IP Library Granted Patent US 12,445,949
Granted Patent B2
US 12,445,949 · App. 17/788,655 · Granted Oct 14, 2025

Method and user equipment for enhancing network slicing

Inventor: Yoko Kuge (Sakai, JP)
Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
H04W48/18H04W48/06H04W60/04
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,445,949
App. No.
17/788,655
Granted
Oct 14, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided are procedures for initial UE registration and periodic or movement-based registration, and a communication unit to achieve management of the maximum number of UEs connected to each slice in 5GS. Furthermore, a method for managing a timer running after completion of the registration procedure, and a method of registration procedure and a communication unit for both a UE in which the timer is running and a UE in which the timer is not running are provided, thus providing a communication unit to implement functions related to the management of the maximum number of UEs connected to each slice in 5GS.

Claims (21)

1. A User Equipment (UE) comprising:

transmission and reception circuitry;

control circuitry; and

a storage,

wherein

the transmission and reception circuitry are configured to:

send a registration request message including requested Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (NSSAI) including a Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI); and

receive a registration accept message including the S-NSSAI, a cause value indicating that the S-NSSAI is not available due to maximum number of UEs reached, and a back-off timer value, and

the control circuitry is configured to:

add the S-NSSAI in a rejected NSSAI regarding the S-NSSAI for which the maximum number of UEs has been reached in the storage;

start a timer with the back-off timer value; and

remove the S-NSSAI from the rejected NSSAI regarding the S-NSSAI for which the maximum number of UEs has been reached when the timer expires, and

the rejected NSSAI regarding the S-NSSAI for which the maximum number of UEs has been reached is information for each access type.

2. A communication method performed by a User Equipment (UE), the communication method comprising:

sending a registration request message including requested Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (NSSAI) including a Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI);

receiving a registration accept message including the S-NSSAI, a cause value indicating that the S-NSSAI is not available due to maximum number of UEs reached, and a back-off timer value;

adding the S-NSSAI in a rejected NSSAI regarding the S-NSSAI for which the maximum number of UEs has been reached in the UE;

starting a timer with the back-off timer value; and

removing the S-NSSAI from the rejected NSSAI regarding the S-NSSAI for which the maximum number of UEs has been reached when the timer expires,

wherein

the rejected NSSAI regarding the S-NSSAI for which the maximum number of UEs has been reached is information for each access type.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: KUGE, YOKO
To: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 060296/0414 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2019-236466 · Dec 26, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220377656A1 · Nov 24, 2022
References Cited (8)
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Li et al., Dynamic Network Capability Configurtion, Nov. 6, 2019, Provisional Application for US 2022/0159605 A1 (Year: 2019). [cited by examiner]
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“3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Services and System Aspects; Procedures for the 5G System (5GS); Stage 2 (Release 16)”, 3GPP TS 23.502 V16.3.0 (Dec. 2019). [cited by applicant]
“3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Core Network and Terminals; Non-Access-Stratum (NAS) protocol for 5G System (5GS); Stage 3(Release 16)”, 3GPP TS 24.501 V16.3.0 (Dec. 2019). [cited by applicant]
“3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Services and System Aspects; Study on Enhancement of Network Slicing Phase 2(Release 17)”, 3GPP TR 23.700-40 V0.2.0 (Dec. 2019). [cited by applicant]
Nokia et al., “Solution on Kl#1: AMF/NSSF based counting of UEs in a Network Slice”, S2-1912736, SA WG2 Meeting #136, Section 6.X.3.1, Reno, Nevada, USA, Nov. 18-22. [cited by applicant]