IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,302,233
Granted Patent B2
US 12,302,233 · App. 17/701,663 · Granted May 13, 2025

Network slice selection method, device, and system

Inventors: Fangyuan Zhu (Beijing, CN); Yongcui Li (Beijing, CN); Yan Li (Beijing, CN)
Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
H04W48/18H04W36/0011H04W36/13H04W36/322
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 12,302,233
App. No.
17/701,663
Granted
May 13, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments of this application provide a network slice selection method, a device, and a system, to resolve a problem in a current technology after a terminal device moves out of a service area of a network slice. A method embodiment includes determining, by a mobility management network element, a first network slice information about a first network slice and a second network slice information about a second network slice, the second network slice having a mapping relationship with the first network slice; and sending, by the mobility management network element, a mapping information between the first network slice and the second network slice, the mobility management network element sending the mapping information to an access network device.

Claims (47)

1. A network slice selection method, the method comprising:

determining, by a mobility management network element, that a session associated with a second network slice is to be migrated to a first network slice, wherein the first network slice and the second network slice are network slices of a visited network of a terminal device, the visited network is different from a home network of the terminal device, and the second network slice has a mapping relationship with the first network slice;

sending, by the mobility management network element to a session management network element of the session in response to the determination, first indication information indicating the session management network element to initiate a modification procedure of the session of the terminal device;

receiving, by the mobility management network element from the session management network element, a session modification command message that comprises an identifier of the session and first single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI) of the first network slice in the visited network; and

sending, by the mobility management network element, the session modification command message to the terminal device.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second network slice has the mapping relationship with the first network slice comprises:

the first network slice and the second network slice provide services of a same type; or

the first network slice and the second network slice share a network slice instance.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the session modification command message further comprises an S-NSSAI of the home network of the terminal device.

4. The method according to claim 1 , the method further comprising:

sending, by the mobility management network element to the terminal device when the second network slice in the visited network is to be migrated to the first network slice in the visited network, mapping information between the first S-NSSAI of the first network slice in the visited network and a second S-NSSAI of the second network slice in the visited network.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the step of sending, by the mobility management network element to the session management network element, the first indication information is performed after the step of sending, by the mobility management network element to the terminal device, the mapping information between the first S-NSSAI of the first network slice in the visited network and the second S-NSSAI of the second network slice in the visited network.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the mobility management network element from the session management network element, first information that comprises the identifier of the session and the first S-NSSAI of the first network slice; and

sending, by the mobility management network element, the first information to an access network device.

7. An apparatus for network slice selection, comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory memory storing a program code for execution by the processor, the program code including instructions for:

determining that a session associated with a second network slice is to be migrated to a first network slice, wherein the first network slice and the second network slice are network slices of a visited network of a terminal device, the visited network is different from a home network of the terminal device, and the second network slice has a mapping relationship with the first network slice;

sending, from a mobility management network element to a session management network element of the session in response to the determination, first indication information indicating the session management network element to initiate a modification procedure of the session of the terminal device;

receiving, from the session management network element, a session modification command message that comprises an identifier of the session and first single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI) of the first network slice in the visited network; and

sending the session modification command message to the terminal device.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the second network slice has the mapping relationship with the first network slice comprises:

the first network slice and the second network slice provide services of a same type; or

the first network slice and the second network slice share a network slice instance.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the session modification command message further comprises an S-NSSAI of the home network of the terminal device.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 , the program code further comprising instructions for:

sending, from the mobility management network element to the terminal device when the second network slice in the visited network is to be migrated to the first network slice in the visited network, mapping information between the first S-NSSAI of the first network slice in the visited network and a second S-NSSAI of the second network slice in the visited network.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the step of sending the first indication information is performed after the step of sending the mapping information between the first S-NSSAI of the first network slice in the visited network and the second S-NSSAI of the second network slice in the visited network.

12. The apparatus according to claim 7 , the program code further comprising instructions for:

receiving, from the session management network element, first information that comprises the identifier of the session and the first S-NSSAI of the first network slice; and

sending the first information to an access network device.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program code executable by a processor, the program code including instructions for:

determining that a session associated with a second network slice is to be migrated to a first network slice, wherein the first network slice and the second network slice are network slices of a visited network of a terminal device, the visited network is different from a home network of the terminal device, and the second network slice has a mapping relationship with the first network slice;

sending, from a mobility management network element to a session management network element of the session in response to the determination, first indication information indicating the session management network element to initiate a modification procedure of the session of the terminal device;

receiving, from the session management network element, a session modification command message that comprises an identifier of the session and first single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI) of the first network slice in the visited network; and

sending the session modification command message to the terminal device.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 13 , wherein the second network slice has the mapping relationship with the first network slice comprises:

the first network slice and the second network slice provide services of a same type; or

the first network slice and the second network slice share a network slice instance.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 13 , wherein the session modification command message further comprises an S-NSSAI of the home network of the terminal device.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 13 , the program code further comprising instructions for:

sending, from the mobility management network element to the terminal device when the second network slice in the visited network is to be migrated to the first network slice in the visited network, mapping information between the first S-NSSAI of the first network slice in the visited network and a second S-NSSAI of the second network slice in the visited network.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 16 , wherein the step of sending the first indication information is performed after the step of sending the mapping information between the first S-NSSAI of the first network slice in the visited network and the second S-NSSAI of the second network slice in the visited network.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 13 , the program code further comprising instructions for:

receiving, from the session management network element, first information that comprises the identifier of the session and the first S-NSSAI of the first network slice; and

sending the first information to an access network device.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 12, 2022
From: ZHU, FANGYUAN; LI, YONGCUI; LI, YAN
To: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 062203/0247 →
Priority Claims (2)
CN 201910900880.0 · Sep 23, 2019 · national
CN 202010725203.2 · Jul 24, 2020 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTCN2020115959 · Sep 17, 2020
Related Publication 20220217625A1 · Jul 7, 2022
References Cited (26)
US 20180367980A1 · Lee · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20190124544A1 · Shaw et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190261159A1 · Wang et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20200314740A1 · Lee · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200396648A1 · Watfa · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20220116908A1 · Chun · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20230016945A1 · Lee · 2023 [cited by examiner]
CN 106982458A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
CN 108029062A · 2018 [cited by applicant]
CN 108323245A · 2018 [cited by applicant]
CN 108684073A · 2018 [cited by applicant]
CN 109587742A · 2019 [cited by applicant]
CN 110035423A · 2019 [cited by applicant]
EP 3537768A1 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
EP 3592035A1 · 2020 [cited by applicant]
EP 3709711A1 · 2020 [cited by applicant]
WO 2018171685A1 · 2018 [cited by applicant]
WO 2019137471A1 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
WO 2019174505A1 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
3GPP TS 23.503 V16.1.0 (Jun. 2019), 3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Services and System Aspects; Policy and Charging Control Framework for the 5G System; Stage 2(Release 16), 98 pages. [cited by applicant]
Itri, RAN Slicing in NR. 3GPP TSG RAN WG2 NR Ad Hoc, Spokane, USA, Jan. 17-19, 2017, R2-1700262, 5 pages. [cited by applicant]
Nokia, Nokia Shanghai Bell; Telecom Italia, ZTE, Ericsson, Clarification on S-NSSAI(s) for PDU session . SA WG2 Meeting #132 , May 13-17, 2019, Reno, Nevada, USA, S2-1904972, 5 pages. [cited by applicant]
Ericsson, Mobility procedures for Slicing. 3GPP TSG RAN WG3 NR AdHoc 1801, Sophia Antipolis, France, Jan. 22-26, 2018, R3-180386, 6 pages. [cited by applicant]
CMCC, Verizon, Study on enhancement of RAN Slicing. 3GPP TSG-RAN meeting #86, Sitges, Barcelona, Dec. 9-12, 2019, RP-193254, 4 pages. [cited by applicant]
3GPP TS 23.501 V16.1.0 (Jun. 2019), 3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Services and System Aspects; System Architecture for the 5G System; Stage 2(Release 16), 367 pages. [cited by applicant]
3GPP TS 23.502 V16.1.1 (Jun. 2019), 3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Services and System Aspects; Procedures for the 5G System; Stage 2(Release 16), 494 pages. [cited by applicant]
Cited By (1)
US 12,543,030