Method and apparatus for a logical TSN bridge

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for a logical time-sensitive network (TSN) bridge are disclosed. According to one embodiment, a session management node receives a first request from a mobility management node in a mobile network for establishing a protocol data unit (PDU) session for a terminal device associated with a port of a logical TSN bridge. The session management node obtains a first port number of the logical TSN bridge on the terminal device side. The session management node obtains configuration information of the logical TSN bridge on the user plane node side corresponding to the PDU session.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to communications, and more particularly to methods and apparatuses for logical Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) bridges. Background Art

[0002] This section presents aspects that may facilitate a better understanding of the present disclosure. Accordingly, statements in this section should be read in this sense and should not be construed as admitting what is prior art or what is not prior art.

[0003] The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.1Q specifies bridge configuration objects that model the configuration of bridge resources. Each bridge has a single bridge configuration object. The bridge configuration information of a bridge includes: the bridge address, the bridge name, the number of ports, the port addresses, and the uptime. The bridge address is the MAC address of the bridge. The bridge name is a text string of up to 32 characters with locally determined significance. The number of ports is the number of bridge ports (Media Access Control (MAC) entities). The port address is a list that specifies the following information for each port: 1) the port number, which is the number of the bridge port; and 2) the port address, which is the specific MAC address of the individual MAC entity associated with the port. The port number is an unsigned value assigned to the port as part of the port identifier (ID). Valid port numbers are in the range from 1 to 4095. 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 objective of the present disclosure is to provide a solution for a logical TSN bridge.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a method in a session management node is provided. The method includes: receiving, from a mobility management node in a mobile network, a first request for establishing a protocol data unit (PDU) session for a terminal device associated with a port of a logical Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) bridge. The method further includes obtaining a first port number of the logical TSN bridge on the terminal device side. The method further includes obtaining configuration information of the logical TSN bridge on the user plane node side corresponding to the PDU session.

[0007] In this way, the PDU session establishment process can be enhanced to meet TSN requirements.

[0008] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the configuration information on the user plane node side includes one or more of the following: the second port number of the logical TSN bridge on the user plane node side; the bridge identifier (ID) identifying the logical TSN bridge; and the bridge name of the logical TSN bridge.

[0009] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the method further includes receiving, from the mobility management node, the port address of the logical TSN bridge on the terminal device side.

[0010] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, at the session management node, a mapping between at least one TSN parameter and at least one mobile network parameter is maintained for both the terminal device side and the user plane node side, respectively.

[0011] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one TSN parameter for the terminal device side includes the first port number, and the at least one TSN parameter for the user plane node side is from the configuration information.

[0012] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one mobile network parameter for the terminal device side includes a first ID identifying the PDU session. The at least one mobile network parameter for the user plane node side includes a second ID identifying a second session between the session management node and the user plane node.

[0013] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the method further includes: sending, via the mobility management node, the first port number and the bridge ID to the terminal device.

[0014] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the method further includes: sending, to the user plane node, a mapping between the first port number and a second ID identifying a second session between the session management node and the user plane node.

[0015] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the mapping between the first port number and the second ID is sent in a session modification request message.

[0016] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the method further includes sending, to the user plane node, the port address on the terminal device side.

[0017] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the method further includes sending, to the policy control node, the mapping maintained for the PDU session.

[0018] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, obtaining the first port number includes: determining the first port number for the terminal device.

[0019] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, obtaining the first port number includes: sending a second request to the user plane node for obtaining the first port number for the terminal device. Obtaining the first port number further includes: receiving the first port number from the user plane node.

[0020] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, obtaining the configuration information includes: determining the configuration information for the user plane node.

[0021] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, obtaining the configuration information includes: sending a third request to the user plane node for obtaining the configuration information. Obtaining the configuration information further includes: receiving the configuration information from the user plane node.

[0022] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the user plane node is controlled by the session management node and at least one additional session management node. The first port number on the terminal device side and the configuration information on the user plane node side are stored in a data storage node, and the data storage node can be accessed by the session management node and the at least one additional session management node.

[0023] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the session management node is a Session Management Function (SMF). The mobility management node is an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF). The user plane node is a User Plane Function (UPF).

[0024] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a method in a user plane node is provided. The method includes receiving, from a session management node, a first request for obtaining a first port number of a logical TSN bridge on the terminal device side. The method further includes determining the first port number for the terminal device. The method further includes determining configuration information of the logical TSN bridge on the user plane node side. The method further includes sending the determined first port number and configuration information to the session management node.

[0025] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the configuration information is determined in response to a second request from the session management node.

[0026] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the configuration information on the user plane node side includes one or more of the following: a second port number of the logical TSN bridge on the user plane node side; a bridge ID identifying the logical TSN bridge; and a bridge name of the logical TSN bridge.

[0027] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the method further includes: receiving, from the session management node, a mapping between the first port number and an ID identifying a session between the session management node and the user plane node.

[0028] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the method further includes: receiving, from the session management node, a port address of the logical TSN bridge on the terminal device side.

[0029] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a method in a terminal device is provided. The method includes: sending a request to a mobility management node in a mobile network for establishing a PDU session for the terminal device associated with a port of a logical TSN bridge. The method further includes: receiving, from the mobility management node, a first port number of the logical TSN bridge on the terminal device side and a bridge ID of the logical TSN bridge.

[0030] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a mapping between TSN parameters and at least one mobile network parameter is maintained at the terminal device. The TSN parameters include the first port number and the bridge ID.

[0031] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one mobile network parameter includes an ID identifying the PDU session.

[0032] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the method further includes: sending, to the mobility management node, a port address of the logical TSN bridge on the terminal device side.

[0033] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, multiple PDU sessions are established for the same port of the logical TSN bridge on the terminal device side.

[0034] In the mapping between the TSN parameters and the at least one mobile network parameter, the first port number for the same port on the terminal device side is bound to the multiple PDU sessions.

[0035] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a session management node is provided. The session management node includes at least one processor and at least one memory. The at least one memory contains instructions executable by the at least one processor, whereby the session management node is operable to receive, from a mobility management node in a mobile network, a first request for establishing a PDU session for a terminal device associated with a port of a logical TSN bridge. The session management node is further operable to obtain a first port number of the logical TSN bridge on the terminal device side. The session management node is further operable to obtain configuration information of the logical TSN bridge on the user plane node side corresponding to the PDU session.

[0036] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the session management node is operable to execute the method according to the first aspect described above.

[0037] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a user plane node is provided. The user plane node includes at least one processor and at least one memory. The at least one memory contains instructions executable by the at least one processor, whereby the user plane node is operable to receive, from a session management node, a first request for obtaining a first port number of a logical TSN bridge on the terminal device side. The user plane node is further operable to determine the first port number for the terminal device. The user plane node is further operable to determine configuration information of the logical TSN bridge on the user plane node side. The user plane node is further operable to send the determined first port number and configuration information to the session management node.

[0038] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the user plane node is operable to execute the method according to the second aspect described above.

[0039] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes at least one processor and at least one memory. The at least one memory contains instructions executable by the at least one processor, whereby the terminal device is operable to send, to a mobility management node in a mobile network, a request for establishing a PDU session for the terminal device associated with a port of a logical TSN bridge. The terminal device is further operable to receive, from the mobility management node, the first port number of the logical TSN bridge on the terminal device side and the bridge ID of the logical TSN bridge.

[0040] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the terminal device is operable to execute the method according to the third aspect described above.

[0041] According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product is provided. The computer program product contains instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to execute the method according to any one of the first to third aspects described above.

[0042] According to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided. The computer-readable storage medium contains instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to execute the method according to any one of the first to third aspects described above.

[0043] According to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure, a session management node is provided. The session management node includes a receiving module configured to receive, from a mobility management node in a mobile network, a first request for establishing a PDU session for a terminal device associated with a port of a logical TSN bridge. The session management node further includes a first obtaining module configured to obtain a first port number of the logical TSN bridge on the terminal device side. The session management node further includes a second obtaining module configured to obtain configuration information of the logical TSN bridge on the user plane node side corresponding to the PDU session.

[0044] According to a tenth aspect of the present disclosure, a user plane node is provided. The user plane node includes a receiving module configured to receive, from a session management node, a first request for obtaining a first port number of a logical TSN bridge on the terminal device side. The user plane node further includes a first determining module configured to determine, for the terminal device, the first port number. The user plane node further includes a second determining module configured to determine configuration information of the logical TSN bridge on the user plane node side. The user plane node further includes a sending module configured to send the determined first port number and configuration information to the session management node.

[0045] According to an eleventh aspect of the present disclosure, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes a sending module configured to send, to a mobility management node in a mobile network, a request for establishing a PDU session for the terminal device associated with a port of a logical TSN bridge. The terminal device further includes a receiving module configured to receive, from the mobility management node, the first port number of the logical TSN bridge on the terminal device side and the bridge ID of the logical TSN bridge. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] 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 conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0047] Figure 1 is a diagram showing an exemplary communication system in which embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied;

[0048] Figure 2 shows Figure 1 an application example of the exemplary communication system;

[0049] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing a method implemented at a session management node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0050] Figure 4 is for illustrating Figure 3 the method;

[0051] Figure 5 is a flowchart of a method for illustration Figure 3 ;

[0052] Figure 6 is a flowchart of a method implemented at a session management node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0053] Figures 7A - 7B shows an example of a mapping table at the SMF;

[0054] Figure 8 shows another example of a mapping table at the SMF;

[0055] Figure 9 is a flowchart of a method implemented at a user plane node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0056] Figure 10 is a flowchart of a method implemented at a user plane node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0057] Figure 11 shows an example of a mapping table at the UPF;

[0058] Figure 12 is a flowchart of a method implemented at a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0059] Figure 13 shows an example of a mapping table at the UE;

[0060] Figure 14 shows another example of a mapping table at the UE;

[0061] Figure 15 shows another example of a mapping table at the UE;

[0062] Figure 16 is a flowchart of an exemplary process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0063] Figure 17 is a block diagram of a device suitable for use in practicing some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0064] Figure 18 is a block diagram of a session management node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0065] Figure 19 is a block diagram of a user plane node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0066] Figure 20 is a block diagram of a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed implementation manners

[0067] For purposes of explanation, some details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details or with equivalent configurations.

[0068] The document S2-1906772, titled "Address editor’s notes for 5G Bridge management and QoSmapping", has been agreed in the SA2#133 meeting, but some issues and editor's notes need to be further discussed and resolved. According to the editor's notes in clause 5.28 of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Technical Specification (TS) 23.501 V16.0.2, it is required to further study (FFS) whether it is the Session Management Function (SMF) or the User Plane Function (UPF) to allocate the port ID of the Device Side (DS)-TSN Translator (TT), and how the port ID on the DS-TT side is sent to the User Equipment (UE). If additional information is needed, it needs further study. Details on how to transparently transfer port management information between the TSN Application Function (AF) and the DS-TT / Network (NW)-TT (including how to determine whether the relevant port is on the DS-TT or the NW-TT) need further study.

[0069] In addition, the 5G logical bridge uses the Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) for topology discovery (according to IEEE802.1AB), but how to manage the MAC addresses of the DS-TT and the NW-TT and report them to the 5GS has not been specified.

[0070] The present disclosure proposes a solution for the logical TSN bridge by mainly discussing the following issues: 1) the allocation of 5G logical bridge port numbers; 2) how to maintain and distribute bridge information and the mapping table between bridge ports and 5G parameters (in the control plane and the data plane); 3) how to enhance the PDU session establishment process to meet the TSN requirements; and 4) the management of port MAC addresses in the 5G logical bridge. In the following, the solution will be described in reference to Figures 1 - 20 be described in detail.

[0071] Figure 1FIG. is a diagram showing an exemplary communication system in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied. As shown, the communication system includes a User Equipment (UE), a (Radio) Access Network ((R)AN), a User Plane Function (UPF), a Data Network (DN), an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), a Session Management Function (SMF), a Policy Control Function (PCF), an Application Function (AF), a Short Message Service Function (SMSF), a Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF), an Authentication Server Function (AUSF), a Unified Data Management (UDM), and a Unified Data Repository (UDR). The functions of the above entities are specifically described in clause 6 of 3GPP TS 23.501, and the entire content of this technical specification is incorporated herein by reference.

[0072] Note that in the context of the present disclosure, the term terminal device (or UE) includes a device capable of communicating with a network node such as a base station or with another wireless device by sending and / or receiving wireless signals. In other words, the term terminal device or UE used herein may also be referred to as, for example, an access terminal, a mobile station, a mobile unit, a user station, etc. It may refer to any (stationary or mobile) end device capable of accessing a wireless communication network and receiving services therefrom. By way of example and not limitation, a UE may include a portable computer, an image capture terminal device such as a digital camera, a game terminal device, a music storage and playback device, a mobile phone, a cellular phone, a smart phone, a tablet computer, a wearable device, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), an integrated or embedded wireless network card, an externally plugged-in wireless network card, and so on.

[0073] In an Internet of Things (IoT) scenario, a UE may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurement and transmits the results of such monitoring and / or measurement to another UE and / or network device. In this case, the UE may be a Machine-to-Machine (M2M) device, which in the 3GPP context may be referred to as a Machine Type Communication (MTC) device. 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 so on.

[0074] As used herein, the term "communication system" refers to a system that complies with any suitable communication standard (such as the first generation (1G), 2G, 2.5G, 2.75G, 3G, 4G, 4.5G, 5G communication protocols), and / or any other protocol known currently or developed in the future. Additionally, the communication between the terminal device and the network node in the communication system can be carried out according to any suitable generation of communication protocol (including but not limited to 1G, 2G, 2.5G, 2.75G, 3G, 4G, 4.5G, 5G communication protocols), and / or any other protocol known currently or developed in the future. Further, the specific terms used herein do not limit the present disclosure to the communication systems related to such specific terms, but these specific terms can also be more generally applicable to other communication systems.

[0075] Figure 2 Illustrates Figure 1 An application example of an exemplary communication system. In this application example, a logical (or virtual) bridge is established in 5GS to connect the TSN bridge / terminal station and the TSN system. As specified in clause 5.29.1 of TS 23.501, the 5G bridge can consist of a port on the UPF (i.e., the PDU session anchor (PSA)) side, a user plane tunnel between the UE and the UPF, and a port on the UE / DS-TT side. The granularity of the logical TSN bridge can be per UPF. As shown in the figure, the logical bridge has three ports on the UE side and two ports on the UPF side. On the UE side, the TT can be a component integrated in the UE or a physical entity separated from the UE. Similarly, on the UPF side, the TT can be a component integrated in the UPF or a physical entity separated from the UPF.

[0076] The 5G logical bridge can mimic the behavior of the TSN bridge to facilitate its integration with the TSN system, thereby minimizing the impact on other TSN entities (such as the centralized network controller (CNC), centralized user configuration (CUC), terminal stations, and other bridges). On the one hand, the 5G logical bridge can maintain bridge configuration information similar to the above, which can be reported to the CNC or exposed to other connected TSN bridges / terminal stations. On the other hand, 5GS can maintain forwarding capabilities (such as PDU sessions, quality of service (QoS) flows) to transfer frames between the ports in the 5G logical bridge. In the control plane and the data plane, a set of mapping tables can be maintained to bind the bridge ports and the related 5G forwarding capabilities. More details about the parameters in the mapping tables and the process for creating and distributing the mapping tables will be provided hereinafter.

[0077] Figure 3It is a flowchart showing a method implemented at a session management node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The session management node can be an SMF or any other entity with similar functions. At block 302, the session management node receives a first request from a mobility management node in a mobile network for establishing a PDU session for a terminal device associated with a port of a logical TSN bridge. The mobility management node can be an AMF or any other entity with similar functions. As an exemplary example, the mobile network can be a 5G network. The port of the logical TSN bridge can be a TSN converter integrated in the terminal device or connected to the terminal device.

[0078] The first request may include identification information of the PDU session (e.g., PDU session ID), identification information of the terminal device (e.g., UE ID, such as a subscription permanent identifier (SUPI)), and identification information of the destination (e.g., data network name (DNN)). For example, according to the DNN, the session management node may determine the need to obtain relevant TSN parameters for the terminal device. In the case of 5GS, the first request may be an Nsmf_PDUSession_CreateSMContext request, where the term "SM" refers to session management.

[0079] At block 304, the session management node obtains a first port number on the terminal device side of the logical TSN bridge. Block 304 can be implemented as block 304-1 or blocks 304-2 to 304-3. At block 304-1, the session management node determines a first port number for the terminal device. For example, an unused number can be selected from a valid port number range (e.g., 1 to 4095) in any suitable manner to serve as the first port number. As another option, at block 304-2, the session management node sends a second request to a user plane node for obtaining a first port number for the terminal device. The user plane node can be a UPF or any other entity with similar functions. The second request may include identification information of the terminal device and identification information of the port associated with the terminal device. In this case, the first port number can be determined by the user plane node. In the case of 5GS, the second request may be an N4 session establishment request or any other suitable message on the N4 reference point. At block 304-3, the session management node receives the first port number from the user plane node.

[0080] At block 306, the session management node obtains the configuration information of the logical TSN bridge on the user plane node side corresponding to the PDU session. The configuration information on the user plane node side may include, but is not limited to, one or more of the following: the second port number of the logical TSN bridge on the user plane node side; the bridge ID identifying the logical TSN bridge; and the bridge name of the logical TSN bridge. For example, block 306 may be implemented as blocks 306-2 to 306-3. At block 306-2, the session management node sends a third request for obtaining the configuration information to the user plane node. In the case of 5GS, the third request may be an N4 session establishment request or any other suitable message on the N4 reference point. At block 306-3, the session management node receives the configuration information from the user plane node.

[0081] Alternatively, the user plane node may actively report the configuration information to the session management node. In this case, the session management node may receive the configuration information without a third request. Alternatively, the session management node may determine the configuration information for the user plane node, as shown in block 306-1. For example, the configuration information may be determined according to the pre-configuration in the session management node. By using the method including blocks 302-306, the PDU session establishment process can be enhanced to meet the TSN requirements.

[0082] At least one mapping between at least one TSN parameter and at least one mobile network parameter may be maintained at the session management node for the terminal device side and the user plane node side, respectively. For example, the mapping may be in the form of a table. For the terminal device side, at least one TSN parameter may include, but is not limited to, the first port number, and at least one mobile network parameter may include, but is not limited to, the first ID identifying the PDU session. For the user plane node side, at least one TSN parameter may be selected from the configuration information, and at least one mobile network parameter may include, but is not limited to, the second ID identifying the second session between the session management node and the user plane node (e.g., the N4 session in 5GS).

[0083] Optionally, in the case where the user plane node is controlled by the session management node and at least one additional session management node, the first port number on the terminal device side and the configuration information on the user plane node side may be stored in a data storage node (e.g., the Unstructured Data Storage Network Function (UDSF)), which can be accessed by the session management node and at least one additional session management node.

[0084] Figure 6It is a flowchart showing a method implemented at a session management node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. At block 608, the session management node sends a first port number and a bridge ID to the terminal device via the mobility management node. At block 610, the session management node sends a mapping between the first port number and a second ID identifying a second session between the session management node and the user plane node to the user plane node. In the case of 5GS, the mapping can be sent in a session modification request message or any other suitable message on the N4 reference point. At block 612, the session management node sends the mapping for PDU session maintenance to the policy control node. The policy control node can be a PCF or any other entity with similar functionality. By using blocks 608 - 612, the PDU session establishment process can be enhanced for delivering port information.

[0085] At block 614, the session management node receives the port address of the logical TSN bridge on the terminal device side from the mobility management node. In this way, the bridge management information can be updated with the port address on the terminal device side. The port address can be the MAC address of the TSN converter associated with the terminal device. In the case of 5GS, the port address can be received during a UE-initiated PDU session modification process. At block 616, the session management node sends the port address on the terminal device side to the user plane node.

[0086] Optionally, additional parameters / indicators can be added to the bridge and port mapping table to indicate a set of special attributes of the port or bridge. Since the 5G system is modeled as a logical bridge, such indicators would be useful for notifying external management or configuration entities (e.g., CNC) of the special attributes of the 5G logical bridge. For example, the indicator can be associated with the bridge ID. Then, the indicator, as part of the mapping table, can be reported to the AF so that the CNC can read the indicator and know that this is a special bridge (5G logical bridge). The use case of this indicator can be to indicate that the 5G logical bridge only supports the exclusive gating feature of IEEE802.1Qbv, such that the CNC will treat the 5G bridge specially.

[0087] Figures 7A - 7B Shows an example of a mapping table maintained in the SMF. Figures 7A - 7B The two examples shown and subsequent examples of the mapping table shown in other figures are based on Figure 2 application examples. Figure 7A Corresponds to the case where the SMF does not collect the port addresses on both sides (DS-TT and NW-TT), while Figure 7BCorresponding to the case of the port addresses on both sides (DS-TT and NW-TT) collected by the SMF. The symbol "-" shown in the first two rows of the mapping table means that there are multiple corresponding IDs (e.g., UE ID, PDU session ID, or N4 session ID) for the UPF port number (UP-a1 or UP-a2). Similarly, the symbol "-" shown in the third to fifth rows of the mapping table means that there are multiple UPF port numbers for the N4 session ID (N4-b1, N4-b2, or N4-c).

[0088] Figure 8 Shows another example of the mapping table maintained at the SMF. In this example, the mapping is based on multiple virtual UPF ports. Each virtual UPF port is associated with a PDU session. Then several virtual ports can be mapped to one or more UPF physical ports.

[0089] Figure 9 Is a flowchart showing a method implemented at a user plane node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The user plane node can be a UPF or any other entity with similar functions. At block 902, the user plane node receives a first request from a session management node for obtaining a first port number of the logical TSN bridge on the terminal device side. The first request may include identification information of the terminal device and identification information of the port associated with the terminal device. In the case of 5GS, the first request may be an N4 session establishment request or any other suitable message on the N4 reference point.

[0090] At block 904, the user plane node determines the first port number for the terminal device. For example, an unused number can be selected from a valid port number range (e.g., 1 to 4095) in any suitable manner to serve as the first port number. At block 906, the user plane node determines the configuration information of the logical TSN bridge on the user plane node side. For example, the configuration information can be determined in response to the first request or in response to a different second request from the session management node. The configuration information on the user plane node side may include, but is not limited to, one or more of the following: the second port number of the logical TSN bridge on the user plane node side; the bridge ID identifying the logical TSN bridge; and the bridge name of the logical TSN bridge. For example, the configuration information can be determined according to the pre-configuration in the user plane node. At block 908, the user plane node sends the determined first port number and configuration information to the session management node.

[0091] As another embodiment, the present disclosure also provides a method implemented at a user plane node. In a first step, the user plane node receives a request from a session management node for obtaining configuration information of a logical TSN bridge on the user plane node side. In the case of 5GS, the request may be an N4 session establishment request or any other suitable message on the N4 reference point. In a second step, the user plane node determines the configuration information. In a third step, the user plane node sends the determined configuration information to the session management node.

[0092] As another embodiment, the present disclosure also provides a method implemented at a user plane node. In a first step, the user plane node receives a request from a session management node for obtaining a first port number of a logical TSN bridge on the terminal device side. In a second step, the user plane node determines the first port number for the terminal device. In a third step, the user plane node sends the determined first port number to the session management node.

[0093] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing a method implemented at a user plane node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. At block 1010, the user plane node receives a mapping between a first port number and an ID identifying a session between the session management node and the user plane node from the session management node. In the case of 5GS, the mapping may be sent in a session modification request message or any other suitable message on the N4 reference point. At block 1012, the user plane node receives a port address of a logical TSN bridge on the terminal device side from the session management node. Additionally, the user plane node may send a port address of the logical TSN bridge on the user plane node side to the session management node.

[0094] Similar to the session management node, at least one mapping between at least one TSN parameter and at least one mobile network parameter can be maintained at the user plane node for the terminal device side and the user plane node side respectively, as Figure 11 shown.

[0095] Figure 12 is a flowchart showing a method implemented at a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. At block 1202, the terminal device sends a request to a mobility management node in a mobile network for establishing a PDU session for the terminal device associated with a port of a logical TSN bridge. In the case of 5GS, the request may be a PDU session establishment request. At block 1204, the terminal device receives a first port number of a logical TSN bridge on the terminal device side and a bridge ID of the logical TSN bridge from the mobility management node.

[0096] The mapping between TSN parameters and at least one mobile network parameter can be maintained at the terminal device. The TSN parameters can include, but are not limited to, a first port number and a bridge ID. The at least one mobile network parameter can include, but is not limited to, an ID identifying a PDU session. Figure 13 An example of a mapping table maintained at the UE is shown. It shows Figure 2 the case of "UE-C" in. As shown, the port is associated with the bridge. The examples in this document use the granularity of each UPF-based logical TSN bridge specified in clause 5.28.1 of TS 23.501. Therefore, the bridge ID is linked to the UPF.

[0097] Figure 14 Another example of a mapping table maintained at the UE is shown. It corresponds to a scenario where the UE is connected to multiple DS-TTs or has a single DS-TT (the single DS-TT has multiple ports), and multiple PDU sessions are established independently for each port. As shown, the UE can store a mapping table that has multiple port numbers and binds them to PDU sessions. Figure 15 Another example of a mapping table maintained at the UE is shown. It corresponds to a scenario where the UE may need to establish multiple PDU sessions that serve the same port in a DS-TT. As shown, the UE can store a mapping table with a port number and bind the port number to multiple PDU sessions.

[0098] Optionally, at block 1206, the terminal device sends the port address of the logical TSN bridge on the terminal device side to the mobility management node. For example, the port address on the terminal device side can be sent in a PDU session establishment request, a PDU session modification request, or any other suitable message. In this way, the PDU session establishment process can be enhanced to deliver port address information.

[0099] Optionally, multiple PDU sessions can be established for the same port of the logical TSN bridge on the terminal device side. In the mapping maintained at the terminal device, the first port number for the same port on the terminal device side can be bound to multiple PDU sessions.

[0100] Figure 16It is a flowchart showing an exemplary process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In this process, the SMF collects relevant information and distributes it to other 5G NFs (such as UE, UPF, TSN AF). Some of the initial bridge configuration information of the TSN bridge (such as bridge ID, bridge name, port number on the UPF side) can be pre-configured in the UPF and reported to the SMF before the UE onboards (such as PDU session establishment). When a new PDU session is established for TSN services, the process specified in clause 4.3 of 3GPP TS 23.502 is enhanced, and some new capabilities and parameters are applied for TSN adaptation. More details of this process will be described below.

[0101] At block 1601, when the UE initiates a new connection to the TSN (identified by the DNN or single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI)) via the 5G system, the UE sends a PDU session establishment request to the network (AMF) using the new PDU session ID generated by the UE for this TSN. At block 1602, the AMF sends an Nsmf_PDUSession_CreateSMContext request including the UE ID (such as SUPI) and the PDU session ID to the SMF.

[0102] Based on the PDU session establishment request initiated by the UE, the SMF can identify that the target DNN is serving the TSN. If the SMF decides to establish the PDU session, it selects the serving UPF. At block 1603, the SMF initiates an N4 session establishment process with the selected UPF and provides packet detection, enforcement, and reporting rules to be installed on the UPF for this PDU session. The core network (CN) tunnel information and the TSN port number for the UE side are assigned by the SMF or the UPF. The SMF updates the bridge management information (the mapping table of the TSN ports).

[0103] For the allocation of the port number on the UE side (such as DS-TT), there can be two alternative options. As the first alternative, it can be assigned by the SMF. As the second alternative, it can be assigned by the UPF and then reported to the SMF via the N4 reference point.

[0104] The allocation of the bridge ID (MAC address of the bridge), bridge name, and port number on the UPF side (such as NW-TT) can be pre-configured in the UPF and then reported to the SMF via the N4 reference point. More than one port of each UPF can be configured to connect to the TSN (such as Figure 2 port-A1 and port-A2 in

[0105] There can be multiple PDU sessions in the UPF (e.g., thousands of PDU sessions), but only the PDU sessions for TSN purposes need to be mapped to the physical ports on the UPF side. Optionally, only the PDU sessions for TSN purposes need to be reported to the "bridge and port mapping table" and then exposed to the AF (via the NEF) so that TSN can use them.

[0106] Based on the information collected from the UE and the UPF, the SMF can maintain (create / update) bridge configuration information, which can include:

[0107] - Bridge ID (MAC address of the bridge),

[0108] - (Optionally) bridge name

[0109] - Number of ports,

[0110] - List of port numbers and (optionally) corresponding MAC addresses.

[0111] Optionally, in a scenario where the UPF is controlled by multiple SMFs, the bridge configuration information can be stored in a separate storage device (e.g., UDSF), which can be accessed by multiple SMFs.

[0112] The SMF can also maintain (create / update) a mapping table to indicate the binding relationship between the port number and the 5G parameters (e.g., UE ID, PDU session ID, N4 session ID) serving the UE connection.

[0113] At box 1604, the SMF sends Namf_Communication_N1N2MessageTransfer to the UE and the RAN via the AMF. The AMF forwards the CN tunnel information (for uplink (UL) traffic) and the QoS profile to the RAN. The AMF delivers the QoS rules for the UE side (e.g., DS-TT) as well as the bridge ID and the allocated TSN port number to the UE. The UE can store the mapping table and maintain the binding between the port number and its PDU session ID.

[0114] At box 1605, the RAN sends an N2 PDU session response including the access network (AN) tunnel information (for downlink (DL) traffic) to the AMF. The AMF forwards the N2 SM information received from the RAN to the SMF.

[0115] After the SMF receives the PDU session response from the RAN, the SMF initiates an N4 session modification procedure to the UPF at block 1606. The SMF provides the AN tunnel information and the necessary bridge management information to the UPF, such as the mapping table of the TSN ports in the UPF (DS-TT to N4 session ID). The UPF can create / update the mapping table of the bridge to maintain the binding relationship between the port number (UE side) and the N4 session ID.

[0116] At block 1607, the SMF collects topology information from the UE / DS-TT. At block 1608, the SMF updates the port mapping table to the PCF so that the PCF can understand the relationship between the port and the PDU session, etc., enabling the PCF to establish corresponding policy and charging control (PCC) rules. The PCF (directly or via the NEF) updates the bridge capabilities in the TSN AF.

[0117] Optionally, during the above process, when the UE initiates a new connection to the TSN, the UE can piggyback the MAC address of the UE side (e.g., DS-TT) to the SMF in the PDU session establishment request / PDU session modification request. In this way, the bridge management information can be updated using the MAC address of the port (DS-TT). It should be noted that how the UE obtains the MAC address of the DS-TT depends on the specific implementation. Accordingly, the SMF maintains the binding between the MAC address of the DS-TT and the allocated port number, as well as the PDU session ID and the N4 session ID. In this way, the bridge configuration information can be updated using the list of port numbers and port MAC addresses. Additionally, the MAC address information of the connected DS-TT can be updated in the UPF via the interaction between the SMF and the UPF in the N4 procedure.

[0118] Optionally, the UPF reports the MAC address of the UPF / NW-TT port to the SMF via the N4 reference point. In this way, the bridge management information can be updated using the MAC address of the port (NW-TT). It should be noted that depending on the specific implementation, multiple ports in the UPF / NW-TT can share the same MAC address (e.g., MAC-A1 = MAC A2).

[0119] In this case, the SMF updates the port mapping table to the PCF so that the PCF can understand the relationship between the port, the MAC, and the PDU session, etc., enabling the PCF to establish corresponding PCC rules. The PCF (directly or via the NEF) updates the bridge capabilities in the TSN AF. It should be noted that the two consecutively shown blocks in the figure can actually be executed substantially in parallel, or they can sometimes also be executed in the reverse order, depending on the functions involved.

[0120] Figure 17It is a block diagram showing a device suitable for use in practicing some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, any one of the above NF service provider, NF service consumer, and repository node can be implemented by device 1700. As shown, device 1700 may include a processor 1710, a memory 1720 storing programs, and an optional communication interface 1730 for data communication with other external devices via wired and / or wireless communication.

[0121] The program includes program instructions that, when executed by processor 1710, enable device 1700 to operate according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, as discussed above. That is, the embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented at least in part by computer software executable by processor 1710, or by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0122] Memory 1720 can be of any type suitable for the local technical environment and can 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. Processor 1710 can be of any type suitable for the local technical environment and, by way of non-limiting example, can include 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.

[0123] Figure 18 It is a block diagram showing a session management node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, session management node 1800 includes a receiving module 1802, a first obtaining module 1804, and a second obtaining module 1806. Receiving module 1802 can be configured to receive, from a mobility management node in a mobile network, a first request for establishing a PDU session for a terminal device associated with a port of a logical TSN bridge, as described above with respect to block 302. First obtaining module 1804 can be configured to obtain a first port number of the logical TSN bridge on the terminal device side, as described above with respect to block 304. Second obtaining module 1806 can be configured to obtain configuration information of the logical TSN bridge on the user plane node side corresponding to the PDU session, as described above with respect to block 306.

[0124] Figure 19It is a block diagram showing a user plane node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, the user plane node 1900 includes a receiving module 1902, a first determination module 1904, a second determination module 1906, and a transmitting module 1908. The receiving module 1902 may be configured to receive a first request from a session management node for obtaining a first port number of the logical TSN bridge on the terminal device side, as described above with respect to block 902. The first determination module 1904 may be configured to determine the first port number for the terminal device, as described above with respect to block 904. The second determination module 1906 may be configured to determine the configuration information of the logical TSN bridge on the user plane node side, as described above with respect to block 906. The transmitting module 1908 may be configured to transmit the determined first port number and configuration information to the session management node, as described above with respect to block 908.

[0125] Figure 20 It is a block diagram showing a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, the terminal device 2000 includes a transmitting module 2002 and a receiving module 2004. The transmitting module 2002 may be configured to send a request to a mobility management node in a mobile network for establishing a PDU session for a terminal device associated with a port of a logical TSN bridge, as described above with respect to block 1202. The receiving module 2004 may be configured to receive a first port number of the logical TSN bridge on the terminal device side and a bridge ID of the logical TSN bridge from the mobility management node, as described above with respect to block 1204. The modules described above may be implemented by hardware or software or a combination of both.

[0126] Generally, various exemplary embodiments may be implemented in hardware or special-purpose 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 executable by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device, although the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Although the various aspects of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be shown and described as block diagrams, flowcharts, or using some other graphical representation, it should be well understood that, by way of non-limiting example, the blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, special-purpose circuits or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers, or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0127] Thus, it should be understood that at least some aspects of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can be practiced in various components such as integrated circuit chips and modules. Accordingly, it should be understood that the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in a device embodied as an integrated circuit, where the integrated circuit can include circuitry (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 can be configured to operate in accordance with the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0128] It should be understood that at least some aspects of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can 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. The computer-executable instructions can 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. Those skilled in the art will understand that the functions of the program modules can be combined or distributed as needed in various embodiments. Additionally, the functions can be embodied wholly or partially in firmware or hardware equivalents such as integrated circuits, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), etc.

[0129] References in this disclosure to "an embodiment", "embodiments", etc. mean that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment must include that particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Additionally, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is within the knowledge of those skilled in the art to implement such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments, whether or not explicitly described.

[0130] It should be understood that although terms such as "first", "second", etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element may be termed a second element, and similarly, a second element may be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed terms.

[0131] The terms used in this specification are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to limit the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that the terms "comprises", "comprising", and / or "having", when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof. The term "connected" as used herein covers both direct and / or indirect connections between two elements.

[0132] The disclosure includes any novel feature or combination of features disclosed herein either explicitly or in any generalised form thereof. Various modifications and adaptations of the above-described exemplary embodiments of the disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the relevant art in view of the above description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, any and all modifications will still fall within the scope of the non-limiting and exemplary embodiments of the disclosure.

Claims

1. A method in a session management node, comprising: Receiving (302) from a mobility management node in a mobile network a first request for establishing a protocol data unit (PDU) session for a terminal device associated with a port of a logical time-sensitive network (TSN) bridge; Obtaining (304) a first port number of the logical TSN bridge on the terminal device side; And Obtaining (306) configuration information of the logical TSN bridge on the user plane node side corresponding to the PDU session.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The configuration information on the user plane node side includes one or more of the following: A second port number of the logical TSN bridge on the user plane node side; a bridge identifier (ID) identifying the logical TSN bridge; and a bridge name of the logical TSN bridge.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Receiving (614) from the mobility management node a port address of the logical TSN bridge on the terminal device side.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Maintaining, at the session management node, a mapping between at least one TSN parameter and at least one mobile network parameter for each of the terminal device side and the user plane node side.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, The at least one TSN parameter for the terminal device side includes the first port number, and the at least one TSN parameter for the user plane node side is from the configuration information.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein, The at least one mobile network parameter for the terminal device side includes a first ID identifying the PDU session; and Wherein, the at least one mobile network parameter for the user plane node side includes a second ID identifying a second session between the session management node and the user plane node.

7. The method according to claim 2, further comprising: Sending (608) the first port number to the terminal device via the mobility management node.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein The sending further includes: sending the bridge ID to the terminal device via the mobility management node.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Sending (610) to the user plane node a mapping between the first port number and a second ID identifying a second session between the session management node and the user plane node.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein, The mapping between the first port number and the second ID is sent in a session modification request message.

11. The method according to claim 3, further comprising: Sending (616) to the user plane node the port address on the terminal device side.

12. The method according to claim 4, further comprising: Sending (612) to a policy control node the mapping maintained for the PDU session.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Obtaining (304) the first port number includes: determining (304-1) the first port number for the terminal device.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Obtaining (304) the first port number includes: Sending (304-2) to the user plane node a second request for obtaining the first port number for the terminal device; and Receiving (304-3) the first port number from the user plane node.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein Obtaining (306) the configuration information includes: determining (306-1) the configuration information for the user plane node.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Obtaining (306) the configuration information includes: sending (306-2) a third request for obtaining the configuration information to the user plane node; and receiving (306-3) the configuration information from the user plane node.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The user plane node is controlled by the session management node and at least one additional session management node; and wherein, the first port number on the terminal device side and the configuration information on the user plane node side are stored in a data storage node, and the data storage node can be accessed by the session management node and the at least one additional session management node.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The session management node is a Session Management Function (SMF); wherein, the mobility management node is an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF); and wherein, the user plane node is a User Plane Function (UPF).

19. A method in a user plane node, comprising: receiving (902) a first request from a session management node for obtaining a first port number on the terminal device side of a logical Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) bridge; determining (904) the first port number for the terminal device; determining (906) configuration information of the logical TSN bridge on the user plane node side; and sending (908) the determined first port number and configuration information to the session management node.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein The configuration information is determined in response to a second request from the session management node.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein, The configuration information on the user plane node side includes one or more of the following: a second port number of the logical TSN bridge on the user plane node side; a bridge identifier ID identifying the logical TSN bridge; and a bridge name of the logical TSN bridge.

22. The method according to claim 19, further comprising: receiving (1010) a mapping between the first port number and an ID identifying a session between the session management node and the user plane node from the session management node.

23. The method according to claim 19, further comprising: receiving (1012) a port address of the logical TSN bridge on the terminal device side from the session management node.

24. A method in a terminal device, comprising: sending (1202) a request for establishing a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session for the terminal device associated with a port of a logical Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) bridge to a mobility management node in a mobile network; and receiving (1204) a first port number of the logical TSN bridge on the terminal device side and a bridge identifier ID of the logical TSN bridge via the mobility management node.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein, Maintaining a mapping between TSN parameters and at least one mobile network parameter at the terminal device, where the TSN parameters include the first port number and the bridge ID.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein The at least one mobile network parameter includes an ID identifying the PDU session.

27. The method according to claim 24, further comprising: Include the port address of the logical TSN bridge on the terminal device side in the request for establishing the PDU session.

28. The method according to claim 24, wherein Establish multiple PDU sessions for the same port of the logical TSN bridge on the terminal device side.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein In the mapping between TSN parameters and at least one mobile network parameter, the first port number for the same port on the terminal device side is bound to the multiple PDU sessions.

30. The method according to claim 24, wherein, The terminal device is connected to multiple device-side TSN converters (DS-TTs), each DS-TT having a single DS-TT port, or the terminal device is connected to a single DS-TT having multiple DS-TT ports, and PDU sessions are established independently for each DS-TT port.

31. A session management node (1700), comprising: At least one processor (1710); And At least one memory (1720), the at least one memory (1720) containing instructions executable by the at least one processor (1710), whereby the session management node (1700) is operable to: Receive from a mobility management node in a mobile network a first request for establishing a protocol data unit (PDU) session for a terminal device associated with a port of a logical time-sensitive network (TSN) bridge; Obtain a first port number of the logical TSN bridge on the terminal device side; And Obtain configuration information of the logical TSN bridge on the user plane node side corresponding to the PDU session.

32. The session management node (1700) according to claim 31, wherein, The session management node (1700) is operable to execute the method according to any one of claims 2 to 18.

33. A user plane node (1700), comprising: At least one processor (1710); And At least one memory (1720), the at least one memory (1720) containing instructions executable by the at least one processor (1710), whereby the user plane node (1700) is operable to: Receive from a session management node a first request for obtaining a first port number of a logical time-sensitive network (TSN) bridge on the terminal device side; Determine the first port number for the terminal device; Determine configuration information of the logical TSN bridge on the user plane node side; And Send the determined first port number and configuration information to the session management node.

34. The user plane node (1700) according to claim 33, wherein, The user plane node (1700) is operable to execute the method according to any one of claims 20 to 23.

35. A terminal device (1700), comprising: At least one processor (1710); And At least one memory (1720), the at least one memory (1720) containing instructions executable by the at least one processor (1710), whereby the terminal device (1700) is operable to: Send to a mobility management node in a mobile network a request for establishing a protocol data unit (PDU) session for the terminal device associated with a port of a logical time-sensitive network (TSN) bridge; And Receiving, via the mobility management node, a first port number on a side of the terminal device of the logical TSN bridge and a bridge identifier ID of the logical TSN bridge.

36. The terminal device (1700) according to claim 35, wherein, The terminal device (1700) is operable to perform the method according to any one of claims 25 to 30.

37. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, 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 30.

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