DESC:FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970 (39 OF 1970)
&
THE PATENT RULES, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See section 10 and rule 13)

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IDENTIFYING A NETWORK SLICE IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORK

Jio Platforms Limited, an Indian company, having registered address at Office -101, Saffron, Nr. Centre Point, Panchwati 5 Rasta, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad - 380006, Gujarat, India

The following complete specification particularly describes the disclosure and the manner in which it is performed.

TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a field of wireless communication networks. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a system and a method for identifying a network slice in a wireless communication network.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The subject matter disclosed in the background section should not be assumed or construed to be prior art merely due to its mention in the background section. Similarly, any problem statement mentioned in the background section or its association with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed or construed to have been previously recognized in the prior art.
[0003] With the recent developments in the Fifth Generation (5G) telecommunication systems, more customers are attracted to migrate from Fourth Generation (4G) network to 5G network. The 5G network provides lower latency, higher capacity, and increased bandwidth compared to the 4G network. Further, in the 5G network, network slicing is performed to support different service requirements of the 5G network. The network slicing provides specific and dedicated connectivity services over the 5G network.
[0004] A Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF) and a Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (NSSAI) in the 5G network assists in selecting a network slice. The NSSAI consists of a list of Single NSSAIs (S-NSSAIs). A network, such as a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), combines different 5G core network entities to deliver flexible types of network slices (i.e., NSSAIs), and these network slices can be delivered in real time based on S-NSSAIs values provided in N1 interface.
[0005] Each network slice has a dedicated 5G core network to serve a specific application. Also, 5G core network functions are not shared across the multiple network slices in the 5G network. Each slice is served with a common Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) with a single PLMN. The NG-RAN selects an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) of the core entity based on a network slice identity provided by a User Equipment (UE) during the initial registration process. However, there are few scenarios where the UE does not send the network slice identity to the NG-RAN due to unavailability of information regarding the network slice, which leads to a failure of registration of the UE with the 5G network. Also, in some instances, the UE forwards an incorrect network slice identity to the NG-RAN, which leads to the failure of registration of the UE with the 5G network.
[0006] In conventional methods, where the UE does not send the network slice identity along with the registration request to the NG-RAN, the NG-RAN forwards the registration request to a default AMF. If the default AMF does not belong to the subscription of the UE, the AMF forwards the request to a Unified Data Management (UDM) for authentication. The UDM rejects the registration request leading to the failure of registration of the UE with the 5G network.
[0007] In scenarios where the UE sends an incorrect network slice identity along with the registration request to the NG-RAN, the NG-RAN forwards the registration request to the AMF that does not belong to the subscribed network slice of the UE. The UDM receives the request from the AMF and rejects the registration request leading to the failure of registration of the UE with the 5G network. However, conventional methods do not provide any solution to the above-mentioned scenarios which leads to the failure registration of the UE in the 5G network.
[0008] Therefore, there is a need for identifying a correct AMF associated with each network slice in the wireless communication network to register the UE to the network slice.
SUMMARY
[0009] The following embodiments present a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed invention. This summary is not an extensive overview, and it is not intended to identify key/critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
[0010] In an embodiment, a method for identifying a network slice among a plurality of network slices connected to a network node in a communication network is disclosed. The method includes receiving, by a receiving module of the network node, a registration request from a User Equipment (UE) to connect the UE to the communication network. The method further includes determining, by a determining module of the network node, that a network slice identity (ID) is incorrect or absent in the registration request based on a failure of a connection of the UE to the communication network. Further, the method includes identifying, by an identifying module of the network node, the network slice ID associated with a requested network slice among the plurality of network slices based on a Subscription Concealed Identifier (SUCI) information included in the registration request. The SUCI comprises a routing indicator and a value of the routing indicator is associated with the network slice ID of the requested network slice.
[0011] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the method further includes identifying, by the identifying module of the network node, an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) associated with the requested network slice based on the identification of the network slice ID. Further, the method includes transmitting, by a transmitting module of the network node, the registration request to the identified AMF.
[0012] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the value of routing indicator comprises one or more decimal digits assigned by a home network operator of the UE and provisioned in a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM). The one or more decimal digits are in a range of 1 to 4.
[0013] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the value of routing indicator is mapped with the network slice ID among a plurality of network slice IDs associated with the plurality of network slices and the mapping of the value of routing indicator and the network slice ID is provided by the home network operator of the UE.
[0014] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the network node is Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN).
[0015] In another embodiment, a system for identifying a network slice among a plurality of network slices connected to a network node in a communication network is disclosed. The system includes a receiving module configured to receive, at the network node, a registration request from a User Equipment (UE) to connect the UE to the communication network. The system further includes a determining module configured to determine, at the network node, that a network slice identity (ID) is incorrect or absent in the registration request based on a failure of a connection of the UE to the communication network. Further, the system includes an identifying module configured to identify, at the network node, the network slice ID associated with a requested network slice among the plurality of network slices based on a Subscription Concealed Identifier (SUCI) information included in the registration request. The SUCI comprises a routing indicator and a value of the routing indicator is associated with the network slice ID of the requested network slice.
[0016] In one or more embodiments, a method for identifying a network slice among a plurality of network slices connected to a network node in a communication network is disclosed. The method includes receiving, by a receiving module of a caretaker Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), a registration request from a User Equipment (UE) via the network node to connect the UE to the communication network. The method further includes identifying, by an identifying module of the caretaker AMF, a network slice identity (ID) associated with a requested network slice among the plurality of network slices based on a Subscription Concealed Identifier (SUCI) information included in the registration request. The SUCI comprises a routing indicator and the network slice ID is identified based on a predefined mapping of routing indicator values with network slice IDs of the plurality of network slices. Further, the method includes rerouting, by a routing module of the caretaker AMF, upon identifying the network slice ID, a Non-Access Stratum (NAS) request to the network node. The NAS request comprises the identified network slice ID associated with the requested network slice.
[0017] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the caretaker AMF receives the registration request from the UE via the network node upon determining that the network slice ID is incorrect or absent in the registration request and the determination that the network slice ID is incorrect or absent in the registration request is based on a failure of a connection of the UE to the communication network.
[0018] In one or more embodiments, a system for identifying a network slice among a plurality of network slices connected to a network node in a communication network is disclosed. The system includes a receiving module configured to receive, at a caretaker Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), a registration request from a User Equipment (UE) via the network node to connect the UE to the communication network. The system further includes an identifying module configured to identify a network slice identity (ID) associated with a requested network slice among the plurality of network slices based on a Subscription Concealed Identifier (SUCI) information included in the registration request. The SUCI comprises a routing indicator and the network slice ID is identified based on a predefined mapping of routing indicator values with network slice IDs of the plurality of network slices. Further, the system includes a routing module configured to reroute, upon identifying the network slice ID, a Non-Access Stratum (NAS) request to the network node. The NAS request comprises the identified network slice ID associated with the requested network slice.
[0019] In one or more embodiments, a method for identifying a network slice among a plurality of network slices connected to a network node in a communication network is disclosed. The method includes receiving, by a receiving module of a caretaker Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), a registration request from a User Equipment (UE) via the network node to connect the UE to the communication network. The method further includes sending, by a transmitting module of the caretaker AMF, a query to a plurality of Unified Data Management (UDM) associated with a plurality of network slices to determine whether a Subscription Concealed Identifier (SUCI) is provisioned with at least one UDM. Further, the method includes receiving, by the receiving module of the caretaker AMF, a response from the at least one UDM that the SUCI is provisioned with the at least one UDM. Furthermore, the method includes identifying by an identifying module of the caretaker AMF, a network slice identity (ID) associated with requested network slice among the plurality of network slices based on the response from the at least one UDM.
[0020] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the method further includes rerouting, by a routing module of the caretaker AMF, upon identifying the network slice ID, a Non-Access Stratum (NAS) request to the network node. The NAS request comprises the identified network slice ID associated with the requested network slice.
[0021] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the caretaker AMF receives the registration request from the UE via the network node upon determining that the network slice ID is incorrect or absent in the registration request and the determination that the network slice ID is incorrect or absent in the registration request is based on a failure of a connection of the UE to the communication network.
[0022] In one or more embodiments, a system for identifying a network slice among a plurality of network slices connected to a network node in a communication network is disclosed. The system includes a receiving module configured to receive, at a caretaker Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), a registration request from a User Equipment (UE) via the network node to connect the UE to the communication network. The system further includes a transmitting module configured to send a query to a plurality of Unified Data Management (UDM) associated with a plurality of network slices to determine whether a Subscription Concealed Identifier (SUCI) is provisioned with at least one UDM. The receiving module is further configured to receive a response from the at least one UDM that the SUCI is provisioned with the at least one UDM. Further, the system includes an identifying module configured to identify network slice identity (ID) associated with a requested network slice among the plurality of network slices based on the response from the at least one UDM.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0023] Various embodiments disclosed herein will become better understood from the following detailed description when read with the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings constitute a part of the present disclosure and illustrate certain non-limiting embodiments of inventive concepts disclosed herein. Further, components and elements shown in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. For the purpose of consistency and ease of understanding, similar components and elements are annotated by reference numerals in the exemplary drawings.
[0024] FIG. 1 illustrates a diagram depicting an environment of a wireless communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0025] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a system for identifying a network slice among a plurality of network slices connected to a network node in the wireless communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0026] FIG. 3 illustrates a multiple network slice architecture depicting core network entities, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0027] FIG. 4 illustrates a process flow diagram depicting a communication between a User Equipment (UE), a Radio Access Network (RAN), and Access and Mobility management Function (AMF) for identifying a correct AMF for the UE, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0028] FIG. 5 illustrates a process flow diagram depicting a method for identifying the network slice among the plurality of network slices connected to the network node in the wireless communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0029] FIG. 6 illustrates a process flow diagram depicting a communication between the UE, the RAN, a caretaker AMF, and the AMF for identifying a correct AMF for the UE, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0030] FIG. 7 illustrates a process flow diagram depicting a method for identifying the network slice among the plurality of network slices connected to the network node in the wireless communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0031] FIG. 8 illustrates a process flow diagram depicting a communication between the UE, the RAN, the caretaker AMF, the AMF, and a Unified Data Management (UDM) for identifying a correct AMF for the UE, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0032] FIG. 9 illustrates a process flow diagram depicting a method for identifying the network slice among the plurality of network slices connected to the network node in the wireless communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0033] Inventive concepts of the present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which examples of one or more embodiments of inventive concepts are shown. Inventive concepts may, however, be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Further, the one or more embodiments disclosed herein are provided to describe the inventive concept thoroughly and completely, and to fully convey the scope of each of the present inventive concepts to those skilled in the art. Furthermore, it should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are not mutually exclusive concepts. Accordingly, one or more components from one embodiment may be tacitly assumed to be present or used in any other embodiment.
[0034] The following description presents various embodiments of the present disclosure. The embodiments disclosed herein are presented as teaching examples and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. The present disclosure should in no way be limited to the illustrative implementations, drawings, and techniques illustrated below, including the exemplary design and implementation illustrated and described herein, but may be modified, omitted, or expanded upon without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
[0035] The following description contains specific information pertaining to embodiments in the present disclosure. The detailed description uses the phrases “in some embodiments” which may each refer to one or more or all of the same or different embodiments. The term “some” as used herein is defined as “one, or more than one, or all.” Accordingly, the terms “one,” “more than one,” “more than one, but not all” or “all” would all fall under the definition of “some.” In view of the same, the terms, for example, “in an embodiment” refers to one embodiment and the term, for example, “in one or more embodiments” refers to “at least one embodiment, or more than one embodiment, or all embodiments.”
[0036] The term “comprising,” when utilized, means “including, but not necessarily limited to;” it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion in the so-described one or more listed features, elements in a combination, unless otherwise stated with limiting language. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “includes,” “has,” “have,” “contains,” and other similar words are used in the detailed description, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising”.
[0037] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. Several features described hereafter can each be used independently of one another or with any combination of other features.
[0038] The description provided herein discloses exemplary embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the present disclosure. Rather, the foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing any of the exemplary embodiments. Specific details are given in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it may be understood by one of the ordinary skilled in the art that the embodiments disclosed herein may be practiced without these specific details.
[0039] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein the description, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include plural forms unless the context of the invention indicates otherwise.
[0040] The terminology and structure employed herein are for describing, teaching, and illuminating some embodiments and their specific features and elements and do not limit, restrict, or reduce the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, unless otherwise defined, all terms, and especially any technical and/or scientific terms, used herein may be taken to have the same meaning as commonly understood by one having ordinary skill in the art.
[0041] The various aspects including the example aspects are now described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the various aspects of the disclosure are shown. The disclosure may, however, be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the aspects set forth herein. Rather, these aspects are provided so that this disclosure is thorough and complete, and fully conveys the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, the sizes of components may be exaggerated for clarity.
[0042] Various aspects of the present disclosure to provide a system and a method for identifying a network slice among a plurality of network slices connected to a network node in a wireless communication network.
[0043] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the system and the method register a User Equipment (UE) to the network slice even if a network slice identity (ID) of the UE is absent or incorrect.
[0044] In the disclosure, various embodiments are described using terms used in some communication standards (e.g., 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), Extensible Radio Access Network (xRAN), and Open-Radio Access Network (O-RAN)), but these are merely examples for description. Various embodiments of the disclosure may also be easily modified and applied to other communication systems.
[0045] In order to facilitate an understanding of the disclosed invention, a number of terms are defined below.
[0046] A Core Network (CN) is a core part of a cellular communication system for providing services to subscribers or end users. The core network offers authentication and authorization and maintains the location of the users to facilitate delivery of services.
[0047] A Network Function is a processing function in the network, which has defined functional behaviour and defined interfaces. The network function can be implemented either as a network element on a dedicated hardware, as a software instance running on a dedicated hardware, or as a virtualized function instantiated on an appropriate platform, e.g. on a cloud infrastructure.
[0048] A Network Slice is a logical network that provides specific network capabilities and network characteristics.
[0049] A Network Slice instance is a set of Network Function instances and required resources (for example, compute, storage and networking resources) which form a deployed Network Slice.
[0050] A Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (NSSAI) is used for identification of the Network Slice. A single UE may be served by at most eight Network Slices at a time. The NSSAI signalled by the UE to the network, assists the network in selecting a particular Network Slice instance.
[0051] A network slice ID is used to uniquely identify a logical node in the network slice.
[0052] An Authentication Server Function (AUSF) acts as an authentication server. The AUSF contains mainly an Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) authentication server functionality and acts as storage for keys and provides keying material to a requester NF.
[0053] An Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) is a key component of the Core Network and handles the registration of the UE to the network. The AMF authenticates the UE and authorizes access to the services. The AMF carries out termination of Non-Access Stratum (NAS) signalling, NAS ciphering & integrity protection, registration management, connection management, mobility management, access authentication and authorization, security context management. The AMF also includes the Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF).
[0054] A Session Management Function (SMF) carries out session management (session establishment, modification and release), UE Internet Protocol (IP) address allocation & management, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) functions, termination of NAS signalling related to session management, downlink data notification and traffic steering configuration for proper traffic routing.
[0055] A User Plane Function (UPF) carries out packet routing & forwarding, packet inspection, Quality of Service (QoS) handling, acts as external Packet Data Unit (PDU) session point of interconnect to Data Network (DN), and is an anchor point for intra- & inter-Radio Access Technology (RAT) mobility.
[0056] A NF Repository Function (NRF) discovers network function instances. When the NRF receives an NF discovery request from a NF instance, it provides the discovered NF instances. The NRF maintains/supports Profiles of NF instances and their supported services within the network. The NRF maintains/supports Service-Based Interfaces, Management & Maintenance.
[0057] A Policy Control Function (PCF) carries out unified policy framework, providing policy rules to control plane functions, access subscription information for policy decisions in Unified Data Repository (UDR). The PCF provides a policy framework incorporating network slicing, roaming and mobility management.
[0058] A Unified Data Management (UDM) stores subscriber data and profiles and carries out generation of Authentication and Key Agreement (AKA) credentials, user identification handling, access authorization, subscription management.
[0059] A Service Communication Proxy (SCP) is network function enabling dynamic scaling and management of communication and services in the 5G network. The SCP provides an option for Core NFs to communicate indirectly. The SCP provides routing control, load balancing and delegated discovery.
[0060] A Non-Access Stratum (NAS) signalling handles the signalling and communication between the UE and the core network. The NAS signalling is responsible for controlling the mobility and session management of the UE.
[0061] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 through FIG. 9, discussed below, and the one or more embodiments used to describe the principles of the present disclosure are by way of illustration only and should not be construed in any way to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of the present disclosure may be implemented in any suitably arranged system or device.
[0062] FIG. 1 illustrates a diagram depicting an environment of a wireless communication network 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
[0063] The wireless communication network 100 includes coverage regions 106-1 to 106-N (hereinafter cumulatively referred to as coverage region 106). The coverage region 106 is served by one or more Base Stations (BSs) 102-1 to 102-N. Each base station among the BSs 102-1 to 102-N may have same or similar configuration and may also be referred to as “BS 102”. The BSs 102-1 to 102-N serve one or more User Equipment (UEs) 104-1 to 104-N in the coverage region 106. Each user equipment among the UEs 104-1 to 104-N may have same or similar configuration and may also be referred to as “UE 104”. The BSs 102-1 to 102-N are connected to a network 108 to provide one or more services to the UEs 104-1 to 104-N. The wireless communication network 100 further includes an application server 110 (also referred to as “server 110”) connected to the network 108.
[0064] The BS 102 may be at least one relay, and at least one Distributed Unit (DU). Typically, the BS 102 may be a network infrastructure that provides wireless access to one or more terminals. The BS 102 has coverage defined to be a predetermined geographic area based on the distance over which a signal may be transmitted. The BS 102 may be referred to as, in addition to “base station”, “network node”, “access point (AP)”, “evolved NodeB (eNodeB) (eNB)”, “5G node (5th generation node)”, “next generation NodeB (gNB)”, “wireless point”, “transmission/reception point (TRP)”, “Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN)” or other terms having equivalent technical meanings.
[0065] The UE 104 may be, at least one DU, at least one Mobile Termination (MT) unit, and at least one relay. Typically, the term “user equipment” or “UE” can refer to any component such as “mobile station”, “subscriber station”, “remote terminal”, “wireless terminal”, “receive point”, or “end user device”.
[0066] The network 108 may include suitable logic, circuitry, and interfaces that may be configured to provide several network ports and several communication channels for transmission and reception of data related to operations of various entities of the wireless communication system 100. Each network port may correspond to a virtual address (or a physical machine address) for transmission and reception of the communication data. For example, the virtual address may be an Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPV4) (or an IPV6 address) and the physical address may be a Media Access Control (MAC) address. The network 108 may be associated with an application layer for implementation of communication protocols based on one or more communication requests from the various entities of the wireless communication system 100. The communication data may be transmitted or received via the communication protocols. Examples of the communication protocols may include, but are not limited to, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), Domain Network System (DNS) protocol, Common Management Interface Protocol (CMIP), Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication protocols, or any combination thereof. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the communication data may be transmitted or received via at least one communication channel of several communication channels in the network 108. The communication channels may include, but are not limited to, a wireless channel, a wired channel, a combination of wireless and wired channel thereof. The wireless or wired channel may be associated with a data standard which may be defined by one of a Local Area Network (LAN), a Personal Area Network (PAN), a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN), Wireless Area Network (WAN), Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a satellite network, the Internet, an optical fiber network, a coaxial cable network, an infrared (IR) network, a radio frequency (RF) network, and a combination thereof. Aspects of the present disclosure are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of communication channel, including known, related art, and/or later developed technologies.
[0067] The server 110 may be a network of computers, a software framework, or a combination thereof, that may provide a generalized approach to create a server implementation. Examples of the server 110 may include, but are not limited to, personal computers, laptops, mini-computers, mainframe computers, any non-transient and tangible machine that can execute a machine-readable code, cloud-based servers, distributed server networks, or a network of computer systems. The server 110 may be realized through various web-based technologies such as, but not limited to, a Java web-framework, a .NET framework, a personal home page (PHP) framework, or any web-application framework. In other aspects of the present disclosure, the server 110 may be configured to perform one or more data processing and/or storage operations to enable registration of the UE 104.
[0068] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a system 200 for identifying the network slice among the plurality of network slices connected to the RAN 102 in the wireless communication network 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0069] As shown in FIG. 2, the system 200 includes the network 108, the BS 102 (hereinafter also referred to as the “BS 102” or “RAN 102”), the UE 104, the server 110, and a group of core network entities 202 (hereinafter also referred to as the “core network entity 202”) present inside the network 108.
[0070] The RAN 102 includes a communication interface 204, a processor 206, and a memory 208 coupled to the processor 206. The processor 206 may control the operation of the RAN 102. The processor 206 may perform logical and arithmetic operations based on instructions stored within the memory 208. The memory 208 may provide instructions and data to the processor 206 for performing functions of the RAN 102.
[0071] The UE 104 includes a communication interface 210, a processor 212, and a memory 214 coupled to the processor 212. The processor 212 may control the operation of the UE 104. The processor 212 may perform logical and arithmetic operations based on instructions stored within the memory 214. The memory 214 may provide instructions and data to the processor 212 for performing functions of the UE 104.
[0072] The server 110 includes a communication interface 216, a processor 218, a memory 220 coupled to the processor 218, and a database 222. The processor 218 may control the operation of the server 110. The processor 218 may perform logical and arithmetic operations based on instructions stored within the memory 220. The memory 220 may provide instructions and data to the processor 218 for performing functions of the server 110.
[0073] The communication interfaces 204, 210, and 216 may allow transmission and reception of data between the RAN 102, the UE 104, the server 110 and the network 108. The communication interfaces 204, 210, and 216 may include a transmitter, a receiver, and a single or a plurality of transmit antennas electrically coupled to the transmitter and the receiver. The communication interfaces 204, 210, and 216 may be configured to enable the RAN 102, the UE 104 and the server 110 to communicate with various entities of the system 200 via the network 108. Examples of the communication interfaces 204, 210 and 216 may include, but are not limited to, a modem, a network interface such as an Ethernet card, a communication port, and/or a Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) slot and card, an antenna, a radio frequency (RF) transceiver, one or more amplifiers, a coder-decoder (CODEC) chipset, a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, and a local buffer circuit. It will be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art that the communication interfaces 204, 210 and 216 may include any device and/or apparatus capable of providing wireless or wired communications between various other entities of the system 200.
[0074] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the processor 206 of the RAN 102 may comprise one or more modules such as, (not limited to) a receiving module 224, a determining module 226, an identifying module 228, and a transmitting module 230.
[0075] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the processor 212 of the UE 104 may comprise one or more modules such as, (not limited to) a transmitting module 232 and a receiving module 234.
[0076] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the processor 218 of the server 110 may comprise one or more modules such as, (not limited to) a receiving module 236, an identifying module 238, a routing module 240, and a transmitting module 242. The server 110 may be connected to one or more core network entity 202.
[0077] The processors 206, 212, and 218 may also be referred to as a Central Processing Unit (CPU). The processors 206, 212, and 218 may include one or more general purpose processors and/or one or more special purpose processors, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a microcontroller, a state machine, or ay any type of programmable logic array. The processors 206, 212 and 218 may include may include an intelligent hardware device including a general-purpose processor, such as, for example, and without limitation, a Central Processing Unit (CPU), an Application Processor (AP), a dedicated processor, or the like, a graphics-only processing unit such as a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), a microcontroller, a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), a programmable logic device, a discrete hardware component, or any combination thereof. The processors 206, 212, and 218 may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in the memories 208, 214, and 220 to cause the server 110 to perform various functions.
[0078] The memories 208, 214, and 220 may include a Random Access Memory (RAM), a Read-Only Memory (ROM) and a portion of the memories 208, 214, and 220 may also include Non-Volatile Random Access Memory (NVRAM). The memories 208, 214, and 220 may further include, but not limited to, non-transitory machine-readable storage devices such as hard drives, magnetic tape, floppy diskettes, optical disks, compact disc read-Only Memories (CD-ROMs), and magneto-optical disks, semiconductor memories, such as ROMs, RAMS, programmable read-only memories PROMs), erasable PROMs (EPROMs), electrically erasable PROMs (EEPROMs), flash memory, magnetic or optical cards, or other type of media/machine-readable medium suitable for storing electronic instructions.
[0079] In addition, the memory may, in some examples, be considered a non-transitory storage medium. The "non-transitory" storage medium is not embodied in a carrier wave or a propagated signal. However, the term "non-transitory" should not be interpreted as the memory is non-movable. In some examples, the memory may be configured to store larger amounts of information. In certain examples, a non-transitory storage medium may store data that can, over time, change (e.g., in Random Access Memory (RAM) or cache). The memory may be an internal storage unit or an external storage unit of the server, cloud storage, or any other type of external storage.
[0080] Embodiments of the present technology may be described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations of methods and systems according to embodiments of the technology, and/or procedures, algorithms, steps, operations, formulae, or other computational depictions, which may also be implemented as computer program products. In this regard, each block or step of the flowchart, and combinations of blocks (and/or steps) in the flowchart, as well as any procedure, algorithm, step, operation, formula, or computational depiction can be implemented by various means, such as hardware, firmware, and/or software including one or more computer program instructions embodied in computer-readable program code. As will be appreciated, any such computer program instructions may be executed by one or more computer processors, including without limitation a general-purpose computer or special purpose computer, or other programmable processing apparatus to perform a group of operations comprising the operations or blocks described in connection with the disclosed methods.
[0081] Further, these computer program instructions, such as embodied in computer-readable program code, may also be stored in one or more computer-readable memory or memory devices (for example, the memories 208, 214, and 220) that can direct a computer processor or other programmable processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory or memory devices produce an article of manufacture including instruction means which implement the function specified in the block(s) of the flowchart(s).
[0082] It will further be appreciated that the term “computer program instructions” as used herein refer to one or more instructions that can be executed by the one or more processors (for example, the processors 206, 212, and 218) to perform one or more functions as described herein. The instructions may also be stored remotely such as on a server, or all or a portion of the instructions can be stored locally and remotely.
[0083] Although FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 illustrate one example of the system 100, various changes may be made to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. For example, the system 100 may include any number of user devices in any suitable arrangement. Further, in another example, the RAN 102. The UE 104 and the server 110 may include any number of components in addition to the components shown in FIG. 2. Further, various components in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 may be combined, further subdivided, or omitted and additional components may be added according to particular needs.
[0084] FIG. 3 illustrates a multiple network slice architecture 300 depicting core network entities 202, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The UE 104 and the RAN 102 may be connected with the network 108 comprising the core network entities 202.
[0085] The multiple network slice architecture 300 may depict the connections and interfaces between the core network entities 202, a caretaker Access and Mobility management Function (AMF) 302, the UE 104, and the RAN 102. The core network entities 202 may include multiple network slices 304-1 to 304-N based on services provided by the network 108. The core network entities 202 may further comprise a set of network functions each for a network slice among the network slices 304-1 to 304-N.
[0086] Each set of network functions includes at least an AMF (306-1, 306-2, …, or 306-N), a Unified Data Management (UDM) (308-1, 308-2, …, or 308-N), an Authentication Server Function (AUSF) (310-1, 310-2, …, or 310-N), a Policy Control Function (PCF) (312-1, 312-2, …, or 312-N), a Network Repository Function (NRF) (314-1, 314-2, …, or 314-N), a Session Management Function (SMF) (316-1, 316-2, …, or 316-N), a Service Communication Proxy (SCP) (318-1, 318-2, …, or 318-N, and a User Plane Function (UPF) (320-1, 320-2, …, or 320-N).
[0087] The AMF (306-1, 306-2, …, or 306-N) may be a network function for managing the mobility of the UE 104. The caretaker AMF 302 may be a subset functionality of the AMF 306. The caretaker AMF 302 may handle the selection of the AMF 306 in the network slice 304-1 to 304-N and provide information of the AMF 306 to the RAN 102. The caretaker AMF 302 may be implemented as a new instance of the AMF (306-1, 306-2, …, or 306-N) or as part of an existing AMF in the network slice 304-1 to 304-N. The caretaker AMF 302, when implemented as a new instance of the AMF 306, may allow complete isolation of the core network entities 202 of the network slice 304-1 to 304-N. The caretaker AMF 302 may determine the network slice 304-1 to 304-N of the UE 104 and may instruct the RAN 102 to forward the registration request to the AMF (306-1, 306-2, …, or 306-N) in the network slice 304-1 to 304-N.
[0088] The SMF (316-1, 316-2, …, or 316-N) may be a network function for managing a packet data network (PDN) connection provided to the UE 104. The PCF (312-1, 312-2, …, or 312-N) may provide a network function for applying a service policy, a charging policy, and a policy for the PDU session of a mobile communication service provider with the UE 104. The UPF (320-1, 320-2, …, or 320-N) may transmit packets that are transmitted and received by the UE 104 to the network 108. The UDM (308-1, 308-2, …, or 308-N) may be a network function for storing subscription data of the UE 104.
[0089] In one or more embodiments, the present disclosure relates to the system and the method for identifying the network slice 304-1 to 304-N in the wireless communication network 100. The present disclosure may provide mechanisms for selecting the network slice 304-1 to 304-N in the network 108 to register the UE 104 to the network slice 304-1 to 304-N even if the UE 104 does not send a network slice identity or sends an incorrect network slice identity to the RAN 102.
[0090] The RAN 102 may select the AMF (306-1, 306-2, …, or 306-N) associated with each network slice 304-1 to 304-N based on network slice identity provided by the UE 104 during initial registration process. In scenarios, where the UE 104 may not send the network slice identity or sends an incorrect network slice identity along with the registration request to the RAN 102, the RAN 102 may forward the registration request to a default AMF 306. If the default AMF 306 does not belong to the subscription of the UE 104, the default AMF 306 may forward the request to the UDM (308-1, 308-2, …, or 308-N) for authentication. The UDM (308-1, 308-2, …, or 308-N) may reject the registration request leading to the failure of registration of the UE 104 with the network 108.
[0091] During the initial registration to the network 108, the UE 104 may send a registration request to the RAN 102. The registration request may comprise a Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (NSSAI) and Subscription Concealed Identifier (SUCI) to indicate an identity of the AMF (306-1, 306-2, …, or 306-N) in the network slice 304-1 to 304-N. The UE 104 may send the SUCI towards the network 108 in plain text.
[0092] The SUCI may be a privacy-preserving identifier that contains a Subscription Permanent Identifier (SUPI) of the UE 104 in a concealed method. The SUPI may be a unique identifier for identifying each subscriber in the network 108. The SUCI may comprise a Routing Indicator (RI), a protection scheme identifier, a home network public key identifier, and a scheme output. The RI may comprise 1 to 4 decimal digits assigned by home network operator of the UE 104 and may be provisioned in Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM).
[0093] The USIM contains the identity of the UE 104 provided by the home network operator of the UE 104. The primary function of the USIM is to authenticate the validity of a terminal when accessing the network. The USIM provides a means to authenticate the UE 104 and may also store subscriber-related information or applications. The home network operator may allocate to each UE 104 a unique identifier. The unique identifier is known as International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) or the SUPI. The UE 104 may generate a SUCI using an Elliptic Curve Integrated Encryption Scheme (ECIES)-based protection scheme with the public key of the home network securely provisioned to the USIM during the USIM registration. The routing indicator, the home network public key identifier, and the protection scheme identifier are shared in plain text between the UE 104 and the UDM 308.
[0094] The RI values may be mapped to a respective network slice 304-1 to 304-N to select a correct AMF (306-1, 306-2, …, or 306-N) for the UE 104. The mapping of the RI and the network slice 304-1 to 304-N may be done based on a protection scheme denoted by the protection scheme identifier in the SUCI. The SUCI may either use a null protection scheme or a protection scheme. The RI assigned by the home network operator and provisioned in the USIM may allow together with a Home Network Identifier to route network signalling with the SUCI to the AUSF 310 and the UDM 308 capable to serve the subscriber. The RI may be used with the Home Network Identifier to route an Authentication traffic to the UDM 308 containing information about the subscriber. If the null protection scheme is used, the AMF 306 may derive the SUPI from the SUCI when needed. The AMF 306 may derive the SUPI used for AUSF discovery from the SUCI when the RI is zero and the protection scheme is null. During the initial registration, the RAN 102 may receive the RI embedded in the SUCI field. In conventional methods, the RAN may not use the SUCI for selecting the AMF (306-1, 306-2, …, or 306-N).
[0095] In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the RAN 102 may use the RI value in the SUCI field as a differentiator to select the correct AMF 306 for the UE 104. As the RI value may provisioned by the home network operator in the USIM of the UE 104, the information may be more trustworthy than the network slice identity. The RAN 102 may use the RI value of the UE 104 to identify the correct AMF 306 for the UE 104. Hence, the RAN 102 may utilize information about the UE 104 available within the network 108, thereby leading to successful registration of the UE 104 in the network slice 304-1 to 304-N.
[0096] FIG. 4 illustrates a process flow diagram depicting a communication 400 between the UE 104, the RAN 102, and AMFs 306-1 to 306-N for identifying a correct AMF for the UE 104, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The communication 400 comprises a series of operation steps from step 402 to step 412.
[0097] At step 402, the receiving module 224 of the RAN 102 may receive a registration request from the transmitting module 232 of the UE 104-1. The registration request may comprise the NSSAI to indicate an identity of the AMF (306-1, 306-2, …, or 306-N). If the registration request from the UE 104-1 does not comprise the NSSAI or comprises incorrect NSSAI, then the RAN 102 may not be able to identify the AMF (306-1, 306-2, …, or 306-N). The determining module 226 of the RAN 102 may determine that a network slice identity (ID) is incorrect or absent in the registration request based on a failure of a connection of the UE 104 to the communication network. In this case, the identifying module 228 of the RAN 102 may identify the AMF (306-1, 306-2, …, or 306-N) using a routing indicator of the UE 104-1. The registration request from the UE 104-1 may comprise the SUCI comprising the routing indicator. The determining module 226 of the RAN 102 may determine a network slice identity and the AMF (306-1, 306-2, …, or 306-N) from the SUCI included in the registration request received from the UE 104-1.
[0098] At step 404, the identifying module 228 of the RAN 102 may identify the network slice identity and associated AMF (306-1, 306-2, …, or 306-N) based on the value of the routing indicator of the UE 104-1. For instance, the determining module 226 of the RAN 102 may determine that the value of the routing indicator of the UE 104-1 may be mapped to the network slice 304-1. The identifying module 228 of the RAN 102 may identify that the UE 104-1 has requested the network slice 304-1 and AMF 306-1 is associated with the network slice 304-1.
[0099] At step 406, the transmitting module 230 of the RAN 102 may transmit the registration request from the UE 104-1 to the AMF 306-1 in the network slice 304-1.
[0100] At step 408, the receiving module 224 of the RAN 102 may receive a registration request from the UE 104-N. The identifying module 228 of the RAN 102 may identify the AMF (306-1, 306-2, …, or 306-N) using the routing indicator of the UE 104-N. The RAN 102 may determine a network slice identity from the SUCI of the registration request received from the UE 104-N.
[0101] At step 410, the identifying module 228 of the RAN 102 may identify the network slice identity and associated AMF based on the value of the routing indicator of the UE 104-N. For instance, the determining module 226 of the RAN 102 may determine that the value of the routing indicator of the UE 104-N may be mapped to the network slice 304-N. The identifying module 228 of the RAN 102 may identify that the UE 104-N has requested the network slice 304-N and the AMF 306-N is associated with the network slice 304-N.
[0102] At step 412, the transmitting module 230 of the RAN 102 may transmit the registration request from the UE 104-N to the AMF 306-N in the network slice 304-N.
[0103] FIG. 5 illustrates a process flow diagram depicting a method 500 for identifying the network slice 304 among the plurality of network slices 304-1 to 304-N connected to the RAN 102 in the wireless communication network 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method 500 comprises a series of operation steps indicated by blocks 502 through 506.
[0104] At block 502, the processor 204 of the RAN 102 may receive a registration request from the UE 104 to connect the UE 104 to the communication network 100.
[0105] At block 504, the processor 204 of the RAN 102 may determine that a network slice identity (ID) is incorrect or absent in the registration request based on a failure of a connection of the UE 104 to the communication network 100. If the registration request from the UE 104 do not comprise the NSSAI or comprises incorrect NSSAI, then the RAN 102 may not be able to identify the correct AMF.
[0106] At block 506, the processor 204 of the RAN 102 may identify the network slice ID associated with a requested network slice 304 among the plurality of network slices 304-1 to 304-N based on a SUCI information included in the registration request. The SUCI may comprise the routing indicator of the UE 104. A value of the routing indicator is associated with the network slice ID of the requested network slice 304. The RAN 102 may identify the AMF (306-1, 306-2, …, or 306-N) using the RI of the UE 104. The value of the routing indicator may be mapped to the network slices 304-1 to 304-N associated with a corresponding AMF.
[0107] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the value of routing indicator comprises one or more decimal digits assigned by the home network operator of the UE 104 and provisioned in the USIM. The one or more decimal digits of the routing indicator may be in a range of 1 to 4.
[0108] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the value of routing indicator may be mapped with the network slice ID among a plurality of network slice IDs associated with the plurality of network slices 304-1 to 304-N. The mapping of the value of routing indicator and the network slice ID may be provided by the home network operator of the UE 104.
[0109] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the processor 204 of the RAN 102 may identify the AMF (306-1, 306-2, …, or 306-N) associated with the requested network slice 304 based on the identification of the network slice ID.
[0110] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the processor 204 of the RAN 102 may transmit the registration request from the UE 104 to the identified AMF (306-1, 306-2, …, or 306-N).
[0111] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the routing indicator may comprise 1 to 4 decimal digits assigned by a home network operator of the UE 104 and provisioned in the USIM.
[0112] In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, during the initial registration of the UE 104, the RAN 102 may be connected to multiple network slices 304-1 to 304-N in the network 108. If the registration request from the UE 104 does not comprise the network slice identity or comprises incorrect network slice identity in the NSSAI, then the RAN 102 may not be able to identify the AMF 306. The failure to identify the AMF 306 may lead to failure of registration of the UE 104. In such scenarios, the RAN 102 may forward the registration request to the caretaker AMF 302.
[0113] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, if the RAN 102 may be connected to multiple network slices and the RAN 102 may not identify the AMF (306-1, 306-2, …, or 306-N) to which the registration request from the UE 104 needs to be forwarded due to absence or incorrect network slice identity in the registration request, the RAN 102 may forward the request to the caretaker AMF 302. The caretaker AMF 302 may utilize the routing indicator in the SUCI to correlate with the network slices 304-1 to 304-N. The caretaker AMF 302 may reroute a Non-Access Stratum (NAS) request to the RAN 102 to include or correct information of the AMF (306-1, 306-2, …, or 306-N).
[0114] FIG. 6 illustrates a process flow diagram depicting a communication 600 between the UE 104, the RAN 102, the caretaker AMF 302, and the AMFs 306-1 to 306-N for identifying the correct AMF for the UE 104, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The communication 600 comprises a series of operation steps from step 602 to step 612.
[0115] At step 602, the receiving module 224 of the RAN 102 may receive a registration request from the UE 104. The registration request from the UE 104 may comprise the SUCI comprising the routing indicator.
[0116] At step 604, the determining module 226 of the RAN 102 may determine the network slice identity from the registration request. If the registration request from the UE 104 does not comprise the NSSAI (network slice identity) or comprises incorrect NSSAI, then the RAN 102 may not be able to identify the correct AMF in the network slices 304-1 to 304-N as the RAN 102 may be connected to multiple network slices. When the registration request of the UE 104 comprises incorrect NSSAI, the RAN may identify incorrect AMF and may receive registration reject response from the incorrect AMF.
[0117] At step 606, when the RAN 102 may not identify the network slice identity of the AMF (306-1, 306-2, …, or 306-N), the transmitting module 230 of the RAN 102 may forward the registration request to the caretaker AMF 302.
[0118] At step 608, the receiving module 236 of the caretaker AMF 302 may receive the registration request from the RAN 102. The identifying module 238 of the caretaker AMF 302 may identify the network slice identity of the AMF (306-1, 306-2, …, or 306-N) based on the value of the routing indicator of the UE 104. For example, the identifying module 238 of the caretaker AMF 302 may determine that the value of the routing indicator of the UE 104-N may be mapped to the network slice 304-N. The identifying module 238 of the caretaker AMF 302 may identify that the UE 104 has requested the network slice 304-N and AMF 306-N is associated with the network slice 304-N.
[0119] At step 610, the routing module 240 of the caretaker AMF 302 may send the NAS request to the RAN 102. The NAS request may comprise the network slice identity of the AMF 306-N corresponding to the UE 104.
[0120] At step 612, the transmitting module 230 of the RAN 102 may forward the registration request to the correct AMF 306-N in the network slice 304-N.
[0121] FIG. 7 illustrates a process flow diagram depicting a method 700 for identifying the network slice 304 among the plurality of network slices 304-1 to 304-N connected to the RAN 102 in the wireless communication network 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method 700 comprises a series of operation steps indicated by blocks 702 through 706.
[0122] At block 702, the processor 218 of the server 110 connected to the caretaker AMF 302 receive a registration request from the UE 104 via the RAN 102 to connect the UE 104 to the communication network 100.
[0123] At block 704, the processor 218 of the caretaker AMF 302 may identify the network slice ID associated with a requested network slice 304 among the plurality of network slices 304-1 to 304-N based on the SUCI information included in the registration request. The SUCI may comprise the routing indicator. The network slice ID may be identified based on a predefined mapping of routing indicator values with network slice IDs of the plurality of network slices 304-1 to 304-N associated with the corresponding AMF (306-1, 306-2, …, or 306-N).
[0124] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the processor 218 of the caretaker AMF 302 may identify the AMF (306-1, 306-2, …, or 306-N) associated with the requested network slice based on the identification of the requested network slice.
[0125] At block 706, the processor 218 of the caretaker AMF 302 may reroute, upon identifying the network slice ID, a Non-Access Stratum (NAS) request to the RAN 102. The NAS request may comprise the identified network slice ID associated with the requested network slice 304.
[0126] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the processor 218 of the caretaker AMF 302 may reroute the registration request to the identified AMF (306-1, 306-2, …, or 306-N) via the RAN 102.
[0127] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the caretaker AMF 302 may receive the registration request from the UE 104 via the RAN 102 upon determining that the network slice ID is incorrect or absent in the registration request. The determination that the network slice ID is incorrect or absent in the registration request may be based on a failure of a connection of the UE 104 to the communication network 100.
[0128] In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the caretaker AMF 302 may query the UDM (308-1, 308-2, …, or 308-N) of a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) to correlate with the network slices 304-1 to 304-N. The caretaker AMF 302 may reroute the NAS request to the RAN 102 to include or correct the information of the AMF (306-1, 306-2, …, or 306-N).
[0129] FIG. 8 illustrates a process flow diagram depicting a communication 800 between the UE 104, the RAN 102, the caretaker AMF 302, the AMFs 306- to 306-N, and the UDM 308-1 to 308-N for identifying a correct AMF among the AMFs 306-1 to 306-N for the UE 104, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The communication 800 comprises a series of operation steps from step 802 to step 820.
[0130] At step 802, the receiving module 224 of the RAN 102 may receive a registration request from the UE 104. The registration request from the UE 104 may comprise the SUCI and the routing indicator.
[0131] At step 804, the determining module 226 of the RAN 102 may determine the network slice identity from the registration request received from the UE 104. If the registration request from the UE 104 does not comprise the NSSAI or comprises incorrect NSSAI, then the RAN 102 may not be able to identify the AMF (306-1, 306-2, …, or 306-N) in the network slices 304-1 to 304-N. When the registration request of the UE 104 comprises incorrect NSSAI, the identifying module 228 of the RAN 102 may identify incorrect AMF and may receive registration reject response from the incorrect AMF.
[0132] At step 806, when the identifying module 228 of the RAN 102 may not identify the correct AMF (306-1, 306-2, …, or 306-N) for the UE 104, the RAN 102 may forward the registration request to the caretaker AMF 302.
[0133] At steps 808 and 810, the transmitting module 242 of the caretaker AMF 302 may forward the registration request to the UDM (308-1, 308-2, …, or 308-N) to determine the AMF (306-1, 306-2, …, or 306-N) for the UE 104. The UDM (308-1, 308-2, …, or 308-N) may determine whether the SUCI of the UE 104 is provisioned with at least one UDM (308-1, 308-2, …, or 308-N).
[0134] At step 812, the UDM (308-1, 308-2, …, or 308-N) may send a negative response based on the subscription data of the UE 104 indicating that the SUCI is not provisioned with the at least one UDM (308-1, 308-2, …, or 308-N). The negative response may represent that the UE 104 is not subscribed to network slices 304-1 to 304-N corresponding to the UE 104.
[0135] At step 814, the UDM (308-1, 308-2, …, or 308-N) may send a positive response based on the subscription data of the UE 104 indicating that the SUCI is provisioned with the at least one UDM (308-1, 308-2, …, or 308-N). The positive response may represent that the UE 104 is subscribed to network slices 304-1 to 304-N corresponding to the UE 104. For instance, the UDM 308-N may send a positive response to denote that the UE 104 is subscribed to the network slice 304-N.
[0136] At step 816, the identifying module 238 of the caretaker AMF 302 may map the positive response from the UDM (308-1, 308-2, …, or 308-N) to the network slice number of the AMF (306-1, 306-2, …, or 306-N) corresponding to the UE 104. For instance, if the caretaker AMF 302 receives a positive response from the UDM 308-N, the caretaker AMF 302 may map the network slice 304-N and identify a network slice ID as AMF 306-N.
[0137] At step 818, the routing module 240 of the caretaker AMF 302 may send the NAS request to the RAN 102. The NAS request may comprise the network slice number of the AMF (306-1, 306-2, …, or 306-N) corresponding to the UE 104.
[0138] At step 820, the transmitting module 230 of the RAN 102 may forward the registration request to the correct AMF 306-N in the network slice 304-N.
[0139] FIG. 9 illustrates a process flow diagram depicting a method 900 for identifying the network slice 304 among the plurality of network slices 304-1 to 304-N connected to the RAN 102 in the wireless communication network 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method 900 comprises a series of operation steps indicated by blocks 902 through 908.
[0140] At block 902, the processor 218 of the caretaker AMF 302 may receive the registration request from the UE 104 via the RAN 102 to connect the UE 104 to the communication network 100.
[0141] At block 904, the processor 218 of the caretaker AMF 302 may send a query to a plurality of UDM (308-1, 308-2, …, or 308-N) associated with a plurality of network slices 304-1 to 304-N to determine whether the SUCI of the UE 104 is provisioned with at least one UDM (308-1, 308-2, …, or 308-N).
[0142] At block 906, the processor 218 of the caretaker AMF 302 may receive a response from the at least one UDM (308-1, 308-2, …, or 308-N) that the SUCI of the UE 104 is provisioned with the at least one UDM (308-1, 308-2, …, or 308-N).
[0143] At block 908, the processor 218 of the caretaker AMF 302 may identify a network slice ID associated with requested network slice 304 among the plurality of network slices 304-1 to 304-N based on the response from the at least one UDM (308-1, 308-2, …, or 308-N). The processor 218 of the caretaker AMF 302 may identify the AMF (306-1, 306-2, …, or 306-N) associated with the requested slice based on the identification of the requested network slice 304.
[0144] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the processor 218 of the caretaker AMF 302 may reroute, upon identifying the network slice ID, a NAS request to the RAN 102. The NAS request may comprise the identified network slice ID associated with the requested network slice 304.
[0145] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the caretaker AMF 302 may receive the registration request from the UE 104 via the RAN 102 upon determining that the network slice ID is incorrect or absent in the registration request. The determination that the network slice ID is incorrect or absent in the registration request may be based on a failure of a connection of the UE 104 to the communication network 100.
[0146] Referring to the technical abilities and advantageous effect of the present disclosure, the disclosed method and system identify the network slice in a wireless communication network and register the UE to the network slice even if a network slice identity of the UE is absent or incorrect. The disclosed method and system identify the network slice identity by mapping the value of the routing indicator of the SUCI with the network slice. As the value of the routing indicator is provisioned by the home network operator in the USIM of the UE, the information is more trustworthy than the network slice identity provided by the UE. Another potential advantage of the one or more embodiments may include utilizing information about the UE available within the network, leading to successful registration of the UE in the network slice.
[0147] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the methodology described herein in the present disclosure may be carried out in other specific ways than those set forth herein in the above disclosed embodiments without departing from essential characteristics and features of the present disclosure. The above-described embodiments are therefore to be construed in all aspects as illustrative and not restrictive.
[0148] The drawings and the forgoing description give examples of embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that one or more of the described elements may well be combined into a single functional element. Alternatively, certain elements may be split into multiple functional elements. Elements from one embodiment may be added to another embodiment. For example, orders of processes described herein may be changed and are not limited to the manner described herein. Any combination of the above features and functionalities may be used in accordance with one or more embodiments.
[0149] In the present disclosure, each of the embodiments has been described with reference to numerous specific details which may vary from embodiment to embodiment. The foregoing description of the specific embodiments disclosed herein may reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications are intended to be comprehended within the meaning of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and is not limited in scope.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
[0150] The following list is provided for convenience and in support of the drawing figures and as part of the text of the specification, which describe innovations by reference to multiple items. Items not listed here may nonetheless be part of a given embodiment. For better legibility of the text, a given reference number is recited near some, but not all, recitations of the referenced item in the text. The same reference number may be used with reference to different examples or different instances of a given item. The list of reference numerals is:
100 - Communication network
102-1 to 102-N – Radio Access Network (RAN)
104-1 to 104-N - User Equipment (UE)
106-1 to 106-N – Coverage Region
108 - Network
110 - Server
200 - System architecture
202 – Core Network Entity
204 - Communication Interface of the RAN 102
206 - Processor of the RAN 102
208 - Memory of the RAN 102
210 - Communication Interface of the UE 104
212 - Processor of the UE 104
214 - Memory of the UE 104
216- Communication Interface of the server 110
218- Processor of the server 110
220- Memory of the server 110
222- Server Database
224- Receiving Module of the RAN 102
226- Determining Module of the RAN 102
228- Identifying Module of the RAN 102
230- Transmitting Module of the RAN 102
232- Transmitting Module of the UE 104
234- Receiving Module of the UE 104
236- Receiving Module of the server 110
238- Identifying Module of the server 110
240- Routing Module of the server 110
242- Transmitting Module of the server 110
300- Multiple Network Slice Architecture
302- Caretaker Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF)
304-1 to 304-N – Multiple Network Slices
306-1 to 306-N – AMF
308-1 to 308-N – Unified Data Management (UDM)
310-1 to 310-N – Authentication Server Function (AUSF)
312-1 to 312-N – Policy Control Function (PCF)
314-1 to 314-N – Network Repository Function (NRF)
316-1 to 316-N – Session Management Function (SMF)
318-1 to 318-N – Service Communication Proxy (SCP)
320-1 to 320-N – User Plane Function (UPF)
400- Line diagram indicating a communication between the UE 104, the RAN 102, and AMFs 306-1 to 306-N
402-412- Operation steps of the communication 400
500- Method for identifying the network slice by the RAN 102
502-506- Operation steps of the method 500
600- Line diagram indicating a communication between the UE 104, the RAN 102, the caretaker AMF 302, and AMFs 306-1 to 306-N
602-612- Operation steps of the communication 600
700- Method for identifying the network slice by the caretaker AMF 302
702-706- Operation steps of the method 700
800- Line diagram indicating a communication between the UE 104, the RAN 102, the caretaker AMF 302, the AMFs 306-1 to 306-N, and the UDM 308-1 to 308-N
802-820- Operation steps of the communication 800
900- Method for identifying the network slice by the caretaker AMF 302 and the UDM 308-1 to 308-N
902-908- Operation steps of the method 900
,CLAIMS:1. A method (500) for identifying a network slice among a plurality of network slices (304-1 to 304-N) connected to a network node (102) in a communication network (100), the method (500) comprising:
receiving (502), by a receiving module (224) of the network node (102), a registration request from a User Equipment (UE) (104) to connect the UE (104) to the communication network (100);
determining (504), by a determining module (226) of the network node (102), that a network slice identity (ID) is incorrect or absent in the registration request based on a failure of a connection of the UE (104) to the communication network (100); and
identifying (506), by an identifying module (228) of the network node (102), the network slice ID associated with a requested network slice (304) among the plurality of network slices (304-1 to 304-N) based on a Subscription Concealed Identifier (SUCI) information included in the registration request, wherein
the SUCI comprises a routing indicator; and
a value of the routing indicator is associated with the network slice ID of the requested network slice (304).

2. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
identifying, by the identifying module (228) of the network node (102), an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) (306) associated with the requested network slice (304) based on the identification of the network slice ID; and
transmitting, by a transmitting module (230) of the network node (102), the registration request to the identified AMF (306).

3. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the value of routing indicator comprises one or more decimal digits assigned by a home network operator of the UE (104) and provisioned in a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM), wherein the one or more decimal digits are in a range of 1 to 4.

4. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
the value of routing indicator is mapped with the network slice ID among a plurality of network slice IDs associated with the plurality of network slices (304-1 to 304-N); and
the mapping of the value of routing indicator and the network slice ID is provided by the home network operator of the UE (104).

5. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the network node (102) is Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) (102).

6. A system (200) for identifying a network slice among a plurality of network slices (304-1 to 304-N) connected to a network node (102) in a communication network (100), the system (200) comprising:
a receiving module (224) configured to receive, at the network node (102), a registration request from a User Equipment (UE) (104) to connect the UE (104) to the communication network (100);
a determining module (226) configured to determine, at the network node (102), that a network slice identity (ID) is incorrect or absent in the registration request based on a failure of a connection of the UE (104) to the communication network (100); and
an identifying module (228) configured to identify, at the network node (102), the network slice ID associated with a requested network slice (304) among the plurality of network slices (304-1 to 304-N) based on a Subscription Concealed Identifier (SUCI) information included in the registration request, wherein
the SUCI comprises a routing indicator; and
a value of the routing indicator is associated with the network slice ID of the requested network slice (304).

7. The system (200) as claimed in claim 6, further comprises:
the identifying module (228) further configured to identify an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) (306) associated with the requested network slice (304) based on the identification of the network slice ID; and
a transmission module (230) configured to transmit the registration request to the identified AMF (306).

8. The system (200) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the value of routing indicator comprises one or more decimal digits assigned by a home network operator of the UE (104) and provisioned in a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM).

9. The system (200) as claimed in claim 6, wherein:
the value of routing indicator is mapped with the network slice ID among a plurality of network slice IDs associated with the plurality of network slices (304-1 to 304-N); and
the mapping of the value of routing indicator and the network slice ID is provided by the home network operator of the UE (104).

10. The system (200) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the network node (102) is Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) (102).

11. A method (700) for identifying a network slice among a plurality of network slices (304-1 to 304-N) connected to a network node (102) in a communication network (100), the method (700) comprising:
receiving (702), by a receiving module (236) of a caretaker Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) (302), a registration request from a User Equipment (UE) (104) via the network node (102) to connect the UE (104) to the communication network (100);
identifying (704), by an identifying module (238) of the caretaker AMF (302), a network slice identity (ID) associated with a requested network slice (304) among the plurality of network slices (304-1 to 304-N) based on a Subscription Concealed Identifier (SUCI) information included in the registration request, wherein
the SUCI comprises a routing indicator; and
the network slice ID is identified based on a predefined mapping of routing indicator values with network slice IDs of the plurality of network slices (304-1 to 304-N); and
rerouting (706), by a routing module (240) of the caretaker AMF (302), upon identifying the network slice ID, a Non-Access Stratum (NAS) request to the network node (102), wherein the NAS request comprises the identified network slice ID associated with the requested network slice (304).

12. The method (700) as claimed in claim 11, wherein:
the caretaker AMF (302) receives the registration request from the UE (104) via the network node (102) upon determining that the network slice ID is incorrect or absent in the registration request; and
the determination that the network slice ID is incorrect or absent in the registration request is based on a failure of a connection of the UE (104) to the communication network (100).

13. A system (200) for identifying a network slice among a plurality of network slices (304-1 to 304-N) connected to a network node (102) in a communication network (100), the system (200) comprising:
a receiving module (236) configured to receive, at a caretaker Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) (302), a registration request from a User Equipment (UE) (104) via the network node (102) to connect the UE (104) to the communication network (100);
an identifying module (238) configured to identify a network slice identity (ID) associated with a requested network slice (304) among the plurality of network slices (304-1 to 304-N) based on a Subscription Concealed Identifier (SUCI) information included in the registration request, wherein
the SUCI comprises a routing indicator; and
the network slice ID is identified based on a predefined mapping of routing indicator values with network slice IDs of the plurality of network slices (304-1 to 304-N); and
a routing module (240) configured to reroute, upon identifying the network slice ID, a Non-Access Stratum (NAS) request to the network node (102), wherein the NAS request comprises the identified network slice ID associated with the requested network slice (304).

14. The system (200) as claimed in claim 13, wherein:
the caretaker AMF (302) receives the registration request from the UE (104) via the network node (102) upon determining that the network slice ID is incorrect or absent in the registration request; and
the determination that the network slice ID is incorrect or absent in the registration request is based on a failure of a connection of the UE (104) to the communication network (100).

15. A method (900) for identifying a network slice among a plurality of network slices (304-1 to 304-N) connected to a network node (102) in a communication network (100), the method (900) comprising:
receiving (902), by a receiving module (236) of a caretaker Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) (302), a registration request from a User Equipment (UE) (104) via the network node (102) to connect the UE (104) to the communication network (100);
sending (904), by a transmitting module (242) of the caretaker AMF (302), a query to a plurality of Unified Data Management (UDM) (308) associated with a plurality of network slices (304-1 to 304-N) to determine whether a Subscription Concealed Identifier (SUCI) is provisioned with at least one UDM (308);
receiving (906), by the receiving module (236) of the caretaker AMF (302), a response from the at least one UDM (308) that the SUCI is provisioned with the at least one UDM (308); and
identifying (908) by an identifying module (238) of the caretaker AMF (302), a network slice identity (ID) associated with requested network slice (304) among the plurality of network slices (304-1 to 304-N) based on the response from the at least one UDM (308).

16. The method (900) as claimed in claim 15, further comprising rerouting, by a routing module (240) of the caretaker AMF (302), upon identifying the network slice ID, a Non-Access Stratum (NAS) request to the network node (102), wherein the NAS request comprises the identified network slice ID associated with the requested network slice (304).

17. The method (900) as claimed in claim 15, wherein:
the caretaker AMF (302) receives the registration request from the UE (104) via the network node (102) upon determining that the network slice ID is incorrect or absent in the registration request; and
the determination that the network slice ID is incorrect or absent in the registration request is based on a failure of a connection of the UE (104) to the communication network (100).

18. A system (200) for identifying a network slice among a plurality of network slices (304-1 to 304-N) connected to a network node (102) in a communication network (100), the system (200) comprising:
a receiving module (236) configured to receive, at a caretaker Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) (302), a registration request from a User Equipment (UE) (104) via the network node (102) to connect the UE (104) to the communication network (100);
a transmitting module (242) configured to send a query to a plurality of Unified Data Management (UDM) (308) associated with a plurality of network slices (304-1 to 304-N) to determine whether a Subscription Concealed Identifier (SUCI) is provisioned with at least one UDM (308);
the receiving module (236) further configured to receive a response from the at least one UDM (308) that the SUCI is provisioned with the at least one UDM (308); and
an identifying module (238) configured to identify network slice identity (ID) associated with a requested network slice (304) among the plurality of network slices (304-1 to 304-N) based on the response from the at least one UDM (308).

19. The system (200) as claimed in claim 18, further comprises:
a routing module (240) configured to rerouting, upon identifying the network slice ID, a Non-Access Stratum (NAS) request to the network node (102), wherein the NAS request comprises the identified network slice ID associated with the requested network slice (304).

20. The system (200) as claimed in claim 18, wherein:
the caretaker AMF (302) receives the registration request from the UE (104) via the network node (102) upon determining that the network slice ID is incorrect or absent in the registration request; and
the determination that the network slice ID is incorrect or absent in the registration request is based on a failure of a connection of the UE (104) to the communication network (100).