US-12628048-B2 - Systems and methods for providing network slice quality of service modifications in real time

Abstract

A network device may receive, from a user device, a request for data associated with network slices provided to a region or a network, and may provide, to the user device, network slice data, quality of service (QoS) levels, and a policy lookup table based on the request. The network device may receive, from the user device, priority data identifying a network slice for prioritization, a duration of the prioritization, and a policy for the prioritization, and may create, based on the priority data, a QoS policy table that includes a QoS level for the network slice. The network device may cause network functions to utilize the QoS policy table for a user equipment.

Inventors

• Satish S. Vasamsetti
• Emerando M. Delos Reyes
• Jerry STEBEN
• Tony Ferreira

Assignees

• VERIZON PATENT AND LICENSING INC.

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20231020

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A method, comprising: receiving, by a unified data repository (UDR) and from a user device, a request for data associated with network slices provided to a region or a network; providing, by the UDR and to the user device, network slice data, quality of service (QoS) levels, and a policy lookup table based on the request; receiving, by the UDR, from the user device, and in response to providing the network slice data, the QOS levels, and the policy lookup table to the user device, priority data identifying a network slice for prioritization, a duration of the prioritization, and a policy for the prioritization; creating, by the UDR and based on the priority data, a QoS policy table that includes a QoS level for the network slice; and causing, by the UDR, network functions to utilize the QoS policy table for a user equipment.
2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: acknowledging receipt of the priority data from the user device.
3. 3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein causing the network functions to utilize the QoS policy table for the user equipment comprises: causing the network functions to utilize the QoS level for the network slice and the user equipment.
4. 4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: providing a service to the user equipment via the network slice and based on the QoS policy table.
5. 5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the service includes one or more of: a service that prioritizes the network slice for handling first responder traffic, a service that prioritizes traffic associated with the network slice in order to reduce network congestion, or a service that throttles traffic associated with the network slice.
6. 6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the network functions are configured to utilize the QoS policy table to modify a QoS of the network slice.
7. 7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the user equipment utilizes the network slice for one or more applications.
8. 8 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions, the set of instructions comprising: one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a unified data repository (UDR), cause the UDR to: receive, from a user device, a request for data associated with network slices provided to a region or a network; provide, to the user device, network slice data, quality of service (QoS) levels, and a policy lookup table based on the request; receive, from the user device and in response to providing the network slice data, the QOS levels, and the policy lookup table to the user device, priority data identifying a network slice for prioritization, a duration of the prioritization, and a policy for the prioritization; acknowledge receipt of the priority data from the user device; create, based on the priority data, a QoS policy table that includes a QoS level for the network slice; and cause network functions to utilize the QoS policy table for a user equipment.
9. 9 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the UDR to cause the network functions to utilize the QoS policy table for the user equipment, cause the UDR to: cause the network functions to utilize the QoS level for the network slice and the user equipment.
10. 10 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the one or more instructions further cause the UDR to: provide a service to the user equipment via the network slice and based on the QoS policy table.
11. 11 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the service includes one or more of: a service that prioritizes the network slice for handling first responder traffic, a service that prioritizes traffic associated with the network slice in order to reduce network congestion, or a service that throttles traffic associated with the network slice.
12. 12 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the one or more instructions further cause the UDR to utilize the QoS policy table to modify a QoS of the network slice.
13. 13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the user equipment utilizes the network slice for one or more applications.
14. 14 . A unified data repository (UDR), comprising: one or more processors configured to: receive from a user device, a request for data associated with network slices provided to a region or a network; provide, to the user device, network slice data, quality of service (QoS) levels, and a policy lookup table based on the request; receive, from the user device, in response to providing the network slice data, the QOS levels, and the policy lookup table to the user device, priority data identifying a network slice for prioritization, a duration of the prioritization, and a policy for the prioritization; create, based on the priority data, a QoS policy table that includes a QoS level for the network slice; and cause network functions to utilize the QoS policy table for a user equipment.
15. 15 . The UDR of claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: acknowledge receipt of the priority data from the user device.
16. 16 . The UDR of claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors, to cause the network functions to utilize the QoS policy table for the user equipment, are configured to: cause the network functions to utilize the QoS level for the network slice and the user equipment.
17. 17 . The UDR of claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: provide a service to the user equipment via the network slice and based on the QoS policy table.
18. 18 . The UDR of claim 14 , wherein the service includes one or more of: a service that prioritizes the network slice for handling first responder traffic, a service that prioritizes traffic associated with the network slice in order to reduce network congestion, or a service that throttles traffic associated with the network slice.
19. 19 . The UDR of claim 14 , wherein the network functions are configured to utilize the QoS policy table to modify a QoS of the network slice.
20. 20 . The UDR of claim 14 , wherein the user equipment utilizes the network slice for one or more applications.

Description

BACKGROUND A network slice is a logical partition of a physical network that provides customized services and resources to different types of users and applications. In fifth generation (5G) networks, network slicing enables creation of multiple virtual networks on top of a common infrastructure, where each network slice may include different performance, security, and reliability requirements. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGS. 1A-1F are diagrams of an example associated with providing network slice quality of service (QoS) modifications in real time. FIG. 2 is a diagram of an example environment in which systems and/or methods described herein may be implemented. FIG. 3 is a diagram of example components of one or more devices of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an example process for providing network slice QoS modifications in real time. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS The following detailed description of example implementations refers to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers in different drawings may identify the same or similar elements. Network slicing enables fifth generation (5G) networks to support diverse use cases such as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC), massive machine-type communication (mMTC), public safety handling mission critical applications, and/or the like. Thus, network slicing enables virtual end-to-end networks tailored to applications. Network slices may be pre-configured as basic or customized to meet customers' specific application needs and characteristics. However, once a network slice is created and deployed, an assigned network slice quality of service (QoS) cannot be modified by a 5G service provider (e.g., a network operator). Thus, current techniques for utilizing network slices consume computing resources (e.g., processing resources, memory resources, communication resources, and/or the like), networking resources, and/or other resources associated with failing to enable a QoS of network slice to be modified after deployment, failing to provide adequate services via a network slice due being unable to modify the QoS of the network slice, providing a poor user experience for users of a network slice that would benefit from a QoS modification, and/or the like. Some implementations described herein provide a network device (e.g., a unified data repository (UDR)) that provides network slice QoS modifications in real time. For example, the UDR may receive, from a user device, a request for data associated with network slices provided to a region or a network, and may provide, to the user device, network slice data, QoS levels, and a policy lookup table based on the request. The UDR may receive, from the user device, priority data identifying a network slice for prioritization, a duration of the prioritization, and a policy for the prioritization, and may create, based on the priority data, a QoS policy table that includes a QoS level for the network slice. The UDR may cause network functions to utilize the QoS policy table for a user equipment (UE). In this way, the UDR provides network slice QoS modifications in real time. For example, the UDR may enable a 5G service provider to change or modify an assigned network slice QoS dynamically or in real time. The QoS changes may be applied to a new network slice and/or an existing network slice, and to data traffic generated by applications and users associated with the network slice. The UDR may enable a duration or a time interval for the QoS change to be specified before reverting to an original QoS. In some implementations, the UDR may enable a 5G mobile subscriber (e.g., a UE) to modify an assigned QoS for selected applications and for a specified duration. A user may utilize the UE to select applications for QoS modifications and to specify durations of the QoS modifications. The UDR may verify user credentials and device capabilities of the UE and may cause network slicing functions to map the selected applications either to a particular network slice (e.g., an eMBB slice or a URLLC slice). Thus, the UDR may conserve computing resources, networking resources, and/or other resources that would have otherwise been consumed by failing to enable a QoS of network slice to be modified after deployment, failing to provide adequate services via a network slice due being unable to modify the QoS of the network slice, providing a poor user experience for users of a network slice that would benefit from a QoS modification, and/or the like. FIGS. 1A-1F are diagrams of an example 100 associated with providing network slice QoS modifications in real time. As shown in FIGS. 1A-1F, example 100 includes a UE 105, a base station 110, and a user device 120 associated with a core network 115. The core network 115 may include a UDR, an access and mobility management (AM)/UE policy control function (PCF), a session management (SM) PCF, an access and mobility manag