Patent Description:
With the specification of <NUM>, also the definition of Network Slices was introduced to provide tailored network services to meet different SLAs. A Network Slice is a logical network with defined network capabilities and services. It comprises control plane and user plane network functions. Network resources are dedicated and independent.

Multiple logical networks, i.e. the network slices, with defined network capabilities and services running on a shared physical network infrastructure are possible. Dedicated to various services or customers and with full isolation of resources between different slices. One UE may use one or few slices simultaneously as can be seen in <FIG>.

In a 3GPP system, a Network Slice (NWS) is identified with the S-NSSAI (Single-Network Slice Assistance Information).

Another technology which aims to provide better connectivity experience is Access Traffic Steering Switching Splitting - ATSSS. <NUM>, ATSSS is defined to combine 3GPP and non-3GPP access between an UE or a RG and a <NUM> core. Depending on the negotiated features during a MA-PDU session establishment and the exchange of ATSSS rules it can be selected whether to apply Steering, Switching or Splitting, the steering function (ATSSS-LL or MPTCP), the steering mode (Priority-based,. see TS <NUM>) and the service scope. The latter is using ATSSS specific UE Route Selection Policies (URSP), ATSSS rules, to apply ATSSS settings for any traffic or for particular traffic based on AppID, IP address, etc. Using ATSSS, will redirect any traffic sent over the non-3GPP access through the <NUM> core, mainly the N3IWF (or TNAN or TWIF) and the ATSSS UPF as can be seen in <FIG>.

The selection of traffic for which ATSSS applies and the ATSSS configuration can be selected using ATSSS rules that are shown in <FIG>. The traffic is matched with a Traffic Descriptor for which an ATSSS configuration based on the Access Selection Descriptor is provided. 3GPP TS <NUM> v18. <NUM> defines the following Steering Functionalities and Steering Modes:
[.

The ETSI standard GS ZSM <NUM> V1. <NUM> discloses (clause <NUM>. <NUM> with reference to Fig. <NUM>. <NUM>-<NUM>) a E2E service Management Domain which obtains a Network Slice Instance (NSI) Description and Network Parameters of a network and performs a Qualitative Feasibility Check which determines whether the NSI is feasible or not in said network. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION.

The 3GPP specification does not exclude a combination of NWS and the ATSSS feature. Therefore, it is likely, that both technologies will be combined. Actually, the combination of both technologies has many advantages, especially if SLAs over mobile cannot be met or such SLAs can be achieved more cost efficient over non-3GPP access (Wi-Fi, fixed).

This extends the scope of network slices beyond cellular access. Basically, network slices are used to provide distinct network functions and/or network resources (e.g., radio resources) in the scope of a mobile network. Other networks like Wi-Fi or fixed networks are not covered by any network slice definition. Nonetheless, there are situation when network slices cannot provide the requested resources (physical limitation (edge situation, crowded cell), regulatory issues (network neutrality)) or another non-3GPP access (e.g., Wi-Fi) promise to provide better characteristics. In these cases, an ATSSS functionality provides the option to move data traffic into a non-3GPP access which provides better capabilities than the 3GPP access. Depending on the selected ATSSS configuration traffic can be seamlessly shifted between the accesses without interrupting communication.

In such a mixed scenario of NWS and ATSSS usage the following situation can occur, if SST=<NUM> is selected to ensure low-latency over mobile (3GPP access), it is advisable to configure ATSSS steering mode to "smallest delay" - so that both NWS and ATSSS configuration show the same objectives. This combination of NWS configuration and ATSSS configuration ensures the selection of the access path which provides the lowest latency. In the beginning this might be a Wi-Fi access because the UE is located at the edge of a cell. After some time, if the UE moved, cellular connectivity might provide a better latency by applying the SST=<NUM> network slice configuration which can be measured by an ATSSS functionality. In this case ATSSS will select the 3GPP access and switch the data traffic.

The term ATSSS configuration shall also comprise the ATSSS rules as shown in <FIG>.

However, currently it is in the hand of the network operator to ensure that both technologies do not interfere in a negative way, which would be the case if in above example ATSSS is configured to use Wi-Fi only or prioritized, because the data communication would not use the 3GPP access in this case even if it provides a better latency.

As more network slice and ATSSS configuration exist, this becomes more and more difficult to be controlled manually. This is further aggravated by the trend to automate operator network(s) provide external configuration through network APIs, e.g., 3GPP Network Exposure Function. The latter allows externals (customers) to provide instructions to the operator network most often in an abstracted way, as they are not familiar with the detailed 3GPP settings. Due to the complexity and/or invisible details due to abstraction, interfering configuration are inevitable.

In the view of above, it is an object of the present invention to provide techniques to ensure an efficient combination of network slice configuration and ATSSS configuration regarding a data traffic.

Again, within the context of the invention is to be understood that if the network slice configuration and ATSSS configuration interfere with each other, they are hindering each other that leads in particular to a lower network performance, in particular to worse QoS experience.

This object is solved by the features of the independent claims, which define the present invention. In particular, the invention is best understood with reference to <FIG> below.

It is to be understood that the terms so used are inter- changeable under appropriate circumstances and that the embodiments of the invention described herein are capable of operation in other sequences than described or illustrated herein. According to a first aspect of the invention, a method for evaluating a quality of a combination of a network slice configuration and an ATSSS configuration for providing data traffic in a network is disclosed. Network slicing and ATSSS can be used combined or in a parallel usage. In particular both techniques (ATSSS and network slicing) are provided by the same network operator. The data traffic can be data traffic that is associated to an application running on a user equipment of the user or associated to a service running on a server.

This provides the advantage that for the first time it is possible to detect if a combination of network slicing and ATSSS usage shows potentially a bad quality that is hindering each other and let for example the network performance degrade compared to a scenario without the combination of ATSSS and network slicing. That makes it possible to judge if the current combination of ATSSS and network slicing usage is being efficient with regard to the data traffic or might lead to a degradation of QOS values for the data traffic.

In an embodiment, the method further comprises.

This provides the advantage that the analysis of the quality of the combination of the configurations can be done on a higher level of abstraction that is independent of predefined or known ATSSS rules or network slicing configurations. This is of particular advantage, if new ATSSS rules and/or network slicing configurations are configured by customers. The respective objectives can be automatically determined and represent what the user actually "wants" by creating the ATSSS rules or network slicing configuration in a certain way. This is a prerequisite to analyze if those objectives are a mutually supporting combination or a mutually interfering combination of a network configuration.

Hence, in this case the method could be written as follows: A method for evaluating the quality of a combination of the network slice configuration and the ATSSS configuration for the data traffic in a network, wherein the method comprises the following steps:.

If more than one artificial intelligence is being mentioned within the description of the invention, it is to be understood that all those different artificial intelligences could be implemented within a single "global" artificial intelligence or could be provided as different artificial intelligence modules. However, technically this would yield no difference.

In an embodiment, a common objective is determined, in particular if the first and the second objective are mutually interfering with each other.

This provides the advantage that the common objective can be set accordingly so that the ATSSS configuration and the network slicing configuration do not mutually interfere with each other but represent a mutually supporting combination of configurations.

In an embodiment, the network slice configuration and/or the ATSSS configuration is adjusted, in particular to improve the network performance of the combined usage of ATSSS and network slicing, in particular with regard to the common objective. For this purpose, a processing unit can be configured to manipulate the data of the ATSSS configuration and/or the network slicing configuration accordingly. In particular, the common objective can be translated to a certain network slicing configuration and/or to certain ATSSS rules.

This provides the advantage that both of the configurations are actually brought into accordance to support each other. In particular, this can be done in an automatic fashion.

In an embodiment, the adjustment of at least one of the configurations and/or the determination of the common objective is based on a policy of a network operator, user preferences, AI-methods and/or based on an application that is associated to the data traffic. In particular, the configurations are adjusted with respect to the common objective.

The network operator as the "best" expert regarding "questions" related to the network can determine the common objective and accordingly adjust the configuration with respect to his expert knowledge and of the overall situation of the communication network. It is also possible that it is being signaled to the user that the configurations interfere with each other and that he is being provided with the possibility to set the common objective according to his wishes because it might happen that the user wants to set a certain common objective that cannot be guessed by the network operator or by the artificial intelligence methods. In a similar way this can be done by the service or the application that is associated to the data traffic because the QoS parameters can be requested by the application or to buy the service so that the application or the service be configured to execute the steps of the inventive method. For that purpose, the service or the application is being configured to manipulate at least one of the configurations accordingly. It is also possible that an artificial intelligence or machine learning performs the determination of the common objective and/or performs the adjustment of at least one of the configurations. The artificial intelligence is based on a trained neural network that was trained with training data representing different combinations of the ATSSS and network slicing configurations that were marked as being a good (mutually supporting) or a bad (mutually interfering) combination of the respective configurations accordingly. This marking can be performed by technical experts. Such an artificial intelligence provides the advantage that it can be used in automatic fashion and that it is being able to predict a good combination of configurations in previously unknown configuration scenarios.

In an embodiment, the determination and/or the adjusting of the quality is based on look-up tables and/or AI-methods.

In particular, those lookup tables can be created by the network operator or even by the artificial intelligence. The lookup tables can list good and/or bad combinations of configurations or of the different objectives. It is also possible that the artificial intelligence, that was trained as described above, performs the determination and/or the adjusting of the quality of the data traffic.

In an embodiment, the determination of the objectives and/or the adjusting of the configurations uses NWDAF information, access information, network information, service demand, costs, and/or tariff conditions. The core network provides interfaces to assess these information.

This provides the advantage that the configurations can be dynamically adjusted, in particular with respect to the current network situation. For example, NWDAF is a <NUM> 3GPP standard method used to collect data from user equipment, network functions, and operations, administration, and maintenance (OAM) systems, etc. from the <NUM> Core, Cloud, and Edge networks that can be used for analytics. This information can be used to judge the current status of the network or historic NWDAF data can be used to extrapolate the performance of the network with respect to various time points. For example, NWDAF can indicate that currently a cellular access, in particular with in certain cell, will probably result in a worse latency performance than using an available Wi-Fi connection. In this case, the adjustment of the configurations will be performed in a way that the user uses the available Wi-Fi if the objective relates to improving the latency value. In principle, the same can be applied for other objectives like improving the bandwidth or the like.

The access information can be used to assess latency parameters of the data traffic, to assess the availability of different accesses like <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and/or Wi-Fi, or the ID of the communicating parties, service or application of the data traffic. If a certain access is not being available, then the configurations can be adjusted so as to not use this access. The ID of the communicating parties, service or of the application can be used to assess certain QoS values that are associated to those IDs and to adjust the configurations accordingly. For example, remote operation of a vehicle typically requires low latency and very reliable communication. If the use case is associated to such a remote operation, the adjustment can be performed accordingly. The advantages of the information regarding the service demand can be similar to those explained within the context of the ID. Typically, using the Wi-Fi path is the better option for the network operator regarding the costs that are associated with the data traffic. Hence, the configurations can be adjusted accordingly to make the data traffic as cheap (in particular with respect to network resources) as possible.

In an embodiment, the assessment of this information is related to an overall network condition, in particular to the network condition of a cell to which a UE that is related to the data traffic is being connected to.

The overall network condition concerns other available slices and or network resources. The rationale behind this feature is that the network is being composed out of multiple slices and/or multiple ATSSS configurations that can have an impact on each other. Considering those other slices and/or ATSSS configurations can provide useful information how to adjust the ATSSS configuration and/or the network slice and configuration in the best possible way. In particular this provides knowledge of available network resources that will be related to the various configurations. For example, it can be determined that the mobile traffic within a mobile cell is already so high that communication with a certain required value of bandwidth will not be possible so that the ATSSS configuration is being adjusted as to use the Wi-Fi path - at least until these conditions change again.

In an embodiment, the adjusted ATSSS rules trigger a dynamic switch from Wi-Fi access to mobile access or from the mobile access to the Wi-Fi access if this leads to an improvement regarding the common objectives or the quality of the data traffic.

This provides the advantage that based on the currently available network situation and/or QoS requirements a dynamic and flexible switching between mobile and Wi-Fi access is being possible. In an embodiment, this requires a regular measurement and assessment of the network conditions.

In an embodiment, the adjustment of the network slice configuration and/or the ATSSS configuration comprises to adjust S-NSSAI, SST, ATSSS steering function and/or steering mode data.

This provides the advantage, that currently already available data protocols can be used in a known way to perform the adjustment.

In an embodiment, mutually supporting combinations of network slice configuration and ATSSS configuration are provided as templates using for example Network Slice Template, in particular by the network operator and or the AI.

This provides the advantage, that those templates of combinations that provide a good quality of the data traffic can be selected by users. In particular, those templates can be labeled with the respective objective.

In an embodiment, the network slice configuration and ATSSS configuration is related to a single network operator.

In principle it is also possible that the Wi-Fi communication can be provided by a further network operator. However, having a single network operator provides the advantage that this single network operator has knowledge about the network conditions of the mobile access and of the Wi-Fi access so that both of these conditions can be considered to adjust the configurations in the best possible way.

According to a second aspect of the invention, a Network Coordinating Unit is being disclosed (can be implemented on a UE or within the network, configures to perform the steps according to the method) comprising a communication interface configured for obtaining a network slice configuration and an ATSSS configuration for a communication use case; and a processing unit having an algorithm that is configured.

This basically provides the same advantages as already described within the context of the method above.

In particular, the network coordination unit is also configured to extract a first objective of the network slice and to extract a second objective of the ATSSS configuration.

It is possible to implement the Network Coordinating Unit on the UE and/or on other entities within the network like on the 3GPP NF, e.g. SMF, AMF, PCF, UPF, NEF or the operation support system (OSS) are to integrate it into the network API that is connected to a customer interface. The can be configured to perform the steps of the method described above.

According to a third aspect of the invention a communication system is being provided having an ATSSS architecture and a <NUM> architecture and/or a <NUM> architecture, wherein the communication system is designed to perform the steps according to the method described above. In particular, the communication system comprises the inventive network coordination unit.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention a computer program is being disclosed comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a network entity - in particular by the Network Coordinating Unit - cause the network entity to carry out the steps of the method described above.

<FIG> shows an inventive communication system <NUM> comprising the inventive network coordination unit <NUM>, in particular the network coordination unit <NUM> can be an ATSSS-NWS coordination unit.

An API can be provided that is being used by a customer interface <NUM> to set an ATSSS configuration and a network slicing configuration by a user. Over a communication link <NUM>, the network coordinating unit <NUM> obtains both the ATSSS configuration and the network slicing configuration. In other words it can be said that the network coordinating unit <NUM> obtains the combination of both configurations.

The network coordination unit <NUM> performs the steps <NUM>: obtaining a network slice configuration and an ATSSS configuration for a communication use case; and step <NUM>: determining a quality of a combination of the network slice configuration and the ATSSS configuration and determining if the quality represents a mutually supporting combination or a mutually interfering combination of a network configuration.

An exemplary of the inventive method can be described as follows:
It starts on the left with the customer configuration interface <NUM>, which connects via the communication link <NUM> to a Network Exposure Function <NUM> and finally the PCF (Policy Controlling function) <NUM> to store a selected configuration. The network coordinating unit <NUM> is placed between the customer interface <NUM> and the NEF <NUM> but it could be also placed for example between NEF <NUM> and the PCF <NUM>. The abstracted customer interface provides high-level network configurations for the Cellular or the Wi-Fi connectivity. Any selection in the cellular section normally leads to a configuration of a network slice, while a selection in the Wi-Fi section to a certain ATSSS configuration. The "Best Performance" or "Only" option for Wi-Fi activates either traffic splitting or Wi-Fi only usage if available. Both are contrary if the user also selects "Low Latency" in the cellular plane. Without the network coordinating unit <NUM> both configurations (that can also be specified as rules) for network slicing and ATSSS would sent independently towards the <NUM> core (arrows in forward direction) to finally reach the PCF <NUM> that would apply these configurations accordingly. However, this would lead to the case that the combination of ATSSS configuration a network slice configuration would hinder each other. With the help of the network coordinating unit <NUM> that obtains these configurations such an interference is detected and either rejected or adjusted for an efficient combination of network slicing and ATSSS. In the example, the adjustment could be setting SST=<NUM> for the network slicing configuration and ATSSS with steering mode "smallest delay".

A return channel <NUM> (arrows backwards direction) can provide notifications from the network coordinating unit <NUM> to the customer interface <NUM> and /or from the <NUM> core to the network coordinating unit <NUM>. The first can be used to recognize errors in the customer interface and the second to confirm the applied settings. This provides the benefit that ATSSS steering function and steering mode is in accordance with the goal of the selected Network Slice Configuration.

The configuration of both technologies (ATSSS and network slicing) can be derived from a lookup table holding valid configurations or is using heuristics (ML/AI) and takes into account 3GPP NWDAF information, Access information, Network information, Service demand, Cost, Tariff conditions. Valid configurations might contain information about S-NSSAI, SST, ATSSS steering function or ATSSS steering mode. This has the benefit, that configurations of both technologies can be dynamically adjusted over time.

In a further embodiment the network coordinating unit <NUM> detects or is informed about contrasting configurations during a setup of NWS or ATSSS, during its reconfiguration (adjustment) or when network conditions change, e.g., Access characteristics, Network load, Service demand, Costs, Tariff. This has the benefit that dynamically changing conditions can be considered so that the network coordinating unit <NUM> can always trigger the optimal configuration of ATSSS and NWS.

In a further embodiment, the dynamic detection of bad configurations or a reconfiguration of one of the technologies is taking ATSSS measurement into account. Those measurement information are collected from PMF or ATSSS-HL congestion control. This has the benefit that the frequent or even real-time ATSSS inherent measurement of Access characteristics (latency, access availability, congestion, packet loss) allow high dynamic evaluation and readjustment of ATSSS7NWS configuration.

In a further embodiment, the network coordinating unit <NUM> interprets non-valid or valid configuration of NWS and ATSSS as part of a Network Slice Template (NST). This has the benefit, that NST as existing technology to describe NWS configurations is re-used for seamless integration into today's implementation.

Claim 1:
A method for evaluating a quality of a combination of a network slice configuration and an ATSSS configuration for providing data traffic in a network, wherein the method is performed by a Network Coordinating Unit and comprises the following steps
• obtaining a network slice configuration and an ATSSS configuration for a communication use case;
• determining a quality of a combination of the network slice configuration and the ATSSS configuration and determining if the quality represents a mutually supporting combination or a mutually interfering combination of a network configuration.