Patent Application
20250126057
The present invention relates a method for identifying and/or for referring to user equipment route selection policy information when operating a user equipment connected to a telecommunications network, wherein the telecommunications network comprises a core network comprising a policy and charging function, wherein the policy and charging function is configured to transmit user equipment route selection policy information to the user equipment.
Furthermore, the present invention relates to a user equipment for identifying and/or for referring to user equipment route selection policy information when being operated in connection to a telecommunications network, wherein the user equipment is configured to receive user equipment route selection policy information from a policy and charging function of the telecommunications network.
Additionally, the present invention relates to a system or telecommunications network for identifying and/or for referring to user equipment route selection policy information when operating a user equipment connected to a telecommunications network, wherein the telecommunications network comprises a core network comprising a policy and charging function, wherein the policy and charging function is configured to transmit user equipment route selection policy information to the user equipment.
Furthermore, the present invention relates to a program and to a computer-readable medium for identifying and/or for referring to user equipment route selection policy information according to a method according to an embodiment of the present invention.
In conventional telecommunications networks, in case that uplink traffic needs to be steered, a 5G mobile communication network or 5G system also defines user equipment route selection policies (or UE Routing Policies, URSPs), defined in TS 24.526, that allow the network to mandate the user equipment a set of rules on how to route data packets, i.e., based on a set of rules, such rules indicate or mandate the user equipment to steer specific traffic to a given PDU (protocol data unit) session.
In case of a change of the connection conditions and/or of the operation situation of the user equipment, such (especially previously provided) network-mandated rules (on how to route data packets or how to steer specific traffic to a given PDU session) might need to be changed or updated, e.g. due to having become inappropriate, inapplicable and/or at least not adapted to the changed situation of connection conditions and/or of the operation situation of the user equipment.
However, the repeated transmission of potentially complex user equipment route selection policy rules or user equipment route selection policy information to the user equipment necessarily requires transmission capacity on the air interface between the telecommunications network and the user equipment, and, once transmitted to the user equipment, such user equipment route selection policy information also requires storage space within the user equipment.
In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention provides a method for identifying and/or referring to user equipment route selection policy information when operating a user equipment connected to a telecommunications network. The telecommunications network comprises a core network comprising a policy and charging function. The policy and charging function is configured to transmit user equipment route selection policy information to the user equipment. A piece of user equipment route selection policy information or a part thereof is able to be identified via a user equipment route selection policy identifier. In order to identify and/or to refer to the piece of user equipment route selection policy information or the part thereof, the method comprises the following steps: in a first step, the piece of user equipment route selection policy information or the part thereof is assigned to the user equipment route selection policy identifier; and in a second step, a further or operatively used piece of user equipment route selection policy information or a part thereof refers to the user equipment route selection policy identifier.
Subject matter of the present disclosure will be described in even greater detail below based on the exemplary figures. All features described and/or illustrated herein can be used alone or combined in different combinations. The features and advantages of various embodiments will become apparent by reading the following detailed description with reference to the attached drawings, which illustrate the following:
Example embodiments of the present invention provide a technically simple, effective and cost effective solution for identifying and/or for referring to user equipment route selection policy information when operating a user equipment connected to a telecommunications network, wherein the telecommunications network comprises a core network comprising a policy and charging function, wherein the policy and charging function is configured to transmit user equipment route selection policy information to the user equipment, wherein a piece of user equipment route selection policy information or part thereof is able to be identified via a user equipment route selection policy identifier. Further exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide a corresponding user equipment, system or telecommunications network, and a corresponding program and computer-readable medium.
In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention provides a method for identifying and/or for referring to user equipment route selection policy information when operating a user equipment connected to a telecommunications network, wherein the telecommunications network comprises a core network comprising a policy and charging function, wherein the policy and charging function is configured to transmit user equipment route selection policy information to the user equipment, wherein a piece of user equipment route selection policy information or part thereof is able to be identified via a user equipment route selection policy identifier, wherein, in order to identify and/or to refer to the piece of user equipment route selection policy information or part thereof, the method comprises the following steps:
It is thereby advantageously possible according to the present invention that the repeated transmission of potentially complex user equipment route selection policy rules or user equipment route selection policy information towards the user equipment is able to be avoided, or at least reduced. Thus, transmission capacity on the air interface between the telecommunications network, required for the transmission of potentially complex user equipment route selection policy rules or user equipment route selection policy information towards the user equipment, is able to be reduced. Furthermore, storage space within the user equipment is also able to be potentially reduced.
Such advantages according to the present invention are especially beneficial in case that the user equipment is able to trigger to notify towards the telecommunications network, especially a corresponding core network (especially the core network of the home public land mobile network), that, e.g., a network change happened so that the corresponding telecommunications network or core network (especially of the home network or the home public land mobile network) triggers the setting of corresponding user equipment route selection policy information or rules thereof that correspond to or are appropriate or adapted to the current situation of the user equipment.
Hence, it is especially advantageously possible, according to the present invention, that-especially in case of a change of the connection conditions and/or of the operation situation of the user equipment (which might especially be detected or determined by the user equipment itself) that triggers an update of the user equipment route selection policy rules to be applies by the user equipment-a transmission, to the user equipment, of user equipment route selection policy information or user equipment route selection policy rules (especially with all its or their components), or at least of parts thereof, might either not need to happen or might, if applicable, at least not need to happen repeatedly with or regarding (at least partly) one and the same information content of such rules or pieces of information. Hence according to the present invention, it is advantageously possible to either avoid or at least reduce the transmission of user equipment route selection policy information and/or user equipment route selection policy rules, or, at least, of parts or components thereof. Hence, it might advantageously be possible, according to the present invention, to be able to more quickly and more efficiently update and/or adapt the user equipment route selection policy ruleset (previously received and to be applied by the user equipment) to currently changed connection conditions and/or the current operation situation of the user equipment.
According to the present invention, via being able to identify or to refer to—using a user equipment route selection policy identifier—a piece of user equipment route selection policy information or a part thereof (especially a user equipment route selection policy rule or a component thereof, via, in a first step, assign the user equipment route selection policy identifier to a considered piece of user equipment route selection policy information or part thereof (or, vice versa, via assigning the considered piece of user equipment route selection policy information or part thereof to the user equipment route selection policy identifier)), it is—in a second step—advantageously possible that a further or operatively used piece of user equipment route selection policy information (or part thereof, such as a user equipment route selection policy rule or a component thereof) refers to the considered user equipment route selection policy identifier, and thereby referring to the considered piece of user equipment route selection policy information or part thereof—or thereby integrating the considered piece of user equipment route selection policy information or part thereof by reference.
Furthermore according to the present invention, the telecommunications network typically comprises an access network and a core network; however, the present invention is also related to situations where the telecommunications network does not comprise, strictly speaking, both an access network and a core network, but where the telecommunications network is only associated or assigned to an access network (and especially comprises the core network), or where the telecommunications network is only associated or assigned to a core network (and especially comprise the access network), or where the telecommunications network is only associated or assigned to both an access network and a core network. According to the present invention, the core network especially provides the user equipment with data connectivity towards a data network.
In conventional telecommunications networks, a user equipment is typically able to be connected, via the core network, to a data network. The user equipment typically communicates with the access network (or radio access network) via an interface, typically a radio interface or air interface. This is used for conveying both signaling information and data traffic, but there is typically a logical separation (logical channels) for the transport of both types of traffic. Likewise, between the access network (especially the radio access network, and especially a gNB base station entity) and the core network, signaling information and user data are typically separated.
In order to establish a data connection enabling a user equipment to communicate with a data network, a protocol data unit (PDU) session is required. A PDU session is a logical data transport channel terminated at the core network that provides connectivity to a data network. The termination point of a given PDU session (user plane function according to, e.g., the 5G standard) is termed PDU session anchor (PSA). While a user equipment moves (handover procedures occur between the user equipment and different gNBs or base station entities), the PDU session anchor is, normally and typically, expected to remain constant. A PDU session can have one or more an associated quality-of-service for the underlying transported data (e.g. one or more QoS flows within the PDU session).
In conventional telecommunications networks as well as according to the present invention, user equipment route selection policy information or user equipment route selection policy rules is/are used by the telecommunications network to oblige user equipments to use a set of rules to apply to, or steer, uplink traffic, i.e. how to route data packets. Especially such user equipment route selection policy rules indicate or mandate the user equipment to steer specific traffic to a given, or predetermined, PDU (protocol data unit) session. Especially such user equipment route selection policy rules or such user equipment route selection policy information is set or defined by the core network of the telecommunications network, i.e. the telecommunications network (core network thereof) sets a user equipment route selection policy rule or user equipment route selection policy information via transmitting a corresponding message to the user equipment as part of the control data flow exchange between the telecommunications network and the user equipment over the air interface between the user equipment and the corresponding access network element, typically a base station entity such as, e.g., a gNodeB entity. As a consequence of the user equipment receiving such a user equipment route selection policy rule (or plurality thereof) or user equipment route selection policy information, the user equipment is able to apply or will apply such rule information, i.e. traffic, especially application traffic (in uplink direction, towards the telecommunications network) that matches the corresponding user equipment route selection policy rule or user equipment route selection policy information is routed, by the user equipment, as mandated or prescribed by the user equipment route selection policy rule/information.
In conventional telecommunications networks, the user equipment route selection policy rules or user equipment route selection policy information itself, i.e. especially its structure, is defined in 3GPP TS 23.503 and is a set of one or more URSP rules, where a URSP rule is generally composed of three parts, namely a precedence value as the first part, a traffic descriptor as the second part, and one or more route selection descriptors as the third part. The precedence value (as the first part of a user equipment route selection policy rule) of the URSP rule identifies the precedence of the considered URSP rule among all the existing URSP rules (either already present at the user equipment or transmitted as part of the user equipment route selection policy information). The traffic descriptor (as the second part of a user equipment route selection policy rule) includes either a match-all traffic descriptor, or at least one of the following components: one or more application identifiers, one or more IP 3 tuples as defined in 3GPP TS 23.503, i.e. the destination IP address, the destination port number, and the protocol in use above the IP, one or more non-IP descriptors, i.e. destination information of non-IP traffic, one or more DNNs (data network name), one or more connection capabilities, one or more domain descriptors, i.e. destination FQDN(s) (fully qualified domain name(s)). Each route selection descriptor (as the third part of a user equipment route selection policy rule) consists of a precedence value of the route selection descriptor and either a non-seamless non-3GPP offload indication, or one PDU session type and, optionally, one or more of the following: SSC mode (session and service continuity mode), one or more S-NSSAIs (Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information), one or more DNNs, a preferred access type, a multi-access preference, a time window, and location criteria.
In this context, the time window indication and the location criteria are part of the route selection descriptor (or third part of a user equipment route selection policy rule) even though they do not actually describe the traffic routing but, rather, correspond to route selection validation criteria: a given or considered route selection descriptor is not considered valid unless all the provided validation criteria are met and controls the validity of said element. The components describing the actual routing correspond to route selection components. Regarding the application of user equipment route selection policy rules or user equipment route selection policy information, (specified in TS 23.503, 6.6.2.3), for every newly detected application (i.e. requiring an uplink data stream to be transmitted by the user equipment), the user equipment evaluates the available (i.e. stored or received) URSP rules in the order of rule precedence and determines if the application is matching the traffic descriptor of any URSP rule; when a URSP rule is determined to be applicable for a given application (clause 6.6.2.1), the user equipment shall select a route selection descriptor within this URSP rule in the order of the route selection descriptor precedence; if the user equipment determines that there is more than one matching and existing PDU Session (e.g. the selected route selection descriptor only specifies the network slice selection, while there are multiple existing PDU Sessions matching the network slice selection with different DNNs), it is up to user equipment implementation to select one of them to use.
According to the present invention, a user equipment is considered that is connected to a telecommunications network, and the telecommunications network comprises a core network that comprises a policy and charging function. The policy and charging function is configured to transmit user equipment route selection policy information to the user equipment.
Specifically according to the present invention, a piece of user equipment route selection policy information or part thereof is able to be identified via a user equipment route selection policy identifier, i.e. a piece of identifier information, e.g. a number, an alphanumeric identifier or a string identifier, especially having a specific structure, or different information fields such as:
Hence, it is possible to assign a piece of user equipment route selection policy information or part thereof (i.e. the content of such user equipment route selection policy information or part thereof) to a user equipment route selection policy identifier (or user equipment route selection policy identifier information). According to the present invention, this possibility to identify or to assign is operatively used, i.e. in a first step, a considered piece of user equipment route selection policy information or part thereof (i.e. especially the content thereof) is assigned to a considered (or specific) user equipment route selection policy identifier (information), and, in a second step, another (or further) operatively used piece of user equipment route selection policy information or part thereof refers to the (considered or specific) user equipment route selection policy identifier (information), i.e. regarding the further (operatively used) piece of user equipment route selection policy information or part thereof, the definition of its content is based, at least partly, not by explicitly providing its content (e.g. via enumerating different conditions or allowed or disallowed parameters) but by referring to the user equipment route selection policy identifier (information).
According to the present invention, it is preferred that the user equipment comprises, for a given access technology (i.e. especially regarding each access technology for which standalone non-public networks might be accessible), an access mode configuration information. The access mode configuration information relates to or indicates a first network selection mode and at least a second network selection mode that the user equipment is alternatively able to use.
In this respect, especially the concept of user equipments being allowed to also access standalone non-public networks is relevant: These standalone non-public networks have the particularity that additional network identifiers are used; while for public land mobile networks, the PLMN ID (public land mobile network identifier, i.e. a combination of mobile country code (MCC) and the mobile network code (MNC)), is assumed to be unique, standalone non-public networks are designed with the assumption that the PLMN ID they use is not (necessarily) unique (e.g. a PLMN ID of “999 99” is or might be operatively used), and introduce an additional identifier, the network identifier (NID). As defined in 3GPP TS 23.501, the combination of a PLMN ID and a network identifier (NID) identifies a standalone non-public network, and the PLMN IDs reserved for use by private networks can be used for non-public networks (e.g. based on mobile country code (MCC) “999” as assigned by ITU). Alternatively however, a PLMN operator might use its PLMN IDs for SNPN(s) along with NID(s), but registration in a PLMN and mobility between a PLMN and an SNPN are not supported using an SNPN subscription, especially due to the SNPNs typically not relying on network functions provided by the PLMN.
Hence, in case a SNPN-enabled user equipment supports the SNPN access mode, when such a user equipment is set to operate in SNPN access mode, the user equipment only selects and registers with SNPNs (over Uu as described in clause 5.30.2.4). This results in such user equipments (i.e. supporting SNPNs) being able to switch between two operating modes, i.e. the first network selection mode and at least a second network selection mode, that the user equipment is alternatively able to use, e.g. SNPN access mode and the normal (or PLMN) access mode (more than two of such different access modes are possible according to the present invention and are not excluded). Hence, in such a scenario, depending on the type of network the user equipment wishes to access, this network selection mode (i.e. the access mode configuration information, or, rather, its content) can be switched.
It is preferred according to the present invention, that the user equipment route selection policy information comprises an access mode-related validity element that is related to the content of the access mode configuration information. Hence, in case of user equipment route selection policy information being present (i.e. stored) at the user equipment (i.e. the user equipment comprises such a user equipment route selection policy information) or received by the considered user equipment, the user equipment route selection policy information is potentially applied, or not applied, by the user equipment, depending on whether the access mode-related validity element (of the user equipment route selection policy information) corresponds to the access mode configuration information or not, i.e. if it matches the content of the access mode configuration information.
Hence via the user equipment route selection policy information comprising the access mode-related validity element (that is related to the content of the access mode configuration information), and via the user equipment applying the user equipment route selection policy information, depending on the access mode-related validity element, it is advantageously possible to avoid potential conflict situations between, on the one hand, user equipment route selection policy information (without such access mode-related validity element), and, on the other hand, a current situation or context of the user equipment.
However, the user equipment first needs to receive such an appropriate user equipment route selection policy information (e.g. comprising the access mode-related validity element) before being able to appropriately implement or comply therewith. According to the present invention, it is advantageously possible for the user equipment to actively request to be provided with a new or an updated user equipment route selection policy rule or a plurality thereof, e.g. a user equipment route selection policy information.
According to the present invention, it is advantageously possible and preferred that the reference, by the further or operatively used piece of user equipment route selection policy information or part thereof, to the piece of user equipment route selection policy information or part thereof results in the further of operatively used user equipment route selection policy information or part thereof comprising the user equipment route selection policy content of the piece of user equipment route selection policy information or part thereof.
Hence, via the reference to the piece of user equipment route selection policy information (or part thereof)—by the further or operatively used piece of user equipment route selection policy information (or part thereof)—resulting in the further of operatively used user equipment route selection policy information (or part thereof) comprising the (user equipment route selection policy) content of the referred piece of user equipment route selection policy information (or part thereof), it is advantageously possible according to the present invention, to address this content without the necessity to (explicitly) repeat it—the only requirement being to refer to (instead of copying (all) this content of the referred piece of user equipment route selection policy information (or part thereof)) the corresponding user equipment route selection policy identifier (information), being representative of the respective content or representing this content.
According to the present invention, it is furthermore advantageously possible and preferred that the user equipment comprises a user equipment route selection policy component repository, wherein the user equipment route selection policy component repository comprises one or a plurality of pieces of referable user equipment route selection policy information or part thereof, each of these pieces of referable user equipment route selection policy information or part thereof comprising or being assigned or associated to a respective user equipment route selection policy identifier (information), wherein the further piece of user equipment route selection policy information that is operatively used by the user equipment uses at least part of the pieces of referable user equipment route selection policy information or part thereof.
Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is advantageously possible and preferred that the one or a plurality of pieces of referable user equipment route selection policy information comprises a validity indication, wherein the user equipment evaluates a piece of referable user equipment route selection policy information if (and especially also only if) the validity indication indicates that the pieces of referable user equipment route selection policy information is valid.
It is thereby advantageously possible to realize and implement a method according to an embodiment of the present invention in a comparatively simple and efficient manner: Via the user equipment route selection policy component repository present at or as part of or within the user equipment, it is advantageously possible to store and to organize the pieces of referable user equipment route selection policy information (or part thereof) and the corresponding user equipment route selection policy identifiers (or the corresponding pieces user equipment route selection policy identifier information).
Via the one or a plurality of pieces of referable user equipment route selection policy information comprising a validity indication, and a piece of referable user equipment route selection policy information being evaluated if (and especially also only if) the validity indication indicates that the pieces of referable user equipment route selection policy information is valid, it is advantageously possible to selectively activate and/or deactivate the use of such pieces of referable user equipment route selection policy information.
According to the present invention, it is furthermore advantageously possible and preferred that the telecommunications network or a part thereof, especially the policy and charging function, comprises or is able to access a user equipment route selection policy repository, wherein the user equipment route selection policy repository comprises one or a plurality of pieces of referable user equipment route selection policy information or part thereof, wherein each of these pieces of referable user equipment route selection policy information or part thereof comprises or is assigned or associated to a respective user equipment route selection policy identifier (information), wherein in order for the user equipment to operatively use the further piece of user equipment route selection policy information or part thereof referring to or comprising the user equipment route selection policy identifier (information), the method furthermore comprises the steps of:
Via the telecommunications network, especially the policy and charging function thereof, only being required to transmit the user equipment route selection policy identifier (information) (being part of the further piece of user equipment route selection policy information or part thereof), the telecommunications network (especially the policy and charging function thereof) is not required to transmit the explicit content that this user equipment route selection policy identifier (information) is representative of, this content (i.e. the piece of referable user equipment route selection policy information or part thereof) being accessible (to the user equipment) using the user equipment route selection policy repository.
Furthermore, it is advantageously possible and preferred according to the present invention that, in a fifth step, subsequent to the fourth step, the user equipment subscribes to changes with respect to the piece of referable user equipment route selection policy information or part thereof, and, in case of such changes, the user equipment receives a notification of modification or a notification of deletion regarding the piece of referable user equipment route selection policy information from the user equipment route selection policy repository.
It is thereby advantageously possible to efficiently realize and implement a method according to an embodiment of the present invention in a comparatively simple and efficient manner; especially, it is thereby advantageously possible to as much as possible avoid to repeatedly transmit one and the same information content from the telecommunications network to the user equipment regarding user equipment route selection policy information or rules thereof; instead, such user equipment route selection policy information or user equipment route selection policy rules (or parts thereof) are able to referred (or addressed) via only transmitting the respective (pieces of) user equipment route selection policy identifier(s) (information) representative thereof, and otherwise relying on the contents of the user equipment route selection policy repository, comprising the explicit content of the plurality of pieces of referable user equipment route selection policy information (or part thereof).
Furthermore, it is advantageously possible and preferred according to the present invention that, in a sixth step, subsequent to the fifth step, the user equipment transmits to the user equipment route selection policy repository corresponding information in case that the notification of modification or the notification of deletion regarding the piece of referable user equipment route selection policy information resulted in
It is thereby advantageously possible to realize and implement a method according to an embodiment of the present invention in a comparatively simple and efficient manner.
According to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, in a seventh step, subsequent to the first step, the user equipment queries the user equipment route selection policy repository for at least one further piece of user equipment route selection policy information or part thereof relating to query information, and the user equipment receives at least one matching further piece of user equipment route selection policy information or part thereof.
It is thereby advantageously possible to realize and implement a method according to an embodiment of the present invention in a comparatively simple and efficient manner.
According to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the policy and charging function and/or the user equipment route selection policy repository is able to be requested, by the user equipment or another entity (e.g. a network slice owner and/or application owner), to modify more than one route selection policy rules or user equipment route selection policy information based on
It is thereby advantageously possible to realize and implement a method according to an embodiment of the present invention in a comparatively simple and efficient manner.
Furthermore, the present invention relates to a user equipment for identifying and/or for referring to user equipment route selection policy information when being operated in connection to a telecommunications network, wherein the user equipment is configured to receive user equipment route selection policy information from a policy and charging function of the telecommunications network, wherein a piece of user equipment route selection policy information or part thereof is able to be identified via a user equipment route selection policy identifier, wherein, in order to identify and/or to refer to the piece of user equipment route selection policy information or part thereof, the user equipment is configured such that:
Furthermore, the present invention relates to a system or telecommunications network for identifying and/or for referring to user equipment route selection policy information when operating a user equipment connected to a telecommunications network, wherein the telecommunications network comprises a core network comprising a policy and charging function, wherein the policy and charging function is configured to transmit user equipment route selection policy information to the user equipment, wherein a piece of user equipment route selection policy information or part thereof is able to be identified via a user equipment route selection policy identifier, wherein, in order to identify and/or to refer to the piece of user equipment route selection policy information or part thereof, the system or telecommunications network is configured such that:
Additionally, the present invention relates to a program comprising a computer readable program code and/or a computer-readable medium comprising instructions, which, when executed on a computer and/or on a user equipment and/or on a network node of a telecommunications network, especially a policy and charging function, or in part on the user equipment and/or in part on the network node of a telecommunications network, especially the policy and charging function, causes the computer and/or the user equipment and/or the network node of a telecommunications network to perform a method according to an embodiment of the present invention.
These and other characteristics, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention. The description is given for the sake of example only, without limiting the scope of the invention. The reference figures quoted below refer to the attached drawings.
The present invention will be described with respect to particular embodiments and with reference to certain drawings, but the invention is not limited thereto but only by the claims. The drawings described are only schematic and are non-limiting. In the drawings, the size of some of the elements may be exaggerated and not drawn on scale for illustrative purposes.
Where an indefinite or definite article is used when referring to a singular noun, e.g. “a”, “an”, “the”, this includes a plural of that noun unless something else is specifically stated.
Furthermore, the terms first, second, third and the like in the description and in the claims are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a sequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and that the embodiments of the invention described herein are capable of operation in other sequences than described or illustrated herein.
In
Furthermore, a user equipment route selection policy repository 125 is at least accessible via the telecommunications network 100, and it is especially part of the telecommunications network 100 or of the core network 120 thereof.
According to the present invention, it is preferred that the user equipment 20 comprises, for a given access technology, an access mode configuration information relating to or indicating a first network selection mode and at least a second network selection mode that the user equipment is alternatively able to use; however, such an access mode configuration information is not mandatorily present or existent at the user equipment 20. Furthermore, it is preferred according to the present invention that the user equipment route selection policy information 400 comprises an access mode-related validity element, which indicates the user equipment whether the user equipment route selection policy information 400 should be evaluated.
In
However, as already said, in case of a change of the connection conditions and/or of the operation situation of the user equipment 20, the previously provided network-mandated rules on how to route data packets or how to steer specific traffic to a given PDU (protocol data unit) session might become inappropriate, inapplicable and/or at least not adapted to the respective situation of the user equipment 20.
Hence, according to the present invention, a method, user equipment, system and/or telecommunications network are provided such that a piece of user equipment route selection policy information 400 (or part thereof) is able to be identified via a user equipment route selection policy identifier 455 (or user equipment route selection policy identifier information 455). In order to identify and/or to refer to such a piece of user equipment route selection policy information 400 (or part thereof), according to the present invention, in a first step, the piece of user equipment route selection policy information 400 (or part thereof) is assigned to the user equipment route selection policy identifier (information) 455, and, in a second step, a further or operatively used piece of user equipment route selection policy information 401 (or part thereof) refers to this user equipment route selection policy identifier (information) 455. Hence, the present invention is related to identifying and/or referring to user equipment route selection policy information 400 when operating the user equipment 20 connected to the telecommunications network 100. Typically, the telecommunications network 100 comprises the core network 120, and the core network 120 the policy and charging function 130, wherein the policy and charging function 130 is configured to transmit user equipment route selection policy information 400 to the user equipment 20 as this is shown in
According to the present invention, via, in the first step, assigning the user equipment route selection policy identifier 455 to a considered piece of user equipment route selection policy information 400 (or part thereof) (or, vice versa, via assigning the considered piece of user equipment route selection policy information 400 (or part thereof) to the user equipment route selection policy identifier 455), it is advantageously possible to identify or to refer to such user equipment route selection policy information 400 (or part thereof) using the user equipment route selection policy identifier 455. Hence, it is advantageously possible—in the second step—that a further or operatively used piece of user equipment route selection policy information 401 (or part thereof, such as a user equipment route selection policy rule or a component thereof) refers to the considered user equipment route selection policy identifier 455, and thereby refers to the considered piece of user equipment route selection policy information (or part thereof) 400, thereby integrating the referred user equipment route selection policy information (or part thereof) 400 by reference. This is schematically shown in
According to the exemplary embodiment shown in
Hence, a piece of user equipment route selection policy information, or, rather, a part thereof (namely the list identifier A 463′, the component identifier B 464′, and the criteria identifier C 465′) is or are able to be identified via a user equipment route selection policy identifier 455, i.e. the pieces of identifier information 463″, 464″, 465″. As a consequence according to the present invention, it is possible to assign a user equipment route selection policy rule 460, 470, 480, 490 or a part 463′, 464′, 465′ of such a user equipment route selection policy rule 460, 470, 480, 490 (i.e. the content thereof) to a user equipment route selection policy identifier 455 (i.e. the first, second, and third user equipment route selection policy identifier information 463″, 464″, 465″). Hence, this possibility to identify or to assign is able to be operatively used when using other user equipment route selection policy rules 470, 480 (being examples of other (or further), operatively used, pieces of user equipment route selection policy information (or part thereof), i.e. regarding the further (operatively used) piece of user equipment route selection policy information or part thereof, the definition of its content is based, at least partly, not by explicitly providing its content (e.g. via enumerating different conditions or allowed or disallowed parameters, i.e. parts 463′, 464′, 465′) but by referring to the user equipment route selection policy identifier 455, i.e. pieces of user equipment route selection policy identifier information 463″, 464″, 465″. Hence, adding a reference identifier to certain elements in the first user equipment route selection policy rule 460 allows the second and third user equipment route selection policy rule 470, 480 to be more efficiently defined by just including the user equipment route selection policy identifier 455 instead of the whole (content of the) element information.
In
Furthermore, shown as part of the user equipment 20, the user equipment route selection policy component repository 25 comprises a first user equipment route selection policy component 253, corresponding to a route selection descriptor (list), wherein the first user equipment route selection policy component 253, being or corresponding to a route selection descriptor (list), comprises a list identifier A (designated, in
According to the exemplary embodiment shown in
Hence,
In
According to the exemplary embodiment shown in
In
In a fifth processing step 205, the core network 120 sets user equipment route selection policy information 400, i.e. transmits corresponding pieces of information or messages to the user equipment 20, especially including the user equipment route selection policy component information (i.e. one or a plurality of pieces of referable user equipment route selection policy information 425) to be stored in the user equipment route selection policy component repository 25 and/or a user equipment route selection policy repository (or rule reference) 125 and location information thereof. In a sixth processing step 206, the user equipment 20 requests, from the user equipment route selection policy repository (or rule reference) 125 (using the corresponding location or address information thereof), if applicable, further user equipment route selection policy information 400 or user equipment route selection policy rules or components, and the user equipment route selection policy repository 125 transmits the requested pieces of information to the user equipment 20. In a seventh processing step 207, the user equipment 20 is then able to compose or generate the ruleset of user equipment route selection policy rules or user equipment route selection policy information 400. In an eighth processing step 208, the user equipment 20 subscribes, at or with the user equipment route selection policy repository 125, to changes to the respective, relevant user equipment route selection policy rules or relevant user equipment route selection policy information 400 (retrieved from the user equipment route selection policy repository 125 or stored in the user equipment route selection policy component repository 25 of the user equipment 20). In case of a modification (e.g. a change or a removal), in a ninth processing step 209, of these relevant user equipment route selection policy rules or relevant user equipment route selection policy information 400, a notification is sent, in a tenth processing step 210 to the user equipment 20 of such modifications of the relevant resources (relevant user equipment route selection policy rules or relevant user equipment route selection policy information 400).
According to such an embodiment of the present invention, it is advantageously possible for the user equipment 20 to perform discovery and selection of URSPs rule (URSPs being uniquely identifiable) and thus allowing the user equipment 20 to query for desirable URSPs (e.g. for a given application) and selecting one or more of the returned rules for deployment based on a user equipment-based selection and not by a network-based decision, i.e. resulting in a user equipment route selection policy discovery by the user equipment 20
Hence, it is advantageously possible according to the present invention that the update of URSP components (i.e. the modification/deletion of URSP elements) is possible via the core network 120 and/or the URSP repository 125: Regarding this case, it is preferred that the URSPs within the user equipment contain an ID, i.e. an identifier, and that the user equipment 20 notifies to the core network 120 and/or the user equipment route selection policy repository 125 the affected user equipment route selection policies, as well as what changes resulted from the URSP resource modification, e.g.:
It is preferred according to the present invention (but not necessarily the case) that the user equipment 20 is able to request the user equipment route selection policy information 400 (from the corresponding telecommunications network 100, especially the corresponding core network 120) or to trigger to be provided with such (updated and/or appropriate and/or more suitable) user equipment route selection policy information 400. With respect to such a preferred embodiment, the user equipment 20 transmits a user equipment route selection policy update request message to the telecommunications network 100, and the corresponding user equipment route selection policy information 400 is received by the user equipment 20.
It is preferred according to the present invention (but not necessarily the case) that the policy and charging function 130 and/or the user equipment route selection policy repository 125 can be requested to modify more than one or route selection policy rules or user equipment route selection policy information 400 based on
Regarding the user equipment 20 represented in
Typically, the user equipment 20 comprises a universal integrated circuit card or USIM (comprising user or subscriber credentials) and (if applicable) the access mode configuration information, the content of which defines or indicates whether the user equipment 20 is, at a considered point in time and regarding network selection, either in the SNPN mode (and, hence, exclusively or preferably accessing standalone non-public networks) or rather in the PLMN mode (normal mode) (and, hence, exclusively or preferably accessing public land mobile networks).
Especially according to the present invention, the user equipment route selection policy information 400, 401 comprises the access mode-related validity element 441 which is related to the content of the access mode configuration information and either matches the access mode configuration information or not.
It has been said that, according to the present invention, via the reference to the (content of the) piece of user equipment route selection policy information 400 (or part thereof, especially a user equipment route selection policy component)—by the further or operatively used piece of user equipment route selection policy information (or part thereof) 401—, resulting in the further of operatively used user equipment route selection policy information (or part thereof) comprising the (user equipment route selection policy) content of the referred piece of user equipment route selection policy information (or part thereof), it is advantageously possible according to the present invention, to address this content without the necessity to (explicitly) repeat it—the only requirement being to refer to (instead of copying (all) this content) the corresponding user equipment route selection policy identifier (information) 455, i.e. this identifier information being representative of the respective content or representing this content.
Especially, this allows for a more flexible interaction between the core network 120 (and/or the user equipment route selection policy repository 125) and the user equipment 20 such that user equipment route selection policies can be actively queried and deployed by the user equipment 20, if so requested by internal logic and/or application(s) of or being executed by the user equipment 20.
Furthermore especially, this allows for a URSP route selection referencing and chaining: When setting up complex URSPs, it is advantageously possible to:
Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is advantageously possible for the user equipment 20 to deploy different user equipment route selection policies to work properly (i.e. that application traffic gets routed via the appropriate path), depending on its network location.
In conventional telecommunications networks, there is no way for a user equipment to query the (core) network for URSPs based on a selection criterion; additionally, user equipment route selection policies cannot be univocally referenced, reused and/or chained. Hence, in such conventional telecommunications networks, user equipment route selection policies (or their contents or elements thereof) cannot be reused: These are generated each time and such generated information elements are not uniquely identifiable. As such, these information elements cannot be reused and/or cross-referenced.
In contrast, according to the present invention, an identifier 455 or an identifier information (user equipment route selection policy identifier) is able to be added to, e.g., the route selection descriptor list or the route selection descriptor (of a user equipment route selection policy rule). As a consequence, user equipment route selection policy rules or components are able, instead of (the content of) a route selection descriptor list or instead of (the content of) elements within the route selection descriptor list, use said (user equipment route selection policy) identifier 455 (information). When evaluating the user equipment route selection policies, the user equipment 20 evaluates said rule as if the referenced content was there.
Further advantages according to the present invention include:
According to the present invention—and in contrast to conventional telecommunications networks where user equipment route selection policies are self-contained—it is advantageously possible and certainly more efficient to use potentially complex route selection descriptor(s) and/or user equipment route selection policies altogether can be re-used without the need of re-sending the whole content via the control plane, as well as allowing a linking between user equipment route selection policies so that a change to a referenced element effectively changes multiple user equipment route selection policies indirectly.
It is provided to use at least the following two ways to reuse elements of one user equipment route selection policy information 400 in another user equipment route selection policy information 401:
A further generalization of the second variant is that it is possible to use an external location as a repository from where the rule components are able to be retrieved by the user equipment (preferably retrieved using the control plane or the user plane from a core network). In this case, it is furthermore preferred that the identifier is contained within the location reference (e.g. a URI), and, additionally, the user equipment 20 may cache (i.e. store) the retrieved user equipment route selection policy components and/or the user equipment 20 might subscribe to changes to the retrieved URSP components.
According to embodiments of the present invention, it is preferred that the identifier of a given URSP component/list contains the nature (i.e. the type) of the resource being referenced.
Furthermore, according to embodiments of the present invention, it is preferred that URSP references are evaluated once and the resulting result cached (in order to improve the performance), i.e. resulting in an approach to once-compilation instead of evaluating the references each time.
While subject matter of the present disclosure has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive. Any statement made herein characterizing the invention is also to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive as the invention is defined by the claims. It will be understood that changes and modifications may be made, by those of ordinary skill in the art, within the scope of the following claims, which may include any combination of features from different embodiments described above.
The terms used in the claims should be construed to have the broadest reasonable interpretation consistent with the foregoing description. For example, the use of the article “a” or “the” in introducing an element should not be interpreted as being exclusive of a plurality of elements. Likewise, the recitation of “or” should be interpreted as being inclusive, such that the recitation of “A or B” is not exclusive of “A and B,” unless it is clear from the context or the foregoing description that only one of A and B is intended. Further, the recitation of “at least one of A, B and C” should be interpreted as one or more of a group of elements consisting of A, B and C, and should not be interpreted as requiring at least one of each of the listed elements A, B and C, regardless of whether A, B and C are related as categories or otherwise. Moreover, the recitation of “A, B and/or C” or “at least one of A, B or C” should be interpreted as including any singular entity from the listed elements, e.g., A, any subset from the listed elements, e.g., A and B, or the entire list of elements A, B and C.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22153863.0 | Jan 2022 | EP | regional |
This application is a U.S. National Phase application under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Application No. PCT/EP2023/050309, filed on Jan. 9, 2023, and claims benefit to European Patent Application No. EP 22153863.0, filed on Jan. 28, 2022. The International Application was published in English on Aug. 3, 2023 as WO 2023/143894 A1 under PCT Article 21(2).
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2023/050309 | 1/9/2023 | WO |
