Methods relating to network slice selection requests

1. A method comprising:

determining a response to a network slice selection request from a user equipment based on information included in the network slice selection request that is indicative of a reason for making the network slice selection request,

also comprising:

determining a duration of the timer based on a geo-location and or a geo-speed of the user equipment from which the network slice selection request was received;

creating a data entry corresponding to the received network slice selection request; and

determining a response to another network slice selection request from a user equipment based at least in part on the created data entry;

wherein, in an event that the network slice selection request to which the data entry relates was granted:

determining whether the network slice selection has been successful; and

including in the data entry an indication as to whether the network slice selection has been successful or unsuccessful, and

wherein determining whether the network slice selection has been successful comprises:

following granting access to the network slice, starting a timer; and

in response to a determination that the timer has expired without a network slice reselection request having been received, determining that that network slice selection has been successful; or

in response to receiving a network slice reselection request prior to expiry of the timer, determining that the network slice selection has been unsuccessful.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determined response includes granting access to a network slice to the user equipment or denying the network slice selection request.

3. The method of claim 2 , comprising:

providing a network slice selection request response, the network slice selection request response including an indication as to whether the network slice selection request has been granted or denied wherein, when the network slice selection request response includes an indication that the network slice selection request has been denied, the network slice selection request response includes information indicative of a reason for denying the network slice selection request.

4. A method, comprising:

determining a response to a network slice selection request from a user equipment based on information included in the network slice selection request that is indicative of a reason for making the network slice selection request,

also comprising:

determining a duration of the timer based on a geo-location and or a geo-speed of the user equipment from which the network slice selection request was received;

creating a data entry corresponding to the received network slice selection request; and

determining a response to another network slice selection request from a user equipment based at least in part on the created data entry;

wherein, in an event that the network slice selection request to which the data entry relates was granted:

determining whether the network slice selection has been successful; and

including in the data entry an indication as to whether the network slice selection has been successful or unsuccessful, and

in response to receiving the other network slice selection request, determining whether the network slice selection request to the which the created data entry relates is sufficiently similar to the other network slice selection request;

in response to a positive determination, determining the response to the further network slice selection request based at least in part on the created data entry.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein determining the similarity between the further network slice selection request and the network slice selection request to which the created data entry relates is based on one or more of:

information describing the network slices requested in the requests;

information describing the network slices being accessed by the respective user equipment when the requests were sent; and

information describing one or more cells being accessed by the respective user equipment when the requests were sent.

6. The method of claim 4 , comprising:

determining the response to the other network slice selection request based at least in part on the indication in the created data entry as to whether the network slice selection to which the data entry relates was successful.

7. The method of claim 6 , comprising:

determining the response to the other network slice selection request based at least in part on a determination as to whether a reason for making the further network slice selection request is bounded by the reason for making the network slice selection request to which the created data entry relates.

8. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

in response to receiving the other network slice selection request, identifying plural data entries each relating to a respective previous network slice selection request that is sufficiently similar to the further network slice selection request;

based on the identified data entries, determining one or more success rates based on the indications in the data entries as to whether the network slice selection to which the data entry relates was successful;

comparing the one or more success rates to respective thresholds; and

if the one or more success rates are above the respective thresholds, granting the further network slice selection request by granting access to a network slice to the user equipment that sent the other network slice selection request.

9. The method of claim 8 , comprising:

identifying the plural data entries each relating to a respective previous network slice selection request that sufficiently is similar to the other network slice selection request;

determining the one or more success rates based on the identified entries, only if the number of the identified plural data entries exceeds a threshold; and

if the number of the identified plural data entries does not exceed a threshold, determining whether to grant or deny the further network slice selection request without considering the identified data entries.

10. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the apparatus to perform:

determining a response to a network slice selection request from a user equipment based on information included in the network slice selection request that is indicative of a reason for making the network slice selection request;

determining a duration of the timer based on a geo-location and or a geo-speed of the user equipment from which the network slice selection request was received;

creating a data entry corresponding to the received network slice selection request;

determining a response to another network slice selection request from a user equipment based at least in part on the created data entry;

in an event that the network slice selection request to which the data entry relates was granted, the computer program code, with the at least one processor, further causes the apparatus to perform

determining whether the network slice selection has been successful; and

including in the data entry an indication as to whether the network slice selection has been successful or unsuccessful;

starting a timer following granting access to the network slice; and

in response to a determination that the timer has expired without a network slice reselection request having been received, determining that that network slice selection has been successful; or

in response to receiving a network slice reselection request prior to expiry of the timer, determining that the network slice selection has been unsuccessful.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the determined response includes granting access to a network slice to the user equipment or denying the network slice selection request.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the computer program code, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the apparatus:

to provide a network slice selection request response, the network slice selection request response including an indication as to whether the network slice selection request has been granted or denied wherein, when the network slice selection request response includes an indication that the network slice selection request has been denied, the network slice selection request response includes information indicative of a reason for denying the network slice selection request.

13. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the apparatus to perform:

determining a response to a network slice selection request from a user equipment based on information included in the network slice selection request that is indicative of a reason for making the network slice selection request;

determining a duration of the timer based on a geo-location and or a geo-speed of the user equipment from which the network slice selection request was received;

creating a data entry corresponding to the received network slice selection request;

determining a response to another network slice selection request from a user equipment based at least in part on the created data entry;

in an event that the network slice selection request to which the data entry relates was granted, the at least one memory and computer program code, with the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to perform

determining whether the network slice selection has been successful; and

including in the data entry an indication as to whether the network slice selection has been successful or unsuccessful;

in response to receiving the other network slice selection request, determining whether the network slice selection request to the which the created data entry relates is sufficiently similar to the other network slice selection request; and

in response to a positive determination, determining the response to the further network slice selection request based at least in part on the created data entry.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the computer program code, when executed by the at least one processor, further causes the apparatus to determine the similarity between the further network slice selection request and the network slice selection request to which the created data entry relates is based on one or more of:

information describing the network slices requested in the requests;

information describing the network slices being accessed by the respective user equipment when the requests were sent; and

information describing one or more cells being accessed by the respective user equipment when the requests were sent.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the computer program code, when executed by the at least one processor, further causes the apparatus:

to determine the response to the other network slice selection request based at least in part on the indication in the created data entry as to whether the network slice selection to which the data entry relates was successful.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the computer program code, when executed by the at least one processor, further causes the apparatus:

in response to receiving the other network slice selection request, to identify plural data entries each relating to a respective previous network slice selection request that is sufficiently similar to the further network slice selection request;

based on the identified data entries, to determine one or more success rates based on the indications in the data entries as to whether the network slice selection to which the data entry relates was successful;

to compare the one or more success rates to respective thresholds; and

if the one or more success rates are above the respective thresholds, to grant the further network slice selection request by granting access to a network slice to the user equipment that sent the other network slice selection request.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the computer program code, when executed by the at least one processor, further causes the apparatus:

to determine the response to the other network slice selection request based at least in part on a determination as to whether a reason for making the further network slice selection request is bounded by the reason for making the network slice selection request to which the created data entry relates.