Method and apparatus for position reporting

Abstract

A method and apparatus for location reporting are disclosed. According to one embodiment, a mobility management node determines to establish a connection between the mobility management node and a terminal device for which a location report is required. The mobility management node sends a request to a base station for establishing the connection. The request is configured to request the base station to report the location information of the terminal device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to communications, and more particularly to methods and apparatus for location reporting. Background Art

[0002] This section introduces aspects that may facilitate a better understanding of the present disclosure. Therefore, the statements in this section should be read in this sense, and should not be understood as an admission of what is or is not prior art.

[0003] The Next Generation (NG) Radio Access Network (RAN) supports NG-RAN location reporting for services that require accurate cell identification (e.g. emergency services, lawful interception, charging), or UE mobility event notification services subscribed to the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) by other network functions (NFs). The AMF may use NG-RAN location reporting when the target User Equipment (UE) is in the Connection Management (CM)-CONNECTED state. Summary of the invention

[0004] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0005] One of the objects of the present disclosure is to provide an improved solution for location reporting.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a method implemented at a mobility management node is provided. The method may include determining to establish a connection between the mobility management node and a terminal device for which a location report is required. The method may also include sending a request to a base station for establishing the connection. The request may be configured to request the base station to report the location information of the terminal device.

[0007] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the determining that a connection is to be established may include: determining that the terminal device is to transition from a connection management idle (CM-IDLE) state to a CM-CONNECTED (connection management connected) state.

[0008] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the request for establishing a connection may be a request for establishing a context for the terminal device.

[0009] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the request may be configured to request the base station to report the location information of the terminal device by including an information element (IE) for requesting a location report.

[0010] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the request for establishing a connection may be an INITIAL CONTEXT SETUP REQUEST message or a DOWNLINK NAS TRANSPORT message. The IE for requesting a location report may be a Location Reporting Request Type IE indicating the type of location report requested.

[0011] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the type of the requested location report may be one of the following: used to report that the terminal device moves into an area of ​​interest; used to report that the terminal device moves out of an area of ​​interest; or used to report the location of the terminal device.

[0012] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a method implemented at a base station is provided. The method may include receiving a request from a mobility management node for establishing a connection between the mobility management node and a terminal device. The request may be configured to request the base station to report location information of the terminal device. The method may also include reporting the location information of the terminal device to the mobility management node according to the request.

[0013] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the received request for establishing a connection may be accompanied by a transition of the terminal device from a CM-IDLE state to a CM-CONNECTED state.

[0014] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the request for establishing a connection may be a request for establishing a context for the terminal device.

[0015] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the request may be configured to request the base station to report the location information of the terminal device by including an IE for requesting a location report.

[0016] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the request for establishing a connection may be an initial context establishment request message or a downlink non-access layer transmission message. The IE for requesting a location report may be a location report request type IE indicating the type of the requested location report. The location information of the terminal device may be reported to the mobility management node according to the indicated type.

[0017] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a mobility management node is provided. The mobility management node may include at least one processor and at least one memory. The at least one memory may contain instructions executable by the at least one processor, whereby the mobility management node may be operable to determine to establish a connection between the mobility management node and a terminal device for which a location report is required. The mobility management node may also be operable to send a request to a base station for establishing the connection. The request may be configured to request the base station to report the location information of the terminal device.

[0018] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the mobility management node may be operable to execute the method according to the above first aspect.

[0019] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a base station is provided. The base station may include at least one processor and at least one memory. The at least one memory may contain instructions executable by the at least one processor, whereby the base station may be operable to receive a request from a mobility management node for establishing a connection between the mobility management node and a terminal device. The request may be configured to request the base station to report location information of the terminal device. The base station may also be operable to report the location information of the terminal device to the mobility management node according to the request.

[0020] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the base station may be operable to perform the method according to the above-mentioned second aspect.

[0021] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product is provided. The computer program product may include instructions, which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method according to any one of the first and second aspects.

[0022] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided. The computer-readable storage medium may contain instructions, which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method according to any one of the first and second aspects.

[0023] According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, a mobility management node is provided. The mobility management node may include a determination module, configured to determine whether to establish a connection between the mobility management node and a terminal device for which a location report is required. The mobility management node may also include a sending module, configured to send a request to a base station for establishing the connection. The request is configured to request the base station to report the location information of the terminal device.

[0024] According to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, a base station is provided. The base station may include a receiving module, configured to receive a request from a mobility management node for establishing a connection between the mobility management node and a terminal device. The request is configured to request the base station to report location information of the terminal device. The base station may also include a location reporting module, configured to report the location information of the terminal device to the mobility management node according to the request.

[0025] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, signaling between the mobility management node and the base station can be reduced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] These and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure, which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

[0027] Figure 1 is a flow chart illustrating a method implemented at a mobility management node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 2 is a flow chart showing a method implemented at a base station according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating an apparatus suitable for use in practicing some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0031] Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating a mobility management node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0032] Figure 6 is a block diagram illustrating a base station according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] For purposes of explanation, certain details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. However, it is apparent to one skilled in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details or with an equivalent configuration.

[0034] The Session Management Function (SMF) can subscribe to UE mobility event notifications from the AMF, such as reporting UE location, UE moving into or out of an Area of ​​Interest (AOI), etc., by calling the Namf_EventExposure_Subscribe service operation. After subscription, the AMF can perform a location reporting procedure.

[0035] The AMF may request a NG-RAN location report using the event report type (e.g., UE location or UE presence in AOI), reporting mode and its related parameters (e.g., number of reports).

[0036] As previously mentioned, the NG-RAN location reporting procedure may be performed when the UE is in the CM-CONNECTED state. The location information of the UE is reported by the NR-RAN to the AMF and then to the SMF. When the UE transitions to the CM-IDLE state, the NG-RAN location reporting procedure stops. Later, when the UE wants to change the state from CM-IDLE to CM-CONNECTED and there is an event subscription (e.g., AOI), the NG-RAN location reporting procedure will not be automatically restarted. In order to accompany the UE's transition from the CM-IDLE state to the CM-CONNECTED state, a message for establishing a connection between the AMF and the UE, such as a message for establishing a UE context, which may be referred to as an initial context establishment message, is sent from the AMF to the NG-RAN. However, there is no indication of instructions for location reporting, such as a location reporting request type information element (IE), included in the initial context establishment or downlink NAS transport message. In addition to the previous request for the NG-RAN location reporting procedure when the UE previously transitioned to its CM-CONNECTED state, the AMF must explicitly re-request the NG-RAN location report with a separate location reporting procedure.

[0037] The present disclosure proposes improved solutions for location reporting. These solutions can be applied to a wireless communication system including a terminal device, a base station and a mobility management node. The terminal device can communicate with the base station via a radio access communication link. The base station can provide a radio access communication link to a terminal device in its communication service cell. The base station can be, for example, a gNB in ​​a new radio (NR) or an evolved node B (eNB) in LTE. It should be noted that communication can be performed between the terminal device and the base station according to any suitable communication standard and protocol. The mobility management node can perform mobility management of the terminal device. For example, the mobility management node can be an AMF in NR or an MME in LTE.

[0038] The terminal device may also be referred to as, for example, an access terminal, a user equipment (UE), a mobile station, a mobile unit, a user station, etc. It may refer to any terminal device capable of accessing a wireless communication network and receiving services therefrom. By way of example and not limitation, the terminal device may include a portable computer, an image capture terminal device such as a digital camera, a game terminal device, a music storage and player, a mobile phone, a cellular phone, a smart phone, a tablet computer, a wearable device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), etc.

[0039] In the Internet of Things (IoT) scenario, a terminal device may refer to a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurement and transmits the results of such monitoring and / or measurement to another terminal device and / or network device. In this case, the terminal device may be a machine-to-machine (M2M) device, which may be referred to as a machine type communication (MTC) device in the context of the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). Specific examples of such machines or devices may include sensors, metering devices (such as power meters), industrial machinery, bicycles, vehicles, or household or personal appliances (e.g., refrigerators, televisions), personal wearable devices (such as watches), and the like.

[0040] In the following, reference will be made to Figures 1 to 6 Describe the solution in detail. Figure 1 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method implemented at a mobility management node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, the mobility management node may take the form of an AMF, an MME, or any other entity having similar functionality. In box 102, the mobility management node determines that a connection is to be established between the mobility management node and a terminal device for which a location report is required. For example, in the case of NR (which means that the mobility management node is an AMF), if the terminal device is performing a registration update procedure or a service request procedure, or if the AMF is performing a service request procedure for the terminal device (which means that the terminal device is transitioning from CM_IDLE to CM_CONNECTED), the AMF may determine that a connection is to be established between the AMF and the terminal device. If a NF (such as an SMF, a network exposure function (NEF), etc.) has subscribed to a mobility event notification for a terminal device from the AMF, the AMF may determine that a location report is required for the terminal device.

[0041] In box 104, the mobility management node sends a request for establishing a connection to the base station. The request is configured to request the base station to report the location information of the terminal device. Since the request for establishing the connection also requires the base station to report the location information of the terminal device, the signaling between the mobility management node and the base station can be reduced. In the case of NR, if there is any downlink data destined for the terminal device, the service delay can be reduced because an indication of the location of the terminal device (for example, the terminal device moves into the AOI) can be provided from the AMF to the SMF in a timely manner. For example, the request for establishing the connection can be a request for establishing a context for the terminal device. In order to request the base station to report the location information of the terminal device, the request for establishing the connection may include an IE for requesting a location report.

[0042] As an illustrative example, the request for establishing a connection may be an initial context setup request message (in the case of a registration update procedure or a service request procedure), or a downlink NAS transport message (in the case of a registration update procedure). The IE for requesting a location report may be an IE called a location report request type, which indicates the type of location report requested, such as UE location, UE moving in or out of the AOI, etc. The location report request is included in a message that is first sent from the 5th Generation Core (5GC) to the NG-RAN node when the terminal device transitions from CM-IDLE to CM-CONNECTED. As an example, the message first sent from the 5GC to the NG-RAN is an initial context setup message requesting to establish a connection. In this way, the NG-RAN location reporting process can be optimized.

[0043] For example, the Initial Context Setup Request message defined in Chapter 9.2.2.1 of 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 38.413 v15.1.0 may be modified using the enhancements introduced in the last row of Table 1 below (underlined for ease of reading). The Downlink NAS Transport message defined in Chapter 9.2.5.2 of 3GPP TS 38.413 v15.1.0 may be modified using the enhancements introduced in the last row of Table 2 below (also underlined for ease of reading). It should be noted that although the method has been described above in the context of NR, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the same principles may also be applied to other suitable technologies such as LTE (e.g., the MME may send an Initial Context Setup Request message including a Location Report Request Type IE to the eNB).

[0044]

[0045]

[0046] Table 1: Initial context establishment request enhanced by adding location report request type

[0047]

[0048] Table 2 Downlink NAS transmission enhanced by adding location report request type

[0049] Figure 22 is a flowchart illustrating a method implemented at a base station according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In box 202, the base station receives a request from a mobility management node for establishing a connection between the mobility management node and a terminal device. The request is configured to request the base station to report the location information of the terminal device. As described above, the received request for establishing a connection may be accompanied by a transition of the terminal device from a CM-IDLE state to a CM-CONNECTED state. Box 202 corresponds to box 104 and its details are omitted here. In box 204, the base station reports the location information of the terminal device to the mobility management node according to the request. For example, in the case of NR, the request for establishing a connection may be an initial context establishment request message or a downlink NAS transmission message. The IE for requesting a location report may be an IE called a location report request type, which indicates the type of location report requested. The location information of the terminal device is reported to the mobility management node according to the indicated type. If the location report request type IE is included in the initial context establishment request message or the downlink NAS transmission message, the base station may perform the requested location reporting function for the terminal device as described in sub-clause 8.12 of 3GPP TS 38.413v15.1.0. It should be noted that two blocks shown consecutively in the drawings may actually be executed substantially in parallel, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending on the functions involved.

[0050] Figure 3 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in the figure, in the exemplary process, the mobility management node is an AMF and the base station is a NG-RAN node. In box 301, the AMF determines that the UE is about to transition from the CM-IDLE state to the CM-CONNECTED state, and a location report is required for the UE. In box 302, the AMF sends an initial context establishment request or a downlink NAS transport message to the NG-RAN node, which is enhanced by including a location report request type IE indicating the type of location report requested. In box 303, according to the indicated type of location report requested, the NG-RAN node sends the UE's location report to the AMF.

[0051] Figure 4 4 is a block diagram showing an apparatus suitable for use in practicing some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, any of the above-mentioned mobility management nodes and base stations can be implemented by apparatus 400. As shown, apparatus 400 may include a processor 410, a memory 420 storing programs, and an optional communication interface 430 for communicating data with other external devices via wired and / or wireless communications.

[0052] The program includes program instructions that, when executed by the processor 410, enable the device 400 to operate according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, as discussed above. That is, the embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented at least in part by computer software executable by the processor 410, or by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0053] The memory 420 may be of any type suitable for the local technical environment and may be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, flash memory, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and removable memory. The processor 410 may be of any type suitable for the local technical environment and may include, as non-limiting examples, one or more of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture.

[0054] Figure 5 5 is a block diagram illustrating a mobility management node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in the figure, the mobility management node 500 includes a determination module 502 and a sending module 504. The determination module 502 may be configured to determine that a connection is to be established between the mobility management node and a terminal device for which a location report is required, as described above with respect to block 102. The sending module 504 may be configured to send a request to a base station for establishing the connection, as described above with respect to block 104. The request is configured to request the base station to report the location information of the terminal device.

[0055] Figure 6 6 is a block diagram illustrating a base station according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in the figure, the base station 600 includes a receiving module 602 and a location reporting module 604. The receiving module 602 may be configured to receive a request for establishing a connection between the mobility management node and a terminal device from a mobility management node, as described above with respect to block 202. The request is configured to request the base station to report the location information of the terminal device. The location reporting module 604 may be configured to report the location information of the terminal device to the mobility management node according to the request, as described above with respect to block 204. The above modules may be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination of both.

[0056] In general, various exemplary embodiments may be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. For example, some aspects may be implemented in hardware, while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software that may be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device, although the disclosure is not limited thereto. Although various aspects of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be shown and described as block diagrams, flow charts, or using some other graphical representations, it should be well understood that, as non-limiting examples, the blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuits or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers, or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0057] Thus, it should be understood that at least some aspects of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced in various components such as integrated circuit chips and modules. Thus, it should be understood that the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in a device embodied as an integrated circuit, wherein the integrated circuit may include circuits (and possibly firmware) for embodying at least one or more of a data processor, a digital signal processor, a baseband circuit, and a radio frequency circuit that may be configured to operate according to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0058] It should be understood that at least some aspects of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be embodied in computer executable instructions executed by one or more computers or other devices, such as embodied in one or more program modules. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., which perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types when executed by a processor in a computer or other device. Computer executable instructions may be stored on a computer readable medium, such as a hard disk, an optical disk, a removable storage medium, a solid-state memory, a RAM, etc. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the functions of the program modules may be combined or distributed as needed in various embodiments. In addition, the functions may be embodied in firmware or hardware equivalents (such as integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), etc.) in whole or in part.

[0059] References in this disclosure to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," etc., indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment must include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in conjunction with an embodiment, it is within the knowledge of those skilled in the art to implement such feature, structure, or characteristic in conjunction with other embodiments, whether or not explicitly described.

[0060] It should be understood that, although the terms "first", "second", etc. can be used in this article to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. For example, the first element can be referred to as the second element, and similarly, the second element can be referred to as the first element without departing from the scope of this disclosure. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed terms.

[0061] The terms used herein are only used to describe the purpose of specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. As used herein, the singular "a, an" and "the" are intended to also include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that the terms "include", "have" and / or "comprise" when used herein refer to the existence of stated features, elements and / or components, and do not exclude the existence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components and / or their combinations. The term "connection" used herein covers the direct and / or indirect connection between two elements.

[0062] The present disclosure includes any novel feature or feature combination disclosed herein, either explicitly or in any generalized form thereof. When read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, various modifications and adaptations to the above exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the relevant art in view of the above description. However, any and all modifications will still fall within the scope of the non-limiting and exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A method implemented at a mobility management node, the method comprising: Determining to establish a connection between the mobility management node and a terminal device for which a location report is required, wherein determining to establish a connection comprises: determining that the terminal device transitions from a connection management idle CM-IDLE state to a connection management connected CM-CONNECTED state; and Sending a request for establishing the connection to a base station, wherein the request is an initial context establishment request message, and wherein the request is configured to request the base station to report the location information of the terminal device by the following operations: including an information element IE for requesting a location report, wherein the IE is a location report request type IE indicating a type of the requested location report, and wherein the type of the requested location report is one of the following: To report that a terminal device has entered an area of ​​interest; or Used to report that the terminal device has moved out of the area of ​​interest; The mobility management node is an access and mobility management function AMF.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The request for establishing a connection is a request for establishing a context for the terminal device.

3. A method implemented at a base station, the method comprising: A request for establishing a connection between the mobility management node and a terminal device is received from a mobility management node, wherein the request is an initial context establishment request message for establishing a context for the terminal device, and wherein the request is configured to request the base station to report the location information of the terminal device by: including an information element IE for requesting a location report, wherein the IE is a location report request type IE indicating a type of the requested location report, and wherein the type of the requested location report is one of the following: To report that a terminal device has entered an area of ​​interest; or Used to report that the terminal device has moved out of the area of ​​interest; and Reporting the location information of the terminal device to the mobility management node according to the request and the indicated type; The mobility management node is an access and mobility management function AMF.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein: The received request for establishing a connection is accompanied by a transition of the terminal device from a connection management idle CM-IDLE state to a connection management connected CM-CONNECTED state.

5. A mobility management node, comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory containing instructions executable by the at least one processor, whereby the mobility management node is operable to: Determining that a connection is to be established between the mobility management node and the terminal device for which a location report is required by determining that the terminal device transitions from a connection management idle CM-IDLE state to a connection management connected CM-CONNECTED state; as well as Sending a request for establishing the connection to a base station, wherein the request is an initial context establishment request message, and wherein the request is configured to request the base station to report the location information of the terminal device by the following operations: including an information element IE for requesting a location report, wherein the IE is a location report request type IE indicating a type of the requested location report, and wherein the type of the requested location report is one of the following: To report that a terminal device has entered an area of ​​interest; or Used to report that the terminal device has moved out of the area of ​​interest; The mobility management node is an access and mobility management function AMF.

6. The mobility management node according to claim 5, wherein: The mobility management node is operable to perform the method according to claim 2.

7. A base station, comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory containing instructions executable by the at least one processor, whereby the base station is operable to: A request for establishing a connection between the mobility management node and a terminal device is received from a mobility management node, wherein the request is an initial context establishment request message for establishing a context for the terminal device, and wherein the request is configured to request the base station to report the location information of the terminal device by: including an information element IE for requesting a location report, wherein the IE is a location report request type IE indicating a type of the requested location report, and wherein the type of the requested location report is one of the following: To report that a terminal device has entered an area of ​​interest; or Used to report that the terminal device has moved out of the area of ​​interest; and Reporting the location information of the terminal device to the mobility management node according to the request and the indicated type; The mobility management node is an access and mobility management function AMF.

8. The base station according to claim 7, wherein: The base station is operable to perform the method of claim 4.

9. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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