# US 12,603,846 B2 · Systems and methods for edge-to-edge quality of service flow control in network slices

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- Number: US 12,603,846 B2
- Document ID: US12603846B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/166,175
- Filed: 2023-02-08
- Published: 2024-08-08
- Granted: 2026-04-14
- Earliest claimed: 2023-02-08
- Assignees: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
- Applicants: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
- Inventors: Jin Yang; Ye Huang; Raquel Morera Sempere; Sudhakar Reddy Patil
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12603846B2

## CPC

- H04L 47/2483: involving identification of individual flows
- H04L 47/20: Traffic policing
- H04W 28/0226: {based on location or mobility (handoff or reselection H04W36/00; mobile application services making use of the location of users or terminals H04W4/02)}
- H04W 28/0268: {using specific QoS parameters for wireless networks, e.g. QoS class identifier [QCI] or guaranteed bit rate [GBR] (negotiating SLA or negotiating QoS H04W28/24)}
- 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 device may include a processor configured to provide an interface to enable a user equipment (UE) device to request a data flow in a network slice via a network exposure function (NEF). The processor may be further configured to receive a request from the UE device via the provided interface to create a data flow in the network slice, wherein the data flow is associated with a Quality of Service (QOS) characteristic; map the QoS characteristic to a QoS identifier; and create a data flow associated with the QoS identifier in a communication session associated with the UE device in the network slice.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
providing, by at least one device, an interface that enables a user equipment (UE) device to request a network exposure function (NEF) to create a data flow in a network slice;
receiving, by the at least one device, a request from the UE device via the provided interface to create the data flow in the network slice, wherein the data flow is associated with a Quality of Service (QOS) characteristic;
mapping, by the at least one device, the QoS characteristic to a QoS identifier; and
creating, by the at least one device, a data flow associated with the QoS identifier in a communication session associated with the UE device in the network slice,
wherein mapping the QoS characteristic to the QoS identifier includes:
sending, by the NEF, an instruction to a Policy Control Function (PCF) to map the QoS characteristic to the QoS identifier.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
admitting the UE device to the network slice;
establishing a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session for the UE device in the network slice, in response to admitting the UE to the network slice;
creating a dedicated QOS data flow within the established PDU session, wherein the dedicated QoS data flow is associated with a QoS identifier that has a higher priority than a best effort QoS data flow; and
creating a best effort QoS data flow within the established PDU session.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the communication session includes a low latency data flow, and wherein the created data flow is associated with a latency requirement that is different from a latency requirement associated with the low latency data flow.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein creating the data flow associated with the QoS identifier in the communication session associated with the UE device in the network slice includes:
sending, by the NEF and to an application server device in a data network associated with the communication session, an indication that the request to create the data flow has been received from the UE device.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein creating the data flow associated with the Qos identifier in the communication session associated with the UE device in the network slice includes:
sending, by a Policy Control Function (PCF) and to a Session Management Function (SMF) associated with the communication session, an instruction to create the data flow associated with the QoS identifier.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein creating the data flow associated with the QoS identifier in the communication session associated with the UE device in the network slice includes:
creating, by a Policy Control Function (PCF), a traffic flow template (TFT) for the data flow associated with the QoS identifier; and
providing, via an Access and Mobility Function (AMF), the created TFT to the UE device, where the UE device is to use the created TFT to assign data packets to the created data flow associated with the QoS identifier.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein creating the data flow associated with the QoS identifier in the communication session associated with the UE device in the network slice includes:
providing, via an Access and Mobility Function (AMF), information identifying the data flow associated with the QoS identifier to a Radio Access Network (RAN) controller associated with a base station to which the UE device is attached.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein creating the data flow associated with the QoS identifier in the communication session associated with the UE device in the network slice includes:
providing, via an Access and Mobility Function (AMF), information identifying the data flow associated with the QoS identifier to a Central Unit Control Plane (CU-CP) associated with a base station to which the UE device is attached.

### Claim 9

A system comprising at least one device, the at least one device comprising:
a processor configured to:
provide an interface that enables a user equipment (UE) device to request a network exposure function (NEF) to create a data flow in a network slice;
receive a request from the UE device via the provided interface to create the data flow in the network slice, wherein the data flow is associated with a Quality of Service (QoS) characteristic;
map the QOS characteristic to a QoS identifier; and
create a data flow associated with the QoS identifier in a communication session associated with the UE device in the network slice,
wherein, when mapping the QoS characteristic to the QoS identifier, the processor is further configured to:
send, via the NEF, an instruction to a Policy Control Function (PCF) to map the QOS characteristic to the QoS identifier.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:
admit the UE device to the network slice;
establish a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session for the UE device in the network slice, in response to admitting the UE to the network slice;
create a dedicated QoS data flow within the established PDU session, wherein the dedicated QoS data flow is associated with a QoS identifier that has a higher priority than a best effort QoS data flow; and
create a best effort QoS data flow within the established PDU session.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein the communication session includes a low latency data flow, and wherein the created data flow is associated with a latency requirement that is different from a latency requirement associated with the low latency data flow.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein, when creating the data flow associated with the QoS identifier in the communication session associated with the UE device in the network slice, the processor is further configured to:
send, by the NEF and to an application server device in a data network associated with the communication session, an indication that the request to create the data flow has been received from the UE device.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein, when creating the data flow associated with the QoS identifier in the communication session associated with the UE device in the network slice, the processor is further configured to:
send, by a Policy Control Function (PCF) and to a Session Management Function (SMF) associated with the communication session, an instruction to create the data flow associated with the QoS identifier.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein, when creating the data flow associated with the QoS identifier in the communication session associated with the UE device in the network slice, the processor is further configured to:
create, by a Policy Control Function (PCF), a traffic flow template (TFT) for the data flow associated with the QoS identifier; and
provide, via an Access and Mobility Function (AMF), the created TFT to the UE device, where the UE device is to use the created TFT to assign data packets to the created data flow associated with the QoS identifier.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein, when creating the data flow associated with the QoS identifier in the communication session associated with the UE device in the network slice, the processor is further configured to:
provide, via an Access and Mobility Function (AMF), information identifying the data flow associated with the QoS identifier to a Radio Access Network (RAN) controller associated with a base station to which the UE device is attached.

### Claim 16 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein, when creating the data flow associated with the QoS identifier in the communication session associated with the UE device in the network slice, the processor is further configured to:
provide, via an Access and Mobility Function (AMF), information identifying the data flow associated with the QoS identifier to a Central Unit Control Plane (CU-CP) associated with a base station to which the UE device is attached.

### Claim 17

A non-transitory computer-readable memory device storing instructions executable by one or more processors, the non-transitory computer-readable memory device comprising:
one or more instructions to provide an interface that enables a user equipment (UE) device to request a network exposure function (NEF) to create a data flow in a network slice;
one or more instructions to receive a request from the UE device via the provided interface to create the data flow in the network slice, wherein the data flow is associated with a Quality of Service (QOS) characteristic;
one or more instructions to map the QoS characteristic to a QoS identifier; and
one or more instructions to create a data flow associated with the QoS identifier in a communication session associated with the UE device in the network slice,
wherein the one or more instructions to map the QoS characteristic to a QoS identifier include:
one or more instructions to send, via the NEF, an instruction to a Policy Control Function (PCF) to map the QoS characteristic to the QoS identifier.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The non-transitory computer-readable memory device of claim 17, further comprising:
one or more instructions to admit the UE device to the network slice;
one or more instructions to establish a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session for the UE device in the network slice, in response to admitting the UE to the network slice;
one or more instructions to create a dedicated QoS data flow within the established PDU session, wherein the dedicated QoS data flow is associated with a QoS identifier that has a higher priority than a best effort QoS data flow; and
one or more instructions to create a best effort QoS data flow within the established PDU session.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The non-transitory computer-readable memory device of claim 17, wherein the communication session includes a low latency data flow, and wherein the created data flow is associated with a latency requirement that is different from a latency requirement associated with the low latency data flow.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

The non-transitory computer-readable memory device of claim 17, wherein the one or more instructions to create the data flow associated with the QoS identifier in the communication session associated with the UE device in the network slice include:
one or more instructions to send, via the NEF and to an application server device in a data network associated with the communication session, an indication that the request to create the data flow has been received from the UE device.