# US 2021/0243684 A1 · Selecting and Managing Network Slices

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- Number: US 2021/0243684 A1
- Document ID: US20210243684A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/049,629
- Filed: 2018-05-03
- Published: 2021-08-05
- Earliest claimed: 2018-05-03
- Assignees: Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy
- Applicants: Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy
- Inventors: Zhi WANG; Yigang CAI
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210243684A1

## CPC

- H04W 48/18: Selecting a network or a communication service
- H04L 12/1407: {Policy-and-charging control [PCC] architecture}
- H04M 15/66: {Policy and charging system}
- H04M 15/8027: {based on network load situation}
- H04M 15/8055: {Selecting cheaper transport technology for a given service}
- H04M 15/8083: {involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts}
- H04M 15/81: {Dynamic pricing, e.g. change of tariff during call}
- H04M 15/8214: {Data or packet based}
- H04M 15/8228: {Session based}
- H04M 15/8353: {during the communication}
- H04M 15/852: {Low balance or limit reached}
- H04W 4/24: Accounting or billing
- H04W 48/16: Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08)

## Abstract

Aspects described herein relate to various methods, systems and apparatuses that can be used to configure and manage a network slice based on billing rate information. By selecting a network slice based on billing rate information, the system may further be able to respond to billing rate changes by reselecting network slices. For example, changes in the usage of the network slice or the usage of the overall network infrastructure may cause a change to a billing rate associated with the network slice. These aspects, and others described herein, may result in improved network performance by, for example, offloading extra usage from an overloaded network slice to a network slice that is currently less used.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
receiving, from a user device, a protocol data unit session request;
receiving, by one or more computing devices, for a first network slice of a plurality of available network slices, one or more selection criteria that is based on billing rate information associated with the first network slice;
selecting, by the one or more computing devices, based on the one or more selection criteria, the first network slice; and
causing, by the one or more computing devices, a protocol data unit session to be established for the user device, wherein the protocol data unit session is associated with the first network slice.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more selection criteria comprises a first selection priority that is based on a current billing rate of the first network slice, wherein the selecting is performed based on comparing the first selection priority to a second selection priority, and wherein the second selection priority is associated with a second network slice of the plurality of available network slices.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more selection criteria comprises a first indication of billing rate changes for the first network slice, wherein the selecting is performed based on comparing the first indication of billing rate changes to a second indication of billing rate changes for a second network slice, and wherein the second network slice is of the plurality of available network slices.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more selection criteria comprises a current billing rate for the first network slice, wherein the selecting is performed based on comparing the current billing rate to a billing rate threshold associated with the user device.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining, based an updated billing rate for the first network slice, one or more updated selection criteria;
receiving, by the one or more computing devices, the one or more updated selection criteria;
selecting, by the one or more computing devices, based on the one or more updated selection criteria, a second network slice of the plurality of available network slices;
causing, by the one or more computing devices, an update to the protocol data unit session, wherein, after the update, the protocol data unit session is associated with the second network slice; and
routing, via the second network slice, second data associated with the protocol data unit session.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining a first billing rate rule for the first network slice, wherein the first billing rate rule associates one or more network conditions with a billing rate;
determining, based on comparing one or more current network conditions to the one or more network conditions, that the first billing rate rule is satisfied; and
causing usage of the first network slice to be billed according to the billing rate.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein determining the first billing rate rule is performed based on an instantiation of the first network slice or a change to a network function associated with the first network slice.

### Claim 8

An apparatus comprising:
one or more processors; and
at least one non-transitory memory storing executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to at least:
receive, from a user device, a protocol data unit session request;
receive, for a first network slice of a plurality of available network slices, one or more selection criteria that is based on billing rate information associated with the first network slice;
select, based on the one or more selection criteria, the first network slice; and
cause a protocol data unit session to be established for the user device, wherein the protocol data unit session is associated with the first network slice.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the one or more selection criteria comprises a first selection priority that is based on a current billing rate of the first network slice, wherein causing the apparatus to select the first network slice is performed based on comparing the first selection priority to a second selection priority, and wherein the second selection priority is associated with a second network slice of the plurality of available network slices.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the one or more selection criteria comprises a first indication of billing rate changes for the first network slice, wherein causing the apparatus to select the first network slice is performed based on comparing the first indication of billing rate changes to a second indication of billing rate changes for a second network slice, and wherein the second network slice is of the plurality of available network slices.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the one or more selection criteria comprises a current billing rate for the first network slice, wherein causing the apparatus to select the first network slice is performed based on comparing the current billing rate to a billing rate threshold associated with the user device.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:
receive one or more updated selection criteria;
select, based on the one or more updated selection criteria, a second network slice of the plurality of available network slices; and
cause an update to the protocol data unit session, wherein, after the update, the protocol data unit session is associated with the second network slice.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the one or more updated selection criteria is determined based on a monitoring process for the first network slice determining that a billing rate rule is satisfied, wherein determining that the billing rate rule is satisfied is performed based on comparing one or more current network conditions to one or more network conditions of the billing rate rule.

### Claim at position 14

-20. (canceled)