Abstract: there is provided a method of generating a soft schedule for the transmission of data to a User Equipment. The method includes receiving traffic to be scheduled for transmission and generating a soft schedule for the transmission of the received data in accordance with a resource allocation and the received traffic. The method further includes transmitting the soft schedule to a scheduler in an underlying network slice, for transmission to the UE. There is also provided a scheduler including a processor and machine readable memory storing machine executable instructions which when executed by the processor configures the scheduler perform the above method.

Abstract: A method of providing a network slice service includes a mobile network operator (MNO): providing one or more service profiles to a virtual service provider (VSP) serving a user population including a plurality of user devices, each service profile comprising attributes defining characteristics of a respective network slice service offered by the MNO, the network slice service comprising any one or more of: a Virtual Network with E2E service requirements; a Virtual Network with a specified network topology; and a virtualized infrastructure. The MNO receives a request for a selected network slice service from the VSP; determines whether or not the requested service can be provided; and responsive to determining that the requested service can be provided: sending a Service Level Agreement (SLA) for the network slice service to the VSP; and subsequently facilitating a network slice service instance in accordance with the SLA.

Abstract: Embodiments are provided for uplink measurement based mechanism and control using user equipment (UE) centric sounding signals. The mechanism provides an alternative to DL-measurement dominated system control. Based on UL-measurements at TPs, the network obtains knowledge of users' channel and timing information, traffic, and interference, and is thus able to perform better control, including TP and UE clustering and optimization, and power control and link adaptation. In an embodiment method, a TP receives one-to-one mapping information indicating a plurality of UE IDs and a plurality of sounding channels assigned to the corresponding UE IDs. When the TP detects a sounding reference signal (SRS) from a UE, the TP is able to identify the UE using the detected SRS and the one-to-one mapping information. The TP then obtains measurement information for the identified UE, enabling better control and communications for uplink and downlink transmissions between multiple TPs and the UE.

Abstract: A method of controlling a service instance in a virtual network, the method comprising providing a Service Management Function entity in a control plane of the virtual network, the Service Management Function being configured to process requirements of a Service Level Agreement and generate corresponding control plane requests for physical resources to satisfy the Service Level Agreement.

Abstract: Embodiments provide systems and methods for managing resources in networks which utilize network slicing. Embodiments include systems and methods for monitoring performance in networks which utilize network slicing when the resources of a network domain are allocated to more than one slice. Embodiments include systems and methods for monitoring performance when resources of a slice are controlled by different network operators/service providers. A domain manager can make the performance measurement data available per network allotment instance with an identifier indicating to which virtual network service the performance measurement data belongs.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for unified data management in a communication network. According to embodiments, the unified data management methods and systems can provide management of some control plane data, for example data that may be shared by multiple network functions (NF). According to embodiments, virtualization of the data storage if further provided.

Abstract: Methods for configuring user plane functions associated with a network slice. The methods include: creating a user plane configuration profile specific to at least one of an access technology and a user plane function; associating the user plane configuration profile with a network slice instance; selecting the network slice in response to a service request; and communicating the user plane configuration profile associated with the selected network slice instance to a control plane function.

Abstract: There is disclosed a system for transmitting data to users. The system includes nodes interconnected by at least one data network. The nodes are organized hierarchically to comprise a root node and at least two child nodes. The data transmission characteristics of communication with each of the child nodes are different. The root node is configured to: receive data transmission preferences of a particular user; receive data to be transmitted to the particular user; and transmit a selected subset of the data to at least one of the child nodes. The subset selected based on at least the received data transmission preferences and the data transmission characteristics, to permit the particular user to obtain data from the child nodes according to the data transmission preferences. The at least one of the child nodes being configured to: receive data from the root node; and transmit at least part of the received data to the user.

Abstract: A method for providing a service in a telecommunications network comprising a plurality of resources and at least one slice of resources. The method comprises actions of receiving, creating and modifying. A request is received from a customer to serve a group of user devices by a first service. A new NSI is created to provide the first service, if it is determined that there is no existing NSI, shareable between a plurality of services, that can provide the first service. An existing NSI, shareable between a plurality of services, is modified to serve the group of user devices by that first service in addition to at least one second service that is already provided by the existing NSI, if it is determined that the existing NSI can provide the first service.

Abstract: A method and system for providing Customer Service Management (CSM) a communication network, such as a 5G wireless communication network. The communication network provides at least one service involving one or more terminals serviced by the communication network. A CSM function is defined which is based upon said at least one service and customized to said at least one service, to provide service-customized CSM. CSM may provide service-based charging/billing, service-based context management, service-customized QoE control, service-customized network topology.

Abstract: A method comprises communicating a specification of a network slice instance (NSI) that identifies a network function (NF), and operating the identified NF in accordance with the specification.

Abstract: There is provided a system and method for virtual infrastructure management and in some embodiments for virtual infrastructure management between operator networks. According to embodiments, there is provided a system and a method for the requesting and provisioning of network resources including infrastructure resources, spectrum resources or both, between network operators.

Abstract: Method and system for performance assurance in a network slice subset instance (NSSI) or a network slice instance (NSI) of a network. The method comprises receiving, at a network management function (OAM) of the network, a trigger indicating a network performance deficiency; based on the trigger, determining, by a data analytics (DAM) function of the OAM (OAM DAM) in coordination with a network analytics function of one of the core network and a radio access network (RAN), an NSI/NSSI modification; and implementing, by the OAM, a change in at least one of: NSI/NSSI policies, configurations in at least one of core network functions, the RAN and network resources, in accordance with the NSF NSSI modification.

Abstract: The present application provides a method and system for the operation of a management plane function to co-ordinate management of slice and slice-related resources within a communications network.

Abstract: Embodiments are provided for uplink measurement based mechanism and control using user equipment (UE) centric sounding signals. The mechanism provides an alternative to DL-measurement dominated system control. Based on UL-measurements at TPs, the network obtains knowledge of users' channel and timing information, traffic, and interference, and is thus able to perform better control, including TP and UE clustering and optimization, and power control and link adaptation. In an embodiment method, a TP receives one-to-one mapping information indicating a plurality of UE IDs and a plurality of sounding channels assigned to the corresponding UE IDs. When the TP detects a sounding reference signal (SRS) from a UE, the TP is able to identify the UE using the detected SRS and the one-to-one mapping information. The TP then obtains measurement information for the identified UE, enabling better control and communications for uplink and downlink transmissions between multiple TPs and the UE.

Abstract: According to embodiments, there is provided a method apparatus for determining an encoding scheme for transmission of encoded data across a communications channel. The method includes determining the encoding scheme at a design Signal-to-Noise Ratio and evaluating a Frame Error Rate of the encoding scheme. If the FER is not within a target range, the method further includes modifying the encoding scheme until the evaluated FER is within the target range. There is further provided a method and apparatus for mapping bit labels to a plurality of symbols in a constellation, wherein the constellation are organisable into a plurality of sets and each bit label includes a plurality of bit positions. The method includes determining a distance metric between sets and merging pairs of sets according to the distance metric. The method further includes assigning a value to a bit position for bit labels of symbols in the merged set.

Abstract: A method for operating a first device-to-device (D2D) device in a cellular communications system includes receiving geo-location information from a first entity in the cellular communications system, the geo-location information including location information for cellular users of the cellular communications system and resources of the cellular communications system available to the cellular users, selecting one of the resources to avoid causing interference to a cellular transmission, the resource being selected in accordance with the geo-location information, and transmitting to a second D2D device over the selected resource.

Abstract: Systems and methods described for providing capacity and coverage hole analysis in next generation wireless networks (e.g. 5G networks). Provided is a network function comprising a network interface for receiving data from, and transmitting data to, a plurality of network functions connected to a within a communication network; a processor; and a non-transient memory for storing instructions executable by the processor to cause the network function to receive a request for capacity and coverage hole (CCH) information from a capacity and coverage hole analysis (CCHA) consumer, collect the CCH information responsive to the request; and determine a capacity and coverage hole profile that is indicative of at least one of a network coverage sufficiency and coverage service quality based at least in part on the CCH information.

Abstract: A communication service manager (CSM) apparatus for monitoring a communication network is provided. The CSM receives configuration instruction message from a higher-level device, and creates or modifies a set of tasks based on the configuration instruction message. The CSM is thus configured to interact with data provider devices to obtain specific information, process the information, and report the results of the processing operations toward a specified device or database. The data provider devices monitor network operations and may include network functions and data analytics manager (DAM) functions. A format for configuration instruction messages, for configuring the CSM, is also provided.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods and apparatuses for service based architecture (SBA) for data analytics management (DAM). Configuration specifications are provided for configuring DAM entities for infrastructure management by infrastructure managers (InfMs), customer service managers (CSMs) for network slice subnet instance (NSSI), network slice instance (NSI) and service instance (SI) management, content and forwarding managers (CFM) for content and content cache management. Also provided are methods and apparatus for data analytics service provisioning regardless of DAM architecture.