404 and, if the following subscription
succeeds on the web page, proceeds to select the corresponding
network slice. Otherwise, if the user input indicates decline to
subscribe to the new slice, or the subscription process fails, etc.
. . . , the terminal device may consider this slice is not suitable
for selection.
[0080] In an embodiment, the network node may in block 402
determine also network slices to which the terminal device
currently has no permissions and provide such network slices in the
response (step 404) as well. Such network slices may be associated
with an information element serving as an indicator of the lacking
access permissions. In such an embodiment, block 306 or 618 may
comprise proposing such a network slice to the user via the user
interface in a situation where no network slice meeting the
application requirements can be found amongst the network slices to
which there are valid access permissions. The user may then select
whether or not (s)he wishes to update the access permissions. If
the user approves the update, the user may be directed to a
procedure where the access permissions are controlled, e.g. via a
uniform resource locator (URL). The URL may be provided by the
network node in step 404 in a case where the response includes at
least one network slice to which the terminal device has no access
permissions currently. When the user has updated the access
permissions by managing his/her subscription, a new set of one or
more network slices becomes available to the terminal device, and a
network slice meeting the application requirements may be
accessible to the terminal device and selected for the
application.
[0081] FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment of a structure of the
above-mentioned functionalities of an apparatus executing the
functions of the network node in the process of FIG. 4 or any one
of its embodiments. The apparatus may be a network node for the
core network of a cellular communication system, e.g. for a PCF. In
another embodiment, the apparatus carrying out the above-described
functionalities of the network node is comprised in such an entity,
e.g. the apparatus may comprise a circuitry, e.g. a chip, a
chipset, a processor, a micro controller, or a combination of such
circuitries in the PCF. The apparatus may be an electronic device
comprising electronic circuitries for realizing some embodiments of
the network node.
[0082] Referring to FIG. 7, the apparatus may comprise a
communication interface 22 or a communication circuitry configured
to provide the apparatus with capability for bidirectional
communication with other network nodes such as the access node 104
and the AMF, and also with the terminal device. The communication
interface 22 may comprise circuitries for processing messages
received from the terminal device and messages transmitted to the
terminal device in the above-described embodiments. The
communication interface 22 may comprise standard well-known
components such as a modem, an amplifier, a filter, a frequency
converter, and encoder/decoder circuitries.
[0083] The apparatus may further comprise a memory 20 storing one
or more computer program products 24 configuring the operation of
at least one processor 10 of the apparatus. The memory 20 may
further store a configuration database storing operational
configurations of the apparatus, e.g. the rule of whether or not
including the information on the network slices to which the
terminal device has no access permissions in the network slice
query response.
[0084] The apparatus may further comprise the at least one
processor 10 configured to carry out the process of FIG. 4 or any
one of its embodiments. Referring to FIG. 8, the processor(s) 10
may comprise a module 14 executing at least some of the
above-described functions of the PCF. The module 14 may comprise
the above-described NSSSF module 12 configured to execute the steps
of FIG. 4. When executing block 402, the NSSSF may employ a slice
information acquisition module 16 configured to retrieve the
required information on the network slices from the slice
repository 500, if the repository is not stored locally at the
memory 20.
[0085] FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment of a structure of the
above-mentioned functionalities of the apparatus 100 executing the
process of FIG. 3 or any one of the embodiments performed by the
terminal device 100. The apparatus may be the terminal device or,
in some embodiments, the apparatus may be a circuitry or an
electronic device realizing some embodiments of the invention in
the terminal device. The apparatus may comply with 3GPP
specifications for 5G and/or IEEE 802.11 technology that connects
the terminal device to the core network of the cellular
communication system via an 802.11 radio interface. The apparatus
may be or may be comprised in a computer (PC), a laptop, a tablet
computer, a cellular phone, a palm computer, a sensor device, or
any other apparatus provided with radio communication capability.
In another embodiment, the apparatus carrying out the
above-described functionalities is comprised in such a device, e.g.
the apparatus may comprise a circuitry such as a chip, a chipset, a
processor, a micro controller, or a combination of such circuitries
in any one of the above-described devices. The apparatus may be an
electronic device comprising electronic circuitries for realizing
some embodiments of the present invention.
[0086] Referring to FIG. 8, the apparatus may comprise a radio
interface providing the apparatus with radio communication
capability within a wireless network. The radio interface 70 may
comprise a radio modem supporting the 5G specifications and/or IEEE
802.11 technology. The radio interface 70 may further comprise a
radio frequency (RF) front end comprising standard well-known
components such as an amplifier, filter, frequency-converter,
(de)modulator, and encoder/decoder circuitries and one or more
antennas.
[0087] The apparatus may further comprise a memory 60 storing one
or more computer program products 62 configuring the operation of
at least one processor of the apparatus. The memory 60 may further
store a configuration database 64 storing operational
configurations of the apparatus. The configuration database 64 may,
for example, store the network slices and corresponding slice
identifiers the apparatus is configured to support, routing
policies for applications currently transferring data, etc. The
configuration database may further store the application
requirements of applications executed in the apparatus.
[0088] The apparatus may further comprise the at least one
processor 50 managing the operation of the apparatus. The at least
one processor 50 may comprise an application processor 56 forming
an application layer. The application processor may execute
computer programs forming the primary function of the apparatus.
For example, if the apparatus is a sensor device, the application
processor may execute one or more signal processing applications
processing measurement data acquired from one or more sensor heads.
If the apparatus is a computer system of a vehicle, the application
processor may execute a media application and/or an autonomous
driving and navigation application. The application processor 56
may generate data to be transmitted over the radio interface and
receive data through the radio interface. The application processor
may output data transfer requests to a connection manager
comprising a slice selection manager 54. The slice selection
manager 54 may perform selection of network slices to applications
needing data transfer services. The slice selection manager may
implement the process of FIG. 3. The apparatus may further comprise
a routing manager configured to receive the routing policy in step
510 and to implement data transfer for the application over the
selected network slice by using the received routing policy. The
routing policy may define, for example, a protocol data unit (PDU)
session to be used for the application data, associated traffic and
service descriptors, etc.
[0089] This definition of `circuitry` applies to uses of this term
in this application. As a further example, as used in this
application, the term "circuitry" would also cover an
implementation of merely a processor (or multiple processors) or
portion of a processor, e.g. one core of a multi-core processor,
and its (or their) accompanying software and/or firmware. The term
"circuitry" would also cover, for example and if applicable to the
particular element, a baseband integrated circuit, an
application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and/or a
field-programmable grid array (FPGA) circuit for the apparatus
according to an embodiment of the invention. The processes or
methods described in FIGS. 3 to 6 may also be carried out in the
form of one or more computer processes defined by one or more
computer programs. A separate computer program may be provided in
one or more apparatuses that execute functions of the processes
described in connection with the Figures. The computer program(s)
may be in source code form, object code form, or in some
intermediate form, and it may be stored in some sort of carrier,
which may be any entity or device capable of carrying the program.
Such carriers include transitory and/or non-transitory computer
media, e.g. a record medium, computer memory, read-only memory,
electrical carrier signal, telecommunications signal, and software
distribution package. Depending on the processing power needed, the
computer program may be executed in a single electronic digital
processing unit or it may be distributed amongst a number of
processing units.
[0090] Embodiments described herein are applicable to wireless
networks defined above but also to other access networks including
e.g. wireline, or other kinds of wireless networks. The protocols
used, the specifications of the wireless networks and their network
elements develop rapidly. Such development may require extra
changes to the described embodiments. Therefore, all words and
expressions should be interpreted broadly and they are intended to
illustrate, not to restrict, the embodiment. It will be obvious to
a person skilled in the art that, as technology advances, the
inventive concept can be implemented in various ways. Embodiments
are not limited to the examples described above but may vary within
the scope of the claims.
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