Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson (publ)

Rajiv Bhardwaj

Nipun Sharma

Rakesh Bajpai

Hans Oskar Eriksson

Tushar Sabharwal

Ignacio Rivas Molina

James O'Meara

Steve Menear

Robin Kaushik

Michael Grimes

Methods performed in a core network () for dynamically handling access and mobility service areas with different capabilities in a communication system () are disclosed. The methods are carried out in an AMF node (), a UDM node (), a PCF node () and a SMF node (). The UDM node () configures Service Area Restriction (SAR) data in a subscription data for a UE (). The SAR data includes a number of service areas allowed or restricted for the UE and, for each service area, a service area identifier, a service area type and a service area definition. The PCF node configures a Service Area Definition (SAD) rule for a UE. The SAD rule comprises a service area definition and an indication of a set of service area characteristics enabled in the service area. During a registration procedure, the SAR data and SAD rule may be provided to the AMF node upon request for a UE communication. The AMF node then takes actions for the UE communication based on anyone of the SAR data, the SAD rule and local policies at the AMF node. During a session management procedure, the SMF node () receives service area related information with a service area identifier and a service area type from the AMF node, and receives the SAD rule from the PCF node. The SMF node () then take actions for the UE communication based on the SAD rule, the information received from the AMF node () and/or local policies at the SMF node.

Method and system for including dynamic service areas in access and mobility restriction control

A method for managing traffic processed by a target network function of a communication network is disclosed. The target network function transmits and receives traffic over a communication channel that carries traffic between network functions and application functions. The method, performed by a Data Analytics Function (DAF) of a communication network, comprises receiving information about traffic flows over the communication channel, establishing a priority amongst traffic flows over the communication channel, based on the received information, generating a recommendation for traffic processing on the basis of the established priority, and sending the generated recommendation to a function in the network that has a management responsibility for the target network function.

Management of traffic over a communication channel

Methods and apparatus are provided for network slice configuration. In one example aspect, a method in a network function in a network is disclosed. The network is a visited network for at least one User Equipment, UE. The network provides a network slice for the at least one UE, and the network function is a gateway for data communications for the at least one UE. The method includes obtaining an IP address for at least one service for the at least one UE, and providing the at least one service to the at least one UE according to a gateway configuration from a home network of the at least one UE.

Network slice configuration

A communication network () provides communicative coupling between potentially large populations of Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices () and/or other types of communication devices () and one or more Application Servers (ASs) () that are affiliated with respective ones of the communication devices (). One or more network functions () in the communication network () are operative to determine that any given one of the communication devices () is compromised, or that multiple such devices () are compromised, and provide for management of such devices () within the network () as 'compromised' devices (). Aspects of compromised-device management include forcing re-registration of such devices (), for quarantining them in one or more quarantine network slices (), and recovering quarantined devices () after remediation of the compromise. Recovery operations include forcing re-registration of devices () being recovered, for migration back to their normal or regular network slice(s) ().

Methods and apparatuses for managing compromised communication devices in a communication network

A first network node in a communication network can evaluate whether to scale a first resource of a network slice of the communication network. The first network node can receive, from a second network node of the communication network, a first message indicating a request for approval to scale the first resource of the network slice. Responsive to receiving the first message, the first network node can determine whether to scale the first resource of the network slice based on information regarding a second resource. The first and second resources may be of different types. The first network node can transmit, to the second network node, a second message indicating whether to scale the first resource of the network slice based on determining whether to scale the first resource of the network slice. Related methods are also discussed.

Growing community of inventors

Jalandhar, India

Rajiv Bhardwaj