Network slice selection method and apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11368904-B2
Application number	US-201916426957-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2019
Priority date	Feb 27, 2017
Publication date	Jun 21, 2022
Grant date	Jun 21, 2022

Abstract

This application discloses a network slice selection method and apparatus, to resolve a prior-art problem of large transmission load on a network side. The method performed by a core network device includes: receiving a first request message sent by a terminal device, where the first request message is used to request to allocate, to the terminal device, a network slice that provides a business service; sending a query message to a SSF, where the query message carries user information of the terminal device, and is used to query for a network slice that is capable of providing a business service for the terminal device; and after receiving slice information of the network slice that is capable of providing the business service required by the terminal device and that is determined based on the user information, forwarding the first request message to the network slice corresponding to the slice information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A network slice selection method, comprising:
receiving, by a core network device, a first request message from a terminal device, wherein the first request message comprises a service type for requesting to allocate, to the terminal device, a network slice that provides a business service;
sending, by the core network device, a query message to a slice selection function entity (SSF), wherein the query message carries the service type, and wherein the query message is used to query for a network slice that is capable of providing the business service for the terminal device;
receiving, by the core network device from the SSF, slice information of the network slice that is capable of providing the business service required by the terminal device, wherein the network slice is determined based on the service type comprised in the first request message; and
forwarding, by the core network device, the first request message to the network slice corresponding to the slice information.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the query message further comprises at least one of:
an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) of the terminal device; or
an international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) of the terminal device.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein after the forwarding, by the core network device, the first request message to the network slice corresponding to the slice information, the method further comprises:
receiving, by the core network device, identification information, sent by the network slice, of the network slice; and
sending, by the core network device, the identification information of the network slice to the terminal device.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein after the sending, by the core network device, the identification information of the network slice to the terminal device, the method further comprises:
receiving, by the core network device, a second request message from the terminal device, wherein the second request message carries the identification information of the network slice; and
forwarding, by the core network device, the second request message to the network slice corresponding to the identification information of the network slice, so that the network slice corresponding to the identification information provides the business service for the terminal device.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the slice information comprises at least one of:
an identification information of the network slice, a type of the network slice, or address information of the network slice.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein after the forwarding, by the core network device, the first request message to the network slice corresponding to the slice information, the method further comprises:
receiving, by the core network device, identification information, sent by the network slice, of the network slice; and
storing, by the core network device, a correspondence between the terminal device and the identification information of the network slice.

7. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising:
receiving, by the core network device, a third request message from the terminal device, wherein the third request message is used to request to allocate, to the terminal device, a network slice that provides a second business service;
determining, by the core network device, based on the correspondence, the network slice corresponding to the second business service requested by the terminal device; and
forwarding, by the core network device, the third request message to the network slice corresponding to the second business service requested by the terminal device.

8. A network slice selection apparatus, comprising at least one processor of a core network device; and a memory configured to store computer readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
receive a first request message from a terminal device, wherein the first request message comprises a service type for requesting to allocate, to the terminal device, a network slice that provides a business service;
send a query message to a slice selection function entity (SSF), wherein the query message carries the service type, and wherein the query message is used to query for a network slice that is capable of providing the business service for the terminal device;
receive from the SSF slice information of the network slice that is capable of providing the business service required by the terminal device, wherein the network slice is determined based on the service type comprised in the first request message; and
forward the first request message to the network slice corresponding to the slice information.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the query message further comprises at least one of:
an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) of the terminal device; or
an international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) of the terminal device.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the computer readable instructions when executed by the at least one processor further cause the at least one processor to:
receive identification information, sent by the network slice, of the network slice after the at least one processor forwards the first request message to the network slice corresponding to the slice information; and
send the identification information of the network slice to the terminal device.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the computer readable instructions when executed by the at least one processor further cause the at least one processor to:
receive a second request message from the terminal device, wherein the second request message carries the identification information of the network slice after the at least one processor sends the identification information of the network slice to the terminal device; and
forward the second request message to the network slice corresponding to the identification information of the network slice, so that the network slice corresponding to the identification information provides the business service for the terminal device.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the slice information comprises at least one of:
an identification information of the network slice, a type of the network slice, or address information of the network slice.

13. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the computer readable instructions when executed by the at least one processor further cause the at least one processor to:
receive from the network slice identification information of the network slice after the at least one processor forwards the first request message to the network slice; and
store a correspondence between the terminal device and the identification information of the network slice.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the computer readable instructions when executed by the at least one processor further cause the at least one processor to:
receive a third request message from the terminal device, wherein the third request message is used to request to allocate, to the terminal device, a network slice that provides a second business service;
determine, based on the correspondence, the network slice corresponding to the second business service requested by the terminal device; and
forward the third request message to the network slice corresponding to the second business service requested by the terminal device.

15. A network slice selection system, comprising:
a core network device;

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zhang Chunlei
• Zhou Guangchao
• Chen Heng
• Zhou Zhiyong

Classifications

• H04W48/18 Primary

  Selecting a network or a communication service · CPC title

• H04W76/11

  Allocation or use of connection identifiers · CPC title

• H04W8/20 Primary

  Transfer of user or subscriber data · CPC title

• H04W36/0011

  for data sessions of end-to-end connection · CPC title

• H04W60/00

  Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration · CPC title