Selection assistance information for a network slice

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12593270-B2
Application number	US-202117999546-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 21, 2021
Priority date	May 21, 2020
Publication date	Mar 31, 2026
Grant date	Mar 31, 2026

Abstract

Apparatuses, methods, and systems are disclosed for receiving selection assistance information corresponding to a preferred network slice. One apparatus includes a processor and a transceiver that receives selection assistance information corresponding to a set of preferred network slices from the mobile communication network, where the selection assistance information includes an indication of at least one preferred network slice starting with a most preferred network slice in a priority order, the selection assistance information further including target cell detection information and/or target cell selection information. The processor performs cell search on a highest priority frequency layer corresponding to the most preferred network slice and selects a cell of the highest priority frequency layer that supports the most preferred network slice based on results of the cell search.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method performed by a user equipment (“UE”), the method comprising:
receiving selection assistance information corresponding to a set of preferred network slices from a mobile communication network supporting a plurality of network slices, wherein the selection assistance information comprises an indication of priorities of the plurality of network slices and a mapping between a respective network slice and a frequency layer that supports the respective network slice,
wherein the selection assistance information further comprises target cell detection information or target cell selection information, and wherein the selection assistance information comprises information to detect, measure, and evaluate a target cell on a highest priority frequency layer that supports a preferred network slice;
performing cell search on a highest priority frequency layer corresponding to the preferred network slice; and
reselecting a cell of the highest priority frequency layer that supports the preferred network slice based on results of the cell search.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the selection assistance information comprises receiving a system broadcast message from a first cell in the mobile communication network, wherein the selection assistance information comprises cell reselection priority information for a specific frequency layer supporting a specific network slice.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the system broadcast message includes a list of network slices supported in or near the first cell and corresponding selection assistance information for each slice in the list.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the selection assistance information comprises receiving a dedicated signaling message from a first cell in the mobile communication network.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the dedicated signaling message comprises a radio resource control (“RRC”) redirection message comprising an indication that the redirection is to a preferred network slice.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the dedicated signaling message comprises a radio resource control (“RRC”) release message that comprises the selection assistance information, the method further comprising reselecting a cell that supports a preferred network slice using the selection assistance information.

7 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the selection assistance information is carried to the UE in a radio resource control (“RRC”) message or in a non-access stratum (“NAS”) message.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the mapping is valid within a radio access network (“RAN”) slice area that indicates a RAN coverage area that supports a particular network slice, the method further comprising receiving an indication of the RAN slice area corresponding to the selection assistance information.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the RAN slice area comprises a set of cells defining a portion of a registration area in which the mapping is valid.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the selection assistance information does not include slice information, wherein the UE interprets a first entry of the selection assistance information as corresponding to the preferred network slice.

11 . A user equipment (“UE”) for wireless communication, comprising:
at least one memory;
at least one processor coupled with the at least one memory and configured to cause the UE to:
receive selection assistance information corresponding to a set of preferred network slices from a mobile communication network supporting a plurality of network slices, wherein the selection assistance information comprises an indication of priorities of the plurality of network slices and a mapping between a respective network slice and a frequency layer that supports the respective network slice,
wherein the selection assistance information further comprises target cell detection information or target cell selection information, and wherein the selection assistance information comprises information to detect, measure, and evaluate a target cell on a highest priority frequency layer that supports a preferred network slice;
perform cell search on a highest priority frequency layer corresponding to the preferred network slice; and
reselect a cell of the highest priority frequency layer that supports the preferred network slice based on results of the cell search.

12 . The UE of claim 11 , wherein, to receive the selection assistance information, the at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to receive a system broadcast message from a first cell in the mobile communication network, wherein the selection assistance information comprises cell reselection priority information for a specific frequency layer supporting a specific network slice.

13 . The UE of claim 12 , wherein the system broadcast message includes a list of network slices supported in or near the first cell and corresponding selection assistance information for each slice in the list.

14 . The UE of claim 11 , wherein, to receive the selection assistance information, the processor is configured to cause the UE to receive a dedicated signaling message from a first cell in the mobile communication network.

15 . The UE of claim 14 , wherein the selection assistance information is carried in a Radio Resource Control (“RRC”) message or in a Non-Access Stratum (“NAS”) message.

16 . The UE of claim 11 , wherein the mapping is valid within a radio access network (“RAN”) slice area that indicates a RAN coverage area that supports a particular network slice.

17 . The UE of claim 16 , wherein the processor is further configured to cause the UE to receive an indication of the RAN slice area corresponding to the selection assistance information, wherein the RAN slice area comprises a set of cells defining a portion of a registration area in which the mapping is valid.

Assignees

• Lenovo Singapore Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Basu Mallick Prateek
• Kuchibhotla Ravi
• Loehr Joachim
• Choi Hyung-Nam
• Velev Genadi

Classifications

• H04W48/10

  using broadcasted information · CPC title

• H04W16/24

  Cell structures · CPC title

• H04W48/12 Primary

  using downlink control channel · CPC title

• H04W48/18 Primary

  Selecting a network or a communication service · CPC title