Managing session continuity for edge services in multi-access environments

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12302234-B2
Application number	US-202217727072-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2022
Priority date	Apr 23, 2021
Publication date	May 13, 2025
Grant date	May 13, 2025

Abstract

The present disclosure describes mechanisms to manage session continuity for edge computing services for edge service consumers. The session management mechanisms include continuity or handing over edge service sessions between edge computing platforms in a same edge compute cluster and between edge computing platforms in different edge compute clusters. The session management mechanisms include edge computing platform switching/handover for user equipment capable of utilizing multiple access network connections and/or multiple access technologies. The described solutions can provide edge service session continuity between connected vehicles and road side units and/or edge compute nodes.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A source edge computing platform (ECP) in an edge cluster including a set of ECPs and an edge controller, the source ECP comprising:
network interface circuitry (NIC) to communicatively couple the source ECP to the edge controller and a source network access node (NAN);
memory circuitry to store instructions for operating the source ECP; and
processor circuitry connected to the memory circuitry and the NIC, wherein the processor circuitry is to execute the instructions to:
determine to perform an ECP switch based on a measurement report received from a user equipment (UE) via the source NAN;
receive, via the NIC, target ECP information from the edge controller, wherein the target ECP information indicates a target ECP;
send, via the NIC, an ECP switch request to the target ECP based on the target ECP information, wherein the ECP switch request indicates that an ongoing edge service session should be transferred from the source ECP to the target ECP; and
send, via the NIC, an ECP switch command to the source NAN for delivery to the UE, wherein the ECP switch command instructs the UE to obtain services from the target ECP.

2. The source ECP of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry is to execute the instructions to:
determine to perform the ECP switch when one or more conditions are met, wherein the one or more conditions include one or more of:
one or more signal measurements indicated by the measurement report meeting or exceeding a first threshold,
an indication that the UE is to be handed over from the source NAN to a target NAN,
new or different radio conditions experienced at the source NAN or the UE,
a load at the source NAN or the source ECP meeting or exceeding a second threshold,
the UE moving to a new or different service area, and
the UE switching from using a first edge service to using a second edge service.

3. The source ECP of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry is to execute the instructions to:
determine a target NAN identifier (ID) of a target NAN associated with the target ECP; and
send the target NAN ID to the edge controller via the NIC, wherein receipt of the target ECP information is based on the target NAN ID.

4. The source ECP of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry is to execute the instructions to:
receive, from the edge controller, an intra-cluster switch indicator with the target ECP information when the target ECP is in the set of ECPs of the edge cluster.

5. The source ECP of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry is to execute the instructions to:
receive, from the edge controller, an inter-cluster switch indicator with the target ECP information when the target ECP is in another edge cluster.

6. The source ECP of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry is to execute the instructions to:
send, to the target ECP, UE context information of the UE with the ECP switch request, wherein the UE context information includes one or more of data about the ongoing edge service session, UE capabilities, UE location information, security information, UE synchronization capabilities, user application state information, edge application state information, edge application ID, and data flow ID.

7. The source ECP of claim 1 , wherein the ECP switch command includes the target ECP information and target NAN information, wherein the target ECP information includes a target ECP ID of the target ECP, and the target NAN information includes a target NAN ID of a target NAN and target NAN context information of the target NAN.

8. The source ECP of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry is to execute the instructions to:
receive an ECP switch acknowledgement (ACK) message from the target NAN in response to the ECP switch request; and
receive an ECP switch complete message from the UE in response to the ECP switch command.

9. The source ECP of claim 8 , wherein the processor circuitry is to execute the instructions to:
forward, to the target ECP, downlink edge data intended for the UE after receipt of the ECP switch ACK message or after receipt of the ECP switch complete message.

10. One or more non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising instructions for operating a target edge computing platform (ECP) in an edge cluster including a set of ECPs, wherein execution of the instructions by one or more processors is to cause the target ECP to:
receive an ECP switch request from a source ECP, wherein the ECP switch request indicates that an ongoing edge service session between the source ECP and a user equipment (UE) should be transferred from the source ECP to the target ECP;
prepare an edge service environment to host edge services of the edge service session;
send an ECP switch acknowledgement (ACK) message to the source ECP based on preparation of the edge service environment;
receive an ECP switch complete message from the UE; and
host the edge services of the edge service session in the edge service environment in response to receipt of the ECP switch complete message.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the ECP switch request is based on an ECP switch decision determined by the source ECP when one or more ECP switch conditions are met.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the ECP switch request is based on target ECP information provided to the source ECP by an edge controller in the edge cluster or another edge cluster.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein execution of the instructions is to cause the target ECP to:
receive the ECP switch complete message from the UE via a target network access node (NAN) communicatively coupled with the target ECP.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein execution of the instructions is to cause the target ECP to:
send, to an edge controller, an ECP switch successful message based on the ECP switch complete message, wherein the edge controller is in the edge cluster or in another edge cluster.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein execution of the instructions is to cause the target ECP to:
receive UE context information with the ECP switch request; and
prepare the service environment based on the UE context information.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein execution of the instructions is to cause the target ECP to:
send the UE context information to the target NAN, wherein the UE context information includes one or more of data about the ongoing edge service session, UE capabilities, UE location information, security information, UE synchronization capabilities, user application state information, edge application state information, edge application ID, and a data flow ID.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein execution of the instructions is to cause the target ECP to:
send a measurement configuration to the UE via the target NAN after receipt of the ECP switch complete message.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein execution of the instructions is to cause the target ECP to:
prepare the edge service environment when the target ECP is determined to have sufficient resources available to host the edge services.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein execution of the instructions is to cause

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Merwaday Arvind
• Sivanesan Kathiravetpillai
• Moustafa Hassnaa
• Sehra Suman A

Classifications

• H04W36/302

  due to low signal strength · CPC title

• H04W36/125 Primary

  involving different types of service backbones · CPC title

• H04W36/0011

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

• H04W48/18 Primary

  Selecting a network or a communication service · CPC title

• H04W88/06

  adapted for operation in multiple networks {or having at least two operational modes}, e.g. multi-mode terminals · CPC title