IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,284,587
Granted Patent B2
US 12,284,587 · App. 17/614,820 · Granted Apr 22, 2025

Dynamic path selection

Inventors: Mehrdad Shariat (Staines, GB); Sunghoon Kim (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
H04W40/12H04W4/80H04W28/0268H04W76/14H04W76/23
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 12,284,587
App. No.
17/614,820
Granted
Apr 22, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a communication method and system for converging a 5 th -Generation (5G) communication system for supporting higher data rates beyond a 4 th -Generation (4G) system with a technology for Internet of Things (IoT). The present disclosure may be applied to intelligent services based on the 5G communication technology and the IoT-related technology, such as smart home, smart building, smart city, smart car, connected car, health care, digital education, smart retail, security and safety services. Disclosed is a method of path selection in a system where a first User Equipment, UE, is operable to communicate with a second UE via either a first direct path or a second path via a telecommunication network and wherein the active path is selected to be the first path or second path in response to a trigger derived from: a) either one of the first and second UEs; b) the telecommunication network; or c) an application function in the network miming in coordination with one of the first or second UEs.

Claims (56)

1. A method by a policy control function (PCF) entity for a proximity services (ProSe) in a wireless communication system, comprising:

determining a path selection policy for a terminal indicating which path is preferred for a ProSe service in a direct communication, the preferred path for the ProSe service including a PC5 path or an Uu path; and

transmitting, to the terminal via an access and mobility management function (AMF) entity, the path selection policy,

wherein a path for the ProSe service is selected by the terminal based on the path selection policy before a connection with another terminal or a network is established.

2. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the PC5 path is selected by the terminal, in case that the path selection policy indicates the PC5 path for the ProSe service, and

wherein the Uu path is selected by the terminal, in case that the path selection policy indicates the Uu path for the ProSe service.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, from a unified data repository (UDR) a notification of a data change,

wherein the determination of the path selection policy is initiated based on the notification.

4. The method of claim 3 ,

wherein the notification is generated based on information on a path preference for the ProSe service transmitted from an application function (AF) entity to the UDR, and

wherein the path preference is determined based on quality of service (QOS) sustainability analytics provided from a network data analytics function (NWDAF) entity.

5. The method of claim 4 ,

wherein a notification of a data change is transmitted from a unified data repository (UDR) to the PCF entity, and

wherein the path selection policy is determined by the PCF entity based on the notification.

6. The method of claim 5 ,

wherein the notification is generated based on information on a path preference for the ProSe service transmitted from an application function (AF) entity to the UDR, and

wherein the path preference is determined based on quality of service (QOS) sustainability analytics provided from a network data analytics function (NWDAF) entity.

7. A method performed by a terminal for a proximity services (ProSe) in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

receiving, from a policy control function (PCF) entity via an access and mobility management function (AMF) entity, a path selection policy for the terminal indicating which path is preferred for a ProSe service in a direct communication, the preferred path for the ProSe service including a PC5 path or an Uu path-;

selecting a path for the ProSe service based on the path selection policy; and

establishing a connection with another terminal or a network based on the selected path.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the selecting of the path for the ProSe service comprises:

selecting the PC5 path, in case that the path selection policy indicates the PC5 path for the ProSe service; and

selecting the Uu path, in case that the path selection policy indicates the Uu path for the ProSe service.

9. A policy control function (PCF) entity for a proximity services (ProSe) in a wireless communication system, the PCF entity comprising:

a transceiver; and

a controller configured to:

determine a path selection policy for a terminal indicating which path is preferred for a ProSe service in a direct communication, the preferred path for the ProSe service including a PC5 path or an Uu path, and

control the transceiver to transmit, to the terminal via an access and mobility management function (AMF) entity, the path selection policy,

wherein a path for the ProSe service is selected by the terminal based on the path selection policy before a connection with another terminal or a network is established.

10. The PCF entity of claim 9 ,

wherein the PC5 path is selected by the terminal, in case that the path selection policy indicates the PC5 path for the ProSe service, and

wherein the Uu path is selected by the terminal, in case that the path selection policy indicates the Uu path for the ProSe service.

11. The PCF entity of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

control the transceiver to receive, from a unified data repository (UDR) a notification of a data change, and

determine the path selection policy based on the notification.

12. The PCF entity of claim 11 ,

wherein the notification is generated based on information on a path preference for the ProSe service transmitted from an application function (AF) entity to the UDR, and

wherein the path preference is determined based on quality of service (QOS) sustainability analytics provided from a network data analytics function (NWDAF) entity.

13. A terminal for a proximity services (ProSe) in a wireless communication system, the terminal comprising:

a transceiver; and

a controller configured to:

control the transceiver to receive, from a policy control function (PCF) entity via an access and mobility management function (AMF) entity, a path selection policy for the terminal indicating which path is preferred for a ProSe service in a direct communication, the preferred path for the ProSe service including a PC5 path or an Uu path,

select a path for the ProSe service based on the path selection policy, and

establish a connection with another terminal or a network based on the selected path.

14. The terminal of claim 13 ,

wherein a notification of a data change is transmitted from a unified data repository (UDR) to the PCF entity, and

wherein the path selection policy is determined by the PCF entity based on the notification.

15. The terminal of claim 14 ,

wherein the notification is generated based on information on a path preference for the ProSe service transmitted from an application function (AF) entity to the UDR, and

wherein the path preference is determined based on quality of service (QOS) sustainability analytics provided from a network data analytics function (NWDAF) entity.

16. The terminal of claim 13 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

select the PC5 path, in case that the path selection policy indicates the PC5 path for the ProSe service, and

select the Uu path, in case that the path selection policy indicates the Uu path for the ProSe service.

Assignments (2)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE SECOND INVENTOR'S NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 058228 FRAME: 0414. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Dec 6, 2021
From: SHARIAT, MEHRDAD; KIM, SUNGHOON
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 058318/0314 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 29, 2021
From: SHARIAT, MEHRDAD; KIM, SOENGHUN
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 058228/0414 →
Priority Claims (3)
GB 2000125 · Jan 6, 2020 · national
GB 2006451 · May 1, 2020 · national
GB 2019224 · Dec 7, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220232450A1 · Jul 21, 2022
References Cited (28)
US 10708824B2 · Lee et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20090168689A1 · Itagaki et al. · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 20120287807A1 · Yamasaki et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 20180376308A1 · Xiao et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20190356601A1 · Kweon et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190357082A1 · Kim et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20200187298A1 · Chun · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20230345320A1 · Kuo · 2023 [cited by examiner]
CN 110612742A · 2019 [cited by applicant]
EP 2076092A1 · 2009 [cited by applicant]
EP 3432655A1 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
GB 2588096A · 2021 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020190132921A · 2019 [cited by applicant]
WO 2019197426A1 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
Apple et al., KI#5: Evaluation and Conclusion—AF influenced direct communication path selection, S2-2009033, SA WG2 Meeting #142-E, Nov. 9, 2020, Elbonia, XP051953348. [cited by applicant]
Samsung, New Key Issue to support path switching between 5GC path and PC5 path, S2-1909605, 3GPP SA WG2 Meeting #135, Oct. 4, 2019, Split, Croatia, XP051795701. [cited by applicant]
Samsung et al., New Key Issue to support path selection and switching, S2-1910703, 3GPP SA WG2 Meeting #135, Oct. 18, 2019, Split, Croatia, XP051799725. [cited by applicant]
Oppo, NCIS use case—Proposal for Consolidated Requirements—Group, S1-191078, 3GPP TSG-SA WG1 Meeting #86, Apr. 29, 2019, Suzhou, P. R. China, XP051719024. [cited by applicant]
Oppo, Revision of NCIS Overview, S1-190250, 3GPP TSG-SA WG1 Meeting #85, Feb. 25, 2019, Tallinn, Estonia, XP051609511. [cited by applicant]
United Kingdom Search and Examination Report dated Apr. 22, 2022, issued in UKIPO Application No. GB2019224.1. [cited by applicant]
European Search Report dated Jun. 10, 2022, issued in European Application No. 20911649.0. [cited by applicant]
Huawei et al., Solution for the KI: Support direct communication path selection and switching between PC5 and Uu, S2-1911667, SA WG2 Meeting #136, Reno, USA, Nov. 8, 2019. [cited by applicant]
Samsung, Solution to support Direct Communication Path Selection, S2-1911344, 3GPP SA WG2 Meeting #136, Reno, USA, Nov. 8, 2019. [cited by applicant]
3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Services and System Aspects; Study on Application Architecture to Support Mission Critical Push to Talk over LTE (MCPTT) Services (Release 13) 3GPP TR 23… [cited by applicant]
Oppo, NCIS Use Case—Proposal for Consolidated Requirements—Group, S1-191501, 3GPP TSG-SA WG1 Meeting #86, May 6-10, 2019, Suzhou, P. R. China. [cited by applicant]
United Kingdom Search and Examination Report dated Apr. 28, 2021, issued in UKIPO Application No. GB2019224.1. [cited by applicant]
European Office Actions dated Apr. 17, 2024, issued in European Patent Application No. 20 911 649.0-1215. [cited by applicant]
Chinese Office Actions dated Jun. 26, 2024, issued in Chinese Patent Application No. 202080040960.4. [cited by applicant]