A user equipment positioning verification method and device

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a method and apparatus for verifying positioning of a user equipment (UE). In the method, a network device determines that positioning verification of the UE is needed, and performs the positioning verification of the UE.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of mobile communication technology, and in particular to a user equipment (UE) positioning verification method and apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] In current mobile communication network systems, the location information of user equipment (UE) can be reported to the network side. However, in some scenarios, the accuracy of the reported location information may not meet the requirements, necessitating verification of the reported location information to obtain more accurate location data. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This disclosure proposes a user equipment (UE) location verification method and apparatus, which can perform location verification by a session management function (SMF) network element or an access and mobility management function (AMF) network element, thereby obtaining more accurate UE location information.

[0004] The first aspect of this disclosure provides a user equipment (UE) location verification method, which is applied in a first network element. The method includes performing location verification on the UE when it is determined that location verification is to be performed on the UE.

[0005] A second aspect of this disclosure provides a UE location verification device applied in a first network element. The device includes a verification module for performing location verification on the UE when it is determined that location verification is to be performed on the UE.

[0006] A third aspect of this disclosure provides a communication device, including: a transceiver; a memory; and a processor, respectively connected to the transceiver and the memory, configured to control the transmission and reception of wireless signals of the transceiver by executing computer-executable instructions on the memory, and capable of implementing the method described in the first aspect of the present disclosure.

[0007] A fourth aspect of this disclosure provides a computer storage medium storing computer-executable instructions; these computer-executable instructions, when executed by a processor, can implement the method described in the first aspect of the present invention.

[0008] This disclosure provides a UE location verification method and apparatus, which proposes a method for performing location verification on the UE by a first network element, thereby making up for the lack of a way to perform location verification in the prior art.

[0009] Additional aspects and advantages of this disclosure 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 this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0010] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent and readily understood from the following description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0011] in:

[0012] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating a UE positioning verification method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0013] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating a UE positioning verification method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0014] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a UE positioning verification method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating a UE positioning verification method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating a UE positioning verification method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating a UE positioning verification method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating a UE positioning verification method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a UE positioning verification device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a UE positioning verification device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0022] Embodiments of this disclosure are described in detail below, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain this disclosure, and should not be construed as limiting this disclosure.

[0023] In current mobile communication network systems, the location information of user equipment (UE) can be reported to the network side. However, in some scenarios, the accuracy of the reported location information may not meet the requirements, necessitating verification of the reported location information to obtain more accurate location data. However, existing technologies lack methods for location verification.

[0024] To address this, this application provides a UE location verification method and apparatus, proposing a method for performing UE location verification by a session management function (SMF) or access and mobility management function (AMF) network element, thereby overcoming the deficiency in existing technologies regarding how to perform location verification.

[0025] Figure 1 A flowchart illustrating a UE location verification method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. This method is executed by a first network element, thereby providing a method for performing location verification on the UE, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the UE positioning verification method includes the following steps:

[0026] S101, When it is determined that location verification should be performed on the UE, location verification should be performed on the UE.

[0027] In this embodiment, the first network element can determine whether to perform location verification on the UE. When it is determined that location verification should be performed on the UE, the first network element performs location verification on the UE. The first network element can determine to perform location verification on the UE for various reasons, such as based on its own configuration information or in response to instructions issued by other network elements.

[0028] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the network device may perform location verification on the UE when it determines that location verification is to be performed on the UE, thereby providing a method for the network device to perform location verification on the UE, which makes up for the lack of information on how to perform location verification in the prior art.

[0029] In some embodiments, the first network element may include at least one of a session management function (SMF) network element and an access and mobility management function (AMF) network element.

[0030] Figure 2A flowchart illustrating a UE location verification method according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. This method is executed by an SMF network element, thereby providing a method for the SMF network element to perform location verification on the UE, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the UE positioning verification method includes the following steps:

[0031] S201, When it is determined that location verification should be performed on the UE, location verification should be performed on the UE.

[0032] In this embodiment, the SMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE, and when it is determined that location verification should be performed for the UE, the SMF network element performs location verification for the UE.

[0033] In some embodiments, step S201 can be implemented by at least one of steps S2011 and S2012.

[0034] S2011, Send a location process trigger request to the location management function (LMF) network element to trigger the LMF network element to execute the location process.

[0035] In this embodiment, the SMF network element can perform location verification by triggering the location management function (LMF). Specifically, the SMF network element can send a location process trigger request to the LMF network element, causing the LMF network element to execute the location process in response to the location process trigger request, thereby realizing the location verification of the UE.

[0036] In some embodiments, the trigger request may include a satellite link indication for indicating whether the UE is using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul, thereby triggering the LMF network element to perform a positioning process applicable to the satellite link based on the satellite link indication.

[0037] S2012, send a location verification request to the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) network element to trigger the AMF network element to perform location verification on the UE in response to the location verification request; and receive the UE's Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) information fed back by the AMF network element.

[0038] In this embodiment, the SMF network element can request the AMF network element to perform location verification. Specifically, the SMF network element can send a location verification request to the AMF network element. This location verification request is a higher-precision location request, which enables the AMF network element to respond to the location verification request, perform location verification on the UE, and then feed back the UE's Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) information to the SMF network element, thereby realizing the location verification of the UE.

[0039] In some embodiments, the location verification request includes a time period for performing location verification on the UE, which is used to trigger the AMF network element to perform location verification on the UE according to the time period.

[0040] In this embodiment, the SMF network element can request the AMF network element to perform location verification on the UE according to a certain time period. Specifically, the location verification request sent by the SMF network element to the AMF network element may include the time period for performing location verification on the UE. After receiving the location verification request, the AMF network element can perform location verification on the UE according to the time period. In this way, location verification on the UE can be avoided all the time, thereby saving resources.

[0041] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the SMF network element can perform location verification on the UE by triggering the LMF network element or by requesting the AMF network element when it determines that location verification is to be performed on the UE. This provides a method for the SMF network element to perform location verification on the UE, which makes up for the lack of information on how to perform location verification in the prior art.

[0042] Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating a UE location verification method according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. This method is executed by an SMF network element, thereby providing a method for the SMF network element to perform location verification on the UE. Figure 2 Based on the illustrated embodiments, as Figure 3 As shown, the UE positioning verification method includes the following steps:

[0043] S301, based on location verification information or location verification indication, determine whether to perform location verification for the UE.

[0044] The location verification information includes at least one of satellite link indication and UE location identification information. Satellite link indication is used to indicate whether the UE is using at least one of satellite access and satellite backhaul. Location identification information includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the cell where the UE is located, the identifier of the access network node to which the cell belongs, and the Tracking Area Identifier (TAI) corresponding to the UE.

[0045] The SMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on satellite link indication and / or the UE's location identification information. In some embodiments, the SMF network element can directly determine whether to perform location verification for the UE or not without making a judgment. That is, the SMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on satellite link indication and / or the UE's location identification information, or the SMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on satellite link indication and / or the UE's location identification information.

[0046] In some embodiments, the SMF network element may determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on a satellite link indication, wherein the satellite link indication is used to indicate whether the UE is using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul. In some embodiments, the SMF network element may determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on a satellite link indication, wherein the satellite link indication is used to indicate that the UE is using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul. In some embodiments, the SMF network element may determine whether not to perform location verification for the UE based on a satellite link indication, wherein the satellite link indication is used to indicate that the UE is not using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul. For example, if it is detected that the UE is using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul, since the coverage of satellites is usually very large, it may cover multiple service areas, such as multiple provinces or even countries. In this case, the coverage identified by the UE's reported location information (usually cell identifier, base station identifier, etc.) may be larger than the region of interest, and it may be necessary to perform UE location verification to identify more accurate location information of the UE. The SMF network element determines whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the satellite link indication indicating that the UE is using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul. For example, if it is detected that the UE is not using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul, then UE location verification may not be necessary. The SMF network element determines whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the satellite link indication that the UE is not using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul. Therefore, the SMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the satellite link indication that the UE is using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul.

[0047] In other embodiments, the SMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification on the UE based on the UE's location identifier information, wherein the UE's location identifier information includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the cell where the UE is located, the identifier of the access network node to which the cell belongs, and the Tracking Area Identity (TAI) corresponding to the UE. In some embodiments, the SMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification on the UE based on the UE's location identifier information, or the SMF network element can determine whether not to perform location verification on the UE based on the UE's location identifier information. For example, if a service requires pushing advertising information to UEs that have entered a certain area, such as a shopping mall, and since the coverage identified by the UE's reported location information (usually cell identifier, base station identifier, etc.) is usually greater than that area, in order to avoid mistakenly pushing advertising information to UEs that have not entered the area, it may be necessary to perform UE location verification to identify the UE's more accurate location information. In this case, the SMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification on the UE based on the UE's location identifier information. As another example, if the UE's location identifier information shows that the UE has not entered the shopping mall, then it may not be necessary to perform UE location verification. The SMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification on the UE based on the UE's location identifier information. Therefore, SMF network elements can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the UE's location identification information.

[0048] In some embodiments, the SMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on satellite link indication and the UE's location identification information. The satellite link indication is used to indicate whether the UE is using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul. The UE's location identification information includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the cell where the UE is located, the identifier of the access network node to which the cell belongs, and the Tracking Area Identifier (TAI) corresponding to the UE. In some embodiments, the SMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on satellite link indication and the UE's location identification information. The satellite link indication is used to indicate that the UE is using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul. The UE's location identification information includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the cell where the UE is located, the identifier of the access network node to which the cell belongs, and the Tracking Area Identifier (TAI) corresponding to the UE. In some embodiments, the SMF network element can determine whether not to perform location verification for the UE based on satellite link indication and the UE's location identification information. The satellite link indication is used to indicate that the UE is not using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul. The UE's location identification information includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the cell where the UE is located, the identifier of the access network node to which the cell belongs, and the Tracking Area Identifier (TAI) corresponding to the UE. For example, if it is detected that a UE is using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul, since satellite coverage is typically very large, potentially covering multiple service areas (e.g., multiple provinces or even countries), and service requirements necessitate pushing notifications to UEs crossing service areas, it may be difficult to identify whether the UE has crossed a service area based solely on the UE's reported location information (usually cell identifier, base station identifier, etc.). Therefore, UE location verification may be necessary to more accurately identify whether the UE has crossed a service area. Thus, the SMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on satellite link indication and the UE's location identifier information.

[0049] Furthermore, the SMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the location verification indication. In this embodiment, the location verification indication can come from other network elements. For example, the location verification indication can come from the policy control function (PCF) network element. The location verification indication can be derived by other network elements based on location verification information. The location verification information can include at least one of satellite link indication and UE location identification information. The satellite link indication can be used to indicate whether the UE is using at least one of satellite access and satellite backhaul. The location identification information can include at least one of the following: the identifier of the cell where the UE is located, the identifier of the access network node to which the cell belongs, and the tracking area identifier (TAI) corresponding to the UE. Other network elements can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the location verification information, and send a location verification indication to the SMF network element when determining to perform location verification. The method by which other network elements derive the location verification indication based on the location verification information can be referred to the above description of the SMF network element determining whether to perform location verification for the UE based on location verification information.

[0050] Specifically, other network elements can derive this information based on location verification information and pre-configured policies in other network elements. The pre-configured policies may include at least one of the following: whether the UE using the satellite link requires information with finer granularity than cell-level positioning, UE service information requiring finer granularity than cell-level positioning, and policy information specifying areas requiring finer granularity than cell-level positioning. Other network elements can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the location verification information and the pre-configured policies in other network elements, and when determining to perform location verification, send a location verification instruction to the SMF network element.

[0051] In other words, the SMF network element can receive a location verification instruction from other network elements and determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the location verification instruction. In some embodiments, the SMF network element can directly determine whether to perform location verification for the UE or not without making a judgment. That is, the SMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on a location verification instruction (e.g., the location verification instruction may indicate that location verification should be performed), or the SMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on a location verification instruction (e.g., the location verification instruction is a negative instruction, i.e., it indicates that location verification should not be performed). Of course, in some embodiments, if no location verification instruction is received, it is determined by default that location verification should not be performed for the UE.

[0052] S302, When it is determined that location verification shall be performed for the UE, location verification shall be performed for the UE.

[0053] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the SMF network element can perform location verification on the UE when it determines that location verification is to be performed on the UE. The specific implementation of step S302 can be found above. Figure 1 The steps S101 or shown Figure 2 The implementation method of step S201 shown in this disclosure will not be described again in this embodiment.

[0054] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the SMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification on the UE based on location verification information, and perform location verification on the UE when it is determined to perform it, thereby providing a method for the SMF network element to perform location verification on the UE, which makes up for the lack of how to perform location verification in the prior art.

[0055] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating a UE location verification method according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. This method is executed by an SMF network element, thereby providing a method for the SMF network element to perform location verification on the UE. Figure 2 Based on the illustrated embodiments, as Figure 4 As shown, the UE positioning verification method includes the following steps:

[0056] S401, Based on the location verification information, determine whether to perform location verification for the UE.

[0057] The location verification information includes at least one of satellite link indication and UE location identification information. Satellite link indication is used to indicate whether the UE is using at least one of satellite access and satellite backhaul. Location identification information includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the cell where the UE is located, the identifier of the access network node to which the cell belongs, and the Tracking Area Identifier (TAI) corresponding to the UE.

[0058] In some embodiments, step S401 can be implemented by at least one of steps S4011 and S4012.

[0059] S4011, based on the pre-configured policy and the location verification information in the SMF network element, determine whether to perform location verification for the UE, wherein the pre-configured policy includes at least one of the following: whether the UE using the satellite link needs information with finer granularity than cell-level location granularity, UE service information with finer granularity than cell-level location granularity, and policy information specifying the area with finer granularity than cell-level location granularity.

[0060] SMF network elements can be pre-configured with policies that may include at least one of the following: whether a UE using a satellite link needs information with finer granularity than cell-level positioning, UE service information that needs finer granularity than cell-level positioning, and policy information specifying areas that need finer granularity than cell-level positioning.

[0061] In this embodiment, the SMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on location verification information including satellite link indication and / or UE location identification information and a pre-configured policy. In some embodiments, the SMF network element can directly determine whether to perform location verification for the UE or not without making a judgment. That is, the SMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on location verification information including satellite link indication and / or UE location identification information and a pre-configured policy, or the SMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on location verification information including satellite link indication and / or UE location identification information and a pre-configured policy.

[0062] In some embodiments, the SMF network element may determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on satellite link indication and pre-configured policies, wherein the satellite link indication is used to indicate whether the UE is using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul. In some embodiments, the SMF network element may determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on satellite link indication and pre-configured policies, wherein the satellite link indication is used to indicate that the UE is using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul. In some embodiments, the SMF network element may determine whether not to perform location verification for the UE based on satellite link indication and pre-configured policies, wherein the satellite link indication is used to indicate that the UE is not using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul. For example, if a UE is detected using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul, since satellite coverage is typically very large, potentially covering multiple service areas, such as multiple provinces or even countries, the coverage identified by the UE's reported location information (usually cell identifier, base station identifier, etc.) may be larger than the region of interest. If the pre-configured policy in the SMF network element indicates that the UE using satellite access and / or satellite links requires finer granularity than cell-level positioning, then UE positioning verification needs to be performed to identify more accurate UE location information. The SMF network element determines to perform positioning verification for the UE based on the satellite link indication indicating that the UE is using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul and the pre-configured policy. Conversely, if the pre-configured policy in the SMF network element indicates that the UE using satellite access and / or satellite links does not require finer granularity than cell-level positioning, then UE positioning verification does not need to be performed. The SMF network element determines to perform positioning verification for the UE based on the satellite link indication indicating that the UE is not using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul and the pre-configured policy. Therefore, SMF network elements can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on satellite link indications and pre-configured policies that indicate whether the UE is using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul.

[0063] In other embodiments, the SMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the UE's location identification information and a pre-configured policy. The UE's location identification information includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the cell where the UE is located, the identifier of the access network node to which the cell belongs, and the Tracking Area Identifier (TAI) corresponding to the UE. In some embodiments, the SMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the UE's location identification information and the pre-configured policy, or the SMF network element can determine whether not to perform location verification for the UE based on the UE's location identification information and the pre-configured policy. For example, a pre-configured policy in an SMF network element might indicate that a UE needs to subscribe to services with a finer granularity than cell-level positioning. If a UE has already subscribed to one of these services—for example, a service that pushes advertising information to UEs entering a certain area, such as a shopping mall—and the coverage identified by the UE's reported location information (usually cell identifier, base station identifier, etc.) is typically larger than that area, then to avoid mistakenly pushing advertising information to UEs that haven't entered the area, UE location verification is needed to identify the UE's more accurate location information. The SMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification based on the UE's location identifier information and the pre-configured policy. Conversely, if the UE's location identifier information shows that the UE has not entered the shopping mall, then UE location verification may not be necessary. The SMF network element can determine whether not to perform location verification based on the UE's location identifier information and the pre-configured policy. Therefore, the SMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the UE's location identifier information and the pre-configured policy.

[0064] In some embodiments, the SMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on satellite link indication, UE location identification information, and pre-configured policies. The satellite link indication is used to indicate whether the UE is using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul. The UE location identification information includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the cell where the UE is located, the identifier of the access network node to which the cell belongs, and the Tracking Area Identifier (TAI) corresponding to the UE. In some embodiments, the SMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on satellite link indication, UE location identification information, and pre-configured policies. The satellite link indication is used to indicate that the UE is using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul. The UE location identification information includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the cell where the UE is located, the identifier of the access network node to which the cell belongs, and the Tracking Area Identifier (TAI) corresponding to the UE. In some embodiments, the SMF network element can determine whether not to perform location verification for the UE based on satellite link indication, UE location identification information, and pre-configured policies. The satellite link indication is used to indicate that the UE is not using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul. The UE location identification information includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the cell where the UE is located, the identifier of the access network node to which the cell belongs, and the Tracking Area Identifier (TAI) corresponding to the UE. For example, if it is detected that a UE is using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul, and since satellite coverage is typically very large, potentially covering multiple service areas (e.g., multiple provinces or even countries), and the UE has subscribed to a service that requires finer-grained granularity than cell-level positioning (as indicated by a pre-configured policy in the SMF network element, such as different rates for UEs crossing service areas), then UE location verification is needed to more accurately identify whether the UE has crossed service areas, as it is difficult to determine from the UE's reported location information (usually cell identifier, base station identifier, etc.). Therefore, the SMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on satellite link indication, UE location identification information, and pre-configured policies.

[0065] S4012, the location verification information is reported to the policy control function PCF network element so that the PCF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the location verification information and the pre-configured policy in the PCF network element; and when the location verification indication information is received from the PCF network element, it is determined to perform location verification for the UE.

[0066] The pre-configured policy includes at least one of the following: whether the UE using the satellite link needs information with finer granularity than cell-level positioning, UE service information with finer granularity than cell-level positioning, and policy information specifying the area with finer granularity than cell-level positioning. The positioning verification indication information includes a positioning verification indication that indicates the execution of positioning verification and is sent by the PCF network element when it determines to perform positioning verification for the UE.

[0067] In this embodiment, the SMF network element can report location verification information to the policy control function (PCF) network element. The PCF network element has a pre-configured policy, which may include at least one of the following: whether the UE using the satellite link needs information with finer granularity than cell-level positioning, whether it needs UE service information with finer granularity than cell-level positioning, and policy information specifying areas requiring finer granularity than cell-level positioning. The PCF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the location verification information, including satellite link indication and / or UE location identification information, and the pre-configured policy. The method by which the PCF network element determines whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the location verification information and pre-configured policy is similar to that of the SMF network element, and can be referred to the above description, which will not be repeated here. If the PCF network element determines to perform location verification for the UE, it can send a location verification instruction to the SMF network element to instruct it to perform location verification.

[0068] In some embodiments, location verification indication information is carried in the SM policy association establishment response or SM policy association modification response and sent by the PCF network element to the SMF network element.

[0069] In this embodiment, the PCF network element can send location verification indication information to the SMF network element through a session management (SM) policy association establishment response or an SM policy association modification response. Specifically, the location verification indication information can be carried in the SM policy association establishment response or the SM policy association modification response.

[0070] In some embodiments, the location verification indication information includes the time period for performing location verification on the UE.

[0071] In this embodiment, the PCF network element can determine to perform location verification on the UE according to a certain time period. The PCF network element can send the time period for performing location verification on the UE and the location verification instruction to the SMF network element, so that the SMF network element can perform location verification on the UE according to the time period. In this way, location verification on the UE can be avoided all the time, thereby saving resources.

[0072] S402, When it is determined that location verification shall be performed for the UE, location verification shall be performed for the UE.

[0073] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the SMF network element can perform location verification on the UE when it determines that location verification is to be performed on the UE. The specific implementation of step S402 can be found above. Figure 1 The steps S101 or shown Figure 2 The implementation method of step S201 shown in this disclosure will not be described again in this embodiment.

[0074] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the SMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on location verification information and pre-configured policies, or it can send the location verification information to the PCF network element so that the PCF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the location verification information and pre-configured policies, and perform location verification for the UE when it determines to perform it, thereby providing a method for the SMF network element to perform location verification for the UE, which makes up for the lack of how to perform location verification in the prior art.

[0075] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating a UE location verification method according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. This method is executed by an AMF network element, thereby providing a method for the AMF network element to perform location verification on the UE, such as... Figure 5 As shown, the UE positioning verification method includes the following steps:

[0076] S501, When it is determined that location verification shall be performed for the UE, location verification shall be performed for the UE.

[0077] In this embodiment, the AMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE, and when it is determined that location verification should be performed for the UE, the AMF network element performs location verification for the UE.

[0078] In some embodiments, step S501 can be implemented by at least one of steps S5011 and S5012.

[0079] S5011, sends a location process trigger request to the location management function (LMF) network element to trigger the LMF network element to execute the location process.

[0080] In this embodiment, the AMF network element can perform location verification by triggering the location management function (LMF). Specifically, the AMF network element can send a location process trigger request to the LMF network element, causing the LMF network element to execute the location process in response to the location process trigger request, thereby realizing the location verification of the UE.

[0081] In some embodiments, the trigger request may include a satellite link indication for indicating whether the UE is using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul, thereby triggering the LMF network element to perform a positioning process applicable to the satellite link based on the satellite link indication.

[0082] S5012, sends an autonomous mode GNSS positioning request to the UE to trigger the UE to perform the autonomous mode GNSS positioning process; and receives the UE's GNSS information fed back by the UE.

[0083] In this embodiment, the AMF network element can trigger the UE to perform positioning verification. Specifically, the AMF network element can send an autonomous mode Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positioning request to the UE, enabling the UE to respond to the autonomous mode GNSS request, perform an autonomous mode GNSS positioning process, and then feed back the UE's GNSS information to the AMF network element, thereby realizing the positioning verification of the UE.

[0084] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the AMF network element can perform location verification on the UE by triggering the LMF network element or by triggering the UE when it determines that location verification is to be performed on the UE. This provides a method for the AMF network element to perform location verification on the UE, which makes up for the lack of information on how to perform location verification in the prior art.

[0085] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating a UE location verification method according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. This method is executed by an AMF network element, thereby providing a method for the AMF network element to perform location verification on the UE. Figure 5 Based on the illustrated embodiments, as Figure 6 As shown, the UE positioning verification method includes the following steps:

[0086] S601, based on location verification information or location verification indication, determine whether to perform location verification for the UE.

[0087] The location verification information includes at least one of satellite link indication and UE location identification information. Satellite link indication is used to indicate whether the UE is using at least one of satellite access and satellite backhaul. Location identification information includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the cell where the UE is located, the identifier of the access network node to which the cell belongs, and the Tracking Area Identifier (TAI) corresponding to the UE.

[0088] The AMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on satellite link indication and / or the UE's location identification information. In some embodiments, the AMF network element can directly determine whether to perform location verification for the UE or not without making a judgment. That is, the AMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on satellite link indication and / or the UE's location identification information, or the AMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on satellite link indication and / or the UE's location identification information.

[0089] In some embodiments, the AMF network element may determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on a satellite link indication, wherein the satellite link indication is used to indicate whether the UE is using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul. In some embodiments, the AMF network element may determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on a satellite link indication, wherein the satellite link indication is used to indicate that the UE is using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul. In some embodiments, the AMF network element may determine whether not to perform location verification for the UE based on a satellite link indication, wherein the satellite link indication is used to indicate that the UE is not using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul. For example, if it is detected that the UE is using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul, since the coverage of satellites is usually very large, it may cover multiple service areas, such as multiple provinces or even countries. In this case, the coverage identified by the UE's reported location information (usually cell identifier, base station identifier, etc.) may be larger than the region of interest, and it may be necessary to perform UE location verification to identify more accurate location information of the UE. The AMF network element determines whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the satellite link indication indicating that the UE is using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul. For example, if it is detected that the UE is not using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul, then UE location verification may not be necessary. The AMF network element determines whether to perform location verification for the UE based on satellite link indications that the UE is not using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul. Therefore, the AMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on satellite link indications that the UE is using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul.

[0090] In other embodiments, the AMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the UE's location identification information, wherein the UE's location identification information includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the cell where the UE is located, the identifier of the access network node to which the cell belongs, and the Tracking Area Identifier (TAI) corresponding to the UE. In some embodiments, the AMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the UE's location identification information, or the AMF network element can determine whether not to perform location verification for the UE based on the UE's location identification information. For example, if a service requires pushing advertising information to UEs that have entered a certain area, such as a shopping mall, and since the coverage identified by the UE's reported location information (usually cell identifier, base station identifier, etc.) is usually greater than that area, in this case, to avoid mistakenly pushing advertising information to UEs that have not entered the area, it may be necessary to perform UE location verification to identify the UE's more accurate location information. The AMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the UE's location identification information. As another example, if the UE's location identification information shows that the UE has not entered the shopping mall, then UE location verification may not be necessary, and the AMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the UE's location identification information. Therefore, the AMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the UE's location identification information.

[0091] In some embodiments, the AMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on satellite link indication and the UE's location identification information. The satellite link indication is used to indicate whether the UE is using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul. The UE's location identification information includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the cell where the UE is located, the identifier of the access network node to which the cell belongs, and the Tracking Area Identifier (TAI) corresponding to the UE. In some embodiments, the AMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on satellite link indication and the UE's location identification information. The satellite link indication is used to indicate that the UE is using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul. The UE's location identification information includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the cell where the UE is located, the identifier of the access network node to which the cell belongs, and the Tracking Area Identifier (TAI) corresponding to the UE. In some embodiments, the AMF network element can determine whether not to perform location verification for the UE based on satellite link indication and the UE's location identification information. The satellite link indication is used to indicate that the UE is not using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul. The UE's location identification information includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the cell where the UE is located, the identifier of the access network node to which the cell belongs, and the Tracking Area Identifier (TAI) corresponding to the UE. For example, if a UE is detected using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul, given the typically large coverage area of ​​satellites, potentially covering multiple service areas (e.g., multiple provinces or even countries), and service requirements necessitate pushing notifications to UEs crossing service areas, it may be necessary to perform UE location verification to more accurately determine whether the UE has crossed a service area, as the UE's reported location information (usually cell identifiers, base station identifiers, etc.) is insufficient to identify this. Similarly, if a UE is detected using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul, given the typically large coverage area of ​​satellites, potentially covering multiple service areas (e.g., multiple provinces or even countries), and if the UE crosses a border, different countries may use different operators. In this case, it may be difficult to identify whether the UE has crossed a border using the UE's reported location information (usually cell identifiers, base station identifiers, etc.), UE location verification is required to more accurately identify whether the UE has crossed a border, enabling the reselection of previously attached local mobility anchor (PLMA) network elements. Therefore, the AMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on satellite link indications and the UE's location identification information.

[0092] Furthermore, the AMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the location verification indication. In this embodiment, the location verification indication can come from other network elements. For example, the location verification indication can come from the PCF network element or the SMF network element. The location verification indication can be derived by other network elements based on location verification information. The location verification information can include at least one of satellite link indication and UE location identification information. The satellite link indication can be used to indicate whether the UE is using at least one of satellite access and satellite backhaul. The location identification information can include at least one of the following: the identifier of the cell where the UE is located, the identifier of the access network node to which the cell belongs, and the Tracking Area Identifier (TAI) corresponding to the UE. Other network elements can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the location verification information, and when determining to perform location verification, send a location verification indication to the AMF network element. The method by which other network elements derive the location verification indication based on the location verification information can be referred to the above description of the AMF network element determining whether to perform location verification for the UE based on location verification information.

[0093] Specifically, other network elements can derive this information based on location verification information and pre-configured policies in other network elements. The pre-configured policies may include at least one of the following: whether the UE using the satellite link requires information with finer granularity than cell-level positioning, UE service information requiring finer granularity than cell-level positioning, and policy information specifying areas requiring finer granularity than cell-level positioning. Other network elements can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the location verification information and the pre-configured policies in other network elements, and when determining to perform location verification, send a location verification instruction to the AMF network element.

[0094] In other words, the AMF network element can receive a location verification instruction from other network elements and determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the location verification instruction. In some embodiments, the AMF network element can directly determine whether to perform location verification for the UE or not without making a judgment. That is, the AMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on a location verification instruction (e.g., the location verification instruction may indicate that location verification should be performed), or the AMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on a location verification instruction (e.g., the location verification instruction is a negative instruction, i.e., it indicates that location verification should not be performed). Of course, in some embodiments, if no location verification instruction is received, it is determined by default that location verification should not be performed for the UE.

[0095] S602, When it is determined that location verification shall be performed on the UE, location verification shall be performed on the UE.

[0096] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the AMF network element can perform location verification on the UE when it determines that location verification is to be performed on the UE. The specific implementation of step S602 can be found above. Figure 1 The steps S101 or shown Figure 5 The implementation of step S501 shown in this embodiment will not be described again in this disclosure.

[0097] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the AMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification on the UE based on location verification information, and perform location verification on the UE when it is determined to perform it, thereby providing a method for the AMF network element to perform location verification on the UE, which makes up for the lack of how to perform location verification in the prior art.

[0098] Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating a UE location verification method according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. This method is executed by an AMF network element, thereby providing a method for the AMF network element to perform location verification on the UE. Figure 5 Based on the illustrated embodiments, as Figure 7 As shown, the UE positioning verification method includes the following steps:

[0099] S701, based on the location verification information, determines whether to perform location verification for the UE.

[0100] The location verification information includes at least one of satellite link indication and UE location identification information. Satellite link indication is used to indicate whether the UE is using at least one of satellite access and satellite backhaul. Location identification information includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the cell where the UE is located, the identifier of the access network node to which the cell belongs, and the Tracking Area Identifier (TAI) corresponding to the UE.

[0101] In some embodiments, step S701 can be implemented by at least one of steps S7011 and S7013.

[0102] S7011, based on the pre-configured policy and location verification information in the AMF network element, determine whether to perform location verification for the UE, wherein the pre-configured policy includes at least one of the following: whether the UE using the satellite link needs information with finer granularity than cell-level location granularity, UE service information with finer granularity than cell-level location granularity, and policy information specifying the area with finer granularity than cell-level location granularity.

[0103] AMF network elements can be pre-configured with policies that may include at least one of the following: whether a UE using a satellite link needs information with finer granularity than cell-level positioning, UE service information that needs finer granularity than cell-level positioning, and policy information specifying areas that need finer granularity than cell-level positioning.

[0104] In this embodiment, the AMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on location verification information including satellite link indication and / or UE location identification information and a pre-configured policy. In some embodiments, the AMF network element can directly determine whether to perform location verification for the UE or not without making a judgment. That is, the AMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on location verification information including satellite link indication and / or UE location identification information and a pre-configured policy, or the AMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on location verification information including satellite link indication and / or UE location identification information and a pre-configured policy.

[0105] In some embodiments, the AMF network element may determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on satellite link indication and pre-configured policies, wherein the satellite link indication is used to indicate whether the UE is using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul. In some embodiments, the AMF network element may determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on satellite link indication and pre-configured policies, wherein the satellite link indication is used to indicate that the UE is using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul. In some embodiments, the AMF network element may determine whether not to perform location verification for the UE based on satellite link indication and pre-configured policies, wherein the satellite link indication is used to indicate that the UE is not using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul. For example, if a UE is detected using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul, since satellite coverage is typically very large, potentially covering multiple service areas, such as multiple provinces or even countries, the coverage identified by the UE's reported location information (usually cell identifier, base station identifier, etc.) may be larger than the region of interest. If the pre-configured policy in the AMF network element indicates that the UE using satellite access and / or satellite links requires finer granularity than cell-level positioning, then UE positioning verification needs to be performed to identify more accurate UE location information. The AMF network element determines to perform positioning verification for the UE based on the satellite link indication indicating that the UE is using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul and the pre-configured policy. Conversely, if the pre-configured policy in the AMF network element indicates that the UE using satellite access and / or satellite links does not require finer granularity than cell-level positioning, then UE positioning verification does not need to be performed. The AMF network element determines to perform positioning verification for the UE based on the satellite link indication indicating that the UE is not using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul and the pre-configured policy. Therefore, the AMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on satellite link indications and pre-configured policies that indicate whether the UE is using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul.

[0106] In other embodiments, the AMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the UE's location identification information and a pre-configured policy. The UE's location identification information includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the cell where the UE is located, the identifier of the access network node to which the cell belongs, and the Tracking Area Identifier (TAI) corresponding to the UE. In some embodiments, the AMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the UE's location identification information and the pre-configured policy, or the AMF network element can determine whether not to perform location verification for the UE based on the UE's location identification information and the pre-configured policy. For example, a pre-configured policy in the AMF network element may indicate that a UE needs to subscribe to services with a finer granularity than cell-level positioning. If a UE has already subscribed to one of these services—for example, a service that pushes advertising information to UEs entering a certain area, such as a shopping mall—and the coverage identified by the UE's reported location information (usually cell identifier, base station identifier, etc.) is typically larger than that area, then to avoid mistakenly pushing advertising information to UEs that have not entered that area, UE location verification is needed to identify the UE's more accurate location information. The AMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the UE's location identifier information and the pre-configured policy. Similarly, if a pre-configured policy in the AMF network element indicates that a region needs to be identified with a finer granularity than cell-level positioning, and a UE enters that region, but the coverage granularity identified by the UE's reported location information (usually cell identifier, base station identifier, etc.) does not meet the required granularity, then UE location verification is needed to identify the UE's more accurate location information. The AMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the UE's location identifier information and the pre-configured policy. For example, if the UE's location identification information indicates that the UE has not entered the area, then UE location verification may not be necessary. The AMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the UE's location identification information and pre-configured policies. Therefore, the AMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the UE's location identification information and pre-configured policies.

[0107] In some embodiments, the AMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on satellite link indication, UE location identification information, and pre-configured policies. The satellite link indication is used to indicate whether the UE is using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul. The UE location identification information includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the cell where the UE is located, the identifier of the access network node to which the cell belongs, and the Tracking Area Identifier (TAI) corresponding to the UE. In some embodiments, the AMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on satellite link indication, UE location identification information, and pre-configured policies. The satellite link indication is used to indicate that the UE is using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul. The UE location identification information includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the cell where the UE is located, the identifier of the access network node to which the cell belongs, and the Tracking Area Identifier (TAI) corresponding to the UE. In some embodiments, the AMF network element can determine whether not to perform location verification for the UE based on satellite link indication, UE location identification information, and pre-configured policies. The satellite link indication is used to indicate that the UE is not using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul. The UE location identification information includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the cell where the UE is located, the identifier of the access network node to which the cell belongs, and the Tracking Area Identifier (TAI) corresponding to the UE. For example, if it is detected that a UE is using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul, since satellite coverage is usually very large, it may cover multiple service areas, such as multiple provinces or even countries. If the UE has subscribed to a service that requires a finer granularity than cell-level positioning, as indicated by the policy pre-configured in the AMF network element, such as the subscription service requiring different rates for UEs crossing service areas, then it is difficult to identify whether the UE has crossed service areas based on the UE's reported location information (usually cell identifier, base station identifier, etc.). Therefore, UE positioning verification needs to be performed to more accurately identify whether the UE has crossed service areas. For example, if it is detected that a UE is using satellite access and / or satellite backhaul, since satellite coverage is typically very large, potentially covering multiple service areas, such as multiple provinces or even countries, and if the UE crosses a border, different countries may use different operators. In this case, it is difficult to identify whether the UE has crossed a border based solely on the UE's reported location information (usually cell identifier, base station identifier, etc.). Therefore, UE location verification is required to more accurately identify whether the UE has crossed a border, so that the previously attached local mobility anchor (PLMA) network element can be reselected. Therefore, the AMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on satellite link indication, UE location identification information, and pre-configured policies.

[0108] S7012 reports the location verification information to the policy control function PCF network element so that the PCF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the location verification information and the pre-configured policy in the PCF network element; and when it receives the location verification indication information from the PCF network element, it determines to perform location verification for the UE.

[0109] The pre-configured policy includes at least one of the following: whether the UE using the satellite link needs information with finer granularity than cell-level positioning, UE service information with finer granularity than cell-level positioning, and policy information specifying the area with finer granularity than cell-level positioning. The positioning verification indication information includes a positioning verification indication that indicates the execution of positioning verification and is sent by the PCF network element when it determines to perform positioning verification for the UE.

[0110] In this embodiment, the AMF network element can report location verification information to the policy control function (PCF) network element. The PCF network element has a pre-configured policy, which may include at least one of the following: whether the UE using the satellite link needs information with finer granularity than cell-level positioning, whether the UE service information needs finer granularity than cell-level positioning, and policy information specifying the area requiring finer granularity than cell-level positioning. The PCF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the location verification information, including satellite link indication and / or UE location identification information, and the pre-configured policy. The way the PCF network element determines whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the location verification information and pre-configured policy is similar to the way the AMF network element determines whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the location verification information and pre-configured policy, as described above, and will not be repeated here. If the PCF network element determines to perform location verification for the UE, it can send a location verification instruction to the AMF network element to instruct the AMF network element to perform location verification.

[0111] S7013 reports the location verification information to the SMF network element so that the SMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the location verification information and the pre-configured policy in the SMF network element; and when it receives a location verification request from the SMF network element, it determines to perform location verification for the UE.

[0112] The pre-configured policy includes at least one of the following: whether the UE using the satellite link needs information with finer granularity than cell-level positioning, UE service information with finer granularity than cell-level positioning, and policy information specifying the area with finer granularity than cell-level positioning. The positioning verification request is sent by the SMF network element when it determines to perform positioning verification for the UE.

[0113] In this embodiment, the AMF network element can report positioning verification information to the SMF network element. The SMF network element has a pre-configured policy, which may include at least one of the following: whether the UE using the satellite link needs information with finer granularity than cell-level positioning, whether it needs UE service information with finer granularity than cell-level positioning, and policy information specifying the area requiring finer granularity than cell-level positioning. The SMF network element can determine whether to perform positioning verification for the UE based on the positioning verification information, including satellite link indication and / or UE location identification information, and the pre-configured policy. If the SMF network element determines to perform positioning verification for the UE, it can send a positioning verification request to the AMF network element. This positioning verification request is a higher-precision positioning request, causing the AMF network element to respond to the positioning verification request by performing positioning verification on the UE and then feeding back the UE's Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) information to the SMF network element, thereby achieving positioning verification of the UE.

[0114] In some embodiments, the location verification request includes a time period for performing location verification on the UE, which is used to trigger the AMF network element to perform location verification on the UE according to the time period.

[0115] In this embodiment, the SMF network element can request the AMF network element to perform location verification on the UE according to a certain time period. Specifically, the location verification request sent by the SMF network element to the AMF network element may include the time period for performing location verification on the UE. After receiving the location verification request, the AMF network element can perform location verification on the UE according to the time period. In this way, location verification on the UE can be avoided all the time, thereby saving resources.

[0116] In some embodiments, location verification indication information is carried in the UE policy association establishment response or UE policy association modification response and sent by the PCF network element to the AMF network element.

[0117] In this embodiment, the PCF network element can send location verification indication information to the AMF network element through a UE policy association establishment response or a UE policy association modification response. Specifically, the location verification indication information can be carried in the UE policy association establishment response or the UE policy association modification response.

[0118] In some embodiments, location verification indication information is carried in the access and mobility management (AM) policy association establishment response or AM policy association modification response and sent by the PCF network element to the AMF network element.

[0119] In this embodiment, the PCF network element can send location verification indication information to the AMF network element through the AM policy association establishment response or the AM policy association modification response. Specifically, the location verification indication information can be carried in the UE policy association establishment response or the UE policy association modification response.

[0120] In some embodiments, the location verification indication information includes the time period for performing location verification on the UE.

[0121] In this embodiment, the PCF network element can determine to perform location verification on the UE according to a certain time period. The PCF network element can send the time period for performing location verification on the UE and the location verification instruction to the AMF network element, so that the AMF network element can perform location verification on the UE according to the time period. In this way, location verification on the UE can be avoided all the time, thereby saving resources.

[0122] S702, When it is determined that location verification shall be performed for the UE, location verification shall be performed for the UE.

[0123] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the AMF network element can perform location verification on the UE when it determines that location verification is to be performed on the UE. The specific implementation of step S802 can be found above. Figure 1 The steps S101 or shown Figure 5 The implementation of step S501 shown in this embodiment will not be described again in this disclosure.

[0124] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the AMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on location verification information and pre-configured policies, or it can send the location verification information to the PCF network element so that the PCF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the location verification information and pre-configured policies, and perform location verification for the UE when it determines to perform it, thereby providing a method for the AMF network element to perform location verification for the UE, which makes up for the lack of how to perform location verification in the prior art.

[0125] Corresponding to the UE positioning verification methods provided in the above embodiments, this disclosure also provides a UE positioning verification device. Since the UE positioning verification device provided in this disclosure corresponds to the UE positioning verification methods provided in the above embodiments, the implementation methods of the UE positioning verification methods are also applicable to the UE positioning verification device provided in this embodiment, and will not be described in detail in this embodiment. Figures 8-9 This is a structural schematic diagram of the UE positioning verification device proposed in this disclosure.

[0126] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a UE positioning verification device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. The device is applied in a first network element.

[0127] like Figure 8 As shown, the UE positioning verification device 800 includes:

[0128] The verification module 801 is used to perform location verification on the UE when it is determined that location verification is to be performed on the UE.

[0129] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the network device may perform location verification on the UE when it determines that location verification is to be performed on the UE, thereby providing a method for the network device to perform location verification on the UE, which makes up for the lack of information on how to perform location verification in the prior art.

[0130] In some embodiments, the first network element may include at least one of a session management function (SMF) network element and an access and mobility management function (AMF) network element.

[0131] In some embodiments, the verification module 801 is used to send a location process trigger request to the location management function (LMF) network element to trigger the LMF network element to perform the location process.

[0132] In some embodiments, the trigger request includes a satellite link indication to trigger the LMF network element to perform a positioning process applicable to the satellite link based on the satellite link indication, wherein the satellite link indication is used to indicate whether the UE is using at least one of satellite access and satellite backhaul.

[0133] In some embodiments, when the first network element includes an SMF network element, the verification module 801 is used to send a location verification request to the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) network element to trigger the AMF network element to perform location verification on the UE in response to the location verification request and to receive the UE's Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) information fed back by the AMF network element.

[0134] In some embodiments, the location verification request includes a time period for performing location verification on the UE, which is used to trigger the AMF network element to perform location verification on the UE according to the time period.

[0135] In some embodiments, when the first network element includes an AMF network element, the verification module 801 is configured to: send an autonomous mode GNSS positioning request to the UE to trigger the UE to perform an autonomous mode GNSS positioning process; and receive the GNSS information of the UE fed back by the UE.

[0136] In some embodiments, reference Figure 9The UE positioning verification device 800 also includes:

[0137] The determination module 802 is used to determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on location verification information. The location verification information includes at least one of a satellite link indication and the UE's location identification information; the satellite link indication is used to indicate whether the UE is using at least one of satellite access and satellite backhaul; and the location identification information includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the cell where the UE is located, the identifier of the access network node to which the cell belongs, and the Tracking Area Identifier (TAI) corresponding to the UE.

[0138] In some embodiments, the determining module 802 is used to determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the pre-configured policy in the first network element and the location verification information, wherein the pre-configured policy includes at least one of the following: whether the UE using the satellite link needs information with finer granularity than cell-level location granularity, UE service information with finer granularity than cell-level location granularity, and policy information specifying the area with finer granularity than cell-level location granularity.

[0139] In some embodiments, the determining module 802 is configured to: report the location verification information to a policy control function (PCF) network element, so that the PCF network element determines whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the location verification information and a pre-configured policy in the PCF network element, wherein the pre-configured policy includes at least one of the following: whether the UE using a satellite link needs information with a finer granularity than cell-level location, UE service information requiring a finer granularity than cell-level location, and policy information specifying the area requiring a finer granularity than cell-level location; and, upon receiving location verification indication information from the PCF network element, determine to perform location verification for the UE, wherein the location verification indication information includes a location verification indication indicating the performance of location verification and is sent by the PCF network element when determining to perform location verification for the UE.

[0140] In some embodiments, when the first network element includes an AMF network element, the determining module 802 is configured to: report the location verification information to the SMF network element, so that the SMF network element determines whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the location verification information and a pre-configured policy in the SMF network element, wherein the pre-configured policy includes at least one of the following: whether the UE using the satellite link needs information with a finer granularity than cell-level location granularity, UE service information with a finer granularity than cell-level location granularity, and policy information specifying the area with a finer granularity than cell-level location granularity; and when receiving location verification indication information from the SMF network element, determine to perform location verification for the UE, wherein the location verification indication information includes a location verification indication indicating the performance of location verification and is sent by the SMF network element when determining to perform location verification for the UE.

[0141] In some embodiments, the location verification indication information may also include the time period for performing location verification on the UE.

[0142] In some embodiments, when the first network element includes an SMF network element, the location verification indication information is carried in the session management (SM) policy association establishment response or SM policy association modification response and sent by the PCF network element to the SMF network element.

[0143] In some embodiments, when the first network element includes an AMF network element, the location verification indication information is carried in the UE policy association establishment response or UE policy association modification response and sent by the PCF network element to the AMF network element.

[0144] In some embodiments, when the first network element includes an AMF network element, the location verification indication information is carried in the access and mobility management (AM) policy association establishment response or AM policy association modification response and sent by the PCF network element to the AMF network element.

[0145] According to embodiments of this disclosure, this disclosure also provides a communication device and a computer-readable storage medium.

[0146] like Figure 10The diagram shown is a block diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The communication device is intended to represent various forms of digital computers, such as laptop computers, desktop computers, workstations, personal digital assistants, servers, blade servers, mainframe computers, and other suitable computers. The communication device may also represent various forms of mobile devices, such as personal digital processors, cellular phones, smartphones, wearable devices, and other similar computing devices. The components shown herein, their connections and relationships, and their functions are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the implementation of the present disclosure described and / or claimed herein.

[0147] like Figure 10 As shown, the communication device includes one or more processors 1010, a memory 1020, and interfaces for connecting the components, including high-speed interfaces and low-speed interfaces. The components are interconnected using different buses and can be mounted on a common motherboard or otherwise installed as needed. The processors can process instructions executed within the communication device, including instructions stored in or on memory to display graphical information of a GUI on an external input / output device (such as a display device coupled to the interface). In other embodiments, multiple processors and / or multiple buses can be used with multiple memories and multiple memory modules, if desired. Similarly, multiple communication devices can be connected, each providing some of the necessary operations (e.g., as a server array, a group of blade servers, or a multiprocessor system). Figure 10 Take the 1010 processor as an example.

[0148] The memory 1020 is the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium provided in this disclosure. The memory stores instructions executable by at least one processor to cause the at least one processor to perform the data transmission method provided in this disclosure. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of this disclosure stores computer instructions for causing a computer to perform the data transmission method provided in this disclosure.

[0149] The memory 1020, as a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, can be used to store non-transitory software programs, non-transitory computer-executable programs, and modules, such as the program instructions / modules corresponding to the data transmission method in the embodiments of this disclosure. The processor 1010 executes various functional applications and data processing of the server by running the non-transitory software programs, instructions, and modules stored in the memory 1020, thereby implementing the data transmission method in the above-described method embodiments.

[0150] The memory 1020 may include a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area may store the operating system and applications required for at least one function; the data storage area may store data created based on the use of the positioning communication device. Furthermore, the memory 1020 may include high-speed random access memory and may also include non-transitory memory, such as at least one disk storage device, flash memory device, or other non-transitory solid-state storage device. Optionally, the memory 1020 may include memory remotely located relative to the processor 1010, and these remote memories can be connected to the positioning communication device via a network. Examples of such networks include, but are not limited to, the Internet, corporate intranets, local area networks, mobile communication networks, and combinations thereof.

[0151] The communication device may further include an input device 1030 and an output device 1040. The processor 1010, memory 1020, input device 1030, and output device 1040 may be connected via a bus or other means. Figure 10 Taking the example of a connection between China and Israel via a bus.

[0152] Input device 1030 can receive input numerical or character information, and generate key signal inputs related to user settings and function control of the positioning communication device, such as touch screen, keypad, mouse, trackpad, touchpad, indicator, one or more mouse buttons, trackball, joystick, etc. Output device 1040 may include display device, auxiliary lighting device (e.g., LED), and haptic feedback device (e.g., vibration motor). The display device may include, but is not limited to, liquid crystal display (LCD), light-emitting diode (LED) display, and plasma display. In some embodiments, the display device may be a touch screen.

[0153] Various implementations of the systems and techniques described herein can be implemented in digital electronic circuit systems, integrated circuit systems, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), computer hardware, firmware, software, and / or combinations thereof. These various implementations may include: implementations in one or more computer programs that can be executed and / or interpreted on a programmable system including at least one programmable processor, which may be a dedicated or general-purpose programmable processor, capable of receiving data and instructions from a storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output device, and transferring data and instructions to the storage system, the at least one input device, and the at least one output device.

[0154] These computational programs (also referred to as programs, software, software applications, or code) include machine instructions for a programmable processor and can be implemented using high-level procedural and / or object-oriented programming languages, and / or assembly / machine languages. As used herein, the terms “machine-readable medium” and “computer-readable medium” refer to any computer program product, device, and / or apparatus (e.g., disk, optical disk, memory, programmable logic device (PLD)) used to provide machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor, including machine-readable media that receive machine instructions as machine-readable signals. The term “machine-readable signal” refers to any signal used to provide machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor.

[0155] To provide interaction with a user, the systems and techniques described herein can be implemented on a computer having: a display device for displaying information to the user (e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor); and a keyboard and pointing device (e.g., a mouse or trackball) through which the user provides input to the computer. Other types of devices can also be used to provide interaction with the user; for example, feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback (e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback); and input from the user can be received in any form (including sound input, voice input, or tactile input).

[0156] The systems and technologies described herein can be implemented in computing systems that include backend components (e.g., as a data server), or computing systems that include middleware components (e.g., an application server), or computing systems that include frontend components (e.g., a user computer with a graphical user interface or web browser through which a user can interact with embodiments of the systems and technologies described herein), or any combination of such backend, middleware, or frontend components. The components of the system can be interconnected via digital data communication of any form or medium (e.g., a communication network). Examples of communication networks include local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), and the Internet.

[0157] Computer systems can include clients and servers. Clients and servers are generally located far apart and typically interact through communication networks. Client-server relationships are created by computer programs running on the respective computers and having a client-server relationship with each other.

[0158] It should be understood that the various forms of processes shown above can be used to rearrange, add, or delete steps. For example, the steps described in this disclosure can be executed in parallel, sequentially, or in different orders, as long as the desired result of the technical solution disclosed in this disclosure can be achieved, and this is not limited herein.

[0159] The specific embodiments described above do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations, and substitutions can be made according to design requirements and other factors. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A method for verifying the location of a user equipment (UE), characterized in that, The method is applied to a first network element, the first network element including at least one of a Session Management Function (SMF) network element and an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) network element, the method comprising: Based on location verification information, it is determined whether to perform location verification for the UE; wherein, the location verification information includes at least a satellite link indication; the satellite link indication is used to indicate whether the UE is using at least one of satellite access and satellite backhaul; When it is determined that location verification should be performed on the UE, location verification should be performed on the UE. The step of determining whether to perform location verification for the UE based on location verification information includes: Based on the location verification information and the pre-configured policy in the first network element, it is determined whether to perform location verification for the UE. The pre-configured policy includes at least one of the following: whether the UE using the satellite link needs information with finer granularity than cell-level location granularity, UE service information with finer granularity than cell-level location granularity, and policy information specifying the area with finer granularity than cell-level location granularity. or, The location verification information is reported to the Policy Control Function (PCF) network element, so that the PCF network element determines whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the location verification information and the pre-configured policy in the PCF network element. The pre-configured policy includes at least one of the following: whether the UE using the satellite link needs information with finer granularity than cell-level location, UE service information with finer granularity than cell-level location, and policy information specifying the area with finer granularity than cell-level location. When receiving location verification indication information from the PCF network element, the PCF network element determines to perform location verification for the UE. The location verification indication information includes a location verification indication that indicates the performance of location verification and is sent by the PCF network element when it determines to perform location verification for the UE.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The location verification performed on the UE includes: Send a location process trigger request to the location management function (LMF) network element to trigger the LMF network element to execute the location process.

3. The method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The trigger request includes a satellite link indication to trigger the LMF network element to perform a positioning process applicable to the satellite link according to the satellite link indication. The satellite link indication is used to indicate whether the UE is using at least one of satellite access and satellite backhaul.

4. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, When the first network element includes an SMF network element, the step of performing location verification on the UE includes: Sending a location verification request to the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) network element to trigger the AMF network element to perform location verification on the UE; and Receive the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) information of the UE fed back by the AMF network element.

5. The method as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The location verification request includes the time period for performing location verification on the UE.

6. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, When the first network element includes an AMF network element, the step of performing location verification on the UE includes: Sending an autonomous mode Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positioning request to the UE to trigger the UE to perform an autonomous mode GNSS positioning process; and Receive the GNSS information of the UE fed back by the UE.

7. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, When the first network element includes an AMF network element, determining whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the location verification information includes: The location verification information is reported to the SMF network element, so that the SMF network element can determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the location verification information and the pre-configured policy in the SMF network element. The pre-configured policy includes at least one of the following: whether the UE using the satellite link needs information with finer granularity than cell-level location granularity, UE service information requiring finer granularity than cell-level location granularity, and policy information specifying the area requiring finer granularity than cell-level location granularity; and When receiving location verification indication information from the SMF network element, it is determined that location verification will be performed on the UE, wherein the location verification indication information includes a location verification indication that indicates the performance of location verification and is sent by the SMF network element when it determines that location verification will be performed on the UE.

8. The method as described in claim 1 or 7, characterized in that, The location verification indication information also includes the time period for performing location verification on the UE.

9. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, When the first network element includes an SMF network element, the location verification indication information is carried in the session management SM policy association establishment response or SM policy association modification response and sent by the PCF network element to the SMF network element.

10. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, When the first network element includes an AMF network element, the location verification indication information is carried in the UE policy association establishment response or UE policy association modification response and sent by the PCF network element to the AMF network element.

11. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, When the first network element includes an AMF network element, the location verification indication information is carried in the Access and Mobility Management (AM) policy association establishment response or AM policy association modification response and sent by the PCF network element to the AMF network element.

12. A user equipment (UE) positioning verification device, characterized in that, The device is applied in a first network element, the first network element including at least one of a Session Management Function (SMF) network element and an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) network element, the device comprising: A determination module is used to determine whether to perform location verification for the UE based on location verification information; wherein the location verification information includes at least a satellite link indication; the satellite link indication is used to indicate whether the UE is using at least one of satellite access and satellite backhaul; The verification module is used to perform location verification on the UE when it is determined that location verification is to be performed on the UE. The determining module is specifically used for: Based on the location verification information and the pre-configured policy in the first network element, it is determined whether to perform location verification for the UE. The pre-configured policy includes at least one of the following: whether the UE using the satellite link needs information with finer granularity than cell-level location granularity, UE service information with finer granularity than cell-level location granularity, and policy information specifying the area with finer granularity than cell-level location granularity. or, The location verification information is reported to the Policy Control Function (PCF) network element, so that the PCF network element determines whether to perform location verification for the UE based on the location verification information and a pre-configured policy in the PCF network element. The pre-configured policy includes at least one of the following: whether the UE using the satellite link needs information with finer granularity than cell-level location granularity, UE service information requiring finer granularity than cell-level location granularity, and policy information specifying the area requiring finer granularity than cell-level location granularity; and When receiving location verification indication information from the PCF network element, it is determined that location verification will be performed on the UE, wherein the location verification indication information includes a location verification indication that indicates the execution of location verification and is sent by the PCF network element when it determines that location verification will be performed on the UE.

13. A communication device, wherein, include: transceiver; Memory; The processor is connected to the transceiver and the memory respectively, and is configured to control the wireless signal transmission and reception of the transceiver by executing computer-executable instructions on the memory, and is capable of implementing the method according to any one of claims 1-11.

14. A computer storage medium, wherein, The computer storage medium stores computer-executable instructions; when the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor, they can implement the method described in any one of claims 1-11.

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