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EP-4740602-A1 - METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING NETWORK SLICE SELECTION IN A TELECOMMUNICATIONS NETWORK

EP4740602A1EP 4740602 A1EP4740602 A1EP 4740602A1EP-4740602-A1

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method and a system for managing network slice selection in a telecommunications network, The method comprises receiving, by a transceiver unit [301], a slice selection request from an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) [106], wherein the slice selection request comprises one or more network slices supported by the AMF [106] in a tracking area within a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN); verifying, by a verification unit [303], the one or more network slices based on a list of subscribed slices stored in a slice database to determine permissibility of each slice of the one or more slices within the tracking area; and transmitting, by the transceiver unit [301], a response to the AMF [106] based on the verification, the response comprising a list of authorized network slices and one or more Tracking Area Identifiers (TAIs) associated with the list of authorized network slices.

Inventors

  • JHA, ADITYAKAR
  • BHATNAGAR, AAYUSH
  • KHANDELWAL, Ankush
  • SINGH, HEMANT
  • RANI, MEENAKSHI
  • YADAV, Santosh Kumar
  • VASHISHTH, Yog
  • SINHA, ANURAG

Assignees

  • Jio Platforms Limited

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20240611

Claims (13)

  1. 1. A method for managing network slice selection in a telecommunications network, the method comprising: receiving, by a transceiver unit [301], a slice selection request from an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) [106], wherein the slice selection request comprises one or more network slices supported by the AMF [106] in a tracking area within a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN); verifying, by a verification unit [303], the one or more network slices based on a list of subscribed slices stored in a slice database to determine permissibility of each slice of the one or more slices within the tracking area; and transmitting, by the transceiver unit [301], a response to the AMF [106] based on the verification, the response comprising a list of authorized network slices and one or more Tracking Area Identifiers (TAIs) associated with the list of authorized network slices.
  2. 2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method comprises storing, by a storing unit [305], a mapping of the list of authorized network slices and the one or more Tracking Area Identifiers (TAIs) associated with the list of authorized network slices in the slice database.
  3. 3. The method as claimed in claim 2, the method further comprises: searching, by a searching unit [307], a requested slice of the slice selection request in the slice database; and transmitting, by the transceiver unit [301], one of an authorized response or an unauthorized response to the AMF [106], wherein the authorized response is transmitted upon a positive search and the unauthorized response is transmitted upon a negative search.
  4. 4. The method as claimed in claim 1, the method further comprises: receiving, by the transceiver unit [301], an availability request from the AMF [106], wherein the availability request comprises a list of network slices supported by the AMF [106] for one or more tracking area identifiers in the PLMN; and storing, by the storing unit, the list of network slices supported by the AMF [106] for one or more tracking area identifiers in the PLMN in a slice database in run-time.
  5. 5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein upon receiving, from the AMF [106], a subsequent network slice selection request comprising a requested slice and a subscribed slice, the method comprises: verifying, by the verification unit [303], the requested slice based on the list of subscribed slices using the slice database to filter a set of valid slices; querying, by a querying unit [309], the slice database for one or more AMF instances capable of serving the filtered set of valid slices; and transmitting, by the transceiver unit [301], a response to the AMF [106] with a list of AMF instances capable of serving the requested network slice.
  6. 6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein managing network slice selection is implemented at a Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF) [116],
  7. 7. A system for managing network slice selection in a telecommunications network, the system comprising: a transceiver unit [301] configured to receive a slice selection request from an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) [106], wherein the slice selection request comprises one or more network slices supported by the AMF [106] in a tracking area within a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN); a verification unit [303] connected to at least the transceiver unit [301], wherein the verification unit [303] configured to verify the one or more network slices based on a list of subscribed slices stored in a slice database to determine permissibility of each slice of the one or more slices within the tracking area; and the transceiver unit [301] configured to transmit a response to the AMF [106] based on the verification, the response comprising a list of authorized network slices and one or more Tracking Area Identifiers (TAIs) associated with the list of authorized network slices.
  8. 8. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the system comprises a storing unit [305] configured to store a mapping of the list of authorized network slices and the one or more TAIs associated with the list of authorized network slices in the slice database.
  9. 9. The system as claimed in claim 8, comprises: a searching unit [307] configured to search a requested slice in the slice selection request in the slice database; and the transceiver unit [301] configured to transmit one of an authorized response or an unauthorized response to the AMF [106], wherein the authorized response is transmitted upon a positive search and the unauthorized response is transmitted upon a negative search.
  10. 10. The system as claimed in claim 7, comprises: the transceiver unit [301] configured to receive an availability request from the AMF [106], wherein the availability request comprises a list of network slices supported by the AMF [106] for one or more tracking area identifiers in the PLMN; and the storing unit [305] configured to store the list of network slices supported by the AMF [106] for one or more tracking area identifiers in the PLMN in a slice database in runtime.
  11. 11. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein upon receiving, from the AMF [106], a subsequent network slice selection request comprising a requested slice and a subscribed slice: the verification unit [303] is configured to verify the requested slice based on the list of subscribed slices using the slice database to filter a set of valid slices; a querying unit [309] is configured to query the slice database for one or more AMF instances capable of serving the filtered set of valid slices; and the transceiver unit [301] is configured to transmit a response to the AMF [106] with a list of AMF instances capable of serving the requested network slice.
  12. 12. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein managing network slice selection is implemented at a Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF) [116],
  13. 13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for managing network slice selection in a telecommunications network, the storage medium comprising executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system, causes: a transceiver unit [301] to receive a slice selection request from an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) [106], wherein the slice selection request comprises one or more network slices supported by the AMF [106] in a tracking area within a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN); a verification unit [303] to verify the one or more network slices based on a list of subscribed slices stored in a slice database to determine permissibility of each slice of the one or more slices within the tracking area; and the transceiver unit [301] to transmit a response to the AMF [106] based on the verification, the response comprising a list of authorized network slices and one or more Tracking Area Identifiers (TAIs) associated with the list of authorized network slices.

Description

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING NETWORK SLICE SELECTION INA TELECOMMUNICATIONS NETWORK FIELD OF INVENTION [0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to network performance management systems. More particularly, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to managing network slice selection in a telecommunications network. BACKGROUND [0002] The following description of the related art is intended to provide background information pertaining to the field of the disclosure. This section may include certain aspects of the art that may be related to various features of the present disclosure. However, it should be appreciated that this section is used only to enhance the understanding of the reader with respect to the present disclosure, and not as admissions of the prior art. [0003] Wireless communication technology has rapidly evolved over the past few decades, with each generation bringing significant improvements and advancements. The first generation of wireless communication technology was based on analog technology and offered only voice services. However, with the advent of the second-generation (2G) technology, digital communication and data services became possible, and text messaging was introduced. The third- generation (3G) technology marked the introduction of high-speed internet access, mobile video calling, and location-based services. The fourth-generation (4G) technology revolutionized wireless communication with faster data speeds, better network coverage, and improved security. Currently, the fifth-generation (5G) technology is being deployed, promising even faster data speeds, low latency, and the ability to connect multiple devices simultaneously. With each generation, wireless communication technology has become more advanced, sophisticated, and capable of delivering more services to its users. Further, reducing call drops and latency is of paramount importance in the telecommunications industry. Call drops can be frustrating for users, and they can also result in lost revenue for service providers. Latency, on the other hand, refers to the time it takes for data to travel from one device to another and can cause delays and disruptions in communication. The introduction of 5G technology promises to address these issues by delivering ultra-low latency and high-speed data transmission. With 5G, call drops are going to be minimized, and users are going to experience seamless, uninterrupted communication. Additionally, 5G technology may enable the development of new applications and services that require high-speed, low-latency communication, such as remote surgeries, autonomous vehicles, and virtual reality. The reduction of call drops and latency is crucial in ensuring that users have access to reliable and efficient communication services, and the 5G technology is a significant step towards achieving this goal. [0004] In the 5G communication system, a number of functional modules are provided, for example an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), a Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF), and/or a Network Repository Function (NRF), etc., one or more of which interact with each other to implement multiple operations of the 5G communication system. The NSSF is one of the key components of 5G communication system. One such operation relates to assigning of a slice for a user equipment (UE) while doing 5G registration. For such operation, the AMF sends a slice selection request to the NSSF. As would be understood, the 5G service-based architecture may adopt the web’s client-server model, where the client may be referred to as NF Service Consumer (for example, AMF) and the server may be referred to as NF Service Provider (for example, NSSF). [0005] The NSSF is thereafter required to select the slice to the UE, as per the requirement of different UEs. The 5G communication system can deploy multiple Network Slice Instances delivering exactly the same features for distinct groups of UEs. The NSSF offers services to the AMF and the NSSF in a different PLMN via the NSSF service-based interface. Following are the key Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF) functionalities: • Authorize the set of network slice instances for an AMF Availability (registration). • Determining a Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (NSSAI) allowed for selection of the slice. • Determining the AMF Set /Candidate list to be used to serve the UE based on the AMF Availability (registration). [0006] In other words, the AMF, the NSSF, and the NRF, suitably communicate with each other, for assigning the slice for the UE. In particular, the UE may be initially assigned with a default slice information. Whereas, when the UE moves from one location to another or from a Home PLMN to the visited PLMN, the UE is required to be updated with a new slice information in the visited PLMN. For such purposes, the UE sends 5G Registration request to the AMF of the visited PLMN. The AMF further sends the s