AUTHORIZATION FOR TRANSFER OF EDGE-ENABLING CLIENT CONTEXT (EEC)

Description

1 / 61 “EDGE ENABLING CLIENT CONTEXT TRANSFER AUTHORIZATION (EEC)” RELATED ORDERS

[001] The present application claims the benefit and priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 458,015, entitled “Authorization of Edge Enabler Client (EEC) Context Transfer”, filed April 7, 2023, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference in the present invention. BACKGROUND

[002] Edge computing allows services to be hosted close to the user's equipment or other client devices, and can provide low-latency, high-bandwidth services, reducing traffic on the network backbone. Such services can provide a myriad of capabilities, including virtual and augmented reality, real-time electronic games, teleconferencing, autonomous driving, and artificial intelligence-enhanced applications.

[003] In many embodiments, an edge enabler client (EEC) may be run by a client device, such as a wireless transmit and receive unit (WTRU), user equipment (UE), or other computing device, to communicate with edge configuration servers (ECS) and / or edge enabler servers (EES). The EES may provide EEC context information, such as WTRU or UE identity information, location information, application client (AC) profiles, service session context information, and / or other information. Context information may be sent from a source EES (S-EES) to a destination EES (T-EES) during application context relocation (ACR) procedures. However, this information may be sensitive, and exfiltration or interception by malicious actors may result in security threats, impaired functionality, or additional attack vectors. SUMMARY Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, p. 7 / 79 2 / 61

[004] The present invention describes embodiments of systems and methods for securing and authorizing the transfer of EEC context. In some embodiments, the EEC may authorize and / or consent to the transfer of EEC context information from an S-EES to the T-EES. The authorization may have different levels of granularity, depending on the embodiment, including authorization of the transfer of EEC context to a specific T-EES, authorization of a specific transfer operation, authorization of the transfer of specific information, etc. In some embodiments, the EEC may authorize a specific transfer operation as part of a specific ACR procedure. For example, in some of these embodiments, each transfer of EEC context from an S-EES to a T-EES to an EEC may be authorized separately or individually by that EEC for each ACR procedure, even if the EEC is not involved in the selection of the T-EES.

[005] In several modes, the EEC context can be relocated from SEES to T-EES by push (initiated by S-EES) or pull (initiated by T-EES). In some ACR procedures, the EEC context can be transferred even when communication between EEC and S-EES is not possible or is unreliable. Consequently, in some modes, the EEC context transfer mechanisms may allow EEC to authorize context transfer even when communication between EEC and T-EES is not possible or is unreliable during context transfer. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[006] A more detailed understanding can be obtained from the following description, given as an example in conjunction with the attached drawings, where similar reference numbers in the figures indicate similar elements, and where:

[007] Figure 1A is a system diagram that illustrates a system of Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, page 8 / 79 3 / 61 example communications in which one or more disclosed modalities can be implemented;

[008] Figure 1B is a system diagram illustrating an example wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU) that can be used within the communications system illustrated in Figure 1A according to one embodiment;

[009] Figure 1C is a system diagram illustrating an example radio access network (RAN) and an example central network (CN) that can be used within the communications system illustrated in Figure 1A according to one embodiment; and

[010] Figure 1D is a system diagram that illustrates an additional example RAN and an additional example CN that can be used within the communications system illustrated in Figure 1A according to a modality;

[011] Figure 2 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a system for enabling edge applications;

[012] Figure 3 is a flowchart of one embodiment of a method for relocating the application context;

[013] Figure 4 is a flowchart of one embodiment of a method for authorizing EEC context transfer with EEC initiation, and EEC context that performed pull from S-EES to T-EES;

[014] Figure 5 is a flowchart of one embodiment of a method for authorizing EEC context transfer without EEC initiation, and EEC context that performed push from S-EES to T-EES;

[015] Figure 6 is a flowchart of one embodiment of a method for authorizing EEC context transfer with EEC initiation, and EEC context that performed push from S-EES to T-EES;

[016] Figures 7A and 7B are a flowchart of one embodiment of a method for EEC authorization for EEC context transfer; and Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, page 9 / 79 4 / 61

[017] Figure 8 is a flowchart of one embodiment of a method for EEC authorization for EEC context transfer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[018] Edge computing allows services to be hosted close to the user's equipment or other client devices, and can provide low-latency, high-bandwidth services, reducing traffic through the network backbone. Such services can provide a myriad of capabilities, including virtual and augmented reality, real-time electronic games, teleconferencing, autonomous driving, and artificial intelligence-enhanced applications.

[019] In many embodiments, an edge enabler client (EEC) may be run by a client device, such as a wireless transmit and receive unit (WTRU), user equipment (UE), or other computing device, to communicate with edge configuration servers (ECS) and / or edge enabler servers (EES). The EES may provide EEC context information, such as WTRU or UE identity information, location information, application client (AC) profiles, service session context information, and / or other information. Context information may be sent from a source EES (S-EES) to a destination EES (T-EES) during application context relationship (ACR) procedures. However, this information may be sensitive, and exfiltration or interception by malicious actors may result in security threats, impaired functionality, or additional attack vectors.

[020] The present invention describes embodiments of systems and methods for securing and authorizing the transfer of EEC context. In some embodiments, the EEC can authorize and / or consent to the transfer of EEC context information from an S-EES to a T-EES. The authorization can have different levels of granularity, depending on the embodiment, including authorization for the transfer of context from the EEC to a specific T-EES, authorization for a Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, page 10 / 79 5 / 61 specific transfer operation, authorization of the transfer of specific information, etc. In some modalities, the EEC may authorize a specific transfer operation as part of a specific ACR procedure. For example, in some of these modalities, each EEC context transfer from an S-EES to a T-EES to an EEC may be authorized separately or individually by that EEC for each ACR procedure, even if the EEC is not involved in the selection of the T-EES.

[021] In one aspect, this disclosure is directed to modalities of methods and systems for Authorization of EEC Context Transfer by the EEC in a scenario where an ACR procedure is initiated by the EEC and the EEC Context has pulled from S-EES to T-EES. In these modalities, the EEC can obtain a token before any entity in the edge enablement layer (EEL) decides to initiate an ACR procedure. The EEC can negotiate with a Token Server to establish limits on which entities can use the token and / or other limitations (e.g., time, date, specific applications, etc.). The EEC can provide the token to S-EES. S-EES can subsequently use the token when authorizing a request from T-EES to retrieve the EEC context.In some of these modes, the EEC may be able to exert a degree of control over where its context can be transferred, even if the S-EES is unable to communicate with the EEC at the time the context transfer needs to occur.

[022] In another aspect, this disclosure addresses modalities of methods and systems for EEC Authorization for EEC Context transfer in a scenario where an ACR procedure is not initiated by the EEC and the EEC Context has been pushed from S-EES to T-EES. In these modalities, the EEC can obtain a token before any entity in the EEL decides to initiate an ACR procedure. The EEC can negotiate with a Token Server to establish limits on which entities can use the token and / or other limitations (e.g., Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, p. 11 / 79 6 / 61 time, date, specific applications, etc.). The EEC can provide the token to the S-EES. The S-EES can subsequently use the token when transferring the context to the T-EES. In some of these modes, the EEC may be able to exercise a degree of control over where its context can be transferred, even if the S-EES is unable to communicate with the EEC at the time the context transfer needs to occur.

[023] In yet another aspect, this disclosure is directed to the modalities of methods and systems for EEC Authorization for EEC Context Transfer in a scenario where an ACR procedure is initiated by the EEC and the EEC Context has been pushed from the S-EES to the T-EES. In these modalities, the EEC determines the performance of an ACR procedure, obtains a token, and sends it to the S-EES. The S-EES can subsequently provide the token to the T-EES so that it can verify whether it is authorized to receive the EEC context.

[024] Several modes of these systems and methods use tokens to authorize an EEC context transfer from an S-EES to a T-EES. The token may be an OAuth 2.0 Access Token in some modes, and may be generated by a server (e.g., token server, edge configuration server (ECS)) or another device. In some modes, the server that generates the token may be referred to as an authorization server. In several modes, the EEC may authorize the transfer of context information from an S-EES to a T-EES. Authorization may be a type of consent and, consequently, in such modes, the EEC may give consent for the transfer of context information from an S-EES to a T-EES. The EEC may operate on behalf of a user or be operated by a user and, consequently, this type of consent may be called user consent.The context information transferred from a first EES to a second EES may include information related to one or more application layer sessions. Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, page 12 / 79 7 / 61

[025] For reference, various abbreviations and acronyms are used in the present invention, for example, as follows: 3GPP Third Generation Partnership Project 5G 5th Generation AC Application Client ACR Application Context Relocation AGE Application Context Transfer DNN Data Network Name EAS Edge Application Server ECS Edge Configuration Server ECSP Edge Computing Service Provider EDN Edge Data Network EEC Edge Enabler Client EEL Edge Enablement Layer EES Edge Enabler Server FQDN Fully Qualified Domain Name Key Problem KPI Key Performance Indicator MNO Mobile Network Operator NMC Notification Management Client NMS Notification Management Server QoS Quality of Service SCP Service Continuity Planning S-EAS Origin Edge Application Server S-EES Origin Border Enabler Server TR Technical Report TS Technical Specification Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, page 13 / 79 8 / 61 T-EAS Target Edge Application Server T-EES Target Edge Enabler Server UID User Identifier URI Universal Resource Identifier EU User Equipment WLAN Wireless Local Area Networks and related technologies (IEEE 802.1 domain) WTRU Wireless Transmission and Reception Unit

[026] Before discussing the embodiments and modalities of the systems and methods discussed in the present invention, it may be useful to briefly discuss the embodiments of communication systems and devices that can be used with such systems and methods.

[027] Figure 1A is a diagram illustrating an example 100 communications system, in which one or more disclosed modalities can be implemented. The 100 communications system can be a multiple access system that provides content, such as voice, data, video, messages, streaming, etc., to multiple wireless users. The 100 communications system can allow multiple wireless users to access this content by sharing system resources, including wireless bandwidth.For example, communication systems 100 may employ one or more channel access methods, such as code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), single carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA), zero-tailed single-word discrete Fourier transform spreading OFDM (ZT-UW-DFT-S-OFDM), single-word OFDM (UW-OFDM), feature block filtered OFDM, filter bank multicarrier (FBMC), and the like.

[028] As shown in Figure 1A, the communications system 100 can Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, page 14 / 79 9 / 61 include wireless transmit / receive units (WTRUs) 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d, a radio access network (RAN) 104, a central network (CN) 106, a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 108, the Internet 110 and other networks 112, although it is important to note that the disclosed embodiments contemplate any number of WTRUs, base stations, networks and / or network elements. Each of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d can be any type of device configured to operate and / or communicate in a wireless environment. By way of example, WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d, any of which may be referred to as a station (STA), may be configured to transmit and / or receive wireless signals and may include a user equipment (UE), a mobile station, a fixed or mobile subscriber unit, a subscription-based unit, a pager, a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a smartphone, a laptop, a netbook, a personal computer, a wireless sensor,A Mi-Fi access point or device, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, a watch or other wearable device, a head-mounted display (HMD), a vehicle, a drone, a medical device and applications (e.g., remote surgery), an industrial device and applications (e.g., a robot and / or other wireless devices operating in industrial and / or automated process chain contexts), a consumer electronic device, a device operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, and the like. Any of WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, and 102d may be referred to interchangeably as UE.

[029] Communication systems 100 may also include a base station 114a and / or a base station 114b. Each of the base stations 114a, 114b may be any type of device configured to wirelessly interact with at least one of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d to facilitate access to one or more communication networks, such as CN 106, the Internet 110 and / or other networks 112. As an example, base stations 114a, 114b may be a transceiver station. Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, p. 15 / 79 10 / 61 base (BTS), a NodeB, an eNode B (eNB), a Home Node B, a Home eNode B, a next-generation NodeB such as a gNode B (gNB), a new radio (NR) NodeB, a site controller, an access point (AP), a wireless router, and the like. Although base stations 114a and 114b are each represented as a single element, it will be appreciated that base stations 114a and 114b may include any number of interconnected base stations and / or network elements.

[030] Base station 114a may be part of RAN 104, which may also include other base stations and / or network elements (not shown), such as a base station controller (BSC), a radio network controller (RNC), relay nodes, and the like. Base station 114a and / or base station 114b may be configured to transmit and / or receive wireless signals on one or more carrier frequencies, which may be referred to as a cell (not shown). These frequencies may be in the licensed spectrum, the unlicensed spectrum, or a combination of licensed and unlicensed spectrum. A cell may provide coverage for a wireless service for a specific geographic area that may be relatively fixed or that may change over time. The cell may be further divided into cell sectors. For example, the cell associated with base station 114a may be divided into three sectors.Thus, in one embodiment, base station 114a may include three transceivers, i.e., one for each sector of the cell. In another embodiment, base station 114a may employ multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology and may utilize multiple transceivers for each sector of the cell. For example, beamforming may be used to transmit and / or receive signals in the desired spatial directions.

[031] Base stations 114a and 114b can communicate with one or more of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c and 102d by means of an air interface 116, which can be any suitable wireless communication link (e.g., radio frequency (RF), microwave, centimeter waves, micrometer waves, infrared (IR), Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, p. 16 / 79 11 / 61 ultraviolet (UV), visible light, etc.). The 116 air interface can be established using any suitable radio access technology (RAT).

[032] More specifically, as noted above, communications system 100 may be a multiple access system and may employ one or more channel access schemes, such as CDMA, TDMA, FDMA, OFDMA, SC-FDMA and the like. For example, base station 114a in RAN 104 and WTRUs 102a, 102b and 102c may implement a radio technology such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA), which may establish the air interface 116 using wideband CDMA (WCDMA). WCDMA may include communication protocols such as High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA) and / or HSPA Enhanced (HSPA+). HSPA may include High-Speed ​​Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) and / or High-Speed ​​Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA).

[033] In one embodiment, base station 114a and WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may implement a radio technology such as Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA), which may establish the air interface 116 using Long Term Evolution (LTE) and / or LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) and / or LTE-Advanced Pro (LTE-A Pro).

[034] In one embodiment, base station 114a and WTRUs 102a, 102b and 102c can implement a radio technology, such as NR Radio Access, which can establish the 116 air interface using NR.

[035] In one embodiment, base station 114a and WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c can implement multiple radio access technologies. For example, base station 114a and WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c can implement LTE radio access and NR radio access together, for instance, using dual connectivity (DC) principles. Thus, the air interface used by WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c can be characterized by multiple types of radio access technologies. Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, p. 17 / 79 12 / 61 and / or transmissions sent to / from multiple types of base stations (e.g., one eNB and one gNB).

[036] In other embodiments, base station 114a and WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may implement radio technologies such as IEEE 802.11 (i.e., Wireless Fidelity (WiFi)), IEEE 802.16 (i.e., Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX)), CDMA2000, CDMA2000 3X, CDMA2000 EV-DO, Interim Standard 2000 (IS-2000), Interim Standard 95 (IS-95), Interim Standard 856 (IS-856), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), GSM EDGE (GERAN) and the like.

[037] Base station 114b in Figure 1A can be a wireless router, a Home B Node, a Home eNode B, or an access point, for example, and can utilize any suitable RAT to facilitate wireless connectivity in a localized area, such as a workplace, a residence, a vehicle, a campus, an industrial facility, an air corridor (e.g., for use by drones), a highway, and the like. In one embodiment, base station 114b and WTRUs 102c and 102d can implement a radio technology such as IEEE 802.11 to establish a wireless local area network (WLAN). In another embodiment, base station 114b and WTRUs 102c and 102d can implement a radio technology such as IEEE 802.15 to establish a wireless personal area network (WPAN). In yet another mode, base station 114b and WTRUs 102c and 102d can use a cellular-based RAT (e.g., WCDMA, CDMA2000, GSM, LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A Pro, NR, etc.) to establish a pico cell or femto cell.As shown in Figure 1A, base station 114b can have a direct connection to Internet 110. Thus, base station 114b may not need to access Internet 110 via CN 106.

[038] RAN 104 may be in communication with CN 106, which may be any type of network configured to provide voice, data, application and / or voice over internet protocol (VoIP) services to one or more of WTRUs 102a, 102b, Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, page 18 / 79 13 / 61 102c and 102d. The data may have varying Quality of Service (QoS) requirements, such as different requirements for throughput, latency, error tolerance, reliability, data throughput, mobility, and the like. CN 106 may provide call control, billing services, location-based mobile services, prepaid calls, internet connectivity, video distribution, etc., and / or perform high-level security functions such as user authentication. Although not shown in Figure 1A, it should be noted that RAN 104 and / or CN 106 may be in direct or indirect communication with other RANs that use the same RAT as RAN 104 or a different RAT. For example, in addition to being connected to RAN 104, which may use NR radio technology, CN 106 may also be communicating with another RAN (not shown) that uses GSM, UMTS, CDMA 2000, WiMAX, E-UTRA, or WiFi radio technology.

[039] CN 106 may also serve as a gateway for WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d to access PSTN 108, the Internet 110 and / or other networks 112. PSTN 108 may include circuit-switched telephone networks that provide simple telephone service (POTS). The Internet 110 may include a global system of interconnected computer networks and devices that use common communication protocols such as Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP) and / or the Internet Protocol (IP) in the TCP / IP Internet protocol suite. Networks 112 may include wired and / or wireless communication networks owned and / or operated by other service providers. For example, 112 networks may include another CN connected to one or more RANs, which may employ the same RAT as RAN 104 or a different RAT.

[040] Some or all of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d in the communications system 100 may include multimode capabilities (for example, WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d may include multiple transceivers for communication with different wireless networks via different wireless links). For example, the Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, p. 19 / 79 14 / 61 The WTRU 102c shown in Figure 1A can be configured to communicate with base station 114a, which may employ cellular-based radio technology, and with base station 114b, which may employ IEEE 802 radio technology.

[041] Figure 1B is a system diagram illustrating an example of a WTRU 102. As shown in Figure 1B, the WTRU 102 may include a processor 118, a transceiver 120, a transmit / receive element 122, a speaker / microphone 124, a keyboard 126, a touch-sensitive display / keyboard 128, non-removable memory 130, removable memory 132, a power supply 134, a global positioning system (GPS) chipset 136 and / or other peripherals 138, among others. It should be noted that the WTRU 102 may include any subcombination of the above elements, remaining consistent with an embodiment.

[042] Processor 118 may be a general-purpose processor, a special-purpose processor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in association with a DSP core, a controller, a microcontroller, Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), any other type of integrated circuit (IC), a state machine, and the like. Processor 118 may perform signal encoding, data processing, power control, input / output processing, and / or any other functionality that allows WTRU 102 to operate in a wireless environment. Processor 118 may be coupled to transceiver 120, which may be coupled to transmit / receive element 122.While Figure 1B depicts processor 118 and transceiver 120 as separate components, it should be noted that processor 118 and transceiver 120 can be integrated into a single electronic package or chip.

[043] The transmit / receive element 122 can be configured to transmit or receive signals from a base station (for example, base station 114a) Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, page 20 / 79 15 / 61 via air interface 116. For example, in one embodiment, the transmit / receive element 122 may be an antenna configured to transmit and / or receive RF signals. In another embodiment, the transmit / receive element 122 may be a transmitter / detector configured to transmit and / or receive infrared, UV, or visible light signals, for example. In yet another embodiment, the transmit / receive element 122 may be configured to transmit and / or receive RF and light signals. It should be noted that the transmit / receive element 122 may be configured to transmit and / or receive any combination of wireless signals.

[044] Although the transmit / receive element 122 is represented in Figure 1B as a single element, the WTRU 102 can include any number of transmit / receive elements 122. More specifically, the WTRU 102 can employ MIMO technology. Thus, in one embodiment, the WTRU 102 can include two or more transmit / receive elements 122 (e.g., multiple antennas) to transmit and receive wireless signals over the air interface 116.

[045] Transceiver 120 can be configured to modulate the signals that are to be transmitted by the transmit / receive element 122 and to demodulate the signals that are received by the transmit / receive element 122. As noted above, WTRU 102 can have multimode capabilities. Thus, transceiver 120 can include multiple transceivers to allow WTRU 102 to communicate via multiple RATs, such as NR and IEEE 802.11, for example.

[046] The WTRU 102 processor 118 can be coupled with and receive user input data from the speaker / microphone 124, the keyboard 126, and / or the touch-sensitive display / keyboard 128 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) unit or an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display unit). The processor 118 can also send user data to the speaker / microphone 124, the keyboard 126, and / or the touch-sensitive display / keyboard 128. In addition, the processor 118 can access information and store data in any type of Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, page 21 / 79 16 / 61 suitable memory, such as non-removable memory 130 and / or removable memory 132. Non-removable memory 130 may include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), a hard disk, or any other type of memory storage device. Removable memory 132 may include a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, a memory card, a secure digital memory card (SD), and the like. In other embodiments, the processor 118 may access information and store data in memory that is not physically located in the WTRU 102, such as in a server or home computer (not shown).

[047] Processor 118 can receive power from power source 134 and can be configured to distribute and / or control power to the other components in WTRU 102. Power source 134 can be any device suitable for powering WTRU 102. For example, power source 134 can include one or more dry cell batteries (e.g., nickel-cadmium (NiCd), nickel-zinc (NiZn), nickel-metal hydride (NiMH), lithium-ion (Li-ion), etc.), solar cells, fuel cells, and the like.

[048] Processor 118 can also be coupled to GPS chipset 136, which can be configured to provide location information (e.g., longitude and latitude) pertaining to the current location of WTRU 102. In addition to, or replacing, GPS chipset 136 information, WTRU 102 can receive location information via air interface 116 from a base station (e.g., base stations 114a, 114b) and / or determine its location based on the timing of signals received from two or more nearby base stations. Importantly, WTRU 102 can acquire location information by any suitable location determination method, remaining consistent with a modality.

[049] The 118 processor can be additionally coupled to others Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, page 22 / 79 17 / 61 peripherals 138, which may include one or more software and / or hardware modules that provide additional wired or wireless features, functionality, and / or connectivity. For example, peripherals 138 may include an accelerometer, an electronic compass, a satellite transceiver, a digital camera (for stills and / or video), a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port, a vibration device, a television transceiver, a hands-free headset, a Bluetooth® module, a frequency modulated (FM) radio unit, a digital music player, a media player, a video game player module, an internet browser, a Virtual Reality and / or Augmented Reality (VR / AR) device, an activity tracker, and the like. Peripherals 138 may include one or more sensors.Sensors can be one or more of the following: gyroscope, accelerometer, Hall effect sensor, magnetometer, orientation sensor, proximity sensor, temperature sensor, time sensor; geolocation sensor, altimeter, light sensor, touch sensor, magnetometer, barometer, gesture sensor, biometric sensor, humidity sensor, and similar.

[050] The WTRU 102 may include a full-duplex radio for which the transmission and reception of some or all signals (e.g., associated with specific subframes for UL (e.g., for transmission) and DL (e.g., for reception) may be simultaneous. The full-duplex radio may include an interference management unit to substantially reduce and / or eliminate self-interference by means of hardware (e.g., an inductor) or signal processing by means of a processor (e.g., a separate processor (not shown) or by means of processor 118). In one embodiment, the WTRU 102 may include a half-duplex radio for which the transmission and reception of some or all signals (e.g., associated with specific subframes for UL (e.g., for transmission) or DL ​​(e.g., for reception)) may be simultaneous.

[051] Figure 1C is a system diagram illustrating RAN 104 and CN Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, p. 23 / 79 18 / 61 106 according to a modality. As noted above, RAN 104 can employ E-UTRA radio technology to communicate with WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c via air interface 116. RAN 104 can also be in communication with CN 106.

[052] RAN 104 may include eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, 160c, although it is important to note that RAN 104 may include any number of eNode-Bs, remaining consistent with one embodiment. eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, 160c may each include one or more transceivers for communication with WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c via air interface 116. In one embodiment, eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, 160c may implement MIMO technology. Consequently, eNode-B 160a, for example, may use multiple antennas to transmit wireless signals to and / or receive wireless signals from WTRU 102a.

[053] Each of the eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, and 160c can be associated with a specific cell (not shown) and can be configured to handle radio resource management decisions, handover decisions, user scheduling in the UL and / or DL, and the like. As shown in Figure 1C, the eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, and 160c can communicate with each other via an X2 interface.

[054] The CN 106 shown in Figure 1C may include a mobility management entity (MME) 162, a service gateway (SGW) 164 and a packet data network gateway (PDN) (PGW) 166. While the foregoing elements are represented as part of CN 106, it will be appreciated that any of these elements may be owned and / or operated by an entity other than the CN operator.

[055] MME 162 can be connected to each of the eNode-Bs 162a, 162b, 162c in RAN 104 via an S1 interface and can serve as a control node. For example, MME 162 can be responsible for authenticating users of WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, activating / deactivating the carrier, and selecting a gateway. Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, page 24 / 79 19 / 61 specific service during an initial connection of WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c and similar. MME 162 can provide a control plane function to switch between RAN 104 and other RANs (not shown) that employ other radio technologies such as GSM and / or WCDMA.

[056] SGW 164 can be connected to each of the B eNodes 160a, 160b, and 160c in RAN 104 via the S1 interface. SGW 164 can generally route and forward user data packets to / from WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c. SGW 164 can perform other functions such as anchoring user planes during handovers between B eNodes, triggering paging when DL data is available for WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c, managing and storing contexts for WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c, and similar functions.

[057] SGW 164 can be connected to PGW 166, which can provide WTRUs 102a, 102b and 102c with access to packet-switched networks, such as the Internet 110, to facilitate communications between WTRUs 102a, 102b and 102c and IP-enabled devices.

[058] CN 106 can facilitate communications with other networks. For example, CN 106 can provide WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c with access to circuit-switched networks, such as PSTN 108, to facilitate communications between WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c and traditional landline communication devices. For example, CN 106 can include, or communicate with, an IP gateway (e.g., an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) server) that serves as an interface between CN 106 and PSTN 108. Additionally, CN 106 can provide WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c with access to other 112 networks, which may include other wired and / or wireless networks that are owned and / or operated by other service providers.

[059] Although the WTRU is described in Figures 1A to 1D as a wireless terminal, it is foreseen that, in certain representative embodiments, such a terminal may use (e.g., temporarily or permanently) communication interfaces with Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, p. 25 / 79 20 / 61 wire with the communication network.

[060] In representative modalities, the other 112 network may be a WLAN.

[061] A WLAN in Basic Services Infrastructure Set (BSS) mode can have an Access Point (AP) for the BSS and one or more stations (STAs) associated with the AP. The AP may have access to or an interface with a Distribution System (DS) or another type of wired / wireless network that carries inbound and / or outbound traffic from the BSS. Traffic to the STAs originating from outside the BSS can arrive through the AP and be delivered to the STAs. Traffic originating from the STAs to destinations outside the BSS can be sent to the AP to be delivered to the respective destinations. Traffic between STAs within the BSS can be sent through the AP, for example, where the originating STA can send traffic to the AP and the AP can deliver the traffic to the destination STA. Traffic between STAs within a BSS can be considered and / or referred to as point-to-point traffic. Point-to-point traffic can be sent between (e.g., directly between) the source and destination STAs with a Direct Link System (DLS) configuration.In certain representative embodiments, DLS may use either 802.11e DLS or 802.11z tunneled DLS (TDLS). A WLAN using an Independent BSS (IBSS) mode may not have an AP, and the STAs (e.g., all STAs) within or using the IBSS may communicate directly with each other. The IBSS communication mode may sometimes be referred to in the present invention as an “ad-hoc” communication mode.

[062] When using the 802.11ac infrastructure operating mode or a similar operating mode, the AP can transmit a beacon on a fixed channel, such as a primary channel. The primary channel can have a fixed width (e.g., 20 MHz bandwidth) or a dynamically defined width. The primary channel can be the BSS operating channel and can be used by STAs to establish a connection with the AP. In certain representative embodiments, Collision Avoidance Carrier Sense Multiple Access (CSMA / CA) can be implemented, Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, p. 26 / 79 21 / 61 for example, in 802.11 systems. For CSMA / CA, STAs (e.g., each STA), including APs, can detect the primary channel. If the primary channel is detected / detected and / or determined to be occupied by a specific STA, that specific STA can back off. An STA (e.g., just one station) can transmit at any time on a given BSS.

[063] High Throughput (HT) STAs can utilize a 40 MHz wide channel for communication, for example, by combining the 20 MHz primary channel with an adjacent or non-adjacent 20 MHz channel to form a 40 MHz wide channel.

[064] Very High Throughput (VHT) STAs can support 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, and / or 160 MHz wide channels. The 40 MHz and / or 80 MHz channels can be formed by combining contiguous 20 MHz channels. A 160 MHz channel can be formed by combining 8 contiguous 20 MHz channels or by combining two non-contiguous 80 MHz channels, which can be called an 80+80 configuration. For the 80+80 configuration, the data, after channel encoding, can be passed through a segment analyzer that can split the data into two streams. Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) processing and time-domain processing can be performed on each stream separately. Streams can be mapped to the two 80 MHz channels, and data can be transmitted via a STA transmitter.At the receiving STA, the operation described above for the 80+80 configuration can be reversed, and the combined data can be sent to the Medium Access Control (MAC).

[065] Operating modes below 1 GHz are supported by 802.11af and 802.11ah. The operating channel bandwidths and carriers are reduced in 802.11af and 802.11ah compared to those used in 802.11n and 802.11ac. 802.11af supports bandwidths of 5 MHz, 10 MHz, and 20 MHz in the TV White Space (TVWS) spectrum, and 802.11ah supports bandwidths of 1 MHz, 2 MHz, 4 MHz, and 4 MHz. Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, page 27 / 79 22 / 61 802.11ah uses non-TVWS spectrum in the MHz, 8 MHz, and 16 MHz bands. According to a representative embodiment, 802.11ah can support Meter-Type Control / Machine-Type Communications (MTC), such as MTC devices in a macro coverage area. MTC devices may have certain capabilities, for example, limited capabilities, including support for (e.g., support only for) certain bandwidths and / or limited bandwidths. MTC devices may include a battery with a lifespan above a threshold (e.g., to maintain a very long lifespan).

[066] WLAN systems, which can support multiple channels and channel bandwidths, such as 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11af, and 802.11ah, include a channel that can be designated as the primary channel. The primary channel can have a bandwidth equal to the highest common operational bandwidth supported by all STAs in the BSS. The bandwidth of the primary channel can be defined and / or limited by an STA, among all STAs operating in a BSS, that supports the operating mode with the lowest bandwidth. In the 802.11ah example, the primary channel may have a 1 MHz bandwidth for STAs (e.g., MTC-type devices) that support (e.g., only support) the 1 MHz mode, even if the AP and other STAs in the BSS support 2 MHz, 4 MHz, 8 MHz, 16 MHz, and / or other channel bandwidth operating modes. Carrier Sense and / or Network Allocation Vector (NAV) settings may depend on the primary channel status.If the primary channel is busy, for example, due to an STA (which only supports 1 MHz operating mode) transmitting to the AP, all available frequency bands can be considered occupied, even if most of the available frequency bands remain idle.

[067] In the United States, the available frequency bands that can be used by 802.11ah range from 902 MHz to 928 MHz. In Korea, the available frequency bands range from 917.5 MHz to 923.5 MHz. In Japan, the available frequency bands range from 916.5 MHz to 927.5 MHz. The total bandwidth Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, p. 28 / 79 The 23 / 61 bandwidth available for 802.11ah ranges from 6 MHz to 26 MHz, depending on the country code.

[068] Figure 1D is a system diagram illustrating RAN 104 and CN 106 according to a modality. As noted above, RAN 104 can employ NR radio technology to communicate with WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c via air interface 116. RAN 104 can also be in communication with CN 106.

[069] RAN 104 may include gNBs 180a, 180b, and 180c, although it is important to note that RAN 104 may include any number of gNBs while remaining consistent with a mode. gNBs 180a, 180b, and 180c may each include one or more transceivers for communication with WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c via the 116 air interface. In a mode, gNBs 180a, 180b, and 180c may implement MIMO technology. For example, gNBs 180a and 108b may use beamforming to transmit and / or receive signals from gNBs 180a, 180b, and 180c. Consequently, the gNB 180a, for example, can use multiple antennas to transmit and / or receive wireless signals from the WTRU 102a. In one embodiment, the gNBs 180a, 180b, and 180c can implement carrier aggregation technology. For example, the gNB 180a can transmit multiple component carriers to the WTRU 102a (not shown).A subset of these component carriers may be in unlicensed spectrum, while the remaining component carriers may be in licensed spectrum. In one embodiment, gNBs 180a, 180b, and 180c may implement Coordinated Multipoint Technology (CoMP). For example, WTRU 102a may receive coordinated transmissions from gNB 180a and gNB 180b (and / or gNB 180c).

[070] WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c can communicate with gNBs 180a, 180b, and 180c using transmissions associated with a scalable numerology. For example, the OFDM symbol spacing and / or the OFDM subcarrier spacing can vary for different transmissions, different cells, and / or different Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, p. 29 / 79 24 / 61 portions of the wireless transmission spectrum. WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c can communicate with gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c using subframes or transmission time intervals (TTIs) of varying lengths or scalable (e.g., containing a variable number of OFDM symbols and / or lasting various absolute time lengths).

[071] gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c can be configured to communicate with WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c in a standalone configuration and / or in a non-standalone configuration. In the standalone configuration, WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c can communicate with gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c without also accessing other RANs (e.g., eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, 160c). In the standalone configuration, WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c can use one or more of gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c as a mobility docking point. In a standalone configuration, WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c can communicate with gNBs 180a, 180b, and 180c using signals in an unlicensed band. In a non-standalone configuration, WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c can communicate / connect to gNBs 180a, 180b, and 180c, while also communicating / connecting to another RAN, such as eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, and 160c.For example, WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c can implement CC principles to communicate with one or more gNBs 180a, 180b, and 180c and one or more eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, and 160c substantially simultaneously. In the non-standalone configuration, eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, and 160c can serve as a mobility anchor for WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c, and gNBs 180a, 180b, and 180c can provide additional coverage and / or throughput to serve WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c.

[072] Each of the gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c can be associated with a specific cell (not shown) and can be configured to handle radio resource management decisions, handover decisions, user scheduling in the UL and / or DL, network slicing support, DC, interoperability between NR and E-UTRA, Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, p. 30 / 79 25 / 61 User plane data routing to User Plane Function (UPF) 184a, 184b, control plane information routing to Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) 182a, 182b and similar. As shown in Figure 1D, gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c can communicate with each other via an Xn interface.

[073] The CN 106 shown in Figure 1D may include at least one AMF 182a, 182b, at least one UPF 184a, 184b, at least one Session Management Function (SMF) 183a, 183b and possibly a Data Network (DN) 185a, 185b. Although the above elements are represented as part of CN 106, it should be noted that any of these elements may be owned and / or operated by an entity other than the CN operator.

[074] AMF 182a, 182b can be connected to one or more of the gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c in RAN 104 via an N2 interface and can serve as a control node. For example, AMF 182a and 182b can be responsible for authenticating users of WTRUs 102a, 102b and 102c, supporting network slicing (e.g., handling different Protocol Data Unit (PDU) sessions with different requirements), selecting a specific SMF 183a and 183b, managing the register area, terminating non-access stratum signaling (NAS), managing mobility, and the like. Network slicing can be used by AMF 182a and 182b to customize CN support for WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c based on the types of services used in WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c.For example, different network slices can be established for different use cases, such as services that rely on ultra-reliable low-latency access (URLLC), services that rely on enhanced massive mobile broadband (eMBB) access, services for MTC access, and the like. AMF 182a and 182b can provide a control plane function to switch between RAN 104 and other RANs (not shown) that employ other radio technologies, such as... Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, page 31 / 79 26 / 61 LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A Pro and / or non-3GPP access technologies, such as WiFi.

[075] SMF 183a, 183b can be connected to AMF 182a, 182b on CN 106 via an N11 interface. SMF 183a, 183b can also be connected to UPF 184a, 184b on CN 106 via an N4 interface. SMF 183a, 183b can select and control UPF 184a, 184b and configure traffic routing through UPF 184a, 184b. SMF 183a, 183b can perform other functions such as managing and allocating WTRU IP addresses, managing PDU sessions, controlling policy and QoS enforcement, providing DL data notifications, and the like. A PDU session type can be IP-based, non-IP-based, Ethernet-based, and the like.

[076] UPF 184a, 184b can be connected to one or more of gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c in RAN 104 via an N3 interface, which can provide WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c with access to packet-switched networks, such as the Internet 110, to facilitate communications between WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c and IP-enabled devices. UPF 184, 184b can perform other functions such as packet routing and forwarding, user plane policy enforcement, support for multihomed PDU sessions, user plane QoS handling, DL packet buffering, mobility tethering provision, and the like.

[077] CN 106 can facilitate communications with other networks. For example, CN 106 can include, or communicate with, an IP gateway (e.g., an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) server) that serves as an interface between CN 106 and PSTN 108. Additionally, CN 106 can provide WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c with access to other 112 networks, which may include other wired and / or wireless networks owned and / or operated by other service providers. In one embodiment, WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c can be connected to a local DN 185a and 185b via UPF 184a and 184b, via the N3 interface to UPF 184a and 184b, and from Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, p. 32 / 79 27 / 61 an N6 interface between UPF 184a and 184b and DN 185a and 185b.

[078] In view of Figures 1A to 1D and the corresponding description in Figures 1A to 1D, one or more, or all, of the functions described in the present invention in relation to one or more of the following: WTRU 102a-d, Base Station 114a-b, eNode-B 160a-c, MME 162, SGW 164, PGW 166, gNB 180a-c, AMF 182a-b, UPF 184a-b, SMF 183ab, DN 185a-b and / or any other devices described in this invention may be performed by one or more emulation devices (not shown). The emulation devices may be one or more devices configured to emulate one or more, or all, of the functions described in this invention. For example, the emulation devices may be used to test other devices and / or simulate network and / or WTRU functions.

[079] Emulation devices can be designed to implement one or more tests of other devices in a laboratory environment and / or in a carrier network environment. For example, one or more emulation devices may perform one or more, or all, of the functions while fully or partially implemented and / or deployed as part of a wired and / or wireless communication network, in order to test other devices within the communication network. One or more emulation devices may perform one or more, or all, of the functions while temporarily implemented / deployed as part of a wired and / or wireless communication network. The emulation device may be directly coupled to another device for testing and / or performance testing purposes using wireless communications.

[080] One or more emulation devices may perform one or more, including all, of the functions while not implemented / deployed as part of a wired and / or wireless communication network. For example, emulation devices may be used in a test scenario in a test lab and / or on an undeployed wired and / or wireless communication network (for Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, p. 33 / 79 28 / 61 example, under test) to implement tests of one or more components. The emulation device(s) may be a test device. Direct RF coupling and / or wireless communications via an RF circuit array (e.g., which may include one or more antennas) may be used by emulation devices to transmit and / or receive data.

[081] Figure 2 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a system 200 for enabling edge applications. In a brief overview, the system may comprise a UE or WTRU 202 or other device (referred to in various ways as UE, WTRU, mobile device, smartphone, mobile computing device, remote device, wearable device or by any other similar terms) communicating via a network 210 (e.g., a 3GPP Core Network or any other type and format of network) with an edge data network 212, an edge configuration server 218 and / or a notification management server 220.

[082] As shown, in some implementations, a WTRU 202 may comprise or execute one or more application clients 204. In some embodiments, an Application Client (AC) 204 is a user application that resides in a UE that communicates with an edge application server (EAS) 214. A UE or WTRU 202 may use multiple ACs 204 simultaneously. For example, a WTRU 202 may comprise one or more processors executing one or more ACs 204 stored in the WTRU 202's memory. For example, in some implementations, ACs 204 may comprise web browsing applications, social media applications, video game applications, productivity applications, remote desktop applications, or any other type and form of application. In many implementations, an AC 204 may comprise a web application or an application running in a web browser or similar local application, communicating with an application server, such as an EAS 214. Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, page 34 / 79 29 / 61

[083] In some embodiments, an Edge Application Server (EAS) 214 is an application server residing on an edge data network (EDN) 212. The EAS may comprise hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. For example, in some implementations, the EAS may comprise one or more software servers running on generic hardware (e.g., a cloud server, cluster, or virtual machine set) located on the edge data network 212 and providing a service to the AC 202. For example, the EAS 214 may comprise a web server that provides a web application (e.g., an email application, productivity application, etc.) to one or more WTRUs 202 and ACs 204.

[084] In some implementations, a WTRU may be geographically and / or logically relocated. For example, as a WTRU 202 moves within an area, it may be geographically closer to several EASs 214. Physically close EASs 214 may have lower latency connections to the WTRU and, consequently, it may be desirable to switch the WTRU and AC 204 from a first EAS that provides an application (referred to as the source EAS or S-EAS) to a second EAS that can provide the same application (referred to as the destination EAS or T-EAS). In some implementations, the second EAS or destination EAS may not necessarily be geographically closer than the S-EAS, but it may be logically closer, i.e., network speeds, bandwidth, or congestion may be such that a connection from the WTRU 202 to the T-EAS is faster or has lower latency than a connection to the S-EAS, regardless of physical proximity.Consequently, in various implementations, it may be desirable to switch the WTRU from services provided by S-EAS to services provided by T-EAS based on location, latency, throughput, congestion, or any other physical and / or network characteristics. This switching may be termed relocation, as discussed. Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, page 35 / 79 30 / 61 above, in some implementations, the WTRU may not physically change location. As discussed in more detail below, relocating the WTRU from an S-EAS to a T-EAS may include transferring configuration and / or state information (generally referred to as context) from the S-EAS to the T-EAS. For example, if the S-EAS is providing a stateful web application to the AC 204, switching the AC to a T-EAS without transferring the context may result in the web application failing or losing its state, making it impossible to serve requests until it is reloaded. This can impair functionality, result in data loss, etc. Instead, the implementations of the systems and methods discussed in the present invention can provide seamless context transfer between the S-EAS and the T-EAS, allowing continuous use by relocated ACs.

[085] In the context of a mobility / relocation use case, the Source EAS (EAS-Source) can be an instance of an EAS in an initial location that serves the CA before the mobility / relocation occurs, and the Destination EAS (EAS-T) can be an instance of an EAS in a destination location that serves the CA after the mobility / relocation has occurred. There can be multiple EAS 214 instances per EDN 212. Each EDN 212 can contain a different set of EAS 214 instances of different types (e.g., different EASID); An EAS 214 can serve one or more CA 204 instances that can reside in different UEs 202.

[086] In some embodiments, a 206 Edge Enabler Client (EEC) provides edge support to CA 202 instances in UE / WTRU 202. There may be one or more EEC 206 instances per UE 202. In some embodiments, each CA 204 uses only one EEC 206 instance. For example, the EEC 206 may comprise a CA 204 plugin or subroutine, or it may run as a handler dedicated to a CA 204 and configured to intercept calls to and from the CA 204. Consequently, in various implementations, the EEC 206 may comprise an application, service, server, daemon, routine, or other executable logic for communication with the(s) Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, page 36 / 79 31 / 61 Edge Enabler Server(s) 216 and Edge Configuration Server(s) 218 ​​on behalf of ACs 204, including for managing context switching or relocation.

[087] In some embodiments, a 216 Edge Enabler Server (EES) provides necessary support functions to the 214 EAS and the 206 EEC. A 216 EES may comprise an application, server, service, daemon, routine, or other executable logic for transferring states and / or configuration information or other context information between the 214 EASs on behalf of the 204 ACs and in communication with the 206 EECs. The 216 EES may be run by one or more physical computing devices (e.g., servers, workstations, etc.) or one or more virtual computing devices run by one or more physical computing devices (e.g., as a cloud service, a virtual server suite, etc.). The 216 EES may be run by the same device as a 214 EAS or may be run by a different device.As discussed above, in the context of a mobility / relocation use case, the Source EES (S-EES) is the EES used before the mobility / relocation occurs, and the Destination EES (T-EES) is the EES used after the mobility / relocation occurs. There can be one or more instances of EES 216 per EDN 212 (or per data network name (DNN)). There can be multiple instances of EDN 212 in the network 210.

[088] In some embodiments, an Edge Configuration Server (ECS) 218 ​​may comprise an application, server, service, daemon, routine, or other executable logic to provide supporting functions for an EEC 206 or EES 216 to discover instances of EES 216 that provide certain EAS 214. For example, an ECS may comprise a configuration database, a user database, an application database, or other similar database to identify EAS 214s and / or EEC 206s or AC 204s. The ECS 218 may be provided by one or more computing devices, including devices of Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, page 37 / 79 32 / 61 physical or virtual computing (e.g., cloud servers), as discussed above. There may be one or more ECS 218s for the network.

[089] In some embodiments, a Notification Management Client (NMC) 208 provides support functions for an EEC 206 to create a notification channel (NM-UU) between the NMC 208 and a Notification Management Server (NMS) 220 to receive notifications from the ECS or EES. In some embodiments, each EEC uses only one NMC. The NMC 208 can be an application, service, server, daemon, routine, or other executable logic run by one or more processors of a UE / WTRU 202 and / or in communication with processors of a UE / WTRU 202. For example, the NMC 208 may comprise an application provided by an EAS 214 in some implementations. In other implementations, the NMC 208 may comprise a service run by an application or operating system of the WTRU, such as a listening service or other routine to periodically pull and / or receive notifications from an NMS 220.As shown, NMC 208 can be provided as a Service Enabling Architecture Layer (SEAL) service. NMC 208 can support notification management functions for EEC 206 and ACs 204, sometimes referred to as Vertical Application Layer (VAL) client(s), over an NM-C reference point.

[090] In some embodiments, a Notification Management Server (NMS) 220 provides support functions for an ECS or EES to send notifications to an EEC via a notification channel created between the NMC and the NMS. The NMS 220 may be an application, service, server, daemon, routine, or other executable logic run by one or more physical computing devices and / or virtual computing devices run by physical computing devices. There may be one or more NMS 220s for the network. The NMS 220 may communicate with the NMC 208 via an NM-UU reference point (e.g., point-to-point interface via network 210 or another network) or via a PUSH server for indirect delivery, and Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, page 38 / 79 33 / 61 can provide notification management functions to EECs 218 and EECs 216 via NM-S reference points (e.g., point-to-point interfaces via network 210 or another network).

[091] 3GPP TS 23.558 V18.1.0, “Architecture for Enabling Edge Applications,” which is incorporated by reference in the present invention, describes some embodiments of continuity of service procedures in the Edge Enabling Layer (EEL) to transfer an application context from an S-EAS to a TEAS. As discussed above, the context transfer can be triggered, for example, by UE movement, as well as by non-mobility events, such as EAS server maintenance, overload, etc. The objective of continuity of service is to minimize edge service interruption for ACs 204 running on UE 202.

[092] Service continuity for applications requiring context relocation is specified by the EEL in five different application context relocation (ACR) scenarios. Each scenario can include four different phases: detection, decision, execution, and post-execution. ACR scenarios can specify different EEL entities (e.g., EEC, EES, EAS) for the detection and decision phases (e.g., a detection entity and a decision-making entity), and different sets of interactions between EEL entities for the execution phase.

[093] Figure 3 is a flowchart of one embodiment of a method for application context relocation. In a brief overview, the sensing entity, which can be run by or on the UE or WTRU or on an external server or other computing device in various implementations, monitors the location, movement, or other physical or network characteristics of the UE or WTRU (e.g., noise, latency, congestion, speed or acceleration, location coordinates, received beacon signal strengths, etc.) and informs the decision-making entity (step 305). The decision-making entity, which can be run by Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, page 39 / 79 34 / 61, either on the UE or WTRU, or on an external server or other computing device in various implementations, determines whether an ACR is required and commands the executing entity to perform the ACR (step 310). The executing entity, which may run on or in the UE or WTRU, or on an external server or other computing device in various implementations, executes the ACR procedures defined in the service continuity scenarios to transfer the application context from the S-EAS to the T-EAS (step 315). When the ACR execution is complete, ACR cleanup is performed (step 320). For example, a WTRU running a detection entity (which may include an EEC 206) may monitor network or device characteristics. In some implementations, a WTRU decision-making body (which may include an EEC 206) may determine, based on measurements, that ACR is required and may communicate with the EES 216 and / or ECS 218 to initiate a transfer.On the other hand, in some implementations, measurements can be reported by the WTRU detection entity to a decision-making entity in an EES 216, which can determine that ACR is needed and can communicate with the EEC 206 and / or ECS 218.

[094] Several methods can be used for EEC authorization, including pre-configuring a token for future EEC pull or push context transfers. In a brief overview, in one aspect, to pre-configure a token for future EEC pull context transfers, in some modalities, an EEC can perform one or more of the following steps.

[095] First, in some implementations, the EEC (e.g., an EEC 206) may send a token request to a server. The request may identify an instance of the EEC Context. In some implementations, the request may also indicate a request for Authorization Limits. In some embodiments, the EEC Context may be identified by an EEC Context ID or Session Context, which may be identified by a combination of some or Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, page 40 / 79 35 / 61 all application client identifiers (ACIDs), EEC identifiers (EEC IDs), user equipment identifiers (UE IDs), SEAS endpoints, and / or T-EAS endpoints. In some modes, Authorization Limits may indicate specific T-EES that can be authorized with the token. In some modes, Authorization Limits may indicate that only T-EES of certain types can be authorized with the token. In some modes, Authorization Limits may indicate that only T-EES associated with specific service providers can be authorized with the token. In some modes, Authorization Limits may indicate that only T-EES in certain locations can be authorized with the token. In some modes, Authorization Limits may indicate that only T-EES in certain EDNs can be authorized with the token.In several modes, any of the Authorization Limits above may indicate which T-EES tokens cannot be authorized. The request may also include the validity period of the requested token. In some modes, the token server may be an ECS 218 and / or an EES 216, or it may be an application or server running on an ECS 218 or similar hardware server.

[096] In many implementations, authorization thresholds may identify characteristics of an EES rather than identifying a specific EES. For example, instead of identifying a specific server, authorization thresholds may specify that a server may be authorized if it has uptime greater than a threshold, or resource utilization less than a threshold, or is within a threshold number of miles from a geographic location, or has latency to the EEC or ECS less than a threshold, or has a specific application servicing capability (e.g., that the server may host an artificial intelligence / machine learning application, or may provide a web interface for a web application, or may provide remote data storage capabilities, etc.), Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, page 41 / 79 36 / 61 or have a specific operating system version (indicating that specific patches are up-to-date, for example), or have other specialized hardware or access to such hardware (e.g., a satellite uplink, or a ray tracing GPU, etc.). In some of these implementations, the group of potential EESs that possess characteristics that may meet the authorization limits may be referred to as candidate target EESs or by similar terms. Often, not all EESs meet the requirements, and consequently, the candidate target EESs may be a subset of the EESs in the system. In many implementations, the authorization limits may be independent of any specific EES or may not include the identification of a specific EES, but may only include the features necessary for authorization or token validity.

[097] Secondly, in some implementations, EEC 206 may receive a response from the server. In some embodiments, the response may include a token and, in some cases, Authorisation Limits applicable to the token. The response may also include the token's validity period.

[098] Third, in some implementations, the EEC 206 can send a message to a first EES (S-EES 216A). In some embodiments, the message may include the token and the Authorisation Limits (e.g., if they were included with the token). In some embodiments, the message may also include the token's validity period. The message can be used to control which other EES (T-EES) can receive context information associated with the EEC 206. For example, a T-EES can transmit a request for context information to an S-EES in some implementations, and the S-EES can determine, based on the Authorisation Limits, whether the T-EES is authorized to receive the context information.

[099] Fourth, in some implementations, EEC 206 may decide Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, p. 42 / 79 37 / 61 perform an ACR procedure and select a T-EES (e.g., T-EES 216B). The selection of the T-EES may involve identifying a T-EES from among the candidate T-EESs that possess characteristics that meet the requirements of the authorization thresholds associated with the token. For example, the EEC may select a T-EES located within a required area, or with latency below a required threshold, or with the ability to provide a specific application service, etc.

[0100] Fifth, in some implementations, the EEC 206 may send an ACR Request to the selected T-EES 216B. In some embodiments, the request may include the token. In such embodiments, the T-EES may use the token to retrieve EEC context information from the S-EES 216A (if the token's Authorization Limits do not prevent the T-EES from receiving the context information).

[0101] Sixth, in some implementations, the EEC 206 may receive a message from the T-EES 216B (for example, if the T-EES was not prevented by the token's Authorization Limits from receiving context information). In some embodiments, the message includes an indication that the Authorization Token was used to authorize the context transfer to the T-EES. In some embodiments, the message may trigger the EEC 206 to consider the token invalid and restart this procedure to obtain a new token for a future ACR procedure. For example, the T-EES 216B may indicate that it was prevented by the Authorization Limits, or it may provide an indication that the context transfer was authorized, but the token may have expired during that period. The messages provided by the T-EES 216B may be an ACR Information Notification or any other suitable type and format of notification message.

[0102] In another aspect, to pre-configure a token for future EEC push context transfers, an EEC may perform one or more of the following steps: Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, page 43 / 79 38 / 61

[0103] First, in some implementations, EEC 206 may send a token request to a server. In some modes, the request identifies an instance of the EEC Context. In some modes, the request also indicates a request for Authorization Limits.

[0104] In some modes, the EEC Context is identified by an EEC Context ID or Session Context, which may be identified by a combination of ACID, EEC ID (or UE ID), S-EAS endpoint, and T-EAS endpoint. In some modes, Authorization Limits may indicate specific T-EES(s) that can be authorized with the token. In some modes, Authorization Limits may indicate that only T-EES(s) of certain types can be authorized with the token. In some modes, Authorization Limits may indicate that only T-EES(s) associated with specific service providers can be authorized with the token. In some modes, Authorization Limits may indicate that only T-EES(s) in certain locations can be authorized with the token. In some modes, Authorization Limits may indicate that only T-EES(s) in certain EDNs can be authorized with the token.In some modalities, any of the above Authorization Limits may indicate which T-EESs may not be authorized with the token. As discussed above, Authorization Limits may refer to required characteristics or corresponding characteristics and thresholds that may be met by some EESs, for which the token correspondingly indicates authorization for context transfer.

[0105] In some modalities, the request may also include the validity period of the requested token. The token server may be an ECS 218 in many deployments.

[0106] Secondly, in some implementations, EEC 206 may receive a response from the server. In some embodiments, the response includes a token and Authorization Limits that apply to the token. The response may also include the Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, p. 44 / 79 39 / 61 token validity period.

[0107] Third, in some implementations, EEC 206 sends a message to a first EES (S-EES 216A). In some embodiments, the message includes the token and the Authorisation Limits. The message may also include the token validity period. The purpose of the message may be to control which other EES (T-EES 216B) can receive context information associated with the EEC.

[0108] Fourth, in some implementations, the EEC 206 receives a message from the first EES (S-EES 216A). In some embodiments, the message includes an indication that the Authorization Token was used to authorize the context transfer to the T-EES 216B. In some embodiments, the message may include an identity of the T-EES (for example, the S-EES 216A may select the T-EES to which the context is being transferred from a plurality of potential EES 216(s)). The message may trigger the EEC to consider the token invalid and restart this procedure to obtain a new token for a future ACR procedure. In some embodiments, the message may be an ACR Information Notification.

[0109] Aspects of these modalities are discussed in more detail below.

[0110] Figure 4 illustrates one embodiment of a 400 procedure for EEC Authorization for EEC Context Transfer in a scenario where an ACR procedure is initiated by EEC 206 and the procedure requires the EEC Context to pull from S-EES 216A to T-EES 216B. In such embodiments, EEC 206 can obtain a token before any entity in the EEL decides to initiate an ACR procedure. In some embodiments, EEC 206 negotiates with the 402 Token Server (which may be provided by an ECS 218) to establish limits within which entities can use the token. In some embodiments, EEC 206 then provides the token to S-EES 216A. S-EES 216A subsequently uses the token to Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, p. 45 / 79 40 / 61 authorize a request from T-EES 216B to retrieve the EEC context. Advantageously, in these modes, EEC 206 may be able to exercise a degree of control over where its context can be transferred, even if S-EES 216A is unable to communicate with EEC at the time the context transfer needs to occur (e.g., due to changes in network conditions, because EEC has gone out of range of S-EES, etc.).

[0111] In step 1, in some modes, the EEC 206 sends a request to a 402 Server to obtain an Authorization Token. The Authorization Token must be used to authorize the transfer of the EEC context from a source EES (S-EES 216A) to the T-EES 216B. The request to the server may include the identity of the S-EES 216A. Since no T-EES 216B may have been determined or selected yet, the request may not identify a T-EES or may indicate that no T-EES has been selected. In some modes, the request also identifies the context to be transferred. The context is identified by an EEC Context ID or by a combination of identities that includes the ACID, the EEC ID (or the UE ID), the S-EAS endpoint, and the T-EAS endpoint. In some modalities, the session context needs to be identified, as multiple ACR procedures for the same EEC (UE), S-EES and T-EES may occur simultaneously.In some modes, the request may also include a validity period for the requested token, indicating to the server that it should consider the token valid only for the indicated period. In some modes, the request also indicates the Requested Authorization Limits. The Requested Authorization Limits may indicate limits within which T-EES can be authorized with the token. The limits may indicate specific T-EES that can be authorized with the token. The limits may indicate that only T-EES of certain types, associated with specific service providers or in certain locations, can be authorized with the token. Alternatively, the limits may indicate which T-EES cannot be authorized with the token. Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, page 46 / 79 41 / 61

[0112] In some modes, server 402 may be ECS 218. The request may be integrated into the Service Provisioning procedure.

[0113] In step 2, in some modes, the 402 server responds to EEC 206 with the Authorization Token. In some modes, the response includes a token validity duration indicating how long the server will consider the token valid. In some modes, the response also indicates the Authorization Limits applicable to the token. Note that EEC 206 may choose to request the token after determining the performance of an ACR.

[0114] In step 3, in some modes, EEC 206 sends a Token Delegation message to S-EES 216A. In some modes, the request includes the Authorization Token, the token validity period, and the Authorization Limits applicable to the token. In these modes, the word delegation refers to the delegation of the Token validation task by EEC 206 to S-EES 216A. S-EES may subsequently perform token validation (e.g., as part of step 9 in the EEC context transfer).

[0115] In step 4, in some modes, EEC 206 determines the performance of an ACR procedure. For example, EEC 206 may be triggered to perform an ACR procedure based on the detection of a change in the UE location. In some modes, EEC 206 may also be triggered to perform the ACR procedure based on a notification request from an ECS 218.

[0116] In step 5, in some modes, EEC 206 selects one or more EES(es) to serve as the destination EES (T-EES 216B) in the ACR procedure.

[0117] In step 6, in some modes, EEC 206 initiates the ACR initialization procedure by sending an ACR Request to T-EES 216B. The request may include the Authorization Token and the identity of S-EES 216A. In some modes, the request also includes information (e.g., ID or Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, p. 47 / 79 42 / 61 The EEC Context ACID, EEC ID (or UE ID), S-EAS endpoint, and T-EAS endpoint will be used by T-EES 216B to identify the EEC Context that needs to be transferred as part of the ACR procedure. In some modes, T-EES 216B may determine whether an Authorization Token is required to perform the context transfer. The determination of the need for the Authorization Token may be based on local policies or on a previously received indication from EEC 206 (e.g., during a registration procedure).

[0118] In step 7, in some modes, T-EES 216B sends an ACR Response message to EEC 206. If T-EES 216B determines that the Authorization Token was not included in the ACR Request, that the token was not formatted correctly (for example, it is not associated with the identified S-EES 216A), that the token has expired, or that the token is not associated with the context that needs to be transferred, T-EES 216B may indicate that the request was rejected and include a cause code that identifies the reason for the rejection.

[0119] In step 8, in some modes, if the Authorization Token was included in the ACR Request, T-EES 216B can determine that it is authorized to pull the EEC context from S-EES; If T-EES is authorized, T-EES 216B can initiate an EEC Context Pull reallocation procedure with the identified S-EES by sending an EEC Context Pull Request to SEES 216A. The EEC Context Pull can include the Authorization Token.

[0120] In step 9, in some modes, the S-EES 216A may validate whether the token applies to the context for which the transfer is requested and validate the token (for example, the S-EES 216A may verify that the token is the same as the one provided by EES to S-EES in step 3, may verify a token signature, and / or may transmit the token to the 402 token server for validation or verification). The S-EES 216A may first determine whether the token is valid to authorize the S-EES 216A to transfer the Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, p. 48 / 79 43 / 61 EEC context for T-EES 216B; If the pull request includes an authorization token in step 8, S-EES can verify if the token received in the EEC pull context request is valid to authorize S-EES 216A to transfer the EEC pull context to T-EES 216B. S-EES 216A can send an EEC pull context response message to T-EES and indicate success or failure. If the failure is due to an invalid token, S-EES can inform T-EES that the token is not valid and may include a reason for invalidity (e.g., the token has expired).

[0121] In step 10, in some embodiments, the T-EES 216B may send an ACR Information Notification to the EEC 206. In some embodiments, the ACR Information Notification may include an indication of which Authorization Token was used to Authorize the context transfer to the T-EES 216B, as well as whether the token was invalid or valid, and whether the transfer was successful or unsuccessful. This message may trigger the EEC to consider the token invalid and restart this procedure in step 1, in order to obtain a new token for the SEES for a future ACR procedure. Note that when the procedure is restarted, the S-EES may be considered the T-EES in this procedure in some implementations (for example, the procedure may be restarted with the TEES as the new S-EES).

[0122] Figure 5 illustrates an example 500 procedure for EEC Context Transfer Authorization in a scenario where an ACR procedure is not initiated by EEC 206 and the procedure requires the EEC Context to push from S-EES 216A to T-EES 216B. In some embodiments of this procedure, EEC 206 may obtain a token before any entity in the EEL decides to initiate an ACR procedure. In some embodiments, EEC 206 negotiates with the 402 Token Server to establish limits within which entities may use the token. EEC 206 then provides the token to S-EES 216A. S-EES 216A subsequently uses the token when transferring the context to T-EES 216B. Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, p. 49 / 79 44 / 61 Additionally, in some implementations, the token can be transferred to the TEES 216B so that the T-EES can validate that it has permission to accept the EEC context. Advantageously, in some embodiments, the EEC 206 is able to exert a degree of control over where its context can be transferred, even if the S-EES 216A is unable to communicate with the EEC at the time the context transfer needs to occur (e.g., due to the EEC being out of reach, changes in network conditions, etc.).

[0123] In step 1, in some embodiments, the EEC 206 sends a request to a 402 Server to obtain an Authorization Token. The 402 token server may be provided by an ECS 218 in some implementations. The Authorization Token may be used to authorize the transfer of the EEC context from a source EES (S-EES) to the T-EES. In some embodiments, the request to the server includes the identity of the S-EES 216A. Since no T-EES has been determined in these implementations, the request may indicate the absence of T-EES 216B or may be agnostic or blank with respect to a T-EES. In some implementations, the request may indicate a plurality of candidate T-EES 216B (e.g., a subset of all T-EES), with the assumption that one of them may be selected later. In some embodiments, the request may identify the context for the transfer.In some modes, the session context is identified by an EEC Context ID or by a combination of identifiers that includes the ACID, the EEC ID (or UE ID), the S-EAS endpoint, and the T-EAS endpoint. In some modes, the session context can be identified in such a way that multiple ACR procedures for the same EEC (UE), S-EES, and T-EES can occur simultaneously. In some modes, the request may also include a validity time for the requested token, indicating to the server that it should consider the token valid only for the indicated time. In some modes, the request also indicates the Requested Authorization Limits. Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, p. 50 / 79 45 / 61 may indicate limits within which T-EES 216B can be authorized with the token. The limits may indicate specific T-EES that can be authorized with the token. The limits may indicate that only T-EES of certain types, associated with specific service providers or in certain locations, can be authorized with the token. Alternatively, the limits may indicate which T-EES cannot be authorized with the token. The request can be integrated into the Service Provisioning procedure.

[0124] In step 2, in some modes, the 402 server may respond to EEC 206 with the Authorization Token. In some modes, the response includes a token and a token validity duration indicating how long the server will consider the token valid. In some modes, the response also indicates the Authorization Limits applicable to the token.

[0125] In step 3, in some modes, EEC 206 sends a Token Delegation message to S-EES 216A. In some modes, the request includes the Authorization Token, the token's validity period, and the Authorization Limits applicable to the token. In some modes, the information sent in the Token Delegation message may be carried in an EAS Information Provisioning message.

[0126] In step 4, in some modes, the S-EES 216A determines the performance of an ACR procedure. For example, the S-EES 216A may be triggered to perform an ACR procedure based on the detection of a change in the UE location.

[0127] In step 5, in some modes, the S-EES 216A selects an EES to serve as a target EES (T-EES 216B) in the ACR procedure. In some modes, the S-EES 216A will select a T-EES 216B that can use the Authorization Token (for example, one that is authorized by the token's Authorization Limits). In other words, the S-EES 216A can apply a filter to the(s) Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, p. 51 / 79 46 / 61 EES(es) considered for T-EES selection (e.g., candidate T-EES(es)) such that the EES(es) to which the token cannot be applied is / are not considered.

[0128] In step 6, in some modes, the S-EES 216A will initiate an EEC Context Push reallocation procedure with the identified T-EES 216B, sending an EEC Context Push Request to the T-EES. The EEC Context Push may include the Authorization Token.

[0129] In step 7, in some modes, T-EES 216B may send a request to the 402 and / or ECS 218 token server to validate whether the token applies to the context for which transfer is requested and to verify whether the token is valid. For example, T-EES may send the token, a token hash, a token identifier, a signed version of the token, or any other type and form of notification.

[0130] In step 8, in some modes, the 402 server may respond to T-EES 216B. In some modes, the 402 server may inform T-EES 216B whether the token is valid or invalid. If the 402 server informs T-EES 216B that the token is not valid, it may include a reason for its invalidity (for example, the token has expired).

[0131] In step 9, in some modes, the T-EES 216B will send an EEC Push Context Response message to the S-EES 216A and indicate success or failure. If the failure is due to an invalid token, in some modes, the T-EES 216B will inform the S-EES 216A that the token is not valid and the T-EES may include a reason for its invalidity (for example, the token has expired).

[0132] In step 10, in some modes, the S-EES 216A will send an ACR Information Notice to the EEC 206. In some modes, the ACR Information Notice will include the identity of the T-EES and an indication of which Authorization Token was used to authorize the context transfer to the TEES 216B. This message may trigger the EEC 206 to consider the token invalid. Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, p. 52 / 79 47 / 61 and restart this procedure at step 1 in order to obtain a new token for SEES 216A for a future ACR procedure. Note that when the procedure is restarted, in some modes, the S-EES may be considered the T-EES in this procedure (for example, transferring the context back to SEES).

[0133] In some embodiments, procedure 500 may begin with steps 4 and 5. The S-EES 216A may then execute step 10 to send the identity of the T-EES 216B to the EEC 206. The EEC 206 may then execute steps 1, 2, and 3 to obtain a token specifically associated with the T-EES 216B. The delegated token message may then include the token specifically associated with the T-EES 216B. The procedure may then proceed with steps 6, 7, 8, and 9.

[0134] Figure 6 illustrates an example procedure 600 for EEC Authorization for EEC Context Transfer in a scenario where an ACR procedure is initiated by EEC 206 and the procedure requires the EEC Context to perform a push from S-EES 216A to T-EES 216B. In some of these embodiments, EEC 206 may determine the performance of an ACR procedure, obtain a token, and send it to S-EES 216A. S-EES 216A may use the token to validate whether it is permitted to transfer the EEC context to T-EES 216B. S-EES 216A may provide the token to T-EES 216B so that T-EES 216B can verify whether it is permitted to receive the EEC context.

[0135] In step 1, in some modes, EEC 206 determines the performance of an ACR procedure. For example, in some modes, EEC 206 may be triggered to perform an ACR procedure based on the detection of a change in the UE location, network conditions, etc. In other modes, EEC 206 may be triggered to perform the ACR procedure based on a notification request from an ECS 218.

[0136] In stage 2, in some modalities, the EEC 206 plays a Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, p. 53 / 79 48 / 61 Service Provisioning procedure with ECS 218. As part of the Service Provisioning procedure, in some embodiments, EEC 206 receives information about the EES 216 available in an EDN. The information received may include the identities of the EES 216. In some implementations, the information may include the coverage area(s) of the EES 216, allowing EEC 206 to select a T-EES 216B based on the UE / WTRU location.

[0137] In step 3, in some embodiments, the EEC 206 selects one of the EES 216 to serve as a target EES (T-EES 216B) in the ACR procedure. In some embodiments, the EEC 206 also performs T-EAS discovery to determine the identity of a T-EAS 214B. For example, the EEC 206 may transmit a query to available T-EAS servers, may communicate with an EES 216, may communicate with a management server, etc.

[0138] In step 4, in some modes, EEC 206 sends a request to a 402 Server and / or ECS 218 to obtain an Authorization Token. In some modes, the Authorization Token can be used to authorize the transfer of the EEC context from a source EES (S-EES 216A) to T-EES 218B. In some modes, the request to the 402 server may include the identities of S-EES 216A and T-EES 218B. In some modes, the request also identifies the context to be transferred. In some modes, the session context is identified by an EEC Context ID or by a combination of identities that includes the ACID, the EEC ID (or EU ID), the S-EAS endpoint, and the T-EAS endpoint. In some modalities, the session context can be identified in such a way that multiple ACR procedures for the same EEC (EU), S-EES and T-EES can occur simultaneously.In some modalities, the request may also include a validity period for the requested token, indicating to the server that it should consider the token valid only for the specified period. The request can be integrated into the Service Provisioning procedure. Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, page 54 / 79 49 / 61

[0139] In step 5, in some modes, server 400 and / or ECS 218 responds to EEC 206 with the Authorization Token. In some modes, the response includes a token validity time indicating how long the server will consider the token valid.

[0140] In step 6, in some modes, EEC 206 initiates the ACR initialization procedure by sending an ACR Request to S-EES 216A. In some modes, the request includes the Authorization Token and the identity of the selected T-EES 216B. In some modes, the request also includes information (e.g., EEC Context ID or ACID, EEC ID (or UE ID), S-EAS endpoint, and T-EAS endpoint) that will be used by S-EES 216A to identify the EEC Context that needs to be transferred as part of the ACR procedure. In some modes, S-EES 216A may determine whether an Authorization Token is required to perform the context transfer. The determination of the need for the Authorization Token may be based on local policies or on an indication previously received from EEC 206 (i.e., during a registration procedure).

[0141] In step 7, in some modes, S-EES 216A sends an ACR response message to EEC 206. If S-EES determines that the Authorization Token was not included in the ACR Request, that the token was not formatted correctly (for example, it is not associated with the identified T-EES 216B), that the token has expired, or that the token is not associated with the context that needs to be transferred, then, in some modes, S-EES 216A may indicate that the request was rejected and include a cause code that identifies the reason for the rejection.

[0142] In step 8, in some modes, the S-EES 216A can validate that it is authorized to transfer the EEC context to the T-EES 216B by validating the token. The S-EES 216A can interact with the token server (not shown in the figure). If authorized, the S-EES 216A can initiate a Push reallocation procedure. Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, p. 55 / 79 50 / 61 EEC context with T-EES 216B identified, sending an EEC Context Push Request to T-EES 216B. The EEC Context Push may include the Authorization Token.

[0143] In step 9, if the token is included, in some modes, TEES 216B may send a request to the server to validate that the token applies to the transferred context and verify that the token is valid.

[0144] In step 10, in some modes, server 400 and / or ECS 218 will respond to T-EES 216B. Server 400 and / or ECS 218 may inform T-EES 216B whether the token is valid or not. If the server informs T-EES 216B that the token is not valid, it may include a reason for its invalidity (e.g., expiration).

[0145] In step 11, in some modes, the T-EES 216B will send an EEC Push Context Response message to the S-EES 216A and indicate success or failure. If the failure is due to an invalid token, the T-EES 216B may inform the S-EES 216A that the token is not valid and the T-EES 216B may include a reason for the invalidity (e.g., expired, transfer to a T-EES instance not permitted).

[0146] In step 12a or 12b, in some modes, the S-EES 216A or T-EES 216B, respectively, may notify the EEC 206 whether the context push operation was successful or unsuccessful. If the push was unsuccessful, in some modes, the S-EES 216A or T-EES 216B may indicate the reason for the operation's failure. In some modes, the T-EES 216B may notify the EEC 206 if the operation was successful and / or the S-EES 216A may notify the EEC 206 if the operation was unsuccessful.

[0147] In step 13, in some modes, the EEC 206 will send a request to an AC 204 to initiate the application context transfer. In some modes, the EEC 206 may be triggered to send this request by Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, pp. 56 / 79 51 / 61 notification of S-EES 216A or T-EES 216B.

[0148] Figures 7A and 7B are a flowchart of one embodiment of a 700 method for EEC context transfer authorization by EEC. In 702, in some implementations, an EEC 206 can request a 702 authorization token from a token server 400. The request can be transmitted by any suitable communication method or format, such as via a Uu wireless interface, via a management frame, etc. The request may include an identification of the EEC and / or an associated AC or ACs, a UE ID or WTRU ID, or any other similar information. In some implementations, the request may include an identification of a source and / or destination EES.

[0149] In 704, the token server can, in some implementations, determine whether the EEC is authorized to request a token. For example, the token server can verify a cryptographic signature (e.g., an EEC public key), a user ID, or any other similar information. Otherwise, the request can be denied, either explicitly or by not returning a token. If authorized, in 706, the token server 400 can generate a token and provide it to the EEC. The token can be of any type and format and can include a hash or cryptographic signature, a UE or WTRU ID, a source and / or destination EES identifier, or any other similar information. For example, in some implementations, the token can include Authorization Limits, such as expiration time, location, application type or class, user identifier, T-EES identifier, or any other type and form of limit. In 708, the EEC can receive the token.

[0150] As discussed above, in some implementations, the application context may perform a “push” from the source EES to the destination EES, while in other implementations, the application context may perform a “pull” from the destination EES to the source EES. As used in the present invention, performing push and pull can therefore indicate which of the EESs initiates the context transfer from the other. Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, pp. 57 / 79 52 / 61 EES (for example, performing a pull through the T-EES or performing a push through the S-EES).

[0151] If the device is configured for “pull” mode in 710, then in 712, in some modes, EEC 206 may determine whether to reallocate an application context. This may be based on any type and form of information or measurement, such as the device location, measurements of network characteristics including latency, transfer rate, bandwidth and congestion, geographical proximity of an EES, etc.

[0152] In some implementations, in response to the determination of application context relocation, in 714, EEC 206 may provide the authorization token to a destination server (e.g., T-EES 216B). In some implementations, the provision of the authorization token may involve selecting, from a plurality of EES, a suitable T-EES to receive the application context and provide application services after relocation. The T-EES may be selected based on its location, its network connection, or characteristics of a network connection between the EEC and the T-EES, etc. For example, the T-EES may be selected based on characteristics (e.g., physical, logical, functional, or other) that match, conform to, or correspond to the authorization boundaries associated with the token, as discussed above. In 716, T-EES 216B may receive the token.As discussed above, the token may include Authorization Limits, such as expiration time, location, application type or class, user identifier, T-EES identifier, or any other type and form of limit.

[0153] In 718, T-EES 216B may attempt to validate or verify the token. Token validation may involve verifying a hash or cryptographic signature of the token, or transmitting a message to a 400 token server or other authorization server to obtain information that allows verification of the token. For example, in some implementations, T-EES may provide a user identifier, location, or other similar information to the server. Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, pp. 58 / 79 53 / 61 tokens. In some embodiments, the token may be signed with a private key of the token server, and T-EES may verify the token's provenance through a public key of the token server and verification of the token's information payload. In 720, the token server may verify the token (e.g., compare the token to an EEC user or database, etc.) and / or verify the token's authorization limits (e.g., whether T-EES 216B is authorized to use the token for a context transfer, whether the token is not expired, whether the token is associated with a T-EES-provided application or an associated EAS, whether T-EES resources match or comply with the authorization limits associated with the token, etc.). The token server may respond to T-EES with an authorization ID or an error (or other message indicating the token's invalidity or lack of authorization to use it).

[0154] In 722, if the token is valid, the T-EES can transmit a context information request from an application client of an S-EES that was providing service to the CA (e.g., a context “pull” request). The context information request can include the token and / or can include an authorization or token validity ID, an ID of the CA or EEC or UE / WTRU or a device user, or any other type and formation of information. In 724, the S-EES can provide the context to the destination server. The context can be in any suitable format, such as a plain file, database, parameter-value pairs, sequence or array of data, bitmap, XML data, compressed data, or any other type and format to provide state or context information from an application client and / or application server.

[0155] In 726, T-EES may provide Application Context Relocation (ACR) information to EEC 206 to complete the transfer, such as synchronization or handshake information with T-EES, status information or other identifiers, or any other type and form of information that allows EEC and / or AC Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, pp. 59 / 79 54 / 61 resume use of an application provided by an EAS. In 728, EEC 206 may receive this information from ACR and use it to continue communications from an AC with a corresponding EAS (e.g., continue accessing a web application, etc.).

[0156] Returning to Figure 7B, in implementations that use context push requests, in 730, the EEC 206 can transmit an authorization token to an EES-S. As discussed above, this can be performed at some point before the loss or compromise of communications or before the physical movement of the UE / WTRU and, consequently, the token transmission may not indicate the performance of a context transfer.

[0157] In 732, EES-S 216A can determine if relocation is necessary. For example, EES-S 216A can monitor communications with EEC 206 to determine if the UE / WTRU has traveled beyond a designated region, if communications have been impaired or slowed down (e.g., due to interference or congestion, etc.). If not, EES-S can wait (and continue providing application services to the CA). If so, in 734, EES-S can select a destination server. T-EES-S 216B selection may involve identifying a T-EES associated with a new WTRU / UE location; identifying a T-EES with sufficient bandwidth or processing resources, etc. In some implementations, T-EES selection may involve determining that the T-EES resources match, meet, or correspond to the authorization limits associated with the token. In version 736, EES-S can transmit a context transfer request to T-EES.The request may include the token or a token identifier (e.g., a hash or other cryptographic function); an application client identifier, EEC, user identifier, UE or WTRU, or any other similar information. In some implementations, the request may include Authorization Limits or other similar information. Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, pp. 60 / 79 55 / 61

[0158] In 738, the T-EES may attempt to validate the token. Token validation may involve transmitting the token, a hash of the token, a signed version of the token, or any other type and form of information to the token server 400. In some implementations, token validation may involve determining that the token has not expired and / or that the T-EES is authorized to use the token (if valid). In 740, the token server may determine whether the token is valid or not and may, respectively, provide the token information or similar information to the T-EES, or may transmit an error message to the T-EES (e.g., indicating that the token is invalid, has expired, that the T-EES does not have the authority or permission to use the token, etc.).

[0159] In 742, if the token is valid and the T-EES is authorized, the T-EES may transmit a response to the initial transfer request. In some implementations, the response may request that context information be provided to the T-EES. In 744, in response to receiving the response to the context transfer request, the S-EES may provide ACR information to the EEC and / or any other type and form of information (e.g., an identification of the selected destination server or of the T-EES, etc.). In 746, the EEC may receive confirmation by any suitable means (e.g., a UU interface or other similar interference).

[0160] Figure 8 is a flowchart of one embodiment of an 802 method for authorizing EEC context transfer by EEC, from the perspective of a token server or ECS. In some 802 implementations, the server may receive an authorization token request. The request may be received from a UE / WTRU, a CA or EAC executed by the UE / WTRU or on behalf of the UE / WTRU, etc. The request may comprise an identification of the UE / WTRU, the CA and / or EAC, an S-EES and / or T-EES for context transfer, or any other type and format of information. Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, pp. 61 / 79 56 / 61

[0161] In 804, in some implementations, the server may provide the token to the requesting entity (e.g., the UE / WTRU, the CA or EAC run by or on behalf of the UE / WTRU, etc.). The token may comprise one or more Authorisation Limits, including a time or expiration date, an identification of applications and / or EES(es) that may provide application service, etc.

[0162] Subsequently (for example, during a context transfer process), in 808, the token server may receive a request to validate the token from an S-EES or T-EES. The request may include any type and form of supporting information, including identifiers of the AC, EAC, or EES(s), a time-of-use or time-of-validity token, user identifiers, etc. In some implementations, the token may be signed using a cryptographic key pair, and the token server may include the signed data within the original token data to ensure that it is still valid.

[0163] If the token is invalid or expired, or if the T-EES is not authorized for a context transfer (for example, it does not have characteristics that match or comply with the authorization limits associated with the token), in 810, the token server may reject the token and provide an identification of the reason(s) for the rejection (for example, expiration of the validity period, restrictions on which EES is authorized or eligible to use the token, etc.). If the TEES is authorized and / or the token is valid, in 812, the token server may provide authorization confirmation to the requesting device or entity. For example, if the T-EES requested token validation, the token server may provide confirmation or other notification of token validity or authorization to perform the context transfer to the T-EES.If S-EES has requested token validation, the token server may provide confirmation or other notification of token validity or authorization to perform the context transfer to S-EES. Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, pp. 62 / 79 57 / 61

[0164] Consequently, this disclosure is directed to modalities of methods and systems for authorizing the transfer of specific context instances from an S-EES to a T-EES. Modalities of these methods and systems can ensure that context information associated with the EEC is sent only to a T-EES authorized to receive the context.

[0165] In a first aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a method for authorizing the transfer of an edge enabler client (EEC) context. The method includes determining, by an edge enabler client (EEC) running a wireless transmit and receive unit (WTRU), the relocation of an application context from a first edge enabler server. The method also includes, in response to the determination, requesting, by the edge enabler client (EEC) from a token server, an authorization token, the request comprising an identification of the application context and an identification of one or more authorization boundaries, wherein the one or more authorization boundaries correspond to the characteristics of the edge enabler servers required for authorization.The method also includes receiving, via the token server's EEC, the authorization token for the application context and, in some implementations, an identification of one or more authorization boundaries. The method also includes transmitting, via the EEC to the first edge enablement server, the authorization token. The method also includes the EEC receiving, from one of the edge enablement servers and a second edge enablement server, an indication that the authorization token was used to authorize a context transfer from the first edge enablement server to the second edge enablement server, in response to the second edge enablement server with characteristics matching one or more authorization boundaries.

[0166] In some implementations, the indication is received from the second edge enablement server, where the second edge enablement server Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, pp. 63 / 79 58 / 61 transmits the indication to the EEC, which successfully retrieves the EEC context information from the first edge enablement server. In a further implementation, the method includes the selection of the second edge enablement server by the EEC from a plurality of edge enablement servers. In yet another implementation, the method includes the transmission of an application context relocation request to the second edge enablement server, where the application context relocation request comprises the authorization token.

[0167] In some implementations, the indication is received from the first edge enablement server, the first edge enablement server transmitting the indication to the EEC, which responds to the first edge enablement server by successfully pushing the EEC context information to the second edge enablement server. In a further implementation, the first edge enablement server selects the second edge enablement server from a plurality of edge enablement servers.

[0168] In some implementations, the method includes determining the relocation of the application context from the first edge enabler server by monitoring a physical location or the movement of the WTRU. In some implementations, the method includes the transmission, via the EEC, of ​​a request comprising the identification of one or more authorization boundaries. In an additional implementation, one or more authorization boundaries comprise(s) the identification of the destination edge enabler servers authorized to use the authorization token to receive the relocated application context.

[0169] In some implementations, the authorization threshold(s) do not identify a specific edge enabler server. In some implementations, the authorization threshold(s) comprise the identification of an authorization token validity period, a location or region, a minimum communication latency, an application capability, or a maximum level of Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, pp. 64 / 79 59 / 61 usage.

[0170] In another aspect, the present disclosure relates to a method. The method includes receiving, by an authorization token server, a request from an edge enabler client (EEC) executed by a wireless transmit and receive unit (WTRU), for an authorization token, such request comprising an identification of an application context associated with a first edge enabler server and an identification of one or more authorization boundaries, the authorization boundary(ies) corresponding to the edge enabler server characteristics required for authorization. The method also includes providing, by the authorization token server to the EEC, the authorization token. The method also includes subsequently receiving, by the authorization token server from a second edge enabler server, the authorization token.The method also includes determining, by the authorization token server, based on the characteristics of the second edge enablement server that match the authorization boundary(ies), that the authorization token is valid and authorizes the relocation of the application context to the second edge enablement server. The method also includes, in response to this determination, communicating, by the authorization token server, an authorization for the relocation of the application context to one or more of the EEC, the first edge enablement server and the second edge enablement server.

[0171] In some implementations, one or more authorization boundaries do not identify a specific edge enablement server. In some implementations, one or more authorization boundaries comprise identifications of specific target edge enablement servers authorized to use the authorization token to receive the relocated application context. In some implementations, one or more authorization boundaries comprise a location or region, a minimum communication latency, an application capability, or a maximum level of Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, pp. 65 / 79 60 / 61 usage. In some implementations, one or more authorization limits comprise an authorization token validity period. In some implementations, the application context comprises WTRU or User Equipment (UE) identity information, location information, and application client (AC) profiles.

[0172] In another aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a wireless transmitting and receiving unit (WTRU) configured to perform modes of the methods discussed above. In another aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a user equipment (UE) configured to perform modes of the methods discussed above. In another aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a network device configured to perform modes of the methods discussed above. In another aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a computing device configured to perform modes of the methods discussed above. In another aspect, the present disclosure is directed to an integrated circuit configured to perform modes of the methods discussed above.In another aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a non-transient computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform embodiments of the methods discussed above. Although the features and elements are described above in specific combinations, a person skilled in the art will understand that each feature or element can be used alone or in any combination with the other features and elements. Furthermore, the methods described in the present invention can be implemented in a computer program, software, or firmware embedded in a computer-readable medium for execution by a computer or processor. Examples of computer-readable media include electronic signals (transmitted by wired or wireless connections) and computer-readable storage media. Examples of media. Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, pp. 66 / 79 61 / 61 computer-readable storage devices include, among others, read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), a register, cache memory, semiconductor memory devices, magnetic media such as internal and removable hard disks, magneto-optical media, and optical media such as CD-ROMs and digital versatile discs (DVDs). A processor in conjunction with software can be used to implement a radio frequency transceiver for use in a WTRU, UE, terminal, base station, RNC, or any host computer. Petition 870250094111, dated 10 / 15 / 2025, pp. 67 / 79

Claims

1 / 5 CLAIMS 1. Method for authorizing edge enabler client (EEC) context transfer, CHARACTERIZED in that it comprises: determining, by an edge enabler client (EEC) running a wireless transmit and receive unit (WTRU), to relocate an application context from a first edge enabler server; sending a first message, in response to the determination, by the EEC to a token server, wherein the first message is a request for an authorization token, wherein the first message comprises an identification of the application context and an identification of one or more authorization boundaries, the one or more authorization boundaries corresponding to the characteristics of the edge enabler servers required for authorization; receiving, a second message by the EEC from the token server, wherein the second message comprises the authorization token for the application context;Send a third message, via the EEC to the first edge enablement server, wherein the third message comprises the authorization token and an identification of one or more authorization boundaries; and receive a fourth message, via the EEC from the first edge enablement server, wherein the fourth message comprises an indication that the authorization token was used to authorize a context transfer from the first edge enablement server to a second edge enablement server.

2. Method, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that the fourth message is in response to the first edge enabler server successfully sending EEC application context information to the second edge enabler server with characteristics corresponding to one or more authorization boundaries. Petition 870250091593, dated 10 / 07 / 2025, p. 16 / 21 2 / 5 3. Method, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that determining the relocation of the application context of the first edge enabling server additionally comprises monitoring a physical location or movement of the WTRU.

4. Method, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that one or more authorization boundaries do not identify a specific edge enabling server.

5. Method, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that one or more authorization boundaries identify specific edge enabling servers for authorization with the token.

6. Method, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that one or more authorization boundaries identify certain types of edge-enabling servers for authorization with the token.

7. Method, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that one or more authorization boundaries identify edge-enabling servers at specific locations for token-based authorization.

8. Method, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that one or more authorization boundaries identify edge enabling servers that are not authorized with the token.

9. Method, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that one or more authorization limits comprise an identification of a time period for the validity of the authorization token, a location or region, a minimum communication latency, an application capability, or a maximum level of utilization. Petition 870250091593, dated 10 / 07 / 2025, p. 17 / 21 3 / 5 10. Method according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that the third message comprises a token validity period.

11. Wireless transmission / reception unit (WTRU) comprising an edge enabler client (EEC), the WTRU CHARACTERIZED in that it comprises: a receiver; a transmitter; and a processor, wherein: the processor is configured to determine the relocation of an application context from a first edge enabler server; the transmitter is configured to send a first message, in response to the determination, to a token server, wherein the first message is a request for an authorization token, wherein the first message comprises an identification of the application context and an identification of one or more authorization boundaries, wherein the one or more authorization boundaries correspond to the characteristics of the edge enabler servers necessary for authorization; the receiver is configured to receive a second message, from the token server, the authorization token for the application context;The transmitter is additionally configured to send a third message to the first edge enablement server, wherein the third message comprises the authorization token and an identification of one or more authorization boundaries; and the receiver is additionally configured to receive a fourth message from the first edge enablement server, wherein the fourth message comprises an indication that the authorization token was used to authorize a context transfer from the first edge enablement server to a second edge enablement server.

12. WTRU, according to claim 11, CHARACTERIZED in that the fourth message responds to the successful transmission of EEC application context information by the first edge enabler server to the second edge enabler server with characteristics corresponding to one or more authorization boundaries.

13. WTRU, according to claim 11, CHARACTERIZED in that the processor is additionally configured to monitor a physical location or movement of the WTRU.

14. WTRU, according to claim 11, CHARACTERIZED in that one or more authorization boundaries do not identify a specific edge enabling server.

15. WTRU, according to claim 11, CHARACTERIZED in that one or more authorization boundaries identify specific edge-enabling servers for authorization with the token.

16. WTRU, according to claim 11, CHARACTERIZED in that one or more authorization boundaries identify certain types of edge-enabling servers for authorization with the token.

17. WTRU, according to claim 11, CHARACTERIZED in that one or more authorization boundaries identify edge-enabling servers at certain locations for token-based authorization.

18. WTRU, according to claim 11, CHARACTERIZED in that one or more authorization boundaries identify edge enabling servers that are not authorized with the token.

19. WTRU, according to claim 11, CHARACTERIZED in that one or more authorization limits comprise an identification of a Petition 870250091593, dated 07 / 10 / 2025, page 19 / 21 5 / 5 validity period of the authorization token, a location or region, a minimum communication latency, an application capability or a maximum utilization level.

20. WTRU, according to claim 11, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that the third message comprises a validity period of the token. Petition 870250091593, dated 07 / 10 / 2025, pp. 20 / 21

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