GB2616907A

GB2616907A - Method of operating a telecommunications network

Info

Publication number: GB2616907A
Application number: GB2204253.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Brown Ruth; Hart Jonathan
Original assignee: British Telecommunications PLC
Current assignee: British Telecommunications PLC
Priority date: 2022-03-25
Filing date: 2022-03-25
Publication date: 2023-09-27
Also published as: GB202204253D0

Abstract

A method of operating a wireless wide area telecommunications network comprising a plurality of wireless access points and a User Equipment, UE, the method comprising identifying an initial location of the UE, intended destination of the UE; a network service for provision to the UE by the telecommunications network, a set of wireless access points configured to provide the identified network service and wireless coverage area for each of the wireless access points in the set. A route from the initial location to the intended destination is determined, in dependence upon the identified wireless coverage areas, along which the network service is accessible to the UE. The network service may be a URLLC network slice service, encryption function, IMS or autonomous vehicle management application function, network technology such as 3G, 4G or 5G or function to provide access to a private network.

Description

METHOD OF OPERATING A TELECOMMUNICATIONS NETWORK

Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a telecommunications network and to a method of operating a telecommunications network.

Background

Telecommunications networks have improved the ability to communicate information and then remotely to process such information. For example, communicating patient medical data from an ambulance to a hospital may allow the hospital to prepare for the specific needs of the patient based on analysis of the data.

However, wireless telecommunications networks can be unreliable and non-homogenous, such that different network capabilities are not always available across the entire coverage of the network.

It is an aim of the present invention to at least alleviate some of the aforementioned problems.

Statements of Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided: a method of operating a wireless wide area telecommunications network, said network comprising a plurality of wireless access points and a User Equipment, UE, configured for communication therebetween, the method comprising the steps of: identifying a/an: initial location of the UE; intended destination of the UE; network service for provision to the UE by the telecommunications network; set of wireless access points configured to provide the identified network service; and wireless coverage area for each of the wireless access points in the set; and determining a route, from the initial location to the intended destination, in dependence upon the identified wireless coverage area's, along which the network service is accessible to the UE.

Preferably, the step of identifying the network service is performed only after the UE is connected to the wireless wide area telecommunications network, and more preferably with a core of said network, and still more preferably after authentication of the UE by said network.

Preferably, the identified set of wireless access points is a subset of fewer than all of the wireless access points in the telecommunications network.

Preferably, the initial location of the UE and the intended destination of the UE are served by exclusively different wireless access points.

Preferably, determining the route is performed so as to maximise availability of the network service to the UE along the route.

Preferably, maximising availability of the network service comprises maximising a distance and/or travel time of the route in the identified wireless coverage area, and more preferably a proportion of a total distance and/or travel time.

Preferably, determining the route is performed so as to minimise a travel parameter for travel by the UE from the identified initial location to the intended destination. Preferably, availability of the network service is maximised and/or the travel parameter is minimised within a respective tolerable threshold.

Preferably, the tolerable threshold is variable, and is adjusted in dependence upon a property of the: UE; initial location; and/or intended destination. Preferably, the property of the UE comprises: a unique identity of the UE; a type of UE; data generated by the UE; and/or contextual use information for the UE.

Preferably, the network service is provided by processing that is only performed upstream of a wireless interface of the set of wireless access points. Preferably, the network service is a cellular technology or architecture, and in particular availability of a 3G, 4G or 5G functionality. Preferably, the network service comprises a required minimum level of performance in relation to a network performance characteristic, wherein said network performance characteristic comprises: latency; bandwidth; security; reliability; jitter; and/or network load. Preferably, the level of performance excludes radio signal strength. Preferably, the network service is available over the entire wireless coverage area of the set of wireless access points.

Preferably, method further comprises the steps of: determining, for each of the wireless access points in the set, a radio characteristic; and determining a route from the initial location to the intended destination in dependence upon the determined radio characteristic so as to ensure radio access to the network service by the UE along the route. Preferably, the radio characteristic is signal strength and/or frequency band. Preferably, the radio characteristic is determined by an entity that excludes the UE, and more preferably by a corresponding wireless access point and/or a core of the telecommunications network.

Preferably, the step of determining the route is performed within a core of the wireless wide area telecommunications network. Preferably, the step of determining the route is only performed within the core. Preferably, the method further comprises the step of communicating the determined route to the UE.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a computer program comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out a method as described above.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a computer program, which, when the computer program is executed by a computer, causes the computer to carry out a method as described above.

According to still another aspect of the invention, there is provided a wireless wide area telecommunications network comprising: a plurality of wireless access points; a User Equipment, UE, configured for communicating with the plurality of wireless access points; and a set of processors configured to: identify a/an: initial location of the UE; intended destination of the UE; network service for provision to the UE by the telecommunications network; set of wireless access points configured to provide the identified network service; and wireless coverage area for each of the wireless access points in the set; and determine a route, from the initial location to the intended destination, in dependence upon the identified wireless coverage area/s, along which the network service is accessible to the UE.

The invention includes any novel aspects described and/or illustrated herein. The invention also extends to methods and/or apparatus substantially as herein described and/or as illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings. The invention is also provided as a computer program and/or a computer program product for carrying out any of the methods described herein and/or for embodying any of the apparatus features described herein, and a computer-readable medium storing thereon a program for carrying out any of the methods and/or for embodying any of the apparatus features described herein. Features described as being implemented in hardware may alternatively be implemented in software, and vice versa.

Any apparatus feature may also be provided as a corresponding step of a method, and vice versa. As used herein, means plus function features may alternatively be expressed in terms of their corresponding structure, for example as a suitably-programmed processor.

Any feature in one aspect of the invention may be applied, in any appropriate combination, to other aspects of the invention. Any, some and/or all features in one aspect can be applied to any, some and/or all features in any other aspect, in any appropriate combination. Particular combinations of the various features described and defined in any aspects of the invention can be implemented and/or supplied and/or used independently.

As used throughout, the word 'or' can be interpreted in the exclusive and/or inclusive sense, unless otherwise specified.

The invention extends to a method of operating a telecommunications network and to a telecommunications network as described herein and/or substantially as illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is now described, purely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of a telecommunications network; Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of a portion of the telecommunications network; and Figure 3 shows a process for operating the telecommunications network.

Specific Description

Figure 1 shows an exemplary wide area wireless telecommunications network 100, and specifically a cellular network according to the fifth-generation (50) technology standard.

The network 100 comprises User Equipment (UE) 110 (e.g. in the form of a mobile cellular device) that is configured to utilise the network 100 by accessing a Radio Access Network (RAN) 115, as provided by a plurality of Wireless Access Points (WAPs) 120 (e.g. a macro-, micro-, pico-or femto-cell base station). In turn, the WAPs 120 are connected to a core of the network 125 via a backhaul network (not shown). Specifically, the plurality of WAPs comprises first 120-1, second 120-2, third 120-3 and fourth 120-4 WAPs.

The core network 125 comprises the following functional components a/an: * Access and Mobility management Function (AMF) 130; * Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF) 135; * AUthentication Server Function (AUSF) 140; * Unified Data Management (UDM) 145; * Session Management Function (SMF) 150; * Policy Control function (PCF) 155; * User Plane Function (UPF) 160; * Data Network (DN) 165; * Network Exposure Function (NEF) 170 * Network Repository Function (NRF) 175 * Application Function (AF) 180; and * Route Determination Function (RDF) 185.

The core network 125 is available to connect to remote networks and/or services, and not least to the Internet.

At least one of the WAPs 120 is configured to deliver access to a network service for use by the UE 110. The WAPs 120 are, however, differently configured such that a given network service is only provided by a subset (La at least one, but not all) of the WAPs 120.

The network service is a computational processing function performed by at least one of the WAPs 120, the core 125, and/or an edge compute server (not shown) within the network 100. As such, the computational processing of the network service is only performed upstream (i.e. towards the core 125, and away from the UE 110) of a wireless interface between the UE and a given one of the WAPs 120. Whilst the wireless interface is used to deliver access to the network service, the wireless interface does not form part of the network service, and the features of the over-the-air connection (e.g. radio signal strength) therefore do not characterise the network service. Since the network service is provided beyond the radio interface, the UE 110 cannot identify the availability of a network service by a given WAR without initiating the network service for the UE.

For example, the network service is a/an: * security function, such as an authentication and/or encryption function; * application function, for example as provided by an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) or an autonomous vehicle management application; * data retrieval function from an edge server and/or a content delivery network; * network technology, for example: o network convergence (of fixed-and wireless-access networks); o network technology standard, such as 3G, 4G or 5G; and/or o network slicing functionality in the backhaul and/or core networks; and/or * function to provide access to a private network.

In a specific example, the first 120-1 and second 120-2 WAPs are in the form of macrocells and are provided with sufficient computational processing resources and backhaul functionality to the core so as to facilitate an Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communications (URLLC) network slice service. The remaining WAPs 120-3 and 120-4 are in the form of femtocells that lack the computational processing resources and backhaul functionality to provide the URLLC network slice service.

The RDF 185 is configured to store and map identities of the individual WAPs 120 and the network services that are available from each WAP, as well as the coverage area of each WAP; to do so, the RDF 185 is in communication with the AMF 130, via which such information is retrieved from the RAN 115.

Figure 2 is a further schematic diagram of the network 100, showing a specific example of network service-informed navigation through the RAN 115.

In some circumstances, availability of network services to the UE 110 is important, and sometimes even a critical priority. For example, a mobile entity in the form of an autonomous vehicle may be reliant upon a network service to operate effectively, efficiently and safely, or an ambulance may require reliable transmission and processing of high-bandwidth patient medical data via the network 100 using a network service therefor.

The UE 100 is in use by, and/or provided as part of, a mobile entity (not shown), such as a person or vehicle (ground-, marine, space-and/or air-based). The mobile entity, and therefore the UE, seeks to travel from a current starting location 210 to an intended destination 220, which are remote from one another and are served by different WAPs.

As shown in Figure 2, the initial location 210 is in a wireless coverage area 240-1 served only by the first WAP 120-1. The intended destination 220 for the UE is, however, located in a wireless coverage area 240-4 served only by the fourth WAP 120-4. To reach the intended destination 220, the UE has the options of travelling via a/an: * wireless coverage area 240-2 served by the second WAP 120-2; * wireless coverage area 240-3 served by the third WAP 120-3; and/or * area outside of both wireless coverage areas 240-2 and 240-3, such as zone 250.

As described in more detail below, the network 100 is configured to identify a set of the WAPs that are available to provide a network service for the UE, such as a URLLC network slice, thereby to determine a recommended route 230 to the intended destination 220 in which access to the network service and travel parameters for the UE are optimised.

Figure 3 shows a flow diagram of a process 300 of operating the network 100.

In a first step 310, the network 100, for example the AUSF 140, uniquely identifies the UE 110 by retrieving a unique identifier of the UE, for example an International Mobile Subscriber Identifier (IMSI). The unique identifier is then communicated to the RDF 185.

The network 100 also identifies the initial location 210 of the UE; this is available to be performed

for example by:

* receiving a network communication from the UE providing the initial location, for example as determined based on an input to the UE, for example from a Global Positioning System (GPS); and/or * means of a network-determined geolocation method, including location of a WAR currently serving the UE, WAR-based time-of-flight measurements and/or triangulation techniques.

The network 100 also identifies the intended destination 220 of the UE 110; this is available to be performed for example by: * receiving a network communication from the UE providing the intended destination, for example via an application running on the UE, e.g. from a navigation application; and/or * determining the intended destination based on the unique identifier of the UE, in which the network stores a predefined mapping between the unique identifier and the intended destination 220 (e.g. the UE is associated with a pre-defined hospital or depot as the intended destination 220).

The network 100 also identifies the network service to be provided to the UE 110 (e.g. either as requested by the UE or as pushed by the network), as identified for example based on: * a network communication from the UE, in which the network communication comprises a/an: o service request explicitly identifying the network service; o characteristic (e.g. a network address and/or protocol type) identifiable by the network, from which the network is configured to determine the network service for the UE, for example based on a pre-defined mapping or contextual inference; * the unique identifier of the UE (e.g. IMSI), in which the network stores a predefined mapping to the network service; and/or * the initial location 210 and/or intended destination 220 of the UE 110, from which the network is configured to determine the network service, for example based on a predefined mapping or contextual inference.

In one example, a minimum level of performance is imposed upon the network service for the UE, as such identifying the network service comprises measuring performance of network services and selecting only the network services exceeding a predefined minimum threshold level of performance. Such measures of performance include: * latency; * bandwidth; * Quality of Service (QoS) and/or Experience (QoE); * availability; and/or * load.

Regardless of the manner of identification, the initial location, intended destination and network service are communicated to the RDF 185. Accordingly, with reference to the example of Figure 2, following step 310, the RDF 185 identifies that the UE is seeking a URLLC network slice as the network service, and intends to travel from points 210 to 220 in wireless coverage areas 240-1 and 240-4, respectively.

At a next step 320, the RDF 185 retrieves the identity of the network service, from which the RDF in turn identifies which of the WAPs 120 are configured to provide said network service to the UE (when the UE is within the coverage area of the corresponding WAR). The WAPs that are configured to provide the identified network service are placed in a set. With reference to the example of Figure 2, only the first 120-1 and second 120-2 WAPs are configured to provide the identified network service of the URLLC network service.

At a next step 330, the RDF 185 retrieves the wireless coverage areas 240 of each of the WAPs in the set identified in preceding step 320. In this way, there is determined a geographical area in which the network service is accessible, herein referred to as the "served area". With reference to the example of Figure 2, the served area consists of wireless coverage areas 240-1 and 2402.

At a next step 340, using the identified initial location 210, intended destination 220 and served area, the RDF then performs processing, for example by means of an optimisation function, to determine a recommended route from the initial location to the intended destination.

The objective of the optimisation function is to determine the recommended route in which, within tolerable thresholds, travel through the served area is maximised whilst travel parameters are minimised.

The travel parameters quantitively represent characteristics of travel along a given route.

Accordingly, the travel parameters, which are sought to be minimised, include: * distance to the intended destination; * expected travel time to the intended destination (e.g. based on actual or predicted travel speeds); * congestion (e.g. based on traffic reporting information, live and/or predicted, such as based on time of day); and/or * fuel requirements (e.g. based on terrain and/or weather information).

With respect to the travel parameters, the tolerable thresholds within which bounds the optimisation function is performed, are, for example, that distance, travel time, congestion and/or fuel requirements is/are no greater than a specific value. The specific value is in turn associated with, for example, a fuel range of the mobile entity associated with the UE and/or a priority level of the travel to the intended destination. For example, where arrival at the intended destination is determined to be more important than provision of the network service (e.g. delivery of highly perishable goods, such as organs or blood), the tolerable thresholds are biased to ensure optimisation selects for faster routes over routes in which the network service is available. In contrast, where arrival at the intended destination may be delayed relative to the fastest route, but where availability of the network services is important (e.g. when performing remote diagnostics and/or medical interventions for a patient in an ambulance), then the optimisation process utilises travel parameter thresholds that ensure optimisation allows for slower routes having sufficient access to the network service.

With reference to the example of Figure 2, the processing of step 340 concludes that a route: * through wireless coverage area 240-3 does not optimise availability of the URLLC network service, since no such network service is available in wireless coverage areas 240-3 and 240-4; * that minimises travel parameters (in particular, distance) traverses a zone 250 with no wireless coverage (i.e. surrounded by each wireless coverage area 240), and therefore does not optimise availability of the URLLC network service, since no such network service is available in this zone (or in wireless coverage area 240-4); * circumventing wireless coverage areas 240-2 or 240-3 would exceed a tolerable threshold for the travel parameters (e.g. are too far) and also does not optimise availability of the URLLC network service, since no such network service is available for most of the route; and * through wireless coverage area 240-2 -route 230 -is an optimal balance between travel parameters and availability of the URLLC network service, since the network service is only unavailable in wireless coverage area 240-4, which therefore minimises the number of wireless coverage areas in which the URLLC network service is unavailable.

Accordingly, route 230 is output as the recommended route.

After step 340, the determined recommended route 230 is provided 350 to the UE 110 so as to allow the UE to navigate to the intended destination in a manner that is cognisant of the availability of the network service for the UE.

Once the route has been determined at step 340, process 300 reiterates to step 310 so that the optimal route may be iteratively determined in response to changes to the: initial location 210 of the UE; set of WAPs; served area; and/or travel parameters.

Alternatives and Modifications In the aforementioned, the network 100 is generally shown and described as a cellular wide area network in accordance with 5G technology. However, in one alternative the telecommunications network 100 is any kind of wireless wide area telecommunications network comprising a plurality of wireless access points, including a satellite telecommunications network.

Where travel is constrained to specific paths (e.g. roads or flight paths), at step 340, the RDF is available to retrieve a map or chart providing said paths so that the recommended route is determined based on said paths.

In an alternative, the RDF 185 is merely configured to compile information as to the availability of network services and/or the set of WAPs, which is/are then subsequently communicated to the UE. Accordingly, the UE is then available to determine the recommended route in a manner corresponding to step 340.

Each feature disclosed herein, and (where appropriate) as part of the claims and drawings may be provided independently or in any appropriate combination.

Any reference numerals appearing in the claims are for illustration only and shall not limit the scope of the claims.

Claims

Claims 1. A method of operating a wireless wide area telecommunications network, said network comprising a plurality of wireless access points and a User Equipment, UE, configured for communication therebetween, the method comprising the steps of: identifying a/an: initial location of the UE; intended destination of the UE; network service for provision to the UE by the telecommunications network; set of wireless access points configured to provide the identified network service; and wireless coverage area for each of the wireless access points in the set; and determining a route, from the initial location to the intended destination, in dependence upon the identified wireless coverage area/s, along which the network service is accessible to the UE.
2. A method according to Claim 1, wherein determining the route is performed so as to maximise availability of the network service to the UE along the route.
3. A method according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein determining the route is performed so as to minimise a travel parameter for travel by the UE from the identified initial location to the intended destination.
4. A method according to Claim 2 or 3, wherein availability of the network service is maximised and/or the travel parameter is minimised within a respective tolerable threshold.
5. A method according to Claim 4, wherein the tolerable threshold is variable, and is adjusted in dependence upon a property of the: UE; initial location; and/or intended destination.
6. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the network service is provided by processing that is only performed upstream of a wireless interface of the set of wireless access points.
7. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the method further comprises the steps of: determining, for each of the wireless access points in the set, a radio characteristic; and determining a route from the initial location to the intended destination in dependence upon the determined radio characteristic so as to ensure radio access to the network service by the UE along the route.
8. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the step of determining the route is performed within a core of the wireless wide area telecommunications network.
9. A computer program comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the method of any preceding claim.
10. A computer-readable carrier medium comprising a computer program, which, when the computer program is executed by a computer, causes the computer to carry out the steps of any one of Claims 1 to 8.
11. A wireless wide area telecommunications network comprising: a plurality of wireless access points; a User Equipment, UE, configured for communicating with the plurality of wireless access points; and a set of processors configured to: identify Wan: initial location of the UE; intended destination of the UE; network service for provision to the UE by the telecommunications network; set of wireless access points configured to provide the identified network service; and wireless coverage area for each of the wireless access points in the set; and determine a route, from the initial location to the intended destination, in dependence upon the identified wireless coverage area/s, along which the network service is accessible to the UE.