# US 11,910,306 B2 · Methods, systems, and computer readable media for providing updated network slice information to a network slice selection function (NSSF)

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- Number: US 11,910,306 B2
- Document ID: US11910306B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/382,299
- Filed: 2021-07-21
- Published: 2023-01-26
- Granted: 2024-02-20
- Earliest claimed: 2021-07-21
- Assignees: Oracle International Corporation
- Applicants: Oracle International Corporation
- Inventors: Yesh Goel; John Nirmal Mohan Raj
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11910306B2

## CPC

- H04L 41/0897: by horizontal or vertical scaling of resources, or by migrating entities, e.g. virtual resources or entities
- H04W 48/18: Selecting a network or a communication service
- H04L 41/0895: Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
- H04W 8/00: Network data management
- H04W 8/18: Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
- H04W 24/02: Arrangements for optimising operational condition
- H04W 60/00: Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
- H04W 68/005: {Transmission of information for alerting of incoming communication}
- H04L 41/5009: Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
- H04L 41/5019: Ensuring fulfilment of SLA
- H04L 43/0876: Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
- H04L 43/20: the monitoring system or the monitored elements being virtualised, abstracted or software-defined entities, e.g. SDN or NFV
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

A method for providing updated network slice information to a network slice selection function (NSSF includes registering, by a network slice management function (NSMF) with a network function (NF) repository function (NRF), an NF profile corresponding to the NSMF and subscribing, by the NSMF with the NRF, for status updates corresponding to NF instances belonging to network slice instances created by the NSMF. The method further includes receiving, by the NSMF from the NRF, a notification message including one or more network traffic load level updates related to at least one of the NF instances, processing the one or more network traffic load level updates to generate network slice instance configuration information for at least one of the network slice instances, and providing, by the NSMF, the network slice instance configuration information to a NSSF managing the at least one of the network slice instances.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for providing updated network slice information to a network slice selection function (NSSF), the method comprising:
registering, by a network slice management function (NSMF) with a network function (NF) repository function (NRF), an NF profile corresponding to the NSMF;
subscribing, by the NSMF with the NRF, for status updates corresponding to NF instances belonging to network slice instances created by the NSMF;
receiving, by the NSMF from the NRF, a notification message including one or more network traffic load level updates for each of the NF instances;
processing the one or more network traffic load level updates to generate network slice instance configuration information for at least one of the network slice instances; and
providing, by the NSMF, the network slice instance configuration information to an NSSF that provides network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI) and network slice selection service to NFs seeking to access network slice services.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the network slice instance configuration information includes instructions for creating additional network slice instances, modifying the network slice instances, or removing one or more of the network slice instances.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the network slice instance configuration information is provided to the NSSF via an update message pushed by the NSMF.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the NSSF is configured to request the network slice instance configuration information from the NSMF via a pull message.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the NSSF is configured to utilize the network slice instance configuration information to respond to network slice selection service request messages.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the NSMF registers with the NRF as a custom NF.

### Claim 7

A system for providing updated network slice information to a network slice selection function (NSSF), the system comprising:
a network slice management function (NSMF) including at least one processor and a memory; and
an orchestration engine stored in the memory and implemented by the at least one processor for registering with a network function (NF) repository function (NRF) an NF profile corresponding to the NSMF, subscribing with the NRF for status updates corresponding to NF instances belonging to network slice instances created by the NSMF, receiving from the NRF a notification message including one or more network traffic load level updates for each of the NF instances, processing the one or more network traffic load level updates to generate network slice instance configuration information for at least one of the network slice instances, and providing the network slice instance configuration information to an NSSF that provides network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI) and network slice selection service to NFs seeking to access network slice services.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7 wherein the network slice instance configuration information includes instructions for creating additional network slice instances, modifying the network slice instances, or removing one or more of the network slice instances.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7 wherein the network slice instance configuration information is provided to the NSSF via an update message pushed by the NSMF.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7 wherein the NSSF is configured to request the network slice instance configuration information from the NSMF via a pull message.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7 wherein the NSSF is configured to utilize the network slice instance configuration information to respond to network slice selection service request messages.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7 wherein the network slice instance configuration information is provided by the NSMF to the NSSF in real time.

### Claim 13 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7 wherein the NSMF registers with the NRF as a custom NE.

### Claim 14

A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon executable instructions that when executed by a processor of a computer control the computer to perform steps comprising:
registering, by a network slice management function (NSMF) with a network function (NF) repository function (NRF), an NE profile corresponding to the NSMF;
subscribing, by the NSMF with the NRF, for status updates corresponding to NF instances belonging to network slice instances created by the NSMF;
receiving, by the NSMF from the NRF, a notification message including one or more network traffic load level updates for each of the NF instances;
processing the one or more network traffic load level updates to generate network slice instance configuration information for at least one of the network slice instances; and
providing, by the NSMF, the network slice instance configuration information to a network slice selection function (NSSF) that provides network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI) and network slice selection service to NFs seeking to access network slice services.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 wherein the network slice instance configuration information includes instructions for creating additional network slice instances, modifying the network slice instances, or removing one or more of the network slice instances.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 wherein the network slice instance configuration information is provided to the NSSF via an update message pushed by the NSMF.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 wherein the NSSF is configured to request the network slice instance configuration information from the NSMF via a pull message.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 wherein the NSSF is configured to utilize the network slice instance configuration information to respond to network slice selection service request messages.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 wherein the network slice instance configuration information is provided by the NSMF to the NSSF in real time.