METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ADMISSION CONTROL WITH NETWORK SLICE CAPABILITY

• US 20200137621A1
• Filed: 10/29/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Yang, Jin, Aksu, Arda, Kotecha, Lalit R., Chan, Yee Sin
• Granted Patent: US 11,019,528 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/78 Architectures of resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0289 Congestion control load shedding arrangements in network planning H04W16/08; performing reselection for handling the traffic H04W36/22; wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/18 Management of setup rejection or failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states

Abstract

Systems and methods enable a wireless station in a radio access network to apply slice-based admission control. A wireless station receives, from a core network, network slice data for each network slice available via the wireless station, wherein the network slice data includes a slice identifier and corresponding slice status for each network slice; and receives, from a user equipment (UE) device, a service request that indicates a network slice identifier previously assigned to the UE device. The wireless station applies, based on the network slice data from the core network and the network slice identifier from the UE device, admission controls to forward the service request to the core network when the one of the network slices, corresponding to the network slice identifier, is not congested, and delay or redirect the service request when the one of the network slices, corresponding to the network slice identifier, is congested.

Claims

1. A wireless station, comprising:

a first communications interface for sending or receiving data using a wireless access network;

a second communications interface for exchanging data with a core network;

one or more memories to store instructions; and

one or more processors configured to execute the instructions to;

receive, from the core network via the second communications interface, network slice data for each network slice available via the wireless station, wherein the network slice data includes a slice identifier and corresponding slice status for each network slice,

receive, from a user equipment (UE) device via the first communication interface, a service request that indicates a network slice identifier previously assigned to the UE device, and

apply, based on the network slice data from the core network and the network slice identifier from the UE device, admission controls to;

forward the service request to the core network when one of the network slices, corresponding to the network slice identifier, is not congested, and

delay or redirect the service request when the one of the network slices, corresponding to the network slice identifier, is congested.

2. The wireless station of claim 1, wherein, when forwarding the service request to the core network, the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:

send, to an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) instance associated with the slice identifier, a message to establish a connection.

3. The wireless station of claim 1, wherein the network slice data further includes:

a service category associated with each of the network slice identifiers, and

an internet protocol (IP) address for an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) instance associated with each slice identifier.

4. The wireless station of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:

store, in the one or more memories, a data structure including the network slice data.

5. The wireless station of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:

receive updated network slice data for one or more of the network slices available via the wireless station, and

update the data structure.

6. The wireless station of claim 5, wherein the updated network slice data includes one or more of a current latency value or a current bandwidth value for each of the network slices.

7. The wireless station of claim 1, wherein, when applying the admission controls to redirect, the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:

identify a different network slice with configured service levels equal to or higher than configured service levels of the one of the network slices corresponding to the network slice identifier, and

send, to an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) instance associated with the different network slice, an initial message to establish a connection.

8. The wireless station of claim 1, wherein, when applying the admission controls to delay, the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:

determine a back-off interval for the UE device, and

send, to the UE device, a retry message including the back-off interval.

9. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a wireless station for a radio access network (RAN) and from a core network, network slice data for each network slice available via the wireless station, wherein the network slice data includes a slice identifier and corresponding slice status for each network slice,

receiving, by the wireless station and from a user equipment (UE) device, a service request that indicates a network slice identifier previously assigned to the UE device, and

applying, by the wireless station and based on the network slice data from the core network and the network slice identifier from the UE device, admission controls to;

forward the service request to the core network when one of the network slices, corresponding to the network slice identifier, is not congested, and

delay or redirect the service request when the one of the network slices, corresponding to the network slice identifier, is congested.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein forwarding the service request to the core network further comprises:

send, to an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) instance associated with the slice identifier, a message to establish a connection between the UE device and the core network.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the network slice data further includes a service category associated with each of the network slice identifiers.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

storing, by the wireless station and in a local memory, a data structure including the network slice data.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, after receiving the service request, updated network slice data for one or more of the network slices available via the wireless station.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving updated network slice data for one or more of the network slices available via the wireless station, wherein the updated network slice data includes one or more of a current latency value or a current bandwidth value for each of the network slices, and

updating a data structure to reflect the current latency values or the current bandwidth values.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein applying the admission controls to redirect further comprises:

identifying a different network slice with configured service levels equal to or higher than configured service levels of the one of the network slices corresponding to the network slice identifier, and

sending, to an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) instance associated with the different network slice, an initial message to establish a connection.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein applying the admission controls to delay further comprises:

determining a back-off interval for the UE device, and

sending, to the UE device, a retry message including the back-off interval.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the wireless station includes a gNodeB for a New Radio network.

18. Non-transitory, computer-readable storage media storing instructions executable by one or more processors of one or more devices, which when executed cause the one or more devices to:

receive, from a core network via a first communications interface, network slice data for each network slice available via a wireless station, wherein the network slice data includes a slice identifier and corresponding slice status for each network slice,

receive, from a user equipment (UE) device via a second communication interface, a service request that indicates a network slice identifier previously assigned to the UE device, and

apply, based on the network slice data from the core network and the network slice identifier from the UE device, admission controls to;

forward the service request to the core network when one of the network slices, corresponding to the network slice identifier, is not congested, and

delay or redirect the service request when the one of the network slices, corresponding to the network slice identifier, is congested.

19. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage media of claim 18, further comprising instructions to:

store, in a local memory, a data structure including the network slice data.

20. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage media of claim 19, further comprising instructions to:

update the data structure to reflect current latency values or current bandwidth values for each network slice.