Method for dynamically slicing mobile devices

• US 10,582,445 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2016
• Issued: 03/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ashwood-Smith, Peter, Wan, Tao
• Primary Examiner(s): Ulysse, Jael M
• Application Number:
  US15/057,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20170257823A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,463 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/12 of transmit antennas, e.g. of the amplitude or phase
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/345 Interference values signal-to-interference ratio [SIR] or carrier-to-interference ratio [CIR] H04B17/336
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

Aspects of the invention pertain to methods and devices that allow user equipment (UE), such as for example wireless devices, to reconfigure their respective antennas in a dynamic manner to allow connection to additional or fewer logical networks, also being referred to as network slices. Changing the configuration of the array of antennas may include changing an existing configuration, or allocation, of the antennas that are currently communicating with a first number of logical networks into a different configuration of antennas for communicating with a second, different second number of logical networks. In some cases this may mean that antennas that were allocated for communicating with a primary logical network are re-allocated for communicating with a second logical network, with other antennas remaining in communication with the primary logical network.

Claims

1. A method in a user equipment (UE), the method comprising:

the UE communicating via at least one first type of access point with a single physical network including a plurality of logical networks, the UE communicating with a first logical network of the plurality of logical networks using a plurality of antennas of the UE;

the UE communicating with the first logical network with a first set of antennas and communicating via at least one access point of the first type of access point with a second logical network of the plurality of logical networks with a second set of antennas, wherein the first set of antennas includes at least one of the plurality of antennas of the UE and the second set of antennas includes at least one of the plurality of antennas of the UE, the antennas of the first set not being included in the antennas of the second set; and

determining, by the UE, whether the first set of antennas communicating with the first logical network and the second set of antennas communicating with the second logical network provides an acceptable level of service for each of the first and second logical networks.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

if the UE determines that the level of service for each of the first and second logical networks is acceptable, the UE allocating the plurality of antennas of the UE into the first set of antennas that includes at least one of the plurality of antennas of the UE and the second set of antennas that includes at least one of the plurality of antennas of the UE; and

if the UE determines that the level of service is not acceptable, the UE maintaining an existing antenna configuration.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

if the UE determines that the level of service is acceptable, the UE transmitting an indication of an allocation of the plurality of antennas to a network-side controller.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the UE receiving a request from the network to allocate the at least one antenna of the plurality of antennas for communicating with the second logical network;

in response to the request, the UE performing said allocating.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the UE transmitting an indication to the network of a change of usage of the UE;

the UE receiving a request from the network to allocate the at least one antenna of the plurality of antennas for communicating with the second logical network; and

in response to the request, the UE performing said allocating.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein receiving the request to allocate the at least one antenna of the plurality of antennas for communication with the second logical network comprises:

receiving an indication of a number of antennas that should be allocated for communicating with the second logical network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the UE determining whether the first set of antennas communicating with the first logical network and the second set of antennas communicating with and the second logical network provides an acceptable level of service comprises:

estimating interference between the first set of antennas and the second set of antennas.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the UE allocating the plurality of antennas of the UE into at least three sets of antennas, wherein each set of antennas includes at least one of the plurality of antennas, and the antennas of each set are not included in the antennas of any other set; and

the UE communicating with the first logical network with the first set of antennas of the at least three sets of antennas and communicating with two or more second logical networks of the plurality of logical networks with a respective set of the remaining sets of antennas.

9. A user equipment (UE) comprising:

a plurality of antennas, the plurality of antennas being configured to communicate with a single physical network including one or more logical networks;

a processor;

a computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that when executed by the processor cause the UE to;

communicate via at least one first type of access point with a first logical network using a subset of the plurality of antennas of the UE; and

communicate with the first logical network with a first set of antennas and communicating via at least one access point of the first type of access point with a second logical network with a second set of antennas, wherein the first set of antennas includes at least one of the subset of the plurality of antennas and the second set of antennas includes at least one of the subset of the plurality of antennas, the antennas of the first set not being included in the antennas of the second set; and

determine whether the first set of antennas communicating with the first logical network and the second set of antennas communicating with the second logical network provide an acceptable level of service for each of the first and second logical networks.

10. The UE of claim 9, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises instructions that when executed by the processor cause the UE to:

if the UE determines that the level of service for each of the first and second logical networks is acceptable, allocate the plurality of antennas of the UE into the first set of antennas that includes at least one of the plurality of antennas of the UE and the second set of antennas that includes at least one of the plurality of antennas of the UE; and

if the UE determines that the level of service is not acceptable, maintain an existing antenna configuration.

11. A method comprising:

a network-side controller receiving an indication of a proposed antenna allocation for a user equipment (UE), wherein the network-side controller is in a single physical network comprising at least a first logical network and a second logical network of a plurality of logical networks, the proposed antenna allocation for the first logical network to communicate with a first set of antennas via at least one first type of access point and the second logical network to communicate with a second set of antennas via at least one access point of the first type of access point, wherein the first logical network and the second logical network communicate with different antennas based on the proposed antenna allocation;

the network-side controller sending a message for the UE to allocate the plurality of antennas based on the proposed antenna allocation;

the network-side controller receiving an indication of a change of usage of the UE from the UE; and

in response to receiving the indication of the change, the network-side controller sending a request to allocate the at least one antenna of the plurality of antennas for communication with the second logical network.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

the network-side controller receiving an indication of a current allocation of the plurality of antennas; and

the network-side controller sending a request to allocate the at least one antenna of the plurality of antennas for communicating with the second logical network.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

the network-side controller selecting the second logical network based on one or more parameters of the UE, wherein the one or more parameters of the UE include one or more of a service plan of the UE, a bandwidth requirement, a delay requirement, a delay variation requirement, a security requirement and a privacy requirement.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein sending the request to allocate the at least one antenna of the plurality of antennas for communication with a second logical network comprises sending an indication of a number of antennas that should be allocated for communication with the second logical network.

15. A network-side controller for configuring antennas of a user equipment (UE) having a plurality of antennas, the network-side controller comprising:

a processor;

a computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that when executed by the processor cause the network-side controller to;

receive an indication of a proposed antenna allocation for the UE, wherein the network-side controller is in a single physical network comprising at least a first logical network and a second logical network of a plurality of logical networks, the proposed antenna allocation for the first logical network to communicate via at least one first type of access point with a first set of antennas and the second logical network to communicate via at least one access point of the first type of access point with a second set of antennas, wherein the first logical network and the second logical network communicating with different antennas based on the proposed antenna allocation;

send a message for the UE to allocate the plurality of antennas based on the proposed antenna allocation;

detect a change of usage of the UE; and

in response to detection of the change, send the UE a request to allocate the at least one antenna of the plurality of antennas for communication with the second logical network.

16. The network-side controller of claim 15 wherein the instructions executed by the processor further cause the network-side controller to:

receive an indication of a change of usage of the UE or an indication of a current allocation of the plurality of antennas.

17. The network-side controller of claim 15 wherein the instructions executed by the processor further cause the network-side controller to:

select the second logical network based on one or more parameters of the UE.

18. The network-side controller of claim 15 wherein the instructions executed by the processor further cause the network-side controller to:

send an indication of a number of antennas that should be allocated for communication with the second logical network.