IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,684,457
Granted Patent B2
US 12,684,457 · App. 17/741,558 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Providing network slice admission control in a mobile network environment

Inventors: Ravi Shekhar (Pune, IN); Vimal Srivastava (Kannamangala, IN)
Assignee: CISCO TECHNOLOGY, INC.
H04W48/06H04W48/16H04W48/18H04W60/04
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,684,457
App. No.
17/741,558
Granted
Jul 14, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Presented herein are techniques to provide network slice admission control in a mobile network. In one example, a method may include obtaining, by an access management element of a mobile network, a registration request from a user equipment; determining, based on the registration request, for each of one or more network slices whether there is: available registration capacity for each network slice for the user equipment based on a registration quota configured for each network slice, available session capacity for each network slice based on a session quota configured for each network slice, and available bit rate capacity for each slice based on a maximum bit rate amount configured for each network slice; and providing, based on the determining, a registration indication to the user equipment for each network slice indicating whether the user equipment is or is not allowed registration for each of the network slices.

Claims (62)

1 . A method comprising:

obtaining, by an access management element of a mobile network, a registration request from a user equipment, wherein the registration request is obtained from the user equipment before the user equipment seeks session establishment with the mobile network;

for the registration request that is obtained from the user equipment before user equipment seeks session establishment with the mobile network, determining for each of one or more network slices whether there is each of:

available registration capacity for each network slice for the user equipment based on a registration quota configured for each network slice,

available session capacity for each network slice for the user equipment based on a session quota configured for each network slice, and

available bit rate capacity for each slice for the user equipment based on a maximum bit rate amount configured for each network slice; and

providing, based on the determining, a registration indication to the user equipment for each network slice indicating whether the user equipment is or is not allowed registration for each of the one or more network slices, wherein the user equipment is to seek session establishment for at least one network slice upon obtaining the registration indication indicating that the user equipment is allowed registration for at least one network slice of the one or more network slices.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the user equipment is allowed registration with a particular network slice of the one or more network slices based on determining that there is each of available registration capacity, available session capacity, and available bit rate capacity for the particular network slice for the user equipment.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the registration indication for each network slice of the one or more network slices is provided via a single registration accept message sent to the user equipment.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein if the user equipment is not allowed registration with a particular network slice, the user equipment is provided a reason indicator indicating a reason that the user equipment is not allowed registration with the particular network slice.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the reason indicator indicates at least one of:

that a registration limit for the particular network slice is reached;

that there is a session limit for the particular network slice is reached; or

that there a bit rate limit for the particular network slice is reached.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein for at least one network slice of the one or more network slices at least one of:

a registration capacity for the at least one network slice includes a reserved quota for a particular group of subscribers;

a session capacity for the at least one network slice includes a reserved quota for a particular group of subscribers; or

a bit rate capacity for the at least one network slice includes a reserved quota for a particular group of subscribers.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

obtaining by the access management element and indication of at least one of:

the reserved quota for the particular group of subscribers has been met for the registration capacity for the at least one network slice;

the reserved quota for the particular group of subscribers has been met for the session capacity for the at least one network slice; or

the reserved quota for the particular group of subscribers has been met for the bit rate capacity for the at least one network slice.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the access management element is an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF).

9 . One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media encoded with instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, comprising:

obtaining, by an access management element of a mobile network, a registration request from a user equipment, wherein the registration request is obtained from the user equipment before the user equipment seeks session establishment with the mobile network;

for the registration request that is obtained from the user equipment before user equipment seeks session establishment with the mobile network, determining for each of one or more network slices whether there is each of:

available registration capacity for each network slice for the user equipment based on a registration quota configured for each network slice,

available session capacity for each network slice for the user equipment based on a session quota configured for each network slice, and

available bit rate capacity for each slice for the user equipment based on a maximum bit rate amount configured for each network slice; and

providing, based on the determining, a registration indication to the user equipment for each network slice indicating whether the user equipment is or is not allowed registration for each of the one or more network slices, wherein the user equipment is to seek session establishment for at least one network slice upon obtaining the registration indication indicating that the user equipment is allowed registration for at least one network slice of the one or more network slices.

10 . The media of claim 9 , wherein the user equipment is allowed registration with a particular network slice of the one or more network slices based on determining that there is each of available registration capacity, available session capacity, and available bit rate capacity for the particular network slice for the user equipment.

11 . The media of claim 9 , wherein the registration indication for each network slice of the one or more network slices is provided via a single registration accept message sent to the user equipment.

12 . The media of claim 9 , wherein if the user equipment is not allowed registration with a particular network slice, the user equipment is provided a reason indicator indicating a reason that the user equipment is not allowed registration with the particular network slice, and wherein the reason indicator indicates at least one of:

that a registration limit for the particular network slice is reached;

that there is a session limit for the particular network slice is reached; or

that there a bit rate limit for the particular network slice is reached.

13 . The media of claim 9 , wherein for at least one network slice of the one or more network slices at least one of:

a registration capacity for the at least one network slice includes a reserved quota for a particular group of subscribers;

a session capacity for the at least one network slice includes a reserved quota for a particular group of subscribers; or

a bit rate capacity for the at least one network slice includes a reserved quota for a particular group of subscribers.

14 . An access management element of a mobile network, comprising:

at least one memory element for storing data; and

at least one processor for executing instructions associated with the data, wherein executing the instructions causes the access management element to perform operations, comprising:

obtaining a registration request from a user equipment, wherein the registration request is obtained from the user equipment before the user equipment seeks session establishment with the mobile network;

for the registration request that is obtained from the user equipment before user equipment seeks session establishment with the mobile network, determining for each of one or more network slices whether there is each of:

available registration capacity for each network slice for the user equipment based on a registration quota configured for each network slice,

available session capacity for each network slice for the user equipment based on a session quota configured for each network slice, and

available bit rate capacity for each slice for the user equipment based on a maximum bit rate amount configured for each network slice; and

providing, based on the determining, a registration indication to the user equipment for each network slice indicating whether the user equipment is or is not allowed registration for each of the one or more network slices, wherein the user equipment is to seek session establishment for at least one network slice upon obtaining the registration indication indicating that the user equipment is allowed registration for at least one network slice of the one or more network slices.

15 . The access management element of claim 14 , wherein the user equipment is allowed registration with a particular network slice of the one or more network slices based on determining that there is each of available registration capacity, available session capacity, and available bit rate capacity for the particular network slice for the user equipment.

16 . The access management element of claim 14 , wherein the registration indication for each network slice of the one or more network slices is provided via a single registration accept message sent to the user equipment.

17 . The access management element of claim 14 , wherein if the user equipment is not allowed registration with a particular network slice, the user equipment is provided a reason indicator indicating a reason that the user equipment is not allowed registration with the particular network slice.

18 . The access management element of claim 17 , wherein the reason indicator indicates at least one of:

that a registration limit for the particular network slice is reached;

that there is a session limit for the particular network slice is reached; or

that there a bit rate limit for the particular network slice is reached.

19 . The access management element of claim 14 , wherein for at least one network slice of the one or more network slices at least one of:

a registration capacity for the at least one network slice includes a reserved quota for a particular group of subscribers;

a session capacity for the at least one network slice includes a reserved quota for a particular group of subscribers; or

a bit rate capacity for the at least one network slice includes a reserved quota for a particular group of subscribers.

20 . The access management element of claim 14 , wherein the access management element is an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF).