# US 10,873,950 B2 · Network slice selection based on requested service

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- Number: US 10,873,950 B2
- Document ID: US10873950B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/217,647
- Filed: 2018-12-12
- Published: 2020-06-18
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2018-12-12
- Assignees: Verison Patent and Licensing Inc.
- Applicants: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
- Inventors: Kristen S. Young; Kalyani Bogineni; Jignesh S. Panchal; Ratul Kumar Guha
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10873950B2

## CPC

- H04W 48/18: Selecting a network or a communication service
- H04W 72/53: based on regulatory allocation policies
- H04W 24/02: Arrangements for optimising operational condition
- H04W 76/12: Setup of transport tunnels
- H04W 72/54: based on quality criteria
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

An example method can include receiving, from a user equipment, single-network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI). The method can include determining a resource sharing configuration (RSC) associated with the S-NSSAI and determining whether the S-NSSAI is associated with a network slice instance (NSI) of the network. When the S-NSSAI is determined to be associated with a first NSI, the method can include mapping the S-NSSAI to the first NSI to permit the user equipment to communicate via the first NSI using a protocol data unit (PDU) session associated with the S-NSSAI. When the S-NSSAI is not determined to be associated with an NSI, the method can include forming a second NSI of the network according to the RSC associated with the S-NSSAI and mapping the S-NSSAI to the second NSI to permit the user equipment to communicate via the second NSI using a PDU session associated with the S-NSSAI.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method, comprising:
receiving, by a device and from a user equipment, single-network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI),
wherein the S-NSSAI is associated with a network;
determining, by the device, a resource sharing configuration (RSC) associated with the S-NSSAI;
identifying, by the device, a slice/service type (SST) of the S-NSSAI;
identifying, by the device and based on identifying the SST, a network slice instance (NSI) table associated with the SST;
determining, by the device, whether the RSC associated with the S-NSSAI is included in the NSI table;
determining, by the device and based on determining that the RSC associated with the S-NSSAI is included in the NSI table, whether the S-NSSAI is associated with a first network slice instance (NSI) of the network; and
when the S-NSSAI is determined to be associated with the first NSI,
mapping, by the device, the S-NSSAI to the first NSI to permit the user equipment to communicate via the first NSI using a protocol data unit (PDU) session associated with the S-NSSAI, or
when the S-NSSAI is not determined to be associated with the first NSI,
forming, by the device, a second NSI of the network according to the RSC associated with the S-NSSAI, and
mapping, by the device, the S-NSSAI to the second NSI to permit the user equipment to communicate via the second NSI using a PDU session associated with the S-NSSAI.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the S-NSSAI is received in at least one of:
a request from the user equipment to register the user equipment with the network, or
a request to initiate the PDU session.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a slice differentiator field of the S-NSSAI identifies at least one of:
a network slice type (NEST) that identifies one or more characteristics of the network that are to be supported by the first NSI and the second NSI,
a service, of the network, that is to be utilized by the user equipment,
an entity associated with the user equipment, or
an inter-slice priority level that identifies that an NSI that is mapped to the S-NSSAI has a priority relative to other NSIs of the network.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the RSC identifies a set of resource layers, of the network, that the user equipment can share according to the S-NSSAI.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein determining the RSC comprises:
determining resource layers that can be shared with another user equipment associated with the S-NSSAI or another user equipment associated with another S-NSSAI,
wherein the RSC is determined based on the resource layers.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein determining the RSC comprises:
determining that the S-NSSAI is not associated with a specific RSC;
determining, based on the S-NSSAI not being associated with the specific RSC, that the S-NSSAI is associated with a default RSC; and
determining that the RSC is the default RSC, and
wherein determining whether the S-NSSAI is associated with the first NSI comprises:
determining, based on the RSC being the default RSC, whether the S-NSSAI is associated with the first NSI of the network based on at least one of:
a network service type (NEST) of the S-NSSAI, or
the SST of the S-NSSAI.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of:
provisioning the PDU session, associated with the user equipment, to utilize the first NSI or the second NSI, or
determining a traffic type of the PDU session;
overriding, based on the determined traffic type of the PDU session, the S-NSSAI by assigning network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI) to the user equipment; and
provisioning the PDU session according to the assigned NSSAI.

### Claim 8

A device, comprising:
one or more memories; and
one or more processors, communicatively coupled to the one or more memories, to:
receive, from a user equipment, single-network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI),
wherein the S-NSSAI is associated with a network,
determine a resource sharing configuration (RSC) associated with the S-NSSAI;
identify a slice/service type (SST) of the S-NSSAI;
identify, based on identifying the SST, a network slice instance (NSI) table associated with the SST;
determine whether the RSC associated with the S-NSSAI is included in the NSI table;
determine, based on determining that the RSC associated with the S-NSSAI is included in the NSI table, whether the S-NSSAI is associated with a first network slice instance (NSI) of the network; and
when the S-NSSAI is determined to be associated with the first NSI,
map the S-NSSAI to the first NSI to permit the user equipment to communicate via the first NSI using a protocol data unit (PDU) session associated with the S-NSSAI, or
when the S-NSSAI is not determined to be associated with the first NSI,
form a second NSI of the network according to the RSC associated with the S-NSSAI, and
map the S-NSSAI to the second NSI to permit the user equipment to communicate via the second NSI using a PDU session associated with the S-NSSAI.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The device of claim 8, the S-NSSAI is received in at least one of:
a request from the user equipment to register the user equipment with the network, or
a request to initiate the PDU session.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The device of claim 8, wherein a slice differentiator field of the S-NSSAI identifies at least one of:
a network slice type (NEST) that identifies one or more characteristics of the network that are to be supported by the first NSI and the second NSI,
a service, of the network, that is to be utilized by the user equipment,
an entity associated with the user equipment, or
an inter-slice priority level that identifies that an NSI that is mapped to the S-NSSAI has a priority relative to other NSIs of the network.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The device of claim 8, wherein the RSC identifies a set of resource layers, of the network, that the user equipment can share according to the S-NSSAI.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The device of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors, when determining the RSC, are to:
determine resource layers that can be shared with another user equipment associated with the S-NSSAI or another user equipment associated with another S-NSSAI,
wherein the RSC is determined based on the resource layers.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The device of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors, when determining the RSC, are to:
determine that the S-NSSAI is not associated with a specific RSC;
determine, based on the S-NSSAI not being associated with the specific RSC, that the S-NSSAI is associated with a default RSC; and
determine that the RSC is the default RSC, and
wherein, the one or more processors, when determining whether the S-NSSAI is associated with the first NSI, are to:
determine, based on the RSC being the default RSC, whether the S-NSSAI is associated with the first NSI of the network based on at least one of:
a network service type (NEST) of the S-NSSAI, or
the SST of the S-NSSAI.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The device of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are further to at least one of:
provision the PDU session, associated with the user equipment, to utilize the first NSI or the second NSI, or
determine a traffic type of the PDU session;
override, based on the determined traffic type of the PDU session, the S-NSSAI by assigning an NSSAI to the user equipment; and
provision the PDU session according to the assigned NSSAI.

### Claim 15

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:
one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
receive, from a user equipment, single-network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI),
wherein the S-NSSAI is associated with a network,
determine a resource sharing configuration (RSC) associated with the S-NSSAI;
identify a slice/service type (SST) of the S-NSSAI;
identify, based on identifying the SST, a network slice instance (NSI) table associated with the SST;
determine whether the RSC associated with the S-NSSAI is included in the NSI table;
determine, based on determining that the RSC associated with the S-NSSAI is included in the NSI table, whether the S-NSSAI is associated with a first network slice instance (NSI) of the network; and
when the S-NSSAI is determined to be associated with the first NSI,
map the S-NSSAI to the first NSI to permit the user equipment to communicate via the first NSI using a protocol data unit (PDU) session associated with the S-NSSAI, or
when the S-NSSAI is not determined to be associated with the first NSI,
form a second NSI of the network according to the RSC associated with the S-NSSAI, and
map the S-NSSAI to the second NSI to permit the user equipment to communicate via the second NSI using a PDU session associated with the S-NSSAI.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, the S-NSSAI is received in at least one of:
a request from the user equipment to register the user equipment with the network, or
a request to initiate the PDU session.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein a slice differentiator field of the S-NSSAI identifies at least one of:
a network slice type (NEST) that identifies one or more characteristics of the network that are to be supported by the first NSI and the second NSI,
a service, of the network, that is to be utilized by the user equipment,
an entity associated with the user equipment, or
an inter-slice priority level that identifies that an NSI that is mapped to the S-NSSAI has a priority relative to other NSIs of the network.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the RSC identifies a set of resource layers, of the network, that the user equipment can share according to the S-NSSAI.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to determine the RSC, cause the one or more processors to:
determine resource layers that can be shared with another user equipment associated with the S-NSSAI or another user equipment associated with another S-NSSAI,
wherein the RSC is determined based on the resource layers.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to determining the RSC, cause the one or more processors to:
determine that the S-NSSAI is not associated with a specific RSC;
determine, based on the S-NSSAI not being associated with the specific RSC, that the S-NSSAI is associated with a default RSC; and
determine that the RSC is the default RSC, and
wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to determine whether the S-NSSAI is associated with the first NSI, cause the one or more processors to:
determine, based on the RSC being the default RSC, whether the S-NSSAI is associated with the first NSI of the network based on at least one of:
a network service type (NEST) of the S-NSSAI, or
the SST of the S-NSSAI.