Adaptive pairing of a radio access network slice to a core network slice based on device information or service information

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10433177-B2
Application number	US-201715829785-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 1, 2017
Priority date	Dec 1, 2017
Publication date	Oct 1, 2019
Grant date	Oct 1, 2019

Abstract

Pairing of a radio access network (RAN) slice to a core network (CN) slice is disclosed. The pairing can be based on RAN slice information, CN slice information, and device information. The device information can enable access to corresponding information from a data store, such as historical pairing correlated to a device, device type, etc. Moreover, other supplemental information, such as service information, can also be employed in determining the pairing. In an aspect, the other supplemental information can enable access to corresponding information form a data store, such as other CN slices comprising an identified virtual network function, historical performance of previously determined pairing(s), etc. A determined pairing can be modified before provisioning or after provisioning based on the RAN slice information, CN slice information, supplemental information, or corresponding information. Further, pairing information can be employed to directly initiate pairing or to cause another device to initiate pairing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
determining first information corresponding to core network slices for a core network environment, wherein the first information corresponding to the core network slices comprises a first characteristic of a first core network slice of the core network slices;
determining second information corresponding to radio access network slices for a mobility network environment, wherein the second information corresponding to the radio access network slices comprises a second characteristic of a first radio access network slice of the radio access network slices;
determining a first pairing of the first core network slice and the first radio access network slice based on the first characteristic, the second characteristic, and first end device information for a first end device;
determining a second pairing of a second core network slice of the core network slices and a second radio access network slice of the radio access network slices based on a third characteristic of the second core network slice and a fourth characteristic of the second radio access network slice;
ranking the first pairing and the second pairing based on a first key performance indicator of the first pairing and a second key performance indicator of the second pairing;
selecting a pairing from a paired slices group comprising the first pairing and the second pairing, resulting in a selected pairing; and
initiating a communicative coupling according to the selected pairing to facilitate communication via the first pairing between the first end device and a second end device.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein a first rank of the first pairing to facilitate communication between the first end device and the second end device is a different rank than a second rank of the second pairing to facilitate communication between the first end device and the second end device.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein:
the second characteristic embodies a first space domain utilization value,
the fourth characteristic embodies a second space domain utilization value, and
the first space domain utilization value is different from the second space domain utilization value.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the first space domain utilization value being different from the second space domain utilization value results in the first key performance indicator being different from the second key performance indicator.

5. The device of claim 3 , wherein the first space domain utilization value being different from the second space domain utilization value results in the first key performance indicator being a same indicator as the second key performance indicator.

6. The device of claim 2 , wherein:
the second characteristic embodies a first time domain utilization value,
the fourth characteristic embodies a second space time utilization value, and
the first time domain utilization value is different from the second time domain utilization value.

7. The device of claim 2 , wherein:
the second characteristic embodies a frequency space domain utilization value,
the fourth characteristic embodies a second frequency domain utilization value, and
the first frequency domain utilization value is different from the second frequency domain utilization value.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the initiating the communicative coupling according to the selected pairing results in an increased utilization of network resources in comparison to the selected pairing being a third pairing of the first core network slice and a second radio access network slice.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the initiating the communicative coupling according to the selected pairing results in an increased utilization of network resources in comparison to the selected pairing being a third pairing of a second core network slice and a first radio access network slice.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise,
in response to the determining the first pairing of the first core network slice and the first radio access network slice, storing first pairing information relating to the first pairing for the first end device resulting in stored first pairing information; and
in response to a subsequent request from the first end device for access to a subsequent communicative coupling, receiving the stored first pairing information to facilitate reuse of the first pairing.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise,
in response to the determining the first pairing of the first core network slice and the first radio access network slice, storing first pairing information relating to the first pairing for the first end device resulting in stored first pairing information; and
in response to a subsequent request from the second end device for access to a subsequent communicative coupling, receiving the stored first pairing information to facilitate reuse of the first pairing.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first end device is selected from a first end devices group comprising a first user equipment, a sensor device, and an internet-of-things device, and wherein the second end device is selected from a second end devices group comprising a core-network device, a service provider device, a server, and a second user equipment.

13. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a system comprising a processor and a memory, first information corresponding to core network slices;
receiving, by the system, second information corresponding to radio access network slices;
receiving, by the system, first end device information corresponding to a first end device requesting provisioning of a communication pathway to a second end device;
based on a first portion of the first information, a second portion of the second information, and the first end device information, determining, by the system, a first pairing of a first core network slice of the core network slices and a first radio access network slice of the radio access network slices;
based on a third portion of the first information, a fourth portion of the second information, and the first end device information, determining, by the system, a second pairing of a second core network slice of the core network slices and a second radio access network slice of the radio access network slices;
selecting, by the system, a preferred pairing from paired slices comprising the first pairing and the second pairing based on a rank of each paired slice of the paired slices; and
enabling, by the system, access to information corresponding to the preferred pairing to facilitate provisioning of the preferred pairing, wherein the communication pathway is configured to comprise the preferred pairing.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first core network slice comprises a first virtual network function that is different from a second virtual network function that is comprised in the second core network slice, wherein the first virtual network function is employable by at least one end device of an end device group via the communication pathway comprising the first pairing, and wherein the end device group comprises the first end device and the second end device.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the rank of the preferred pairing is based on a historical use of the preferred pairing.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the historical use of the preferred pairing is correlated to a first en

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Kodaypak Rajendra Prasad
• Seenappa Vikram

Classifications

• H04W72/51

  based on terminal or device properties · CPC title

• H04L41/00

  Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks · CPC title

• H04W24/02

  Arrangements for optimising operational condition · CPC title

• H04L41/5006

  Creating or negotiating SLA contracts, guarantees or penalties · CPC title

• H04W92/14

  between access point controllers and backbone network device · CPC title