Patent ID: 11968099
Assignee: NOKIA SOLUTIONS AND NETWORKS OY
Field: Digital communication (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 5:
6. An apparatus of a slice management entity, comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform:
receiving a network resource combination request including information on demand network capabilities and demand network features over a slice geographical area;
transmitting, to an area base units repository, a request for at least one area base unit fulfilling at least one predetermined criterion in relation to said network resource combination request;
receiving, from said area base units repository, area base units fulfilling said at least one predetermined criterion out of stored area base units;
generating at least one area base units join;
wherein:
each of said at least one area base units join includes a combination of at least one area base unit of said area base units,
for each of said at least one area base units join, combined network capabilities of said combination of said at least one area base unit are the same over a join geographical area corresponding to said area base units join and combined network features of said combination of said at least one area base unit are uniform over said join geographical area corresponding to said area base units join, and
for each of said at least one area base units join, said combined network capabilities and network features of said combination of said at least one area base unit meet said demand network capabilities and demand network features over said join geographical area corresponding to said area base units join, and

wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform:, selecting at least one selected area base units join of said at least one area base units join such that a combination of join geographical areas of said at least one selected area base units join covers said slice geographical area;
combining said at least one selected area base units join as a network resource combination; and
providing said network resource combination in response to said network resource combination request.