CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Applications is a Section 371 National Stage application of International Application No. PCT/FR2019/052002, filed Aug. 30, 2019 the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and published as WO 2020/043994 A1 on Mar. 5, 2020, not in English.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to the field of telecommunication networks.

The architecture of mobile telecommunication networks was until now standardized. This is specifically the case of mobile networks called “2G,” “3G,” and “4G” whose various network architectures traditionally rest on equipment that is very specific and dedicated to certain precise functions, whether in the access network or core network.

The lack of flexibility and evolvability inherent in this type of conventional architecture led to considering the adoption of more flexible architectures for the next generation of mobile networks, called “5G,” in order to be able to respond quickly to demands that are extremely diverse in terms of traffic or service quality.

Among the solutions considered, one solution rests on a technique of virtual segmenting by slices of the network (“network slicing”).

The network slice concept is intended to support communications services for specific client services, specific users or specific terminals by applying suitable traffic management means.

A slice of the network is characterized by a set of network parameter values with which to address requirements related to the services to be provided. The network slices offered by an operator don't all have the same values of network parameters since the idea is to adapt the network architecture and slices to the usage requirements related to this network slice. In that way a slice of the network serves to satisfy the demand of users according to different functional, operational and performance criteria, such as data rate, latency, number of connections, coverage, cost, etc.

As an example, a network slice implemented related to IOT services (“Internet of Things”) could require managing a large number of terminal connections but a fairly small data rate associated with each terminal. According to another example, a service offered to a professional clientele will instead require strong constraints in terms of safety and availability. The objective is to propose for a given network slice just the parameters indispensable to the use case corresponding to the network slice and suited parameter values.

However, all the parameters for network slices are more or less complexly connected with each other according to predetermined rules. In that way, if one parameter value for the network slice is changed, some values of other parameters could also be affected and therefore changed, resulting in some functional, operational and performance constraints for the user of the network slices. It is then difficult for the end user to determine, oversee or adapt the network resources that it needs.

The present disclosure aims to resolve, at least in part, these disadvantages.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present disclosure aim to allow a user to simply determine and know the various parameters of the network slice according to their needs, the values thereof and as necessary to modify them. That also allows them to see the impacts of variation of each of the parameter values on the other parameter values.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method for adjusting parameter values for a virtual subset of a network, called “network slice,” dedicated to a service, where the method comprises driving a graphical interface in which polar coordinates are associated with each of the parameters for the network slice, with an angular coordinate assigned to one parameter and a radial coordinate assigned to the value of that parameter, where the method includes:acquisition of a plurality of input parameter values for a network slice;distribution on the graphical interface of input parameter values with association of an angular coordinate dedicated to each input parameter with this input parameter and a radial coordinate that is an increasing function of the value of this input parameter; andchanging a value of at least one first input parameter, and with that, of the radial coordinate associated with the first input parameter comprising:estimating, based on predetermined rules, of one or more second input parameters depending on the modified value of the first input parameter;changing radial components respectively associated with the values on the graphical interface of the one or more second parameters, depending on the estimated values of the one or more second input parameters; andapplying the changed value of the first input parameter and the estimated values of the one or more second input parameters as output parameter values for the network slice.

Thanks to these provisions, a visual assistance results for understanding the connections between various parameters of the network slice, making it possible for the user to satisfactorily choose and manage the network slice dedicated to the service that the user needs. The user may in that way easily determine and change the parameters for the network slice by means of a specific representation or visual imprint.

According to an embodiment, the parameters for the network slice are selected from the data rate, geographic coverage, number of connections, security level, cost of the service, latency, service quality and frequency used by the network slice.

According to another embodiment, the polar coordinate associated with a parameter is fixed, advantageously equal to 360°/N, where N is the number of input parameters with which polar coordinates were associated.

According to another embodiment, the method comprises a distribution on the graphic interface of input parameter values proposed by the operator of the network slice.

According to another embodiment, changing the value of the first input parameter is done by a user by means of a human-machine interface.

According to another embodiment, changing the value of the first input parameter is done automatically in order to correspond to an actual value of the parameter from the network slice.

The various embodiments of the method may be implemented independently of each other or in combination with each other.

Embodiments of the present disclosure also relate to a system for adjusting parameter values for a virtual subset of a network, called “network slice,” dedicated to a service, comprising:at least one user terminal configured for implementing the adjustment method according to the present disclosure; andat least one access equipment associated with the configuration of the network slice configured for communicating with the user terminal.

According to an embodiment, the user terminal comprises a human-machine interface configured for allowing a user to change the value of the first input parameter.

Additional embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a program comprising program code instructions for execution of the adjustment method according to the present disclosure.

Finally, embodiments of the present disclosure also relate to a recording medium readable by a terminal on which the code instructions of a computer program according to the present disclosure.

