# US 12,603,821 B2 · Network slice feasibility assessment for a latency-based service level agreement (SLA)

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- Number: US 12,603,821 B2
- Document ID: US12603821B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/425,987
- Filed: 2024-01-29
- Published: 2025-07-31
- Granted: 2026-04-14
- Earliest claimed: 2024-01-29
- Assignees: QUALCOMM Incorporated
- Applicants: QUALCOMM Incorporated
- Inventors: Gal Izhaki; Andrei Vadeanu; Daniel Yellin; Atanu Basudeb Halder
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12603821B2

## CPC

- H04L 41/5025: by proactively reacting to service quality change, e.g. by reconfiguration after service quality degradation or upgrade
- H04L 41/5054: Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
- H04L 41/16: using machine learning or artificial intelligence
- H04L 41/40: using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
- H04W 24/02: Arrangements for optimising operational condition
- H04L 43/0852: Delays
- H04L 43/16: Threshold monitoring
- 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

This disclosure provides systems, methods, devices, and apparatuses, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for network slice feasibility assessment for a latency-based service level agreement (SLA). Some aspects relate to providing on-demand approval or rejection of a network slice request at a device in accordance with a latency threshold associated with an SLA of the requested network slice. In some implementations, the device may receive load information associated with the requested network slice. The device may select, in accordance with the latency threshold and the load information, a resource allocation for the network slice. In some implementations, the device may output an indication to accept or reject the network request according to the resource allocation. In some implementations, the device may use one or more machine learning (ML) models to select the acceptance or rejection of the network slice request, to select the resource allocation, or both.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A device associated with service management of a wireless network, comprising:
a processing system that includes processor circuitry and memory circuitry that stores code, the processing system configured to cause the device to:
obtain a request associated with a network slice of the wireless network, the request indicating a latency threshold associated with a service level agreement (SLA) of the network slice;
obtain load information associated with the network slice of the wireless network;
predict, in accordance with the latency threshold and the load information, a physical resource block (PRB) allocation for the network slice that satisfies the request; and
output, to a network slice management function (NSMF) and in accordance with the predicted PRB allocation for the network slice and a resource capacity of the network slice, an indication of an acceptance or a rejection of the request associated with the network slice.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein:
the request associated with the network slice further indicates a throughput threshold associated with the SLA of the network slice; and
the PRB allocation for the network slice is predicted selected further in accordance with the throughput threshold.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the request associated with the network slice is obtained from the NSMF.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the device to:
predict, in accordance with the predicted PRB allocation for the network slice, a respective PRB allocation of the network slice for each cell of a set of cells of the wireless network associated with the network slice,
wherein the indication of the acceptance or the rejection of the request associated with the network slice is in accordance with a respective PRB utilization at each cell of the set of cells and the predicted respective PRB allocation of the network slice for each cell of the set of cells.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The device of claim 4, wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the device to:
output an indication of the predicted respective PRB allocation of the network slice for each cell of the set of cells.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The device of claim 4, wherein the indication of the acceptance or the rejection of the request associated with the network slice is in accordance with a threshold proportion of the set of cells satisfying the latency threshold.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the device to:
reserve, in accordance with the predicted PRB allocation for the network slice, a plurality of PRBs for the network slice for a time period.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The device of claim 7, wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the device to:
output an indication of an activation of the network slice for the time period in accordance with the reserving the plurality of PRBs for the network slice; and
output an indication of a deactivation of the network slice in accordance with an expiration of the time period.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein predicting the PRB allocation for the network slice is in accordance with one or more parameters associated with the network slice,
the one or more parameters comprising:
the load information, a frequency band associated with the network slice, a quantity of user equipment (UEs) associated with the network slice, a type of environment of the network slice, a UE traffic distribution associated with the network slice, a cell morphology associated with the network slice, a channel quality indicator (CQI) associated with the network slice, a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) associated with the network slice, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The device of claim 9, wherein, to predict the PRB allocation for the network slice, the processing system is configured to cause the device to:
predict a respective PRB allocation of the network slice for each cell of a set of cells of the wireless network associated with the network slice in accordance with the one or more parameters associated with the network slice.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The device of claim 9, wherein the predicted PRB allocation for the network slice is in accordance with the network slice satisfying the latency threshold for a threshold proportion of the quantity of UEs associated with the network slice.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the load information comprises simulated load information for a set of cells of the wireless network associated with the network slice, observed load information for the set of cells of the wireless network associated with the network slice, or both.

### Claim 13

A method for network slice management for a wireless network, comprising:
receiving, at a device associated with service management of the wireless network, a request associated with a network slice of the wireless network, the request indicating a latency threshold associated with a service level agreement (SLA) of the network slice;
receiving load information associated with the network slice of the wireless network;
predicting, in accordance with the latency threshold and the load information, a physical resource block (PRB) allocation for the network slice that satisfies the request; and
transmitting, to a network slice management function (NSMF) and in accordance with the predicted PRB allocation for the network slice and a resource capacity of the network slice, an indication of an acceptance or a rejection of the request associated with the network slice.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein:
the request associated with the network slice further indicates a throughput threshold associated with the SLA of the network slice; and
the PRB allocation for the network slice is predicted further in accordance with the throughput threshold.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the request associated with the network slice is received from the NSMF.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising:
predicting, in accordance with the predicted PRB allocation for the network slice, a respective PRB allocation of the network slice for each cell of a set of cells of the wireless network associated with the network slice,
wherein the indication of the acceptance or the rejection of the request associated with the network slice is in accordance with a respective PRB utilization at each cell of the set of cells and the predicted respective PRB allocation of the network slice for each cell of the set of cells.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising:
transmitting an indication of the predicted respective PRB allocation of the network slice for each cell of the set of cells.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the indication of the acceptance or the rejection of the request associated with the network slice is in accordance with a threshold proportion of the set of cells satisfying the latency threshold.

### Claim 19 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising:
reserving, in accordance with the predicted PRB allocation for the network slice, a plurality of PRBs for the network slice for a time period.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, further comprising:
transmitting an indication of an activation of the network slice for the time period in accordance with the reserving the plurality of PRBs for the network slice; and
transmitting an indication of a deactivation of the network slice in accordance with an expiration of the time period.

### Claim 21 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein predicting the PRB allocation for the network slice is in accordance with one or more parameters associated with the network slice,
the one or more parameters comprising:
the load information, a frequency band associated with the network slice, a quantity of user equipment (UEs) associated with the network slice, a type of environment of the network slice, a UE traffic distribution associated with the network slice, a cell morphology associated with the network slice, a channel quality indicator (CQI) associated with the network slice, a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) associated with the network slice, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, wherein predicting the PRB allocation for the network slice comprises:
predicting a respective PRB allocation of the network slice for each cell of a set of cells of the wireless network associated with the network slice in accordance with the one or more parameters associated with the network slice.

### Claim 23 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, wherein the predicted PRB allocation for the network slice is in accordance with the network slice satisfying the latency threshold for a threshold proportion of the quantity of UEs associated with the network slice.

### Claim 24 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the load information comprises simulated load information for a set of cells of the wireless network associated with the network slice, observed load information for the set of cells of the wireless network associated with the network slice, or both.

### Claim 25

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for network slice management in a wireless network, the code comprising instructions executable by a processing system to:
obtain a request associated with a network slice of the wireless network, the request indicating a latency threshold associated with a service level agreement (SLA) of the network slice;
obtain load information associated with the network slice of the wireless network;
predict, in accordance with the latency threshold and the load information, a physical resource block (PRB) allocation for the network slice that satisfies the request; and
output, to a network slice management function (NSMF) and in accordance with the predicted PRB allocation for the network slice and a resource capacity of the network slice, an indication of an acceptance or a rejection of the request associated with the network slice.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein:
the request associated with the network slice further indicates a throughput threshold associated with the SLA of the network slice; and
the PRB allocation for the network slice is predicted further in accordance with the throughput threshold.

### Claim 27 (depends on 25)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the request associated with the network slice is obtained from the NSMF.

### Claim 28 (depends on 25)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processing system to:
predict, in accordance with the predicted PRB allocation for the network slice, a respective PRB allocation of the network slice for each cell of a set of cells of the wireless network associated with the network slice,
wherein the indication of the acceptance or the rejection of the request associated with the network slice is in accordance with a respective PRB utilization at each cell of the set of cells and the predicted respective PRB allocation of the network slice for each cell of the set of cells.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processing system to:
output an indication of the predicted respective PRB allocation of the network slice for each cell of the set of cells.