# US 12,192,113 B2 · Method and a network device for network slicing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,192,113 B2 - Document ID: US12192113B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/113,470 - Filed: 2023-02-23 - Published: 2023-09-07 - Granted: 2025-01-07 - Earliest claimed: 2022-03-02 - Assignees: Telia AB - Applicants: Telia Company AB - Inventors: Anders Baer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12192113B2 ## CPC - H04L 47/72: using reservation actions during connection setup - H04W 48/18: Selecting a network or a communication service - H04L 41/0803: Configuration setting - H04L 41/0866: Checking the configuration - H04W 84/005: {Moving wireless networks} - 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 The embodiments herein relate to a method and a network device for network slicing, the method comprising: receiving, from a terminal device, a request for at least one of reserving and assigning a network slice for an application; determining whether the application is previously known in terms of application profile or application identity; the determination being performed by matching against a plurality of application profiles and/or application identities residing in an application profile/identity database; if the application is determined to be known, providing a cost for setting up or for assigning a network slice for the application indicated in the request; and if the application is determined to be unknown, assigning a profile to the application and at least one of configuring and assigning a default network slice to the application. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method performed by network device for network slicing, the method comprising: receiving, from a terminal device, a request for at least one of reserving and assigning a network slice for an application; determining whether the application is previously known in terms of an application profile or an application identity, the determination being performed by matching the application against a plurality of application profiles and/or application identities residing in an application profile/identity database; if the application is determined to be known, determining a cost for setting up or for assigning a network slice for the application indicated in the request; and if the application is determined to be unknown: analyzing a connection pattern of the application for determining characteristics of the application prior to assigning a profile to the application, the analyzing comprising: monitoring the connection pattern to determine whether the behavior of the application changes; and in response to determining that the behavior of the application has not changed, defining the application as profile ready for at least one of configuring and assigning a default network slice to the application; and assigning a profile to the application and at least one of configuring and assigning a default network slice to the application. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein, if the application is determined to be unknown, further comprising determining a cost for allocating resources and capability required by the application. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising informing the terminal device of the cost for supporting usage of the application and requesting the terminal device to confirm or acknowledge said cost. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3, wherein if no confirmation or acknowledgement is received within a predetermined time interval, further comprising denying allocation of required resources associated with the network slice for the application and informing the terminal device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3, wherein if a confirmation or acknowledgment is received from the terminal device, further comprising allocating required resources for supporting usage of the application and informing the terminal device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the request from the terminal device further comprises a declaration specifying the application profile and required resources for the application for the setting up or for the assignment of the network slice. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method according to claim 6, wherein the declaration includes application characteristics in terms of at least one of bandwidth, throughput, latency, jitter and error rate. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the cost for assigning a network slice includes time-slots indicating when the network slice is available for the application. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the application profiles in the application profile database includes a dedicated application profile authentication key and an associated application profile identity. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, wherein if the request for a network slice includes an application identity authentication request, further comprising determining whether there is an application authentication key and an associated application profile identity in the database that matches the application identity authentication in the request and that being the case validating the application identity and allocating the network slice. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the assigned default network slice is identified using a network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI) which includes a slice service type (SST) and optionally a slice differentiator (SD). ### Claim 12 A network device comprising a processor and a memory containing instructions executable by the processor, whereby the network device is configured to: receive, from a terminal device, a request for at least one of reserving and assigning a network slice for an application; determine whether the application is previously known in terms of an application profile or an application identity, the determination being performed by matching the application against a plurality of application profiles and/or application identities residing in at an application profile/identity database; if the application is determined to be known, determine a cost for setting up or for assigning a network slice for the application indicated in the request; and if the application is determined to be unknown: analyze a connection pattern of the application for determining characteristics of the application prior to assigning a profile to the application, the analyzing comprising: monitoring the connection pattern to determine whether the behavior of the application changes; and in response to determining that the behavior of the application has not changed, defining the application as profile ready for at least one of configuring and assigning a default network slice to the application; and assign a profile to the application and at least one of configuring and assigning a default network slice to the application.