KR20230034114A - Network slicing onboarding system providing premium streaming service and method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a network slicing onboarding system comprises: a service application reception unit receiving premium service application information from a network slice dedicated app installed on a user terminal; a service subscription confirmation unit confirming whether to subscribe to a network slice service and information about a mobile communication network interworking policy in response to the premium service application information; a network slice profile setting unit setting a network slice profile which allows setting up a PDU session for a network slice corresponding to a premium service through a network slice agent of the user terminal; and a network slice profile transmitting unit transmitting the network slice profile to the user terminal. Accordingly, the network slice service is performed efficiently.

Description

Network slicing onboarding system and method supporting premium streaming

The present invention relates to a system and method for providing network slicing onboarding in a 5th generation mobile communication (5G) system.

More specifically, it relates to an onboarding system and method capable of supporting a dedicated 5G network slice service capable of high-speed or high-resolution premium streaming service.

Recently, various technologies have been introduced in mobile communication systems to meet rapidly increasing data traffic and demands for various services. The 5th generation mobile communication service, which is currently being standardized, is undergoing technological developments such as significantly faster speed and ultra-low latency than the existing 4th generation LTE. The possibility of realizing mobile-based application services, which was impossible, is gradually increasing.

Meanwhile, in the existing 4G mobile communication system, since all subscribers in the network share common network resources, it is impossible to guarantee a specific application service under differentiated conditions. However, future applications pursued by the 5th generation mobile communication system can be operated only when a certain standard or more is guaranteed in terms of transmission speed or response delay time of a communication network.

To differentiate from applications in the 4G mobile communication system that horizontally share and provide common network resources, applications requiring different network conditions are called vertical applications.

The 5th generation mobile communication system introduces a virtualized network architecture to accommodate these vertical applications, and through this, a network slice, a virtual closed network that meets high network conditions such as high resolution and high speed, is created for each vertical application service. can be assigned to each.

Unlike existing mobile communication systems such as LTE, 5G applications can be operated based on a virtual dedicated mobile communication network for user terminals while ensuring the performance required for each application through end-to-end traffic separation and resource separation.

Using these characteristics, 5G is used as a mobile communication network to provide services through a network slice that guarantees a specific speed and quality of service, or to implement a network slice such as internal WIFI of a specific institution using a closed network with enhanced security. possible.

In order to use such network slicing, an onboarding procedure is required to perform a 5G user's network slice subscriber application, authority confirmation, and provisioning.

However, a solution for integrally and efficiently performing onboarding procedures for network slices of multiple vertical applications in a user terminal has not yet been proposed.

Therefore, it is necessary to introduce a system in which a user terminal provides an integrated and efficient vertical slicing onboarding procedure for premium streaming or access to an institution's internal network.

A technical problem to be achieved by the present invention is to provide a system and method for performing a network slice service in an integrated and efficient manner using a network slice app and a network slice agent in network slicing onboarding.

In addition, the present invention provides a system and method for efficiently performing network slice service subscription, authority confirmation, and resource allocation using a network slice profile.

In addition, the present invention provides a system and method capable of efficiently performing network slicing onboarding for access to a high-speed or high-resolution premium streaming service or a closed network requiring selective security.

The technical problem to be achieved by the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned technical problem, and other technical problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below. There will be.

In order to achieve the above technical problem, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the network slicing onboarding system includes a service request receiver for receiving premium service request information from a dedicated network slice app installed in a user terminal; a service subscription confirmation unit that checks information on whether to subscribe to a network slice service and a mobile communication network linkage policy in response to the premium service application information; a network slice profile setting unit configured to set a network slice profile enabling a PDU session to be established for a network slice corresponding to the premium service through a network slice agent of the user terminal; and a network slice profile transmitter for transmitting the network slice profile to the user terminal.

Here, the network slice profile may further include Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (NSSAI) used for selecting and using the network slice or Data Network Name (DNN) information for identifying a data network.

Here, the premium service is a media premium streaming service, and the network slice profile may further include service QoS information designating the quality and level of the premium service.

In addition, a network slice agent providing unit providing the network slice agent to the user terminal may be further included.

Here, the network slicing onboarding system may be implemented on a DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) network blocked by a firewall and a network slice service system providing the network slice service.

In addition, a firewall setting unit configured to set and manage a firewall maintaining security with the network slice service system or the mobile communication network may be further included.

A network slicing onboarding method according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a service subscription application receiving step of receiving premium service application information from a network slice dedicated app installed in a user terminal; a service subscription confirmation step of checking information on whether to subscribe to a network slice service and information on a mobile communication network interworking policy in response to the premium service application information; generating a network slice profile enabling a PDU session to be established for a network slice corresponding to the premium service through a network slice agent of the user terminal; and a network slice profile transmission step of transmitting the generated network slice profile to a user terminal.

Here, the method may further include providing a network slice agent capable of establishing a PDU session of the network slice to the user terminal by using the network slice profile.

In addition, the network slice profile may further include Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (NSSAI) used for selecting and using the network slice and Data Network Name (DNN) information for identifying a data network.

Here, the premium service is a media premium streaming service, and the network slice profile may further include service QoS information designating the quality and level of the premium service.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the user terminal can perform service application, authority check, resource allocation and PDU session-based service use procedures in an integrated manner using a network slice dedicated app and a network slice agent.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a network slice agent can integrally perform various network slice-based private network applications using a network slice profile.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the above effects, and should be understood to include all effects that can be inferred from the detailed description of the present invention or the configuration of the invention described in the claims.

1 illustrates an environment in which a network slicing onboarding system according to an embodiment of the present invention operates.
2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a network slicing onboarding system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a diagram showing an example of data used in the network slicing onboarding system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a diagram illustrating a service process using a network slice according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a block diagram showing a configuration related to authentication of a dedicated network for network slices according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a diagram illustrating a signal flow for a network slicing onboarding method according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a diagram illustrating an onboarding procedure of a network slice providing premium streaming according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and, therefore, is not limited to the embodiments described herein. And in order to clearly explain the present invention in the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted, and similar reference numerals are attached to similar parts throughout the specification.

Throughout the specification, when a part is said to be "connected (connected, contacted, combined)" with another part, this is not only "directly connected", but also "indirectly connected" with another member in between. "Including cases where In addition, when a part "includes" a certain component, it means that it may further include other components without excluding other components unless otherwise stated.

Terms used in this specification are only used to describe specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this specification, terms such as "include" or "have" are intended to indicate that there is a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, but one or more other features It should be understood that the presence or addition of numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof is not precluded.

In this specification, a “module” includes a unit composed of hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with terms such as logic, logic block, component, or circuit. A module can be an integral part or a minimal unit or part thereof that performs one or more functions. For example, the module may be composed of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

Chapter 5.15 of TS23.501 of 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project), which establishes the 5th generation mobile communication system standards, describes network slicing to support vertical applications (3gpp TS23.501 chapter 5.15) and each vertical application system has its own network It presents a technical standard (3gpp TS23.501 chapter 5.15.10) that can manage subscribers accessing slice through its own authentication system. Here, a network slice is a virtual dedicated mobile network that satisfies a specific quality of service.

1 illustrates an environment in which a network slicing onboarding system according to an embodiment of the present invention operates.

In performing network slicing onboarding, the user terminal 10 includes a network slice dedicated app 11 and a network slice agent 200 . A user terminal is a variety of smart devices connected to a 5G mobile communication network, and may include a communication module and a display module.

The network slice service system 300 may be any service system providing a service satisfying a specific quality of service. For example, a streaming service providing multimedia content, a service dedicated to autonomous driving, a smart factory IoT service, and a virtual internal closed network service implemented in a 5G mobile communication network may be applicable.

The network service system 300 may include a service server 310 providing services, a service internal network 320, and a plurality of switches capable of communicating with the mobile communication network 20 and the network slicing onboarding system 100. can

The mobile communication network 20 is a mobile communication network conforming to the 5G communication standard. The 5G mobile communication network 20 may include the base station 21 and the AUSF 22, PCF 23, SMF 24, AMF 25, and UPF 26 in units of network functions.

The base station 21 performs wireless communication with the user terminal 10 in an RF frequency band.

An Access and Mobility Function (AMF) 25 supports mobility with subscriber authentication data, and an Authentication Server Function (AUSF) 22 performs authentication of a user terminal using subscriber authentication data.

A Session Management Function (SMF) 24 manages session maintenance/release for a plurality of connection sessions, and a Policy Control Function (PCF) 23 determines policies related to mobility and session management.

A user plane function (UPF) 26 transfers a packet transmitted from a user terminal to a data network (DN).

The network slicing onboarding system 100 performs network slice onboarding between the network slice system 300 and the user terminal 10 . The network slicing onboarding system 100 can be implemented on a DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) network blocked by a firewall from the network slice service, and can be implemented as a web server or FTP server so that it can be accessed from the outside.

The network slicing onboarding system 100 thus implemented supports the user terminal 10 to use the network slice by confirming the service subscription and authority of the user, installing the network slice profile, and distributing the network slice agent 200 .

A detailed configuration and function of the network slicing onboarding system 100 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 below.

2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a network slicing onboarding system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The network slicing onboarding system 100 includes a service request receiving unit 110, a service subscription confirmation unit 120, a network slice profile ID generation unit 130, a network slice profile setting unit 140, and a mobile communication network-profile storage unit ( 150), a network slice profile transmission unit 160, a network slice agent providing unit 170, an API providing unit 180, and a firewall setting unit 190.

The service request receiving unit 110 receives information about the service request from the network slice dedicated app 11 .

The service subscription checking unit 120 checks whether to subscribe to the network slice service and information on a mobile communication network interworking policy in response to the service request.

The network slice profile ID generation unit 130 generates an ID of a profile to be set in the assigned network slice for the user whose subscription is confirmed. The network slice profile ID is an identifier for a profile setting a dedicated slice corresponding to a specific network slice service.

The network slice profile setting unit 140 creates a profile through which the user terminal can use the network slice, including the network slice profile ID.

The generated network slice profile is stored in the mobile communication network-profile storage unit 150 and provided to the user terminal through the network slice profile transmitter 160.

The network slice agent provider 170 provides a network slice agent through which a user terminal can establish a PDU session using the network slice profile.

The API providing unit 180 provides an API capable of adding a function for the network slice dedicated app 11 to access and operate the network slicing onboarding system 100 .

The firewall setting unit 190 sets and manages a firewall that maintains security with the network slice service system or mobile communication network through which the network onboarding system 100 communicates.

3 is a diagram showing an example of data used in the network slicing onboarding system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As described above, the network slice dedicated app 11 may be one of apps providing various vertical applications. For example, it could be an OTT app that provides high-speed and high-quality streaming services. In addition, it may be a virtual internal network access app that can use data by accessing a closed network such as in-house Wi-Fi of a specific institution or company.

The network slice dedicated app 11 can use network slices and has a function of supporting service subscription and network slicing onboarding for a user terminal for which network slice onboarding has not been performed. For example, an interface of a service subscription button may be provided, and service request data is transmitted to the service request receiving unit 110 through the corresponding interface.

The service request data may include service identification information (F1) of the network slice, service request information (F2), and service subscriber information (F3).

Using the information (F1, F2, F3), the service subscription confirmation unit 120 refers to service subscription and authorization information (T1) and communication operator synchronization policy information (T2) for authorization authentication.

If service subscription is confirmed and authority is authenticated, the network slice profile setting unit 140 sets the network slice profile so that the service subscriber of the user terminal can use the network slice.

The network slice profile includes Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (NSSAI) (S1) used to select and use network slices, Data Network Name (DNN) (S2) that identifies data networks, and fixed or flexible for a specific network slice to be used by the user. It includes information about the network slice profile ID (S3) assigned to or service QoS (S4) designating the quality and level of service.

The network slice profile described above is used by the network slice agent 200 distributed to the user terminal to enable use of a service using a network slice.

The network slice agent 200 decodes or decodes the information of the network slice profile generated by the network slicing onboarding system 100 and provides the information to enable the use of the 5G network slice service to the mobile communication network. The network slice agent 200 supports the flow of network slice-based private network application data using the received network slice profile until the network slice profile is updated.

4 is a diagram illustrating a service process using a network slice according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As described above, the network slicing onboarding system 100 receives a request for a network slice application service through the network slice dedicated app 11 and confirms subscription.

When subscription confirmation is made, a network slice profile is set and provided to the network slice agent 200, and the network slice agent 200 refers to the network slice profile information to add application-specific slice information when creating a PDU session.

The created PDU session creates a tunnel for a service dedicated to a network slice, and the PDU session supports distribution of data of a virtual private network based on a network slice.

For example, a network slice can be created by a virtual private network that provides 8K high-quality media streaming, and high-quality media streaming with a corresponding quality can be provided.

Alternatively, a dedicated network capable of accessing an internal closed network of an institution or company is created, and it is also possible to create a PDU session having access rights to a specific folder of the closed network.

5 is a block diagram showing a configuration related to authentication of a dedicated network for a network slice according to an embodiment of the present invention.

If the network slice service system 300 supports a specific quality or provides a dedicated network service accessible only to users who have been authenticated with specific authority, the dedicated network authentication unit 300 may perform authentication for use of the dedicated network.

The dedicated network authentication unit 330 communicates with the SMF 24 to check whether a user terminal accessing the internal network 320 is accessible through the generated PDU session, and controls the switch to control the internal network through the generated PDU session. 320) may be supported.

6 is a diagram illustrating a signal flow for a network slicing onboarding method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In step S100, the user terminal 10 transmits a service subscription request to the network slicing onboarding system 100. The service subscription application may use a function provided to a dedicated network slice app installed in the user terminal 10 . The service subscription application function may be implemented ex post using an API distributed by the network onboarding system 100 . The service request data may include service identification information (F1) of the network slice, service request information (F2), and service subscriber information (F3).

In response to the service subscription request, the network onboarding system 100 communicates with the network service system 300 or the mobile communication network 20 to perform service subscription confirmation (S110). For service subscription confirmation, refer to service subscription and authority information (T1) and communication operator activation policy information (T2).

When the service subscription is confirmed, the network onboarding system 100 creates a network slice profile using a network slice-based application (S120). The network slice profile includes Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (NSSAI) (S1) used to select and use network slices, Data Network Name (DNN) (S2) that identifies a data network, and fixed or fixed to a specific network slice profile to be used by the user. It may include information about a network slice profile ID (S3) assigned flexibly or service QoS (S4) designating quality and level of service.

Meanwhile, when the user terminal 10 does not have a network slice agent, the network slicing onboarding system 100 provides a network slice agent to perform installation (S130).

The network slice agent 200 decodes or decodes the information of the network slice profile generated by the network slicing onboarding system 100 and provides the information to enable the use of the 5G network slice service to the mobile communication network. The network slice agent 200 supports the flow of network slice-based private network application data using the received network slice profile until the network slice profile is updated.

In step S140, the network slicing onboarding system 100 transmits the network slice profile, and the network slice agent uses the information included in the network slice profile to generate PDUs between the user terminal 20 and the network service system 200. A dedicated service may be provided by creating a session (S150).

The created PDU session creates a tunnel for a service dedicated to a network slice, and the PDU session supports distribution of data of a virtual private network based on a network slice.

For example, a network slice can be created by a virtual private network that provides 8K high-quality media streaming, and high-quality media streaming with a corresponding quality can be provided.

Alternatively, a dedicated network capable of accessing an internal closed network of an institution or company is created, and it is also possible to create a PDU session having access rights to a specific folder of the closed network.

7 is a diagram illustrating an onboarding procedure of a network slice providing premium streaming according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 7, the dedicated network slice app (Movie On) that provides premium streaming can provide streaming services in four qualities: Basic, Standard, Premium, and Premium 5G.

Here, the service corresponding to the network slice service (NS1) corresponds to Premium 5G and can provide 8K HDR service. The network slice service (NS1) is not provided to all dedicated app users, and the service can be provided to users subscribed to the 5G network slice service (NS1).

When the user selects the service NS1, the network slicing onboarding system 100 (NSOS) may provide an interface for requesting subscription to the service. When a service subscription is requested through the interface, as described above, the network slicing onboarding system 100 performs authority check and network NSSAI or DNN assignment and creation. In addition, a network slice profile may be created and a network slice agent capable of using the profile may be distributed to user terminals.

When the network slice agent installed in the user terminal becomes usable with the network slice profile, the installation completion screen is provided to the user, and the user terminal is provided with a premium streaming service based on a predetermined speed and quality from the network slice service (NS1). do.

The method according to the embodiment of the present invention described above may be implemented in the form of program instructions that can be executed through various computer components and recorded on a computer readable recording medium. A computer-readable recording medium may include program instructions, data files, data structures, etc. alone or in combination. Program instructions recorded on a computer-readable recording medium may be specially designed and configured for the embodiment of the present invention, or may be known and usable to those skilled in the art in the field of computer software. Computer-readable recording media include magnetic recording media such as hard disks, floppy disks and magnetic tapes, optical recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs, magneto-optical media such as floptical disks, ROMs, RAMs, and flash memories. , includes hardware configured to store and execute program instructions. Program instructions include machine language codes generated by a compiler and high-level language codes that can be executed on a computer using an interpreter. The hardware may be configured to act as one or more software modules to process the method according to the present invention and vice versa.

The method according to an embodiment of the present invention may be executed in an electronic device in the form of program instructions. Electronic devices include portable communication devices such as smart phones and smart pads, computer devices, portable multimedia devices, portable medical devices, cameras, wearable devices, and home appliances.

A method according to an embodiment of the present invention may be included and provided in a computer program product. Computer program products may be traded between sellers and buyers as commodities. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable recording medium or online through an application store. In the case of online distribution, at least part of the computer program product may be temporarily stored or temporarily created in a storage medium such as a manufacturer's server, an application store server, or a relay server's memory.

Each component, for example, a module or program, according to an embodiment of the present invention may be composed of one or more sub-components, and some of these sub-components may be omitted or other sub-components may be added. can be included Some components (modules or programs) may be integrated into one entity and perform the same or similar functions performed by each corresponding component prior to integration. Operations performed by modules, programs, or other components according to embodiments of the present invention are executed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically, or at least some operations are executed in a different order, are omitted, or other operations are added. It can be.

The above description of the present invention is for illustrative purposes, and those skilled in the art can understand that it can be easily modified into other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential features of the present invention. will be. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood as illustrative in all respects and not limiting. For example, each component described as a single type may be implemented in a distributed manner, and similarly, components described as distributed may be implemented in a combined form.

The scope of the present invention is indicated by the following claims, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and equivalent concepts should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the present invention.

100: Network slicing onboarding system
10: user terminal
20: mobile communication network
300: network slice service system

Claims (10)

In the network slicing onboarding system,
A service request receiving unit for receiving premium service request information from a dedicated network slice app installed on a user terminal;
a service subscription confirmation unit that checks information on whether to subscribe to a network slice service and a mobile communication network linkage policy in response to the premium service application information;
a network slice profile setting unit configured to set a network slice profile enabling a PDU session to be established for a network slice corresponding to the premium service through a network slice agent of the user terminal; and
Network slice profile transmission unit for transmitting the network slice profile to the user terminal
Network slicing onboarding system comprising a.
According to claim 1,
The network slice profile further includes Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (NSSAI) used for selection and use of the network slice or Data Network Name (DNN) information for identifying a data network. Network slicing onboarding system.
According to claim 2,
The premium service is a media premium streaming service,
The network slice profile further includes service QoS information specifying quality and grade of the premium service.
According to claim 2,
The network slicing onboarding system further comprising a network slice agent providing unit providing the network slice agent to the user terminal.
According to claim 1,
The network slicing onboarding system is implemented on a network slice service system providing the network slice service and a demilitarized zone (DMZ) network blocked by a firewall.
According to claim 5,
The network slicing onboarding system further comprising a firewall setting unit that sets and manages a firewall that maintains security with the network slice service system or mobile communication network.
In the network slicing onboarding method,
A service subscription application receiving step of receiving premium service application information from a dedicated network slice app installed on a user terminal;
a service subscription confirmation step of checking information on whether to subscribe to a network slice service and information on a mobile communication network interworking policy in response to the premium service application information;
generating a network slice profile enabling a PDU session to be established for a network slice corresponding to the premium service through a network slice agent of the user terminal; and
A network profile transmission step of transmitting the generated network slice profile to a user terminal.
Network slicing onboarding method comprising a.
According to claim 7,
The network slicing onboarding method further comprising a network slice agent providing step of providing the network slice agent to the user terminal.
According to claim 8,
The network slice profile further includes Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (NSSAI) used for selection and use of the network slice or Data Network Name (DNN) information for identifying a data network. Network slicing onboarding method.
According to claim 9,
The premium service is a media premium streaming service,
The network slice profile further includes service QoS information designating quality and grade of the premium service.

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