Abstract: The invention relates to a communication network which is configured to enable instantiation of network slices which represent virtual networks. The invention further relates to a content application server (CAS) for providing an application service via a network slice to at least one user equipment (UE). A network function (SREF) is provided which on the one hand may have access to one or more slice management network functions (CSMF, NSMF, NSSMF) and on the other hand may be accessible to the CAS. The network function (SREF) may abstract the properties of the network slice using a data structure representing a slice object and expose these abstracted properties to the CAS by providing access to the slice object. The slice object may comprise modifiable properties which represent modifiable properties of the corresponding network slice.

Abstract: A communication network may be provided having a plurality of network nodes and which may be configured to enable instantiation of different network slices which represent virtual networks with different feature sets, e.g., providing different network functions and/or having different network characteristics. The communication network may be configured to allow a network slice to be used for data communication between i) a user equipment (UE) connected to the network and configured to execute an application, and ii) a content or application server (CAS) configured to provide an application service via the network. Network functions may be provided which allow influencing the UE's slice usage based on requirements of the application service, even if the CAS is located outside the connectivity provider's network, e.g., outside a mobile operator's domain.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system configured as an orchestration function for a mobile network, wherein the mobile network comprises edge nodes which are configurable to provide edge computing resources to mobile devices, wherein the system is configured to at least in part orchestrate a migration of an edge computing resource for a mobile device from a first edge node to a second edge node. The orchestration function and the mobile device interact to enable the orchestration function to start the migration of the edge computing resource in a timely manner.

Abstract: A streaming assistance system may be provided which may be connected to at least two network links, for example via respective network interfaces. Both network links may have different characteristics, e.g., in terms of throughput, utilization, latency, etc. The streaming assistance system may assist in the streaming of media content to a client device by identifying a media fragment which is likely to be requested by the client device in the (near) future, selecting a network link to be used for the streaming of the media segment, and effecting a prefetching of the media segment via the selected network link. In some embodiments, the streaming assistance system may be a DASH Aware Network Element (DANE).

Abstract: An interface may be provided between i) a selective forwarding unit (SFU) configured to, in real-time, receive a data stream from a sender via a first network link of a communication network and selectively forward the data stream to one or more receivers via respective second network links, and ii) one or more core network functions (PCF, PCRF, NSMF, CSMF) for establishing service guarantees for data flows in the communication network. In a specific example, the interface may be established as a network function (SMGF) which translates streaming requirements for one-to-many flows coming from WebRTC SFUs into appropriate QoS/network slice configurations, such that the quality of RTC flows may be increased. Accordingly, negative side-effects of conservative congestion control algorithms in WebRTC clients and static/overprovisioned QoS at network operators may be overcome.

Abstract: A first system (11) is configured to transmit an interest message, e.g. to a router (21). The interest message specifies criteria identifying data units from an area of interest, e.g. an intersection, which are to be aggregated and comprises at least one parameter specifying how the data units are requested to be aggregated. A second system (1) is configured to receive the interest message from a sender, e.g. a router (21), determine whether the system will return an aggregation of data units matching the criteria, and return a data message comprising an aggregation of data units matching the criteria to the sender (21) if the processing means have determined that the system will return an aggregation of data units matching the criteria. The data units are aggregated in the data message in dependence on how the data units were requested to be aggregated.

Abstract: In a communication network, a network function may be provided for controlling Information Centric Networking (ICN) protocol-based traffic flow between a set of user equipment (UE). This network function may be an ICN application function (ICN-AF), and may obtain information indicative of whether, and optionally to which degree, a respective ICN node is publisher of content in the exchange of content between the ICN nodes. The ICN-AF may, for example via a session management function (SMF), initiate a reassignment of a PDU session of an ICN node which is presumed to be a requester of content to a data network access point which has connectivity to, or is the same as, a data network access point assigned to an ICN node which is characterized as publisher of content.

Abstract: In a communication network, a network function may be provided for controlling Information Centric Networking (ICN) protocol-based traffic flow between a set of user equipment (UE). This network function may be an ICN application function (ICN-AF), and may obtain ICN layer information from an ICN router which is indicative of a congestion state of a current PDU session of user equipment. If the congestion state indicates congestion, the ICN-AF may initiate establishment of a new PDU session for the user equipment (UE1) or initiate upgrade of a quality of service (QoS) characteristic of the current PDU session, for example using the session management function (SMF) and via the SMF's session management of PDU sessions.

Abstract: A communication network may be provided having a plurality of network nodes and which may be configured to enable instantiation of different network slices which represent virtual networks with different feature sets, e.g., providing different network functions and/or having different network characteristics. The communication network may be configured to allow a network slice to be used for data communication between i) a user equipment (UE) connected to the network and configured to execute an application, and ii) a content or application server (CAS) configured to provide an application service via the network. Network functions may be provided which allow influencing the UE's slice usage based on requirements of the application service, even if the CAS is located outside the connectivity provider's network, e.g., outside a mobile operator's domain.

Abstract: The invention relates to a communication network which is configured to enable instantiation of network slices which represent virtual networks. The invention further relates to a content application server (CAS) for providing an application service via a network slice to at least one user equipment (UE). A network function (SREF) is provided which on the one hand may have access to one or more slice management network functions (CSMF, NSMF, NSSMF) and on the other hand may be accessible to the CAS. The network function (SREF) may abstract the properties of the network slice using a data structure representing a slice object and expose these abstracted properties to the CAS by providing access to the slice object. The slice object may comprise modifiable properties which represent modifiable properties of the corresponding network slice.

Abstract: A communication network may be provided having a plurality of network nodes and which may be configured to enable instantiation of different network slices which represent virtual networks with different feature sets, e.g., providing different network functions and/or having different network characteristics. The communication network may be configured to allow a network slice to be used for data communication between i) a user equipment (UE) connected to the network and configured to execute an application, and ii) a content or application server (CAS) configured to provide an application service via the network. Network functions may be provided which allow influencing the UE's slice usage based on requirements of the application service, even if the CAS is located outside the connectivity provider's network, e.g., outside a mobile operator's domain.

Abstract: An interface may be provided between i) a selective forwarding unit (SFU) configured to, in real-time, receive a data stream from a sender via a first network link of a communication network and selectively forward the data stream to one or more receivers via respective second network links, and ii) one or more core network functions (PCF, PCRF, NSMF, CSMF) for establishing service guarantees for data flows in the communication network. In a specific example, the interface may be established as a network function (SMGF) which translates streaming requirements for one-to-many flows coming from WebRTC SFUs into appropriate QoS/network slice configurations, such that the quality of RTC flows may be increased. Accordingly, negative side-effects of conservative congestion control algorithms in WebRTC clients and static/overprovisioned QoS at network operators may be overcome.

Abstract: A method is described for processing an omnidirectional video by a client device, said omnidirectional video being associated with a 3D coordinate system for determining a spatial position of video data of said omnidirectional video on a curved surface, preferably a sphere, said method comprising: receiving a manifest file, the manifest file comprising a plurality of tile stream identifiers for identifying a plurality of tile streams, the tile streams comprising video frames having image views, whereby the image views of video frames of different tile streams cover different regions of a 2D projection of the omnidirectional video, a region defining a tile; selecting on the basis of spatial relation information in the manifest file and on the basis of a viewpoint of a user of the client device a first tile streams associated with a first resolution and a first tile position and a second tile stream associated with a second resolution and a second tile position, the second resolution being lower than the first

Abstract: In a communication network with separate data planes including a control plane and a user plane, an application function is provided as a combination of an application function control plane (AF-CP) part operating in the network's control plane and an application function user plane (AF-UP) part operating in the network's user plane. The application function user plane part may be configured for the application-specific processing of user data, and instanced multiple times. The application function control plane part may be configured to support selecting an optimal instance of the application function user plane part for a particular UE.

Abstract: In a communication network, a network function may be provided for controlling Information Centric Networking (ICN) protocol-based traffic flow between a set of user equipment (UE). This network function may be an ICN application function (ICN-AF), and may obtain ICN layer information from an ICN router which is indicative of a congestion state of a current PDU session of user equipment. If the congestion state indicates congestion, the ICN-AF may initiate establishment of a new PDU session for the user equipment (UE1) or initiate upgrade of a quality of service (QoS) characteristic of the current PDU session, for example using the session management function (SMF) and via the SMF's session management of PDU sessions.

Abstract: A network node (1) is configured to receive an interest message comprising a request for a data object and metadata. The metadata specifies one or more criteria for selecting a subset of a plurality of items. The network node is further configured to determine whether there is a match between the requested data object and a plurality of items (e.g. from a CS or FIB) and select a subset of the plurality of items by applying the one or more criteria if the match has been determined to exist. At least one of the criteria is a preference specified for at least one of: factual properties of the plurality of items, usage data related to the plurality of items, usage data related to the at least one communication interface, an effort to obtain data from another network node, and a position in a range specified in the interest message.

Abstract: In a communication network with separate data planes including a control plane and a user plane, an application function is provided as a combination of an application function control plane (AF-CP) part operating in the network's control plane and an application function user plane (AF-UP) part operating in the network's user plane. The application function user plane part may be configured for the application-specific processing of user data, and instanced multiple times. The application function control plane part may be configured to support selecting an optimal instance of the application function user plane part for a particular UE.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system for receiving an interest message. The system comprises at least one communication interface, at least one memory and at least one processor. The at least one processor is configured to receive an interest message on a first one of the at least one communication interface. The interest message comprises a name of a requested data object. At least one name component of the name of the requested data object comprises a range. The at least one processor is further configured to determine whether the at least one memory comprises a named data object having a name matching the name of the requested data object and to provide the named data object on the first one of the at least one communication interface if the memory comprises the named data object.

Abstract: In a communication network, a network function may be provided for controlling Information Centric Networking (ICN) protocol-based traffic flow between a set of user equipment (UE). This network function may be an ICN application function (ICN-AF), and may obtain information indicative of whether, and optionally to which degree, a respective ICN node is publisher of content in the exchange of content between the ICN nodes. The ICN-AF may, for example via a session management function (SMF), initiate a reassignment of a PDU session of an ICN node which is presumed to be a requester of content to a data network access point which has connectivity to, or is the same as, a data network access point assigned to an ICN node which is characterized as publisher of content.

Abstract: Stream control methods and devices are provided for use in a network for transferring a video stream from a video server to a video client via a distribution chain of network resources. A streaming controller controls streaming settings at the client node. A bridge controls the video stream by obtaining a bandwidth requirement of the video stream, and network resource data including bandwidths available on network resources. The bridge determines a resource allocation including an allocated bandwidth, based on the network resource data and the bandwidth requirement so that the video stream complies with the network resource data. The allocated bandwidth enables the streaming controller to control, in accordance with the allocated bandwidth, the streaming settings for the client. A network controller receives network control data from the bridge to control, in accordance with the allocated bandwidth, the respective distribution chain associated to the respective video stream.