Method and apparatus for changing network configuration in a wireless communication system

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a communication method and system for integrating a fifth generation (5G) communication system supporting a higher data rate than a fourth generation (4G) system with Internet of Things (IoT) technology. The present disclosure can be applied to smart services based on 5G communication technology and IoT-related technologies, such as smart homes, smart buildings, smart cities, smart cars, connected cars, healthcare, digital education, smart retail, safety and security services. A method and apparatus for network slicing are provided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for changing the configuration of a network established in a wireless communication system. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a method for slicing a network in a next generation wireless communication system. Background Art

[0002] In order to meet the increased demand for wireless data services since the deployment of the fourth generation (4G) communication system, efforts have been made to develop improved fifth generation (5G) or pre-5G communication systems. Therefore, 5G or pre-5G communication systems are also referred to as "beyond 4G networks" or "post-Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems."

[0003] 5G communication systems are considered to be implemented in higher frequency (millimeter wave (mmWave)) bands (e.g., 60 GHz bands) in order to achieve higher data rates. In order to reduce the propagation loss of radio waves and increase the transmission distance, beamforming, massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), full-dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antennas, analog beamforming, and massive antenna technologies are discussed in 5G communication systems.

[0004] In addition, in the 5G communication system, system network improvements are being developed based on advanced small cells, cloud radio access networks (RAN), ultra-dense networks, device-to-device (D2D) communication, wireless backhaul, mobile networks, collaborative communications, coordinated multi-point (CoMP), receiving-end interference cancellation, etc.

[0005] In 5G systems, hybrid frequency shift keying (FSK) and quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) (FQAM) and sliding window superposition coding (SWSC) have been developed as advanced coded modulation (ACM), and filter bank multi-carrier (FBMC), non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) and sparse code multiple access (SCMA) as advanced access technologies.

[0006] The Internet, a human-centered connected network in which humans generate and consume information, is now evolving toward the Internet of Things (IoT), in which distributed entities (such as things) exchange and process information without human intervention. The Internet of Everything (IoE), which is a combination of IoT technology and big data processing technology connected to cloud servers, has emerged. As technical elements required to realize IoT, such as "sensing technology", "wired / wireless communication and network infrastructure", "service interface technology", and "security technology", sensor networks, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), etc. have been studied recently. Such an IoT environment can provide intelligent Internet technology services to create new value for human life by collecting and analyzing data generated between connected things. Through the integration and combination between existing information technology (IT) and various industrial applications, IoT can be applied to various fields, including smart homes, smart buildings, smart cities, smart cars or connected cars, smart grids, healthcare, smart appliances, and advanced medical services.

[0007] In line with this, various attempts have been made to apply 5G communication systems to IoT networks. For example, technologies such as sensor networks, machine type communications (MTC), and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications can be implemented through beamforming, MIMO, and array antennas. Cloud radio access networks (RANs) as an application of the above-mentioned big data processing technologies can also be considered as an example of the convergence between 5G technologies and IoT technologies.

[0008] With the development of various information technology (IT) technologies, network equipment has been developed into virtualized network functions (NF, hereinafter, can be used interchangeably with "network elements") by applying virtualization technology, and the virtualized NF can be implemented in the form of software without physical limitations to be installed / run in various types of clouds or data centers (DCs). In particular, NF can be freely expanded, scaled, started, or terminated according to service requirements, system capacity, or network load. It should be noted that even if these NFs are implemented in the form of software, NF does not exclude physical configuration, because NF should be basically driven on physical configuration, such as fixed equipment. In addition, NF can be implemented with only a simple physical configuration, that is, hardware.

[0009] In order to support various services in these various network structures, network slicing technology has been introduced. Network slicing is a technology that logically configures the network as a collection of network functions (NFs) that support specific services and separates the network from other slices. When receiving various services, one terminal can access two or more slices.

[0010] The above information is presented as background information only to assist in understanding the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion has been made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art to the present disclosure. Summary of the invention

[0011] Technical issues

[0012] Aspects of the present disclosure address at least the above-mentioned problems and / or disadvantages and provide at least the advantages described below. Therefore, one aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a method and apparatus for effectively managing a network configured with network slices for supporting various services and preventing signaling load and conflicts.

[0013] Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the presented embodiments.

[0014] Technical Solution

[0015] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method performed by a service communication proxy (SCP) entity in a wireless communication system is provided. The method includes sending a network function (NF) discovery request message including first information associated with a target SCP entity to a network repository function (NRF) entity, and receiving an NF discovery response message including second information associated with the target SCP entity from the NRF entity based on the first information, wherein the first information includes an NF type of the target SCP entity, and the NF type is set to SCP.

[0016] In the method, the first information includes at least one of NF set information associated with the NF entity served by the target SCP entity and an identifier related to a network slice associated with the target SCP entity.

[0017] In the method, the second information includes a NF type of the target SCP entity, a NF identifier of the target SCP entity, and an address of the target SCP entity.

[0018] In the method, the second information includes an identifier related to a network slice associated with the target SCP entity, SCP domain information associated with other SCP entities interconnected with the SCP entity, NF set information associated with the NF entity served by the SCP entity, and at least one of an endpoint address accessible via the target SCP entity.

[0019] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a service communication proxy (SCP) entity in a wireless communication system is provided. The SCP entity includes a transceiver and at least one processor, the at least one processor is coupled to the transceiver and is configured to send a network function (NF) discovery request message including first information associated with a target SCP entity to a network storage function (NRF) entity, and based on the first information, receive an NF discovery response message including second information associated with the target SCP entity from the NRF entity, wherein the first information includes an NF type of the target SCP entity, and the NF type is set to SCP.

[0020] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method performed by a network storage function (NRF) entity in a wireless communication system is provided. The method includes receiving a network function (NF) discovery request message including first information associated with a target SCP entity from a service communication proxy (SCP) entity, and sending an NF discovery response message including second information associated with the target SCP entity to the SCP entity based on the first information, wherein the first information includes an NF type of the target SCP entity, and the NF type is set to SCP.

[0021] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a network storage function (NRF) entity in a wireless communication system is provided. The NRF entity includes a transceiver and at least one processor, the at least one processor is coupled to the transceiver and is configured to receive a network function (NF) discovery request message including first information associated with a target SCP entity from a service communication proxy (SCP) entity, and send an NF discovery response message including second information associated with the target SCP entity to the SCP entity based on the first information, wherein the first information includes an NF type of the target SCP entity, and the NF type is set to SCP.

[0022] Beneficial Effects

[0023] According to the disclosed embodiments of the present disclosure, by managing network slices in units of sets, radio resources can be used efficiently and various services can be effectively provided to users.

[0024] Furthermore, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a user can efficiently access a desired network function entity by efficiently searching for a plurality of network function entities providing various services.

[0025] Other aspects, advantages, and salient features of the disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses various embodiments of the disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of certain embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0027] Figure 1 is a diagram showing a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 2 is a diagram showing a method of selecting a network slice when a new base station (RAN) is added or configuration information of a base station is changed in a mobile communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating a method for more efficiently managing the availability of network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] Figure 4A is a diagram showing an overall method for managing slice information in units of sets according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0031] Figure 4B is a diagram illustrating a method for a primary access and mobility management function (AMF) to manage slice information in units of sets according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] Figure 5 is a diagram showing a method for managing a profile in units of a network function (NF) set according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] Figure 6 is a diagram showing a method for creating or adding a NF set or updating configuration information of a NF set according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0034] Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating an AMF selection process using a primary AMF according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0035] Figure 8 is a diagram showing a NF registration process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0036] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing a NF registration process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0037] Fig.10 is a diagram showing a NF registration process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0038] Fig.11 is a diagram showing a NF registration process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0039] Fig.12 is a diagram showing a method in which a NF receives service communication proxy (SCP) information through an NRF according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0040] Fig.13 is a diagram showing a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0041] Fig.14 is a diagram showing a base station equipment according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0042] Fig.15 is a diagram showing an NF entity according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0043] The same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to denote the same elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings is provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of the various embodiments of the present disclosure as defined by the claims and their equivalents. It includes various specific details to assist in understanding, but these are to be regarded as exemplary only. Therefore, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications may be made to the various embodiments described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions and structures may be omitted for clarity and conciseness.

[0045] The terms and words used in the following description and claims are not limited to the bibliographical meanings, but are merely used by the inventor to enable a clear and consistent understanding of the present disclosure. Therefore, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the following description of various embodiments of the present disclosure is provided for illustrative purposes only and not for limiting the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0046] It should be understood that the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to "a component surface" includes reference to one or more of such surfaces.

[0047] The terms used in the present disclosure are only used to describe the specific embodiments of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of other embodiments. The terms including technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as the meanings commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the field to which the present disclosure belongs. Among the terms used in the present disclosure, those terms defined in common dictionaries can be interpreted as having the same or similar meanings as their meanings in the context of the specification and the related art, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense, unless clearly defined in this article. In some cases, even the terms defined in the present disclosure should not be interpreted as excluding embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0048] In various embodiments of the present disclosure described below, a hardware method is described as an example. However, since various embodiments of the present disclosure include techniques using both hardware and software, various embodiments of the present disclosure do not exclude a software-based method.

[0049] Here, in all the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals are used to refer to the same or similar parts. Descriptions of functions and structures well known in the art may be omitted to avoid obscuring the subject matter of the present disclosure.

[0050] In the following description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the description of technical details that are well known in the art and not directly related to the present disclosure may be omitted. This is to convey the gist of the present disclosure more clearly by omitting unnecessary descriptions without being ambiguous.

[0051] Similarly, in the accompanying drawings, some elements are exaggerated, omitted or only briefly outlined. In addition, the size of each element does not necessarily reflect the actual size. In all the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to refer to the same or corresponding parts.

[0052] The advantages and features of the present disclosure and methods for achieving them will become apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but can be implemented in various different ways. The embodiments are provided only to complete the present disclosure and to fully inform the technical personnel in the field to which the present disclosure belongs of the scope of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is defined only by the scope of the claims. The same reference numerals are used throughout the specification to refer to the same parts.

[0053] At the same time, it should be understood that the combination of the blocks of the flow chart and the flow chart can be performed by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be loaded on a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer or a programmable data processing equipment, and the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or the programmable data processing equipment create a device for performing the function described in the block of the flow chart. In order to achieve the function in a certain way, the computer program instructions can also be stored in a computer-usable or readable memory applicable to a special-purpose computer or a programmable data processing equipment, and the computer program instructions stored in the computer-usable or readable memory are likely to produce a manufactured product containing a device for performing the function described in the block of the flow chart. Since the computer program instructions can be loaded on a computer or a programmable data processing equipment, when the computer program instructions are executed on a computer or a programmable data processing equipment as a process with a series of operations, they can provide operations for performing the functions described in the block of the flow chart.

[0054] In addition, each block of the flowchart may correspond to a module, segment or code containing one or more executable instructions for performing one or more logical functions, or to a portion thereof. It should also be noted that in some alternative cases, the functions described by the blocks may be performed in an order different from the order listed. For example, two blocks listed in sequence may be performed substantially simultaneously, or in reverse order, depending on the corresponding functions.

[0055] Here, the words "unit", "module" etc. used in the embodiment can refer to software components or hardware components, such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) or application specific integrated circuits (ASIC) that can perform functions or operations. However, "unit" etc. are not limited to hardware or software. Units etc. can be configured to reside in addressable storage media or drive one or more processors. For example, units etc. can refer to components, such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components or task components, processes, functions, attributes, procedures, subroutines, program code segments, drivers, firmware, microcodes, circuits, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays or variables. The functions provided by components and units can be a combination of smaller components and units, and it can be combined with other components and units to form larger components and units. Components and units can be implemented to drive one or more processors in a device or a secure multimedia card.

[0056] Hereinafter, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for supporting various services in a wireless communication system. Specifically, the present disclosure describes a technology for providing various services by supporting the mobility of a terminal in a wireless communication system.

[0057] For the convenience of description, the terms used in the following description to identify an access node, indicate a network entity or a network function (NF), indicate a message, indicate an interface between network entities, and indicate various identification information are considered as explanations. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited by the terms described later, and other terms related to objects with equivalent technical meanings may be used.

[0058] For the convenience of the following description, the present disclosure may use the terms and names defined in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) and 5th Generation (5G) standards. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above terms and names, and can be applied to systems conforming to other standards.

[0059] In the present disclosure, entities for exchanging information of access control and state management will be collectively referred to as NF. For example, NF may be at least one of an access and mobility management function (AMF) entity, a session management function (SMF) entity, and a network slice selection function (NSSF) entity. However, even when NF is actually implemented as an instance (e.g., an AMF instance, an SMF instance, or an NSSF instance), the embodiments of the present disclosure may also be applied in the same manner.

[0060] In the present disclosure, an instance may indicate that a specific NF exists in the form of software code and can be executed on a physical computing system (e.g., a specific computing system existing on a core network) to perform the functions of the NF by using physical or / and logical resources allocated from the computing system. Therefore, this may mean that each instance of the NF, such as an AMF instance and an SMF instance, can use physical or / and logical resources allocated from a specific computing system existing on the core network for corresponding NF operations. Therefore, an NF instance that uses physical or / and logical resources allocated from a specific computing system existing on the network for NF operations can perform the same operations as in the case where there is a NF entity such as a physical AMF or SMF.

[0061] Figure 1 A wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0062] Reference Figure 1 , as nodes using a radio channel in a wireless communication system, a base station (radio access node (RAN)) 110 and a terminal (user equipment (UE)) 120 are shown. Figure 1 Only one base station 110 and one terminal 120 are shown in FIG. 1 , but other base stations that are the same as or similar to the base station 110 may be further included. Figure 1 , only the case where only one terminal 120 performs communication within one base station 110 is shown. However, it is obvious that a plurality of terminals can actually communicate within one base station 110.

[0063] Base station 110 is a network infrastructure that provides radio access to terminal 120. The coverage of base station 110 is defined as a certain geographical area ( Figure 1 ). In addition to the radio access node (RAN), the base station 110 may be referred to as an access point (AP), an eNodeB (eNB), a 5G node, a wireless point, a transmission / reception point (TRP), or other terms having equivalent technical meanings.

[0064] The terminal 120 is a device used by a user and performs communication with the base station 110 through a radio channel. In some cases, the terminal 120 may operate without user participation. For example, the terminal 120 may be a device that performs machine type communication (MTC) and may not be carried by a user. Figure 1 The terminal 120 shown may include at least one user portable device, and may include at least one MTC device. Figure 1 The terminal 120 in the specification may be referred to as a user equipment (UE), a mobile station, a subscriber station, a remote terminal, a wireless terminal, a user entity, or other terms having equivalent technical meanings.

[0065] The AMF entity 131 may be a network entity that manages wireless network access and mobility of the terminal 120. The SMF entity 132 may be a network entity that manages a connection to a packet data network for providing packet data to the terminal 120. The connection between the terminal 120 and the SMF 132 may be a PDU session.

[0066] The user plane function (UPF) entity 133 may be a gateway that delivers packets sent and received by the terminal 120, or a network entity that acts as a gateway. The UPF 133 may be connected to a data network (DN) 140 connected to the Internet, and may provide a path for sending and receiving data between the terminal 120 and the DN 140. Therefore, the UPF 133 may route data to be delivered to the Internet in a packet sent by the terminal 120 to the Internet data network.

[0067] The network slice selection function (NSSF) entity 134 may be a network entity that performs the network selection operation (e.g., operation for selecting a network slice) described in the present disclosure. The operation of the NSSF entity 134 will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0068] The authentication server function (AUSF) entity 151 may be equipment (network entity) that provides a service for processing subscriber authentication.

[0069] The network exposure function (NEF) entity 152 may be a network entity capable of accessing management information of the terminal 120 on the 5G network, subscribing to mobility management events of the terminal, subscribing to session management events of the terminal, requesting session-related information, setting billing information of the terminal, requesting changes to the PDU session policy of the terminal, and sending small data about the terminal.

[0070] The network repository function (NRF) entity 153 may be a NF (network entity) that may store state information of NFs and process requests for finding NFs that other NFs may access.

[0071] The policy and charging function (PCF) entity 154 may be a network entity that applies a service policy, a charging policy, and a PDU session policy of a mobile network operator to the terminal 120 .

[0072] A unified data management (UDM) entity 155 may be a network entity that stores information about subscribers and / or terminals 120 .

[0073] The application function (AF) entity 156 may be a NF (network entity) that cooperates with a mobile communication network to provide services to users.

[0074] The service communication proxy (SCP) entity 157 is a NF (network entity) that provides functions such as NF discovery for communication between NFs and message transmission between NFs. According to the operator's choice, SCP 157 can operate in a form integrated with NRF 153. In such a case, SCP 157 can include the functions of NRF 153, or conversely, NRF 153 can include the functions of SCP 157.

[0075] In the following, for ease of description, entities for exchanging information on access control and state management will be collectively referred to as NFs. For example, NFs may be one of NF entities, such as an access and mobility management function (AMF) entity, a session management function (SMF) entity, and a network slice selection function (NSSF) entity. However, even when NFs are actually implemented as instances (AMF instances, SMF instances, or NSSF instances), the embodiments of the present disclosure are equally applicable.

[0076] Figure 2 It is a diagram showing a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. When a new base station (RAN) is added in a mobile communication system or the configuration information of the base station (for example, the tracking area (TA) supported by the base station, NW slice (logical network identified by single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI)) is added or updated, the method can notify this to other NFs and enable the corresponding selection of a network slice suitable for the subscriber service.

[0077] Reference Figure 2In operation 201, a base station may be newly added or may start operating, or the configuration of the base station, that is, a tracking area (TA) or NW slice (logical network identified by S-NSSAI) supported by the base station may be added or updated.

[0078] In operation 202, if a new relationship and connection for network configuration and management with the AMF is required, the base station may perform an NG establishment procedure, or if an existing connection exists, a RAN configuration update procedure may be performed. Here, the request message sent by the base station may include a name and identifier of the base station and a TA list supported by the base station, and the TA list may include one or more S-NSSAIs supported in the TA for each TA.

[0079] The AMF may determine whether to consider the addition or update of network slices and TA information in the slice selection process based on the information received from the base station. If the network configuration for slice selection is updated, in operation 203, the AMF may call the NSSF for the service of NSSAI availability update (which may be replaced by other NFs, such as NRF or SCP that manages and looks up network status information). The network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI) may consist of one or more S-NSSAIs. Similarly, the service request message may include a TAI list and NSSAI to be added or updated.

[0080] In operation 204, if necessary, the NSSF may update or add information about the slice and the area (TA) supporting the slice to update it according to the request from the AMF. Here, the data stored by the NSSF may be identified by using the identifier (ID) of the AMF instance that issued the request. The NSSF may determine the application time of the updated NSSAI availability.

[0081] In operation 205, NSSF sends a response to the request from AMF. In this case, when the slice information (AuthorizedNssaiAvailability) allowed to be used by AMF is updated or added, this can also be notified. Here, in order to match the application time of the updated availability with other AMFs, NSSF can send the corresponding time information to AMF as part of the response. When the time information is received, AMF applies the updated information to operate from the time point that meets the corresponding time condition.

[0082] In operation 206, the AMF sends a response to the request from the base station, in which case the configuration information of the AMF may be included in the response. If in operation 205, the network configuration (TA, supported NSSA, PLMN, etc.) supported by the AMF is updated, the base station is notified through this process.

[0083] The present disclosure proposes a method that can more efficiently manage network slices and prevent signaling load and conflicts in a network configuration consisting of a set of NFs.

[0084] exist Figure 2 In an embodiment of the present invention, if two or more AMFs (including instances) are included in one AMF set and the set supports the same TA and slice, the addition or configuration update of the base station must be delivered to all NFs (e.g., AMFs) belonging to the set, and all NFs receiving this may have to send a request to other NSSFs (or NRFs) to notify the addition / update of their NSSAI availability. In such a case, if the number of base stations is large or the number of AMFs in the set is large, signaling overload may occur, or mismatches or conflicts may occur in network configuration information due to time differences in transmission and processing of signaling.

[0085] Figure 3 A method for more efficiently managing NSSAI availability according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0086] In this embodiment of the present disclosure, NSSAI availability management may be performed by a primary AMF (or default AMF) belonging to an AMF set.

[0087] One of the AMFs belonging to the AMF set may be selected as the master AMF. A designated AMF may be set to play the master role, or the AMFs may be alternately selected in a round robin manner to play the master role. Here, information may be exchanged between AMFs to notify that only one AMF operates as the master in the AMF set at a specific time.

[0088] Reference Figure 3 In operation 301, a base station may be newly added or may start operating, or a configuration of a base station, that is, a tracking area (TA) or NW slice (logical network identified by S-NSSAI) supported by the base station may be added or updated.

[0089] In operations 302, 303, if a new relationship and connection for network configuration and management with the connected AMF and the primary AMF is required, the base station may perform an NG establishment procedure, or if an existing connection exists, a RAN configuration update procedure may be performed. Here, the request message sent by the base station may include the name and identifier of the base station and a list of TAs supported by the base station, and the TA list may include one or more S-NSSAIs supported in the TA for each TA.

[0090] The master AMF may determine whether to consider the addition or update of network slices and TA information in the slice selection process based on the information received from the base station. If the network configuration for slice selection is updated, in operation 304, the master AMF may call the NSSF for the service of NSSAI availability update (which may be replaced by other NFs, such as NRF or SCP that manages and looks up network status information). Network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI) may consist of one or more S-NSSAIs. Similarly, the service request message may include a TAI list and NSSAI to be added or updated.

[0091] In operation 305, if necessary, the NSSF may update or add information about the slice and the area (TA) supporting the slice to update it according to the request from the master AMF. Here, the data stored by the NSSF may be identified by using the identifier (ID) of the master AMF instance that issued the request. The NSSF may determine the application time of the updated NSSAI availability.

[0092] In operation 306, the NSSF sends a response to the request from the primary AMF. In this case, when the slice information (e.g., AuthorizedNssaiAvailability) allowed to be used by the AMF is updated or added, this can also be notified to the primary AMF. Here, in order to match the application time of the updated availability with other AMFs, the NSSF can send the corresponding time information to the primary AMF as part of the response. When the time information is received, the primary AMF applies the updated information from the time point that meets the corresponding time condition.

[0093] In operation 307, the NSSF may also update the NSSAI available information of other AMF instances belonging to the AMF set requested from the master AMF. For example, the NSSF may look up the AMF set related to the slice information received from the master AMF, look up the AMF instance belonging to the set, and update the NSSAI available information identified by the instance ID of the AMF instance together.

[0094] If the NSSAI availability information is updated for other AMF instances belonging to the AMF set, and the AuthorizedNssaiAvailability is updated or added for each AMF instance, in operation 308, the NSSF may send a message notifying this to each AMF instance. This can be performed using the NSSAI availability update notification service. Here, in order to match the application time of the updated availability to other AMF instances, the NSSF may send the corresponding time information as part of the message to the AMF. When the time information is received, the AMF applies the updated information from the time point when the corresponding time condition is met.

[0095] In operation 309, the AMF sends a response to the request message from the base station, in which case the configuration information of the AMF may be included in the response. If the network configuration (TA, supported NSSA, PLMN, etc.) supported by the AMF is updated in the NSSF, the AMF may notify the base station of this through a response message.

[0096] In addition, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present disclosure proposes a method that separately defines information that is commonly shared in a specific NF set as an NF set profile, and uses the profile to improve signaling efficiency and matching status information.

[0097] The NF set profile is stored or managed by using an identifier (NF set ID or ID of the NF instance that manages the NF set information) that can identify the corresponding NF set. The information shown in Table 1 can be included in the NF set profile, and any type of information shared by the NF instances in the NF set (e.g., service scope: supported areas, etc.) can be added.

[0098]

Table 1

[0099]

[0100]

[0101] Similarly, information about available slices (NSSAI availability) can be shared and managed per storage set. In such a case, the unit for storing / managing slice information in the NF is not the ID of each AMF, but the AMF set ID or the ID of the NF that manages the information for each set. For example, the resources where the NSSF stores the corresponding information are managed per set and can be identified by the AMF set ID or the ID of the NF that manages the information for each set.

[0102] The NSSAI availability information by set (NSSAI Availability by Set) may consist of the following data shown in Table 2.

[0103]

Table 2

[0104]

[0105]

[0106] The configuration of supportedNssaiAvailabilityData is shown in Table 3 below.

[0107]

Table 3

[0108]

[0109] Figure 4A and Figure 4B is a diagram illustrating a method for managing slice information in units of sets according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0110] Figure 4A is a diagram showing the entire process of managing slice information in units of sets according to the present disclosure.

[0111] Reference Figure 4A In operation 401, a base station may be newly added or may start operating, or a configuration of a base station, that is, a tracking area (TA) or NW slice (logical network identified by S-NSSAI) supported by the base station may be added or updated.

[0112] In operations 402, 403, if a new relationship and connection for network configuration and management with the connected AMF and the primary AMF is required, the base station may perform an NG establishment procedure, or if an existing connection exists, a RAN configuration update procedure may be performed. Here, the request message sent by the base station may include the name and identifier of the base station and a list of TAs supported by the base station, and the TA list may include one or more S-NSSAIs supported in the TA for each TA.

[0113] The master AMF may determine whether to consider the addition or update of network slices and TA information of the AMF set in the slice selection process based on the information received from the base station. If the network configuration for slice selection is updated, in operation 404, the master AMF may call the NSSF (which may be replaced by other NFs, such as NRF or SCP that manages and looks up network status information) for the service of NSSAI availability update in units of sets. The service request may include the above-mentioned NSSAI availability information by set.

[0114] In operation 405, if necessary, the NSSF may update or add information about the slice to be applied to the set and the area (TA) supporting the slice to update it according to the request from the master AMF. Here, the data stored by the NSSF may be identified by using the identification (ID) of the AMF set that issued the request. The NSSF may determine the application time of the updated NSSAI availability per set.

[0115] In operation 406, NSSF sends a response to the request from the primary AMF. In this case, when the slice information (e.g., AuthorizedNssaiAvailability) allowed to be used by the AMF set is updated or added, this can also be notified. Here, in order to match the application time of the availability updated in operation 405 to other AMFs, NSSF can send the corresponding time information as part of the response to the primary AMF. When the time information is received, the primary AMF applies the updated information from the time point that meets the corresponding time condition to operate.

[0116] In operation 407, the NSSF may also update the NSSAI available information of other AMF instances belonging to the AMF set requested from the master AMF. For example, the NSSF may search the AMF set of slice information received from the master AMF, search the AMF instances belonging to the set, and update the NSSAI available information identified by the instance ID of the AMF instance together.

[0117] In operation 408, NSSF may notify other AMF instances belonging to the AMF set of NSSAI availability information by set. For example, when AuthorizedNssaiAvailability by set is updated or added, NSSF may send a message notifying this to each AMF instance. This may be performed using the NSSAI availability update notification service. Here, in order to match the application time of the updated availability with other AMF instances, NSSF may send the corresponding time information as part of the message to AMF. When the time information is received, AMF applies the updated information to operate from the time point when the corresponding time condition is met.

[0118] In operation 409, each AMF instance may individually update its own NSSAI availability information by using the set-wise authorized slice information received from the NSSF.

[0119] In operation 410, the AMF including the master AMF sends a response to the request message from the base station, in which case the configuration information of the AMF may be included in the response. If the network configuration (TA, supported NSSA, PLMN, etc.) supported by the AMF is updated in the NSSF, the AMF may notify the base station of this through a response message.

[0120] Figure 4B According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 4A Schematic diagram of the operation of the master AMF of the time series stream associated with the embodiment described in FIG.

[0121] Reference Figure 4B, when a new relationship and connection are generated for the configuration and management of the AMF, in operation 421, the primary AMF may receive a RAN configuration information update request message from the base station for requesting an NG establishment procedure or a RAN configuration update.

[0122] In operation 422, the primary AMF may determine whether a network configuration update has occurred in the AMF set, such as adding or changing network slices and TA information, based on the RAN configuration update information message received from the base station.

[0123] If the network configuration for slice selection is updated, in operation 423, the master AMF may send an update request message for NSSAI availability update in sets to the NSSF (which may be replaced with other NFs such as an NRF or SCP that manages and looks up network status information) to receive slice services under the network configuration updated by reflecting the above-mentioned network configuration update.

[0124] Thereafter, in operation 424, the NSSF updates or adds the network configuration update information by using the AMF set identifier included in the update request message by set from the primary AMF, and sends a response to the update request to the primary AMF, and the primary AMF may receive it.

[0125] In operation 425, the master AMF may send a response including AMF configuration information to the base station according to the updated slice information in units of sets. Update information of network configurations (TA, supported NSSAI, PLMN, etc.) supported by the AMF may be sent to the base station through this.

[0126] Figure 5 2 is a diagram illustrating a method of managing a profile in units of NF sets according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0127] In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the management of the NF set profile may be performed by a master NF (or default AMF) belonging to the NF set. One NF belonging to the NF set may be selected as the master NF, wherein a designated NF instance may be set to play the master role, or NF instances may be alternately selected in a round-robin manner to play the master role. Here, information may be exchanged between NF instances to notify that only one NF instance operates as the master instance in the NF set at a specific time.

[0128] Reference Figure 5 In operation 501, a NF set may be newly created or added, or configuration information of the NF set may be updated. Here, the configuration information of the NF set may include a set of parameters or attributes shared and commonly applied by all NF instances belonging to the NF set.

[0129] In operation 502, the master NF may perform a process for registering the profile of the NF set to which it belongs with the NRF (or SCP). Here, the NF registration or NF set registration service may be called, and the service request may include an identifier (ID) of the NF set to be registered and the NF set profile. The NF set profile may include an identifier of the NF instance belonging to the NF set.

[0130] In operation 503, the NRF may use the received information to store the profile of the NF set and generate resources therefor. Thereafter, the resources for the NF set profile may be identified by the NF set ID.

[0131] In operation 504, the NRF sends a response to the request to the master NF.

[0132] In operation 505, the NRF may deliver the NF set profile to other NF instances belonging to the NF set to notify the created / updated set profile. Here, the NRF may use the NF status notification or NF set status notification service.

[0133] At operation 506, those NF instances that have received the notification from the NRF may send an acknowledgement of the notification to the NRF.

[0134] Figure 6 is a diagram showing a method for creating or adding a NF set or updating configuration information of a NF set according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0135] Reference Figure 6 In operation 601, a NF set may be newly created or added, or configuration information of the NF set may be updated. Here, the configuration information of the NF set may include a set of parameters or attributes shared and commonly applied by all NF instances belonging to the NF set.

[0136] In operation 602, the master NF may perform a process for registering the profile of the NF set to which it belongs with the NRF (or SCP). Here, the NF registration or NF set registration service may be called, and the service request may include an identifier (ID) of the NF set to be registered and the NF set profile. The NF set profile may include an identifier of the NF instance belonging to the NF set.

[0137] In operation 603, the NRF may use the received information to store the profile of the NF set and generate resources therefor. Thereafter, the resources for the NF set profile may be identified by the NF set ID.

[0138] In operation 604, the NRF sends a response to the request to the master NF.

[0139] In operation 605, if the registration of the NF set profile is successful, the master NF may send the NF set profile to other NF instances to notify the created / updated set profile. Here, the master NF may use NF status notification or NF setting status notification service or heartbeat service.

[0140] In operation 606, those NF instances that have received the notification from the master NF send an acknowledgement of the notification to the master NF.

[0141] Figure 7 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an AMF selection process using a primary AMF. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the role and selection scheme of the primary AMF are similar to Figure 3 and Figure 4A -The same as disclosed in B.

[0142] Reference Figure 7 In operation 701, the terminal may send an RRC message including a NAS message for registration to the base station. Here, the terminal may include slice information (NSSAI) to be accessed by it as an AS layer parameter.

[0143] The base station can determine whether AMF selection can be performed by using the identifier (ID), slice information, and configuration information used by the terminal. If in operation 702, the base station cannot perform AMF selection using the slice information or the AS layer slice information is not included in the message received from the terminal, then in operation 703, the base station selects the primary (or default) AMF and forwards the initial UE message received from the terminal to the primary AMF.

[0144] If necessary, the primary AMF may receive subscription information from the UDM, in which case the slice information applicable to the subscriber and the subscribed S-NSSAI may be received in operation 704. If the terminal includes the selected slice information (the requested NSSAI) in the NAS layer, the primary AMF may consider this and select an AMF based on the subscription information received from the UDM in operation 705. If the primary AMF can provide services to the terminal, it performs the remainder of the registration process. If another AMF is selected, in operation 706, the primary AMF sends a rerouting NAS message to the base station including information for identifying the selected AMF (AMF information, AMF set information or other primary AMF information) and the initial UE message (registration request) received from the terminal.

[0145] In operation 707, the base station may select the AMF to which the request of the terminal will be sent again by using the information received from the primary AMF. If the AMF is specified and interworking with the specified AMF is possible, the base station may select the specified AMF. If AMF set information is received, an AMF may be selected from the corresponding AMF set. If other primary AMF information is received, the base station may select the corresponding primary AMF and send a message to it.

[0146] Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating a NF registration process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0147] Reference Figure 8 , in operation 801, the NF of the network may send an NF registration request message to the NRF to perform an NF registration process for registering its information. Here, the request message sent by the NF may include a profile of the NF, and may also include information about supported features indicating the functions supported by the NF. Specifically, among the functions supported by the NF, whether indirect communication, delegated discovery, SM context transfer, binding indication, and NF set are supported as indications of enhancements to SBA may be included. The information about the supported features may be included as part of the NF profile, or may be separated from the NF profile and included in the request message as separate data.

[0148] In operation 802, the NRF sends a response message to the NF request, in which case the response message may include supported features available in the network currently registered by the NF. The content and message composition that may be included in the supported features may be the same as the content and message composition of the supported features included in the request message. In addition, the response of the NRF may additionally include information to be applied when the NF uses the SCP in the network. The SCP information may include the address of the SCP, the operating mode of the SCP (one of modes A, B, C, and D), whether indirect communication is used, and whether delegated discovery is used.

[0149] In operation 803, the NF stores the information received from the NRF, and performs subsequent operations by using the received information (whether using SCP, indirect communication, or delegated discovery).

[0150] Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating a NF registration process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0151] Reference Fig. 9, in operation 901, the NF of the network may send an NF registration request message to the NRF to perform a NF registration process for registering its information. Here, the request message sent by the NF may include the profile of the NF, and may also include information about the supported features indicating the functions supported by the NF. Specifically, among the functions supported by the NF, whether indirect communication, delegated discovery, SM context transfer, binding indication, and NF set are supported as indications of enhancements to the SBA may be included. Information about supported features may be included as part of the NF profile, or may be separated from the NF profile and included in the request message as separate data. In such a case, the SCP may play the role of receiving and forwarding messages between the NF and the NRF. For example, the SCP may receive a registration request message from the NF and forward it to the NRF.

[0152] In operation 902, the NRF sends a response to the NF request, in which case the response message may include supported features available in the network that the NF is currently registered in. The content and message composition that may be included in the supported features may be the same as the content and message composition of the supported features included in the request message.

[0153] The response message sent by the NRF is first received by the SCP, and in operation 903, before forwarding, the SCP may include SCP operation information in the response message. The SCP information may include the address of the SCP, the operation mode of the SCP (one of modes A, B, C, and D), whether indirect communication is used, and whether delegated discovery is used. In addition to the information received from the NRF, the SCP may send a response message including the above information to the NF.

[0154] In operation 904, the NF stores the information received from the NRF (and the SCP), and may perform subsequent operations by using the received information (whether using the SCP, indirect communication, or delegated discovery).

[0155] Fig.10 is a diagram illustrating a NF registration process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0156] Reference Fig.10 In operation 1001, a NF of a network may send a discovery request message to an NRF to find or select other NFs or receive information thereof. Here, the request message sent by the NF may include information related to the target to be found. In order to discover the desired NF, the NF may include as a query parameter in the request message whether indirect communication, delegated discovery, SM context transfer, binding indication, and NF set are supported as an indication of enhancement to SBA.

[0157] In operation 1002, the NRF searches for a candidate NF that satisfies the conditions of the NF request and sends a response. The response message may include information about the candidate NFs that the requesting NF can select and the supported features of the candidate NFs. The response of the NRF may additionally include information to be applied when the requesting NF communicates with the candidate NF using an SCP in the network. The SCP information may include the address of the SCP, the operation mode of the SCP (one of modes A, B, C, and D), whether to use indirect communication, and whether to use delegated discovery.

[0158] In operation 1003, the NF stores the information received from the NRF, and may perform subsequent operations by using the received information (information about the candidate NF, whether to use SCP, indirect communication, or delegated discovery).

[0159] Fig.11 is a diagram illustrating a NF registration process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0160] Reference Fig.11 , in operation 1101, one NF of the network (operating as a consumer NF) may send a request message for a specific service to other NFs (operating as producer NFs). Here, the request message sent by the consumer NF may include parameters for performing the corresponding service and information about supported features of the consumer NF. Among the functions supported by the consumer NF, the information about the supported features may include whether indirect communication, delegated discovery, SM context transfer, binding indication, and NF set are supported, especially as an indication of enhancement to SBA. The supported features may be included as one of the service request parameters, or may be separated and included in the request message as separate data.

[0161] In operation 1102, the producer NF may process the service request from the consumer NF and send a response message corresponding thereto. Here, the response message sent by the producer NF may include parameters for the result of executing the corresponding service and information about the supported features of the producer NF. Among the functions supported by the producer NF, the information about the supported features may include whether indirect communication, delegated discovery, SM context transfer, binding indication, and NF set are supported, especially as an indication of enhancement to SBA. The supported features may be included as one of the service request parameters, or may be separated and included in the response message as separate data.

[0162] In operation 1103, the consumer NF and the producer NF may store the information exchanged therebetween, and may perform subsequent operations by using the received information (information about the peer NF, whether to use SCP, indirect communication, or delegated discovery).

[0163] Fig.122 is a diagram illustrating a method in which a NF receives SCP information through an NRF according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0164] Reference Fig.12 , in operation 1201, one NF of the network (which may operate as a consumer NF or a producer NF) may send a discovery request message to the NRF to receive information for using the SCP in the configuration of the network. Here, the request message sent by the NF may include parameters indicating that the target of the discovery is the SCP and information about the supported features of the NF. Among the functions supported by the NF, the information about the supported features may include whether indirect communication, delegated discovery, SM context transfer, binding indication, and NF sets are supported, especially as an indication of enhancements to SBA. The supported features may be included as one of the service request parameters, or may be separated and included in the request message as separate data. In addition, when the requesting NF needs to receive SCP information for a specific NW slice, it may include an identifier of the target slice in the request message. The above request may be a conventional NF discovery request, an SCP discovery request for SCP only, or a request for receiving message delivery / routing information.

[0165] In operation 1202, the NRF may search for an SCP that satisfies the conditions requested by the NF and send a response message. The response message may include information about the SCP that the requesting NF can use (SCP address, NF ID, identifier of the slice supported by the SCP, connection relationship between the SCP and other SCPs, etc.) and the supported features of the SCP. The response of the NRF may additionally include information to be applied when the requesting NF uses the SCP in the network to communicate with other NFs. This may include the operating mode of the SCP (one of modes A, B, C, and D), whether indirect communication is used, and whether delegated discovery is used. If there is no SCP that satisfies the NF request, the NRF may explicitly notify the NF through a response message. The above response is a response to a request message from the NF, i.e., a response corresponding to a conventional NF discovery request, an SCP discovery request only for the SCP, or a request to receive message delivery / routing information. If the connection between the NF and the SCP consists of multiple hops in the network configuration, the discovery response may include information about the next hop NF (or SCP) only from the perspective of the discovery requesting NF (or SCP), or may include information about all NFs (or SCPs) along the hop sequence on the transmission path.

[0166] In operation 1203, the NF may store the information received from the NRF and may perform subsequent operations by using the received information (whether to use SCP, SCP address, NF ID, whether to use indirect communication or delegated discovery, etc.). If the received response message contains information that there is no SCP or does not contain SCP information, the NF may consider that there is no SCP for subsequent operations.

[0167] Fig.13 is a block diagram of a terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0168] Reference Fig.13 , the terminal may include a transceiver 1310, a terminal controller 1320, and a storage 1330. In the present disclosure, the terminal controller 1320 may be defined as a circuit, a dedicated integrated circuit, or at least one processor.

[0169] The transceiver 1310 may send and receive signals to and from other network entities. The transceiver may receive system information, a synchronization signal, or a reference signal from, for example, a base station.

[0170] According to the embodiments proposed in the present disclosure, the terminal controller 1320 can control the overall operation of the terminal. For example, the terminal controller can control the signal flow between the blocks to perform operations according to the above-mentioned figures and flowcharts. Specifically, the terminal controller can operate according to the control signal from the base station and can exchange messages or signals with other terminals and / or network entities.

[0171] The storage 1330 may store at least one of information transmitted and received through the transceiver 1310 and information generated by the terminal controller.

[0172] Fig.14 is a block diagram of a base station according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0173] Reference Fig.14 , the base station may include a transceiver 1410, a base station controller 1420, and a storage 1430. In the present disclosure, the base station controller 1420 may be defined as a circuit, a dedicated integrated circuit, or at least one processor.

[0174] The transceiver 1410 may send signals to other network entities and receive signals from other network entities. The transceiver may send system information, synchronization signals, or reference signals to, for example, a terminal, and may receive information from a NF to provide a service to the terminal.

[0175] According to the embodiments proposed in the present disclosure, the base station controller 1420 can control the overall operation of the base station. For example, the base station controller can control the signal flow between the various blocks to perform operations according to the above-mentioned figures and flowcharts. Specifically, the base station controller can exchange messages or signals with the terminal, other base stations and / or network entities.

[0176] The storage 1430 may store at least one of information transmitted and received by the transceiver, and information generated by the base station controller.

[0177] Fig.15is a block diagram of a NF (including NF instances) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0178] Fig.15 The NF shown may include at least one of the above-mentioned AMF, main AMF, NSSF, SCP, and NRF, and is not limited to a specific NF.

[0179] Reference Fig.15 , the NF may include a transceiver 1510 , a NF controller 1520 , and a storage 1530 .

[0180] The transceiver 1510 may send and receive signals to and from other network entities. The transceiver may send data and control information for providing services to a base station (RAN), and may send information according to the present disclosure to other NFs.

[0181] According to an embodiment proposed in the present disclosure, the NF controller 1520 may control the overall operation of the NF.

[0182] The storage 1530 may store at least one of information transmitted and received by the transceiver and information generated by the NF controller.

[0183] The method according to the embodiments described in the claims or the specification of the present disclosure may be implemented in the form of hardware, software, and a combination thereof.

[0184] When implemented in software, a computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs (software modules) may be provided. One or more programs stored in the computer-readable storage medium are configured to be executable by one or more processors of an electronic device. One or more programs include instructions that cause the electronic device to perform the method according to the embodiments described in the claims or description of the present disclosure.

[0185] Such a program (software module, software) may be stored in a random access memory, a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory, a read-only memory (ROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a magnetic disk storage device, a compact disk ROM (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD), other types of optical storage devices, or a magnetic tape cassette. Alternatively, such a program may be stored in a memory consisting of a combination of some or all of them. In addition, multiple component memories may be included.

[0186] In addition, such a program can be stored in an attachable storage device that can be accessed through a communication network (such as the Internet, an intranet, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN) or a storage area network (SAN), and a communication network composed of a combination of these networks). Such a storage device can access the device that executes the embodiments of the present disclosure through an external port. In addition, an independent storage device on a communication network can access the device that executes the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0187] While the present disclosure has been shown and described with reference to various embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method performed by a serving communication proxy (SCP) entity in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: Sending a network function (NF) discovery request message including first information associated with a target SCP entity to a network storage function (NRF) entity; and In response to the NF discovery request message, receiving, from the NRF entity, an NF discovery response message including second information associated with the target SCP entity based on the first information, The first information includes the NF type of the target SCP entity, the NF type is set to SCP, and The first information includes at least one of NF set information associated with the NF entity served by the target SCP entity and an identifier related to the network slice associated with the target SCP entity.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The second information includes the NF type of the target SCP entity, the NF identifier of the target SCP entity, and the address of the target SCP entity.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The second information includes an identifier related to a network slice associated with the target SCP entity, SCP domain information associated with other SCP entities interconnected with the SCP entity, NF set information associated with NF entities served by the SCP entity, and at least one of an endpoint address accessible via the target SCP entity.

4. A service communication proxy (SCP) entity in a wireless communication system, the SCP entity comprising: a transceiver configured to transmit and receive signals; and A controller is coupled to the transceiver and is configured to: sending a network function (NF) discovery request message including first information associated with a target SCP entity to a network storage function (NRF) entity, and In response to the NF discovery request message, receiving, from the NRF entity, an NF discovery response message including second information associated with the target SCP entity based on the first information, The first information includes the NF type of the target SCP entity, the NF type is set to SCP, and The first information includes at least one of NF set information associated with the NF entity served by the target SCP entity and an identifier related to the network slice associated with the target SCP entity.

5. The SCP entity according to claim 4, wherein: The second information includes the NF type of the target SCP entity, the NF identifier of the target SCP entity, and the address of the target SCP entity.

6. The SCP entity according to claim 5, wherein: The second information includes an identifier related to a network slice associated with the target SCP entity, SCP domain information associated with other SCP entities interconnected with the SCP entity, NF set information associated with NF entities served by the SCP entity, and at least one of an endpoint address accessible via the target SCP entity.

7. A method performed by a network storage function (NRF) entity in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: receiving, from a serving communication proxy (SCP) entity, a network function (NF) discovery request message including first information associated with a target SCP entity; and In response to the NF discovery request message, based on the first information, sending to the SCP entity an NF discovery response message including second information associated with the target SCP entity, The first information includes the NF type of the target SCP entity, the NF type is set to SCP, and The first information includes at least one of NF set information associated with the NF entity served by the target SCP entity and an identifier related to the network slice associated with the target SCP entity.

8. The method according to claim 7, in, The second information includes the NF type of the target SCP entity, the NF identifier of the target SCP entity, and the address of the target SCP entity.

9. The method according to claim 8, in, The second information includes an identifier related to a network slice associated with the target SCP entity, SCP domain information associated with other SCP entities interconnected with the SCP entity, NF set information associated with NF entities served by the SCP entity, and at least one of an endpoint address accessible via the target SCP entity.

10. A network storage function (NRF) entity in a wireless communication system, the NRF entity comprising: a transceiver configured to transmit and receive signals; and A controller is coupled to the transceiver and is configured to: receiving, from a serving communication proxy (SCP) entity, a network function (NF) discovery request message including first information associated with a target SCP entity, and In response to the NF discovery request message, based on the first information, sending to the SCP entity an NF discovery response message including second information associated with the target SCP entity, The first information includes the NF type of the target SCP entity, the NF type is set to SCP, and The first information includes at least one of NF set information associated with the NF entity served by the target SCP entity and an identifier related to the network slice associated with the target SCP entity.

11. The NRF entity according to claim 10, wherein: The second information includes the NF type of the target SCP entity, the NF identifier of the target SCP entity, and the address of the target SCP entity.

12. The NRF entity according to claim 11, wherein: The second information includes an identifier related to a network slice associated with the target SCP entity, SCP domain information associated with other SCP entities interconnected with the SCP entity, NF set information associated with NF entities served by the SCP entity, and at least one of an endpoint address accessible via the target SCP entity.

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