Authorization, creation and management of personal networks

Abstract

The invention relates to authorization, creation and management of personal networks. A wireless transmit / receive unit may request authorization from a core network for creating one or more personal networks of one or more devices. After granting authorization, the UE may be enabled to create a personal network and cause establishment of a PDU session with the core network for the personal network. The UE may enable a member of the personal network to send data associated with the personal network via the PDU session.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the PCT application entering the Chinese national phase, with an international filing date of August 24, 2022, national application number 202280064006.8, and invention name “Authorization, Creation and Management of Personal Networks”.

[0002] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0003] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 236,748, filed on August 25, 2021, and entitled “Authorization, Creation, And Management Of Personal Networks,” the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Background Art

[0004] With the proliferation of home automation and wearable devices, users and homeowners will increasingly expect to create personal networks to automate and simplify their lives. In addition to having the ability to monitor and control devices locally, users and homeowners also want to access these devices remotely without additional configuration or security setup. In addition, end-to-end security becomes critical, especially for personal health devices. So-called Personal Internet of Things (PIoT) networks are being considered and studied, as described, for example, in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) TR 22.859, Study on Personal Internet of Things (PIoT) Networks; V18.0.1 (2021-06). Summary of the invention

[0005] Methods, apparatus, and systems for authorizing, creating, and managing personal networks (PNs), such as PIoT networks, are described herein. A core network may be enhanced to support the management of personal networks, including the storage of management data for personal networks. A wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU) may send a request to the core network for authorization to create and manage a personal network for one or more devices. The WTRU may receive a message from the core network, the message including an indication that the WTRU is authorized to create and manage the personal network and also including a policy associated with the personal network. The policy may include a data network name (DNN) and other information associated with the requested personal network. Using the DNN, the WTRU may cause the establishment of a protocol data unit (PDU) session in order to send data associated with the personal network to the core network. For example, the WTRU may send a request to the core network to establish a PDU session. The request may include the DNN. Once successful, the WTRU may receive a message from the core network indicating the establishment of the PDU session. Once established, the WTRU or one or more other devices of the personal network may send data associated with the personal network to the core network via the established PDU session.

[0006] In addition to the DNN, the policy may also include: one or more single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI) associated with one or more network slices that can be used in conjunction with the personal network; one or more user identifiers for provisioning one or more non-3GPP devices in the one or more devices; an identifier associated with the personal network; or an indication of a maximum number of personal networks authorized for the WTRU. The policy may also include one or more user identifiers that the WTRU may provision to one or more non-3GPP devices in the one or more devices of the personal network to enable the non-3GPP devices to communicate via the core network.

[0007] The purpose of providing this summary is to introduce selected concepts in a simplified form, which are further described in the following detailed description. This summary is neither intended to identify the key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. In addition, the claimed subject matter is not limited to limitations that address any or all disadvantages noted in any part of this disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] A more detailed understanding may be obtained from the following description given by way of example in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0009] Figure 1 An exemplary non-roaming 5G system architecture is shown.

[0010] Figure 2An exemplary method for personal network authorization request and creation is shown.

[0011] Figure 3 An exemplary method for personal network user identity management is shown.

[0012] Figure 4 An exemplary method for personal network creation or member addition is shown.

[0013] Figure 5 An exemplary method for personal network management gateway migration is shown.

[0014] Figure 6 An exemplary method for managing data backup for a personal network is shown.

[0015] Figure 7 An exemplary method for requesting personal network rerouting is shown.

[0016] Figure 8 An example of personal network rerouting with multiple gateways is shown.

[0017] Fig. 9 An exemplary graphical user interface (GUI) is shown.

[0018] Fig. 10A An exemplary communication system is shown.

[0019] Fig. 10B -D is a system diagram of an exemplary radio access network (RAN) and core network.

[0020] Fig.10E Another exemplary communication system is shown.

[0021] Fig.10F An exemplary apparatus or device (such as a WTRU) is shown.

[0022] Figure 10G An exemplary computing system is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Figure 1 An exemplary non-roaming 5G system architecture is shown with reference point representation, where various entities interact with each other through the indicated reference points. As shown, in the exemplary architecture, a wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU) (such as a user equipment (UE)) may communicate with a core network (CN) to establish control signaling and enable the UE to use services from the CN. Examples of control signaling functions are registration, connection and mobility management, authentication and authorization, session management, etc. See, for example, 3GPP TS 23.501, System Architecture for 5G Systems; Stage 2, V17.1.1 (2021-06).

[0024] The following description emphasizes Figure 1 Some of the network functions (NFs) related to control signaling in :

[0025] Access and Mobility Function (AMF): UE passes through the Radio Access Network (RAN)

[0026] The node sends N1 messages to the AMF to perform control plane signaling such as registration, connection management, mobility management, access authentication and authorization, etc.

[0027] Session Management Function (SMF): SMF is responsible for establishing the protocol data unit (PDU)

[0028] Session management related to the session to enable the UE to send data to a data network (DN) such as the Internet or to an application server and other session management related functions.

[0029] Policy Control Function (PCF): PCF provides a policy framework for managing network behavior, accessing subscriber information for decision making, etc.

[0030] Authentication Server Function (AUSF): AUSF supports UE authentication for 3GPP and untrusted non-3GPP accesses.

[0031] Unified Data Management / Repository (UDM / UDR): UDM / UDR supports 3GPP AKA authentication credential generation, user identity processing, subscriber management and storage, etc.

[0032] Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF): NSSF is concerned with various aspects of network slice management, such as selecting a network slice instance for a UE, managing Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (NSSAI), etc.

[0033] It should be noted that, as used herein, the terms "process" and "method" are used synonymously unless otherwise specified.

[0034] To enable communication between the control plane and the user plane, the RAN node provides communication access from the UE to the core network. The UE establishes a PDU session with the CN to send data services on the user plane through the (R)AN and the user plane function (UPF) node of the 5G system (5GS). Uplink services are sent by the UE, while downlink services are received by the UE using the established PDU session. Data services flow between the UE and the DN through the intermediate nodes (R)AN and UPF.

[0035] In Release 18, 3GPP began working on defining requirements for Personal IoT Networks (PINs) that can be attached to 5G networks for ubiquitous access. A PIN can consist of a local network of wearable or home automation devices belonging to a user or homeowner. 3GPP TR 22.859 provides use cases and requirements for PINs.

[0036] An important aspect of the PIN involves the provision of user identifiers for devices that do not have a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card or a subscription with a Mobile Network Operator (MNO) and use non-3GPP access technologies. These devices may be referred to as non-3GPP devices. As used herein, the term "non-3GPP device" generally refers to a device that uses a non-3GPP access technology and does not have a 3GPP credential. The user identifier of such a non-3GPP device may be associated with a device linked to a user subscription to an MNO to enable the device to access a 5G network. The device can then communicate not only with other devices within the PIN, but also with other devices over a 5G network.

[0037] 3GPP TR 22.859 also defines devices within a PIN as PIN elements, and PIN elements may have management or gateway capabilities. PIN elements with management capabilities manage the operation of the PIN, while PIN elements with gateway capabilities provide access to the 5G network for members of the PIN. PIN elements (such as UEs) may have both management and gateway capabilities.

[0038] 3GPP also studied how 5G networks can be enhanced to support a user-centric authentication layer on top of existing subscription authentication. The results of this study have been obtained in 3GPP TR 22.904. The study evaluated how the 3GPP system can provide customized services to different users using the same UE, how to identify users of devices behind a gateway with a 3GPP subscription (but no devices with a dedicated 3GPP subscription), and how to be able to link user identifiers to subscriptions to access 3GPP services via non-3GPP access.

[0039] The user identity in the 3GPP system shall identify the device to the MNO associated with the device, person or application, such as a mobile equipment (ME) or a device, person or application without a subscription. The MNO has a business relationship with the device, person or application and is responsible for authenticating and authorizing device, person or application requests and for maintaining records of information associated with the device, person or application.

[0040] One challenge with existing systems can be illustrated with the following example. A homeowner may be in the process of automating their home with a variety of devices, such as surveillance cameras, door locks, garage door openers, lights, sockets, ceiling fans, large and small appliances, etc. The homeowner wants to manage the devices centrally on their smartphone, rather than via applications associated with each individual vendor. However, many devices do not have SIM card capabilities. The homeowner wants to access the devices locally within the home and remotely when the homeowner is away from home, for example, the homeowner can watch video from a surveillance camera while traveling. The homeowner wants to be able to easily configure various personal networks with a smartphone and be able to seamlessly access the devices in the network from anywhere in the world without the need for additional configuration or security settings.

[0041] Currently, the configuration for connecting a device to a network may vary depending on each device manufacturer, and sometimes such configuration may be too complex for a typical user. In many cases, communication between devices within a network is limited to devices of the same manufacturer, or even unavailable because the devices are in different product lines, for example, manufacturers need to plan inter-product communication into the design of their products. In addition, security mechanisms vary widely between device manufacturers and may not be robust enough to provide end-to-end secure communication. For some applications (such as personal health monitoring), robust security mechanisms are critical to protecting user privacy. Finally, remote access to connected devices may vary considerably between manufacturers; some devices may be easy to access, while others may be difficult to access, sometimes requiring multiple attempts to communicate with these devices.

[0042] When creating such a personal network, there may be many instances where members of the network may not be 3GPP devices, for example, the device may not have a SIM card or a 3GPP subscription to a mobile network operator and may use non-3GPP access technologies. User identities are introduced to enable these types of devices to access 5G networks. However, how to provision a user identity to a UE and how to authorize a UE to create a personal network has not been defined to date.

[0043] In addition, the device can be a headless device without a user interface. In these cases, it may be necessary to provide a user identity associated with a 3GPP subscription to a member of the personal network in order to access the 5G network. How to supply a user identity connected to a 3GPP subscription to a headless device requires a solution for enabling the device to access the 5G network. In addition, the additional security provided by the 5G system will ensure secure, end-to-end communications to protect the user's privacy.

[0044] 3GPP TR 22.859 refers to personal IoT networks when describing the use cases in this document. The term personal IoT network may imply that the devices within these networks are limited to IoT devices. It should be noted that the user identity may also be applied to devices that are architecturally mobile equipment (ME), in accordance with the user equipment functional model as described in TS23.101. These devices may also be 3GPP devices without subscriptions, such as devices with functions specified by 3GPP but without a SIM card or subscription. It is intended that this description is not limited to IoT devices in personal networks, and the use of the terms "personal network" or "personal IoT network" herein is used to describe networks that may cover other types of devices that may not be considered "IoT devices", such as game consoles, video streaming devices, and augmented reality (AR) / virtual reality (VR) glasses.

[0045] The terms "user identity" and "user identifier" are used herein to describe the process in which an identity or identifier is provisioned to a device without a SIM card or a subscription for being able to communicate with a 5G network. The identity or identifier may be used by a non-3GPP device or a 3GPP device without a SIM card or a subscription for accessing services from a 5G network, and may be linked to the user subscription for tracking and billing purposes. Therefore, the terms "user identity" and "user identifier" are used interchangeably herein. In addition, in the context of personal networks, the terms "user", "UE" and "WTRU" are used interchangeably when describing the interaction between a device and a network.

[0046] Architectural enhancements to support personal networks

[0047] Personal networks will bring an influx of devices to access 5G networks, and it is expected that subscribers will each create many such networks in their homes, offices, and / or stores. Most of the devices in personal networks may consist of non-3GPP devices or 3GPP devices without SIM cards or subscriptions, which may require the provisioning of user identities to allow these devices to access 5G networks. Therefore, the management of user identities is an important aspect of allowing devices in personal networks to access 5G networks. In order not to burden the existing network functions in the 5G network with this additional functionality, a new network function (referred to herein as a personal network management function (PNMF)) may be defined to handle the provisioning and management of user identities and personal network management.

[0048] Table 2 shows examples of services and service operations that the PNMF can provide to other network functions (such as AMF, UDM and CHF).

[0049]

[0050] Table 2

[0051] The Npnm_UserID_Registration service operation may be called to request registration of a user identity pool and associated data network name (DNN) and / or S-NSSAI for use in creating a PDU session for a personal network. The UE / subscription identifier (e.g., 5G-GUTI or SUPI) may be a required input for the service. The number of user identities requested, or a list of device types or device capabilities (possibly with the number of devices for each device type or device capability for which a user identity is being requested) may be an optional input for the service. The list of user identities and DNNs may be an output of the service, and the list of S-NSSAIs may also be an output of the service. The service operation may be used to request from the PNMF a user identity pool for a UE indicated by a UE or subscription identifier provided as input. In addition, the request may also include a numerical value representing the number of user identities requested. The output of the service operation may include a list of user identities and DNNs and S-NSSAIs for use with a personal network. The service operation may be used as part of authorizing a UE to create and manage a personal network.

[0052] The Npnm_UserID_Get service operation may be called in order to request a subscription ID associated with a user identity. The user identifier may be a required input for the corresponding service, and the S-NSSAI may be an optional input for the service. The UE / subscription identifier (e.g., 5G-GUTI or SUPI) may be an output of the service. This service operation may be used to request a subscription identifier associated with a given user identity from the PNMF for the purpose of associating the user identity with a UE subscription, for billing purposes or identification of data traffic.

[0053] The Npnm_NwCfg_Create service operation may be called to request the creation of a context within the PNMF for storing management data for a personal network. The UE / subscription identifier (e.g., 5G-GUTI or SUPI) or user ID or configuration record ID, personal network ID may be required inputs for the service. A list of members of the personal network, information about members with management or gateway capabilities, PDU session IDs with associated S-NSSAI and / or data network names (DNNs), network configuration parameters, and expiration values ​​may be optional inputs for the service. The configuration record ID and operation status may be required outputs of the service. If available, transaction parameters may be optional outputs of the service.

[0054] This service operation may be used to request the creation of a configuration record in which management data for a personal network is maintained within the PNMF. The configuration record ID may be used to identify the configuration record when requesting to modify data in a record. In addition, the request may also include configuration parameters for the personal network, such as a list of members of the personal network, information about members with management or gateway capabilities, a PDU session ID with associated S-NSSAI and / or DNN, network configuration parameters, expiration values, etc. The output of the service operation may be the record ID and the requested operation status. If available, transaction parameters may be an optional output of the service. This service operation may be used to save management data associated with a personal network when a personal network is first created.

[0055] The Npnm_NwCfg_Update service operation may be called to request an update of management data stored in the PNMF for a personal network. The configuration record ID or personal network ID may be a required input to the service. A list of members of the personal network, information about members with management or gateway capabilities, PDU session IDs with associated S-NSSAI and / or DNN, network configuration parameters, and expiration data may be optional inputs to the service. The configuration record ID and operation status may be required outputs of the service. If available, transaction parameters may be an optional output of the service. This service operation may be used to update management data stored in the PNMF for a personal network. This service operation may be used to update management data stored in the PNMF to backup configuration data for a personal network.

[0056] The Npnm_NwCfg_Get service operation may be called to request retrieval of management data for a personal network. A configuration record ID or personal network ID may be a required input for the service. A list of members of the personal network, information about members with management or gateway capabilities, PDU session IDs with associated S-NSSAI and / or DNN, network configuration parameters, and operational status may be required outputs of the service. If available, transaction parameters may be an optional output of the service. This service operation may be used to retrieve management data stored in the PNMF for a personal network. This service operation may be used during the process of retrieving management data for a personal network to restore backup information for the personal network.

[0057] The Npnm_NwCfg_Delete service operation may be called to request the deletion of management data for a personal network. The configuration record ID or personal network ID may be a required input to the service, and an indicator for specifying the release of a user identity may be an optional input. The operation status may be an output of the service. If applicable, transaction parameters may be an optional output of the service. This service operation is used to remove management data stored in the PNMF for a personal network. This service operation may be used after a personal network has been released.

[0058] Administrative data may include:

[0059] PN Identifier

[0060] List of PN members with contact information and their identifiers

[0061] Identification and contact information for members with gateway and administration capabilities

[0062] PDU Session ID, including the S-NSSAI and / or DNN associated with the PDU Session

[0063] Expiration of personal network

[0064] Broadcast / Multicast Support

[0065] Supported protocols (including discovery and security)

[0066] Network configuration parameters, such as network type, WLAN SSID, BSSID, security mechanism, password, IP settings, DNS settings, MAC address, pairing code, refresh interval, data usage limit, maximum number of members, etc.

[0067] It should be noted that although the PNMF service operation may be provided by a new network function as described herein, it may also be incorporated as a new service provided by an existing NF such as UDM. This may provide a logical grouping of services, since UDM provides subscriber data management and UE authentication services, which are necessary functions in authorizing a UE with the ability to create and manage a personal network.

[0068] Registration for personal network authorization

[0069] As mentioned, a personal network (whether consisting of wearable home automation or other devices) may have member devices that do not have a SIM card or a subscription to a mobile network operator. In order for these devices to access services from the 5G network, they need to be identifiable and associated with the user's subscription. Therefore, the user or homeowner will need to initiate a request to the mobile network operator via the UE to obtain authorization to create and manage the personal network. The mobile network operator will then provide the UE with a policy that includes a user identifier assigned to the device and associates their use of 5G services with the user's subscription. This request can be integrated with the registration request described in 3GPP TS23.502, which can be used by the UE when registering to obtain the services of the 5G network.

[0070] Figure 2 A method is shown that may be performed by a WTRU, such as a UE, to request authorization to create a personal network from a mobile network or a core network. Figure 2 The method can be used with Figure 1 Executed in a network of the architecture shown and described above, or Fig. 10A -E. After being granted authorization, the method may enable the UE to locally create a personal network and cause a PDU session for the personal network to be established through the core network. For example, the UE may request the establishment of a PDU session. The UE may enable members of the personal network to use the PDU session to send data associated with the personal network.

[0071] exist Figure 2 In step 1 of , a WTRU (such as a UE) may send a request to a core network for authorization to create and manage a personal network for one or more devices. For example, a user or homeowner may desire to create a personal network consisting of home automation devices, many of which may be non-3GPP devices or 3GPP devices without a SIM card or subscription. The user or homeowner may initiate the request via an application running on the UE, which may cause the UE to perform a registration update procedure in which the UE sends a request to the core network for authorization from a mobile network operator to create one or more personal networks. The registration request may include an indication that the UE is requesting authorization to create and manage one or more personal networks (e.g., an authorization PN indicator). In addition, the request may include a value indicating the number of user identities required by the user and / or UE in order to provision one or more devices of the personal network. Alternatively, or in addition, the request may include a list of device types or device capabilities, and for each listed device type or device capability, an indication of the number of user identities required by the WTRU for devices of the listed device type or device capability.

[0072] The ME part of the UE may trigger the request when an application in the TE part of the UE invokes an AT command. The AT command may indicate to the ME that the application is requesting authorization of a PN and indicates the number of desired user identities.

[0073] In step 2, the AMF may perform a Nudm_SDM_Get request to the UDM to check that the UE is authorized to create a personal network and may include an authorized PN indicator, and a value indicating how many user identities are requested by the user and / or UE, or a list of device types or device capabilities, and the number of devices for each device type or device capability for which the user identity is requested.

[0074] In step 3, the UDM may check whether the subscription information of the UE allows the UE to create a personal network, and if allowed, the UDM may perform an Npnm_UserID_Registration service operation to the PNMF so as to be provided with the UE's user identity pool. The UDM may also include a value indicating how many user identities are requested. Alternatively, the UDM may include a list of device types or device capabilities and the number of devices for each device type or device capability for which user identities are requested. The UDM may receive the output of the Npnm_UserID_Registration request as indicated above, including a user identity pool, DNN, and / or S-NSSAI for creating and managing one or more personal networks.

[0075] In step 4, the UDM may send a response to the AMF. If the UE is authorized to create a personal network, the response may include a PN policy, which includes one or more of the following: an indicator that signals that the UE is allowed to create a personal network, one or more S-NSSAIs allowed for the personal network, one or more DNNs used to create a PDU session for the personal network, a user identifier pool for provisioning to non-3GPP devices in the personal network or 3GPP devices without a SIM card or subscription, a value indicating the maximum number of personal networks authorized for the UE, and / or a list of personal network identifiers / prefixes assigned to the personal network, and other information. It should be noted that the list of user identities supplied in the policy may also provide a limit on the number of non-3GPP devices or 3GPP devices without a SIM card or subscription that can be members of the personal network. However, this limit may not apply to UEs joining the personal network because they already have a user subscription with the mobile network operator. If more user identities are needed, the UE may need to send another request to be provisioned with more user identities, and thus allow more non-3GPP devices or 3GPP devices without a SIM card or subscription to become members of the personal network.

[0076] In step 5, the UE (i.e., WTRU) may receive a message from the core network that includes an indication that the WTRU is authorized to create and manage a personal network and also includes a policy associated with the personal network, which may include a data network name (DNN). For example, the AMF may return a registration response to the UE. The response may include a PN policy (as discussed in step 4) that the UE may use to manage the created personal network. The policy may include one or more S-NSSAIs that the personal network may use and / or one or more DNNs associated with a PDU session for routing PN services. Other information as described in step 4 may also be part of the PN policy returned to the UE.

[0077] The ME part of the UE may provide the PN policy to the application as a response to the AT command invoked in step 1.

[0078] In step 6, the UE may use the PN policy returned in the registration response to start creating and managing a personal network. This process will be further described below.

[0079] In step 7, the UE (i.e., WTRU) may use the DNN to cause the establishment of a protocol data unit (PDU) session in order to send data associated with the personal network to the core network. For example, once the personal network has been created or during the process of creating the personal network, the UE may cause a PDU session to be created for sending personal network-related data to the network. The PDU session may be established by sending a PDU session establishment message to the network using one of the S-NSSAI and / or DNN provided by the PN policy returned in the registration response or configured in the UE. For example, a slice may be part of the configured NSSAI, and the slice type may indicate a personal network service. The PDU session provides access to the 5G network for all members of the personal network. In addition, the UE may also include a personal network identifier for identifying the personal network and a human-readable description for the personal network in the request. The identifier can be used for discovery purposes and enables communication with devices in the personal network over the 5G network.

[0080] The PDU session establishment may be triggered by an application in the TE part of the UE, thereby invoking an AT command to establish a PDU session. The AT command may include the DNN and / or S-NSSAI provided in step 205.

[0081] In step 8, the SMF may contact the PNMF to create a context for the personal network, for example, executing the Npnm_NwCfg_Create service operation. The context created in the PNMF may contain configuration and management aspects for the personal network, such as a PN identifier, UE or user identifiers of PN members, identification of PN members with management and / or gateway capabilities, PDU session IDs including associated S-NSSAI and / or DNNs, network configuration parameters for the PN, and other information associated with the personal network. The information stored in this step may be considered as management data used by members with management capabilities to manage the personal network, and it may also be used as a backup network configuration that allows the user or homeowner to quickly recreate the personal network if the member with management capabilities fails or the network configuration information is corrupted and the personal network becomes inoperable. The management data may also be used to perform device upgrades by replacing a member with management capabilities with a newer device with management capabilities and restoring the management data on the new device.

[0082] In step 9, the UE may receive a message from the core network indicating the establishment of a PDU session. For example, if the UE does not provide an identifier in the request, the SMF may respond with a PDU session establishment accept response and may include an identifier to associate with the personal network. The personal network identifier may be associated with the PDU session ID, or the identifier may be separate from the PDU session ID. When the UE or some other entity wants to communicate with the network over the 5G network, the personal network identifier may be used to identify a specific personal network. The SMF may also override the identifier provided by the UE with a different identifier for the personal network, or may obtain the PN ID from the PNMF using the Npnm_NwCfg_Create service operation.

[0083] In step 10, the UE may send data from a member of the personal network to the 5G network (eg, core network) using the established PDU session specified by the DNN. This process will be further described below.

[0084] Typically, a personal network is created in a home, office, or store to be shared among members of a family or business. Thus, user subscriptions can be linked together for other users to be notified when a personal network is created. For example, a homeowner may request from a mobile network operator to link the user subscriptions of all family members in a family plan together, so that each user is notified whenever a personal network has been successfully created and the user is allowed to access the personal network. The notification may be in the form of a UE configuration update, which contains information about the created personal network, such as a PN ID, requirements for establishing a PDU session to access the personal network (e.g., S-NSSAI / DNN), and a human-readable description of the personal network. Similarly, a business administrator may request that all colleagues within a business receive notifications of personal networks created for the business. Users may then use the information from the UE configuration update message to access the personal network.

[0085] The user or homeowner may also request authorization to share the creation and management of a personal network with other family members from the mobile network operator during the registration process or through out-of-band communication with the operator (e.g., when linking a user subscription). In those cases, the UE configuration update process may also provide the user with a PN policy. The PN policy will include a user identity associated with a corresponding user subscription for tracking and billing purposes. In order to ensure that the personal network created by the user is accessible to all family members, the PDU session requirements in the PN policy of all family members may be the same. It should be noted that while some of the information in the PN policy provided to family members may be the same, other information (such as the maximum number of authorized personal networks) may be different, depending on the configuration provided by the user or homeowner to the mobile network operator.

[0086] UE management for personal network lifecycle

[0087] After the UE receives a personal network policy from the mobile network operator that provides the authorization and other information required for the UE to create and manage a personal network, the UE may then begin the process of creating and managing one or more personal networks. The life cycle of a personal network includes the process of device and service discovery, user identity payment, creation and management of personal networks, and eventual release of the personal network. Some personal networks may be short-term and temporary in nature, such as a gaming session lasting a few hours, while other personal networks may be long-term or limited to the life of the device, such as a home automation network. Within a personal network and in accordance with 3GPP TR 22.859, members may be classified as having gateway capabilities, management capabilities, and device-specific capabilities, such as providing data or receiving commands. Gateway capabilities allow members of a personal network to take advantage of the services of a 5G network, while management capabilities enable members to create and manage personal networks. It should be noted that a device may have both gateway capabilities and management capabilities.

[0088] Personal Network Discovery

[0089] Before creating a personal network, devices may need to perform discovery to find out which devices are available and what their capabilities are. The discovery mechanism employed depends on the type of device and the access networks that the device supports. Regardless of the discovery mechanism used, devices must use the same mechanism and must be able to use the same access networks to communicate with each other. However, information about device capabilities related to personal networks may need to be exchanged to help create such a network. The following is a list of information that can be exchanged during discovery:

[0090] Device capabilities, e.g., gateway, management, routing, device-specific, etc.

[0091] Device identifier (3GPP devices will use the 3GPP assigned identifier; non-3GPP devices or 3GPP devices without a SIM card or subscription will use the manufacturer identifier)

[0092] Device information, such as manufacturer, model, serial number, device type, battery level, etc.

[0093] Power source, e.g., power grid, battery, solar power, etc.

[0094] Availability status, such as online, offline, sleeping, etc.

[0095] Access 5G network connection

[0096] Nearest Neighbor

[0097] Network topology

[0098] Supported protocols

[0099] Security Requirements

[0100] Mobility status, e.g., fixed, mobile, etc.

[0101] Uncheck the network option

[0102] User identity management

[0103] Once the UE is authorized to create a personal network and has been provisioned with a PN policy, the UE can begin to assign the provisioned user identities to other devices with management capabilities. For example, the UE can provision one or more user identifiers to one or more non-3GPP devices in one or more devices of the personal network. This can be done manually by the user or homeowner via an application on the UE, or it can be combined with Figure 3 The discovery process shown in FIG. 1 is completed. In addition, the provisioning of user identity pools can also be completed during the creation of a personal network or when adding members to a personal network. It should be noted that Figure 3 The method can be combined with Figure 2 method to execute.

[0104] exist Figure 3 In step 1 of , the UE may perform registration with the 5G network and obtain authorization for creating a personal network, as described above. As part of the registration process, a PN policy may be provisioned to the UE, where a pool of user identities is provided to the UE. Then, during the creation of the personal network, a user identity may be assigned to a non-3GPP device or a 3GPP device without a SIM card or subscription.

[0105] In step 2, both service and device discovery are performed by the devices and UEs that may become members of the personal network. Existing mechanisms are utilized during this step. However, capability exchange may require additional information specific to the personal network to be shared between the device and UE, such as those previously identified for personal network discovery.

[0106] In step 3, after discovering the capabilities of the device, the UE makes a determination to supply a PN policy to Dev1 with management capabilities. The PN policy includes a set of user identities and may include the maximum number of personal networks that Dev1 can create. In addition, other information may be provided, such as PN IDs of other personal networks, information of other devices with gateways or management capabilities, and routing policies. Dev1 may be a UE or a non-3GPP device, or a 3GPP device without a SIM card or subscription, and has the additional capability to manage personal networks by supplying user identities to non-3GPP devices or 3GPP devices without a SIM card or subscription, and adding or removing members to or from personal networks, as well as other management functions. The UE may have made the determination based on the information provided by Dev1 during discovery.

[0107] In step 4, if the device is able and willing to operate as a management-capable device, the device responds to the UE with an acknowledgement.

[0108] Figure 3 The process of FIG. 1 shows that a UE supplies a PN policy to a device with management capabilities. The process can be extended to a device with management capabilities supplying a PN policy to other devices with management capabilities.

[0109] Personal network creation and member addition

[0110] The creation of a personal network follows a discovery process. Information can be broadcast or multicast to nearby devices that provide a capability exchange to help nearby devices make a determination about whether to join a personal network. If interested, the nearby device proceeds to join the personal network by sending a join request. Figure 4 An exemplary method for creating a personal network or for adding members to an existing personal network is shown. After obtaining a connection to the network, Dev1, Dev2 or UE may initiate a discovery process to locate each other. Then or during the discovery process, capabilities are exchanged and interested devices send join requests to form a personal network. It should be noted that Figure 4 The method can be combined with Figures 2 to 3 Any or all of the methods may be used to perform the action.

[0111] exist Figure 4 In step 1 of , as described previously, discovery may be performed by devices interested in joining a personal network. In this example, the UE may provide both gateway capabilities and management capabilities, Dev1 is a non-3GPP device or a 3GPP device without a SIM card or subscription with management capabilities, and Dev2 is a non-3GPP device or a 3GPP device without a SIM card or subscription that provides device-specific functionality. Discovery may be triggered at power-up of Dev1 and Dev2 or initiated by the user or homeowner using an external mechanism, such as pressing a button on the device or scanning a code on the device packaging.

[0112] In step 2, if necessary, the UE may broadcast or multicast its capabilities to nearby devices to indicate an opportunity to join a personal network. The UE may include information as previously described for the discovery process if this information has not already been provided during the previous steps.

[0113] In step 3, Dev1 and Dev2 are interested in joining the personal network and send a join request to the UE. In the request, Dev1 and Dev2 can include their capabilities and other information such as device identifier, manufacturer, model, power source, mobility status, supported protocols, security requirements, etc.

[0114] In step 4, after receiving the join request, the UE uses its management capabilities to accept the join request and returns a response with an indication showing the status of the join request to each of Dev1 and Dev2. The UE may make this determination based on the PN policy that authorizes it to create a personal network. The UE supplies the user identity to Dev1 and Dev2 because they are non-3GPP devices or 3GPP devices without a SIM card or subscription. The response may also include other information about the personal network, such as the name or identity associated with the personal network; the identity and contact information of the device with gateway and management functions; the identity, contact information and capabilities of other members of the personal network; the neighbor list and its member status and availability; broadcast / multicast information; update timers; network release options, etc.

[0115] In step 5, if necessary, the UE establishes a PDU session with the network operator to provide access to the 5G network for members of the personal network. The PDU session request may include an S-NSSAI and / or DNN as specified by the PN policy and also includes a PN identifier for the personal network. In addition, configuration information about the personal network may also be provided by the UE to help the 5G network manage the personal network. Information such as members of the personal network and their identifiers, identification of members with management and / or gateway capabilities, and local network configuration parameters and options may be provided. It should be noted that a PDU session may have been previously created before the device joins the request, for example when the personal network was initially created. In this case, a PDU session modification process may be requested.

[0116] In step 6, the SMF makes a Npnm_NwCfg_Create request to the NPMF to save the management data of the personal network. The request may include the UE / subscription identifier, the PIN identifier, and other information about the personal network, such as the IDs of the members and their capabilities, etc. In addition, the local area network configuration of the personal network may be provided to the NPMF. The configuration information may include the network type, WLAN SSID, BSSID, security agency, password, IP settings, DNS settings, MAC address, pairing code, refresh interval, usage restrictions, maximum number of members, etc. If the personal network was previously created, the SMF instead performs a Npnm_NwCfg_Update request to update the management data of the personal network.

[0117] In step 7, the network operator accepts the PDU session establishment request and may return a PN identifier to the UE in response. The PN identifier may be used to identify the personal network from other personal networks and may be used for routing purposes between personal networks. In addition, the PN ID may be used for discovery purposes and for other UEs to access members associated with the PN ID over the 5G network.

[0118] Figure 4The exemplary method not only shows that the UE creates a personal network, but is also applicable to the UE adding members to the personal network. In addition, the method can also be extended to a device with management capabilities, but only when the device also has gateway capabilities. For a device with only management capabilities, the PDU session establishment step will not be performed unless there are also members with gateway capabilities in the personal network. Figure 4 In the exemplary method of , Dev1 is not able to establish a PDU session, but it is able to add or remove members from the personal network and also perform other management functions such as provisioning user identities to non-3GPP devices or 3GPP devices without a SIM card or subscription.

[0119] Personal network management

[0120] Management of a personal network may include various methods, such as adding and removing members, transferring gateway or management capabilities from one device to another, managing data backup, network topology or configuration updates, and device capability updates. Figure 5 An example of a personal network management method is shown, where a UE transfers gateway capabilities to another UE and notifies the remaining members of its personal network of the change. In this example, UE1 is acting as a gateway for the personal network it is leaving, while UE2 acts as a gateway for another personal network and aims to provide gateway functionality to replace UE1. In this example, Dev1 is a non-3GPP device with management capabilities or a 3GPP device without a SIM card or a subscription, and Dev2 is also a non-3GPP device with device-specific functionality or a 3GPP device without a SIM card or a subscription in the personal network of Dev1 and UE1. It should be noted that Figure 5 The method can be combined with Figures 2 to 4 Any or all of the methods may be used to perform the action.

[0121] exist Figure 5 In step 1 of , UE1 may be a smart phone belonging to a user or homeowner who is leaving the vicinity of a home or personal network.

[0122] In step 2, the user or homeowner may optionally initiate a gateway function transfer to UE2, where information about personal network 1 is transmitted to UE2. Information such as the personal network name or identifier, a list of members of the personal network and their associated identifiers, PDU session information such as ID, S-NSSAI and / or DNN, and other personal network configurations and options. UE2 confirms that UE1 becomes the new gateway for personal network 1, and may include the name or identifier of personal network 2 and a list of members in personal network 2. As an alternative, the 5G network may also initiate a gateway function transfer to UE2 when it detects that UE1 leaves the personal network. As part of the creation of the personal network, the UE provides the configuration information of the personal network to the 5G network, and the 5G network uses this information to manage the personal network when necessary. In this case, the 5G network detects that the UE leaves the personal network, for example, the UE performs a mobile update process, and triggers the UE configuration update process to transfer the gateway functionality to UE2. During this process, the 5G network may provide UE2 with the saved management data, such as a personal network identifier, members of the personal network and their associated user identities, identifiers of members with management and / or gateway capabilities, PDU session IDs with associated S-NSSAI and / or DNN, network configuration parameters, etc. UE2 then proceeds to add the members provided by the 5G network respectively (this is not shown in the figure).

[0123] In step 3, UE1 sends a notification to Dev1 informing Dev1 that UE1 is leaving the personal network. The notification message may indicate whether the new gateway is available to serve personal network 1 (e.g., if step 502 succeeds) using the name or identifier of the new gateway (if one is available). Contact information of the new gateway may also be provided.

[0124] In step 4, if UE1 does not provide information about a new gateway in step 502, Dev1 contacts UE2 to transfer gateway functionality for personal network 1 to UE2. If UE1 provides information about UE2 acting as a new gateway for personal network 1 in step 503, this step is omitted.

[0125] In step 5, Dev1 notifies Dev2 and other members of the personal network of the changes to the personal network, for example, the presence of a new member providing gateway functionality for the network. The notification may also include information that UE1 is no longer used as a gateway for the personal network. Any other management data is transmitted to the members of the old personal network 1 at this time, including the name or identifier of the new personal network.

[0126] In step 6, as an alternative to steps 503 to 505, UE1 may instead use broadcast, multicast, unicast, or a combination thereof to directly contact Dev2 and other members of the personal network. UE1 may provide the name and identifier of UE2 and contact information of UE2 if that information is available. If the information is not available, UE1 may include a timer value for when UE1 will stop providing gateway functionality for the personal network.

[0127] In response to being notified, Dev2 may send a request to Dev1 to be included in the new personal network in step 7. If UE1 has provided information about UE2, Dev2 may instead contact UE2 directly (as shown by the dotted line) and request to be added to personal network 2.

[0128] In step 8, as a member with management capabilities, Dev1 sends a request to UE2 to add Dev2 as a member of personal network 2. Dev1 may also send a request to another device that is a member with management capabilities of personal network 2. It is assumed that a member with management or gateway capabilities is able to provide user identities and thus can manage the personal network. The provisioning and management of user identities is one of the main features in the management of a personal network.

[0129] In step 9, Dev1 returns a response to Dev2 indicating the status of Dev2's membership in personal network 2. Alternatively, if Dev2 has sent a request to join personal network 2, UE2 can respond to Dev2 with information about membership in personal network 2.

[0130] In step 10, Dev2 forwards the data to UE2 (new gateway of personal network 1). It should be noted that in this case, UE2 acts as a gateway for two personal networks. Therefore, UE2 is able to route data between members of personal network 1 and members of personal network 2 without having a connection to the 5G network. However, in the case where UE2 does not have a connection to the 5G network, members of either personal network cannot send data to the 5G network, and other UEs or other devices outside the personal network cannot access members of the personal network through the 5G network.

[0131] It should be noted that even if UE1 is Figure 5In the exemplary method of leaving the personal network, it can still access members of the personal network using the PDU session originally established for the personal network. Since UE2 is using the same PDU session requirements as UE1 to establish a PDU session, UE1 is able to access members of the personal network through the 5G network. In this case, the PDU sessions created by UE1 and UE2 have the same S-NSSAI and / or DNN values. The data network can be represented as a virtual dual network of the personal network in the home. Therefore, whether the user is at home or away from home, the user is able to connect to the personal network without any additional configuration or security settings. In addition, 3GPP security is provided for end-to-end communications.

[0132] Once a personal network has been created and operated for a period of time, there may be changes to the configuration of network parameters that the user or homeowner may want to save for backup purposes. One example is that the user may want to replace a member with management capabilities with a new device while retaining the management data for the personal network. Another example is if the user has changed network parameters that may affect the operation of the personal network, such as a change to the network password. Figure 6 As shown, a request may be made by a member of a personal network with management capabilities to back up management data (e.g., network configuration) of the personal network. Figure 6 The method can be combined with Figures 2 to 5 Any or all of the methods may be used to perform the action.

[0133] exist Figure 6 In step 1 of , the UE may request and be authorized by the 5G network to create a personal network, as described above.

[0134] In step 2, a personal network consisting of UE, Dev1 and Dev2 is created. Dev1 is a member with management capabilities, and the UE provides gateway capabilities for the personal network.

[0135] In step 3, the UE creates a PDU session using the PDU session establishment procedure as described above. Network configuration information and other management data may be stored in the PNMF along with the PIN ID. It should be noted that the PDU session may be established before the personal network is created locally, so step 603 may occur before step 602.

[0136] In step 4, after a period of time or due to changes in network parameters of the personal network, Dev1 initiates a request to the UE to back up the management data of the personal network. The UE sends a request to the 5G network, such as a PDU session modification request including management data and PN ID.

[0137] In step 5, SMF performs Npnm_NwCfg_Update operation to PNMF through PIN ID and management data provided by UE. PNMF returns a response confirming the update.

[0138] In step 6, the SMF confirms the update of the PN management data stored in the PNMF to the UE, and the UE returns a response to Dev1.

[0139] As mentioned previously, user subscriptions for home and / or business can be linked together so that other users get notifications of the creation of a personal network. As part of the notification, information such as PN ID and S-NSSAI / DNN is provided to the UEs of other users of the home and / or business. Upon receiving the information, the UE can then join the personal network and create a PDU session with the provided PN ID and S-NSSAI / DNN. The UE can create a PDU session for the purpose of accessing the personal network locally and remotely, or the UE can create a PDU session for the purpose of providing gateway capabilities for the personal network, or a combination of both.

[0140] Other management functions, such as adding and removing members or updating the status of members (e.g., battery level or sleep state), can be requested by all members, while other management functions, such as network topology updates and routing information exchange, can be limited to members with gateway or management capabilities. These management functions can be performed locally in the personal network, or they can also be stored in the PNMF as management data.

[0141] Once the management data for the personal network has been saved in the PNMF, if the device with management capabilities fails and renders the personal network inoperable, the user or homeowner can retrieve the management data from the PNMF to recreate the personal network. In this case, the UE can make a PDU session modification request to retrieve the management data saved in the PNMF. The SMF will then perform a Npnm_NwCfg_Get service operation to retrieve the management data from the PNMF and return the data to the UE.

[0142] Personal network release

[0143] The release of a personal network may be user initiated, due to expiration of an update timer, or removal of a member based on the personal network such that only one member remains. The creator of a personal network is typically a user or a homeowner, and therefore, the user or homeowner may explicitly initiate the release of the personal network. For example, a user or homeowner may initiate the release of the personal network via an application running on a UE acting as a gateway for the personal network. Therefore, the release may be an explicit request sent to all members of the personal network, for example, using broadcast, multicast, unicast, or a combination thereof. A user or homeowner may release a personal network for the purpose of reconfiguration or for upgrading all devices in the personal network.

[0144] Another method for releasing a personal network may include using an update timer that has been supplied during the creation or modification process. An update timer may be provided to members of a personal network to indicate that if the member does not initiate activity before the update timer expires, the member may be removed from the network. From the perspective of a member providing gateway functionality, an update timer may indicate that there is no business during the duration of the timer and the personal network should be released. In other words, if there is no activity within the personal network during the duration of the update timer, members with gateway capabilities may implicitly release the network. An example of using an update timer is a situation in which a user has created a personal network for a gaming session with a set duration, and the update timer is supplied to all members of the personal network at the time of creation. After the gaming session is complete, the user leaves without explicitly initiating a release request, and the personal network is automatically released when the update timer expires.

[0145] The need to dissolve a personal network may be due to the removal of network members until only one member remains. This is another case of implicit dissolution without user or homeowner intervention. The members of a personal network maintain a list of remaining members in the network, and if the list becomes empty over time, the member knows that it is the only remaining member and can dissolve the network if configured to do so. An example may be that a user or homeowner may have multiple personal networks and has removed all but one member of a particular personal network without realizing it. The remaining members then decide to dissolve the personal network. The decision to implicitly dissolve a personal network may be provided as a configuration option.

[0146] As part of the release of a personal network, the UE may need to notify the PNMF that the user identity associated with the personal network is no longer in use. The UE may perform the notification as part of the PDU session release procedure. In response, the SMF may perform a Npnm_NwCfg_Delete service operation to delete the management data held in the PNMF for that particular personal network, and may release the user identities associated with members of that personal network for assignment to devices in other personal networks. It should be noted that the release of user identities may be subject to operator policy, for example, the operator policy may specify that the PNMF discards user identities rather than allowing reuse.

[0147] Personal Network User Plane

[0148] When a member of the personal network needs to send data to the 5G network, the service is routed to the member with gateway capability within the personal network, and the member with gateway capability sends the data to the data network on the PDU session established for the personal network. As mentioned above, the PDU session established for the personal network can target a specific S-NSSAI / DNN combination.

[0149] When the UE initially requests authorization from the mobile network operator to create a personal network, one of the information returned to the UE in the PN policy may include the DNN used to create the PDU session. The DNN is the name of the data network user service to which the PDU session is routed. So far, DNNs have been used to be associated with PDU sessions that support 5G access to personal networks. Due to the security risks of exposing personal networks to the Internet, mobile network operators may want to design data networks to reside within their network domain to provide an additional layer of security. In addition, network operators can provide value-added services within these data networks, similar to how value-added services are provided in the service hosting environment of LTE systems. For example, value-added services (such as AI / ML models) that process video captured from surveillance cameras inside and outside the home can be used to alert homeowners to abnormal events, such as falls of elderly people or detection of damaged windows. Other value-added services may include data compression, service function linking, and automatic notification to authorized users or security agencies.

[0150] Typically, a personal network will include at least one member with gateway capabilities to allow data to be sent to the 5G network. However, if the member with gateway capabilities has a weak connection or even loses its connection, other members in the personal network will not be able to send data to the 5G network. In these cases, a member with management capabilities may be able to help find another personal network where data can be rerouted to the 5G network. Figure 7 Such an exemplary method is shown. It should be noted that Figure 7 The method can be combined with Figures 2 to 6 Any or all of the methods may be used to perform the action.

[0151] exist Figure 7 In step 1 of , there are two personal networks: PN 1 composed of Dev1, Dev2 and UE1, and PN 2 composed of Dev3, Dev4 and UE2. The UEs in the two personal networks provide gateway capabilities to their corresponding personal networks, while Dev1 is a member with management capabilities for PN 1, and Dev3 has corresponding capabilities for PN 2. The 5G network is denoted as NW.

[0152] In step 2, Dev2 sends data to the 5G network and forwards the data to UE1. However, UE1 has an intermittent connection with the 5G network and is unable to send data. After some delay, Dev2 discovers that UE1 is unable to send data. For example, UE1 may have provided an indication notifying Dev2 that the data cannot be sent, or Dev2 detects that the data cannot be sent via communication with UE1.

[0153] In step 3, Dev2 makes a request to Dev1 to see if another path can be found to send the data. Dev2 may include information such as the data to be sent, Dev2's user identifier, the requirements for the PDU session in which the data is sent (e.g., S-NSSAI, DNN), the status of UE1, etc.

[0154] In step 4, Dev1 is able to communicate with management-capable devices of other personal networks and, therefore, checks with Dev3 to see if the gateway functionality is still functional in PN 2. Dev1 can provide the requirements of the PDU session that Dev2 is seeking to check if PN 2 can support rerouting data from Dev2. If necessary, Dev1 may need to add Dev2 to PN 2. In this case, Dev1 may need to add Dev2 as a member to PN 2 by providing Dev3 with its user identity and PDU session requirements (e.g., S-NSSAI / DNN). Alternatively, if the personal network allows such functionality, Dev1 can reroute the data provided by Dev2 through the PDU session requirements received in step 703, which can be determined during the configuration of the personal network. In this alternative, Dev1 performs step 706 on behalf of Dev2.

[0155] In step 5, if Dev1 receives a successful response from Dev3 (e.g., PN 2 supports sending data to the same S-NSSAI / DNN combination), Dev1 returns a response to Dev2 using the new routing path through PN 2. In the response, Dev1 can provide Dev3's contact information and other information required for Dev2 to forward the data through PN 2. An example can be a PDU session ID included with the data sent to Dev3.

[0156] In step 6, Dev2 forwards the data with necessary information to an alternative path via Dev3.

[0157] Figure 7 A situation is shown where only one UE provides gateway capabilities for the personal network. For more robust operation, it can be configured so that the personal network includes two or more UEs that can provide gateway functionality for the personal network. This configuration adds redundancy to the personal network in the event that one of the UEs is leaving the vicinity of the personal network or has intermittent or no connection to the 5G network. Figure 8 An example of a personal network accessing a 5G network through multiple UEs with gateway capabilities is shown. It should be noted that Figure 8 The method can be combined with Figures 2 to 7 Any or all of the methods may be used to perform the action.

[0158] exist Figure 8 In step 1 of , the personal network consists of Dev1, Dev2, Dev3, UE1 and UE2. UE provides gateway capabilities, while Dev1 and UE1 are members with management capabilities. UE1 and UE2 have both established PDU sessions that support the personal network. For example, members of the personal network can use UE1 or UE2 to send data to the 5G network. Each PDU session is established to the same data network specified by DNN. The 5G network is represented as NW.

[0159] In step 2, UE1 leaves the vicinity of the personal network, for example, UE1 leaves the home where the personal network is located. Due to the configuration of the personal network, UE1 does not need to notify other members of the network that it is leaving.

[0160] In step 3, Dev2 sends data to the 5G network and is configured to forward the data to UE1. After a while, Dev2 determines that there is a problem communicating with UE1 and, based on the configuration, decides to forward the data to another member of the personal network.

[0161] In step 4, Dev2 may decide to forward the data to Dev3 based on the information in its local policy for the personal network. The local policy may have indicated to Dev2 that Dev3 is one of its nearest neighbors or is on mains power, and will therefore be able to cache the data for a longer time. Dev3 forwards the data to UE2, which then sends the data to the 5G network. Alternatively, Dev2 may also forward the data to Dev1, which acts as a member of the personal network with management capabilities. As a member with management capabilities, Dev1 may have more information in the local policy of its personal network than Dev2. For example, Dev1 may have information that Dev3 is able to access UE2 to route data to the 5G network, which Dev2 may not have in its local policy.

[0162] As described previously, once UE1 Figure 8 As in the example of , when a user leaves the vicinity of the personal network, it can no longer provide gateway access to the 5G network for members of the personal network. However, when away from home, the 5G network can still be used to access the data network through the established PDU session. This is one of the main benefits of supporting personal networks in 5G systems. The user of the UE can access the personal network without any additional configuration or security settings. When the user is away from home without any additional configuration, the same PDU session established to provide gateway functionality to members of the personal network in the home also provides access to the personal network. In addition, the security mechanism provided by the 5G network ensures the privacy of users of the personal network.

[0163] Graphical User Interface

[0164] exist Fig. 9 An exemplary graphical user interface that may be displayed by one of the devices in a personal network is shown in FIG. The GUI may provide relevant information about the personal network, such as the PN ID, a list of members of the personal network, a user identifier associated with a device without a SIM card or subscription, and whether the device has management (e.g., MC) and / or gateway (e.g., GC) capabilities for the personal network. In addition, there is a network configuration button that the user may select to view network settings for the personal network, such as network type, WLAN SSID, BSSID, netmask, security authority, password, IP settings, DNS settings, MAC address, pairing code, refresh interval, data usage limit, maximum number of members, etc. As described above, the information in the network configuration may be stored in the PNMF as part of the personal network management data.

[0165] Fig. 9The GUI of shows an exemplary personal network in which there are multiple members with management capabilities and multiple members with gateway capabilities. In fact, UE1 in this example has both management capabilities and gateway capabilities. In addition, Dev1, Dev2 and Dev3 are members without 3GPP credentials or subscriptions and are therefore assigned user identifiers. The device can be a non-3GPP device or a 3GPP device without a SIM card or a subscription with a mobile network operator, an example is a tablet computer without a SIM card for managing a personal network.

[0166] Example Environment

[0167] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) develops technical standards for cellular telecommunication network technologies, including radio access, core transport networks, and service capabilities, including research on codecs, security, and quality of service. Recent radio access technology (RAT) standards include WCDMA (commonly referred to as 3G), LTE (commonly referred to as 4G), LTE Advanced Standards, and New Air Interface (NR) (also referred to as "5G"). It is hoped that the 3GPP NR standard will continue to develop and include the definition of the next generation of radio access technology (new RAT), which is expected to provide new flexible radio access below 7 GHz and new ultra-mobile broadband radio access above 7 GHz. The flexible radio access is expected to include new non-backward compatible radio access in new spectrum below 7 GHz, and is expected to include different operating modes that can be multiplexed together in the same spectrum to address a wide set of 3GPP NR use cases with different needs. It is expected that ultra-mobile broadband includes centimeter wave and millimeter wave spectrum, which will provide opportunities for ultra-mobile broadband access for indoor applications and hotspots, for example. In particular, ultra mobile broadband is expected to share a common design framework with sub-7 GHz flexible radio access, with centimeter-wave and millimeter-wave specific design optimizations.

[0168] 3GPP has identified a variety of use cases that NR is expected to support, resulting in a wide range of user experience requirements for data rates, latency, and mobility. Use cases include the following general categories: enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC), massive machine type communications (mMTC), network operations (e.g., network slicing, routing, migration and interworking, energy conservation), and enhanced connected vehicle to everything (eV2X) communications, which may include any of vehicle-to-vehicle communications (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure communications (V2I), vehicle-to-network communications (V2N), vehicle-to-pedestrian communications (V2P), and vehicle communications with other entities. Specific services and applications within these categories include, for example, surveillance and sensor networks, device remote control, two-way remote control, personal cloud computing, video streaming, cloud-based wireless offices, first responder connectivity, car emergency calls, disaster alerts, real-time gaming, multi-person video calls, autonomous driving, augmented reality, tactile Internet, virtual reality, home automation, robotics, and drones. All of these use cases and others are contemplated herein, and in combination with the above. Figures 2 to 8 The methods shown and described may be combined with the following FIG. 10A to FIG. 10G Any of the exemplary systems and devices shown and described may be implemented or performed in any combination.

[0169] Fig. 10A An exemplary communication system 100 is shown in which the systems, methods, and apparatus described and claimed herein may be used. The communication system 100 may include wireless transmit / receive units (WTRUs) 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d, 102e, 102f, and / or 102g, which are generally or collectively referred to as WTRUs 102 or multiple WTRUs 102. The communication system 100 may include a radio access network (RAN) 103 / 104 / 105 / 103b / 104b / 105b, a core network 106 / 107 / 109, a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 108, the Internet 110, other networks 112, and network services 113. 113. The network services 113 may include, for example, V2X servers, V2X functions, ProSe servers, ProSe functions, IoT services, video streaming, and / or edge computing, etc.

[0170] It should be appreciated that the concepts disclosed herein may be used with any number of WTRUs, base stations, networks, and / or network elements. Each WTRU in WTRU 102 may be any type of device or apparatus configured to operate and / or communicate in a wireless environment. Fig. 10A In the example, Fig. 10A-E, each of the WTRUs 102 is depicted as a handheld wireless communication device. It should be understood that in the context of various use cases contemplated for wireless communication, each WTRU may include or be included in any type of device or apparatus configured to transmit and / or receive wireless signals, including, by way of example only: a user equipment (UE), a mobile station, a fixed or mobile subscriber unit, a pager, a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a smart phone, a laptop, a tablet computer, a netbook, a notebook computer, a personal computer, a wireless sensor, a consumer electronic device, a wearable device (such as a smart watch or smart clothing), a medical device or an e-health device, a robot, an industrial equipment, a drone, a vehicle such as a car, a truck, a train or an airplane, etc.

[0171] The communication system 100 may also include a base station 114a and a base station 114b. Fig. 10A In the example of FIG. 1 , each base station 114 a and 114 b is depicted as a single element. In practice, the base stations 114 a and 114 b may include any number of interconnected base stations and / or network elements. The base station 114 a may be any type of device configured to wirelessly interface with at least one of the WTRUs 102 a, 102 b, and 102 c to facilitate access to one or more communication networks, such as the core network 106 / 107 / 109, the Internet 110, network services 113, and / or other networks 112. Similarly, the base station 114b may be any type of device configured to interface wiredly and / or wirelessly with at least one of the remote radio heads (RRHs) 118a, 118b, the transmit and receive points (TRPs) 119a, 119b, and / or the roadside units (RSUs) 120a and 120b to facilitate access to one or more communication networks, such as the core network 106 / 107 / 109, the Internet 110, the other networks 112, and / or the network services 113. The RRHs 118a, 118b may be any type of device configured to wirelessly interface with at least one of the WTRUs 102 (e.g., the WTRU 102c) to facilitate access to one or more communication networks, such as the core network 106 / 107 / 109, the Internet 110, the network services 113, and / or the other networks 112.

[0172] The TRPs 119a, 119b may be any type of device configured to wirelessly interface with at least one of the WTRUs 102d to facilitate access to one or more communication networks, such as the core network 106 / 107 / 109, the Internet 110, the network services 113, and / or the other networks 112. The RSUs 120a and 120b may be any type of device configured to wirelessly interface with at least one of the WTRUs 102e or 102f to facilitate access to one or more communication networks, such as the core network 106 / 107 / 109, the Internet 110, the other networks 112, and / or the network services 113. By way of example, the base stations 114a, 114b may be base transceiver stations (BTSs), Node Bs, eNode Bs, Home Node Bs, Home eNode Bs, Next Generation Node Bs (gNode Bs), satellites, site controllers, access points (APs), wireless routers, and the like.

[0173] The base station 114a may be part of the RAN 103 / 104 / 105, which may also include other base stations and / or network elements (not shown), such as a base station controller (BSC), a radio network controller (RNC), a relay node, etc. Similarly, the base station 114b may be part of the RAN 103b / 104b / 105b, which may also include other base stations and / or network elements (not shown), such as a BSC, an RNC, a relay node, etc. The base station 114a may be configured to transmit and / or receive wireless signals within a specific geographic area, which may be referred to as a cell (not shown). Similarly, the base station 114b may be configured to transmit and / or receive wired signals and / or wireless signals within a specific geographic area, which may be referred to as a cell (not shown). The cell may be further divided into cell sectors. For example, the cell associated with the base station 114a may be divided into three sectors. Thus, for example, the base station 114a may include three transceivers, for example, one transceiver for each sector of the cell. The base station 114a may employ multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology and, therefore, may utilize multiple transceivers for each sector of the cell, for example.

[0174] The base station 114a may communicate with one or more of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, and 102g over an air interface 115 / 116 / 117, which may be any suitable wireless communication link (e.g., radio frequency (RF), microwave, infrared (IR), ultraviolet (UV), visible light, centimeter wave, millimeter wave, etc.). The air interface 115 / 116 / 117 may be established using any suitable radio access technology (RAT).

[0175] The base station 114b may communicate with one or more of the RRHs 118a and 118b, the TRPs 119a and 119b, and / or the RSUs 120a and 120b via a wired or air interface 115b / 116b / 117b, which may be any suitable wired communication link (e.g., cable, fiber optic, etc.) or a wireless communication link (e.g., RF, microwave, IR, UV, visible light, centimeter wave, millimeter wave, etc.). The air interface 115b / 116b / 117b may be established using any suitable RAT.

[0176] The RRHs 118a, 118b, TRPs 119a, 119b and / or RSUs 120a, 120b may communicate with one or more of the WTRUs 102c, 102d, 102e, 102f via an air interface 115c / 116c / 117c, which may be any suitable wireless communication link (e.g., RF, microwave, IR, ultraviolet UV, visible light, centimeter wave, millimeter wave, etc.). The air interface 115c / 116c / 117c may be established using any suitable RAT.

[0177] The WTRUs 102 may communicate with each other via a direct air interface 115d / 116d / 117d such as a sidelink communication, which may be any suitable wireless communication link (e.g., RF, microwave, IR, ultraviolet UV, visible light, centimeter wave, millimeter wave, etc.). The air interface 115d / 116d / 117d may be established using any suitable RAT.

[0178] The communication system 100 may be a multiple access system and may employ one or more channel access schemes such as CDMA, TDMA, FDMA, OFDMA, SC-FDMA, etc. For example, the base station 114a in the RAN 103 / 104 / 105 and the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c or the RRHs 118a, 118b in the RAN 103b / 104b / 105b, the TRPs 119a, 119b and / or the RSUs 120a and 120b and the WTRUs 102c, 102d, 102e, and 102f may implement a radio technology such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA), which may use Wideband CDMA (WCDMA) to establish the air interfaces 115 / 116 / 117 and / or 115c / 116c / 117c, respectively. WCDMA may include communication protocols such as High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA) and / or Evolved HSPA (HSPA+). HSPA may include High-Speed ​​Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) and / or High-Speed ​​Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA).

[0179] The base station 114a in the RAN 103 / 104 / 105 and the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c and 102g or the RRHs 118a and 118b, the TRPs 119a and 119b and / or the RSUs 120a and 120b and the WTRUs 102c and 102d in the RAN 103b / 104b / 105b may implement a radio technology such as Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA), which may use, for example, Long Term Evolution (LTE) and / or LTE Advanced (LTE-A) to establish an air interface 115 / 116 / 117 or 115c / 116c / 117c, respectively. The air interface 115 / 116 / 117 or 115c / 116c / 117c may implement 3GPP NR technology. LTE and LTE-A technologies may include LTE D2D and / or V2X technologies and interfaces (such as sidelink communications, etc.). Similarly, 3GPP NR technologies may include NR V2X technologies and interfaces (such as sidelink communications, etc.).

[0180] The base station 114a in the RAN 103 / 104 / 105 and the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, and 102g or the RRHs 118a and 118b, the TRPs 119a and 119b and / or the RSUs 120a and 120b and the WTRUs 102c, 102d, 102e, and 102f in the RAN 103b / 104b / 105b may implement a radio technology such as IEEE 802.16 (e.g., Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX)), CDMA2000, CDMA2000 IX, CDMA2000EV-DO, Interim Standard 2000 (IS-2000), Interim Standard 95 (IS-95), Interim Standard 856 (IS-856), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), GSM EDGE(GERAN) etc.

[0181] Fig. 10A The base station 114c in the WTRU 102 may be, for example, a wireless router, a Home NodeB, a Home eNodeB, or an access point, and may utilize any suitable RAT to facilitate wireless connectivity in a local area such as a business location, a home, a vehicle, a train, an antenna, a satellite, a factory, a campus, and the like. The base station 114c and the WTRU 102 (e.g., WTRU 102e) may implement radio technologies such as IEEE 802.11 to establish a wireless local area network (WLAN). Similarly, the base station 114c and the WTRU 102 (e.g., WTRU 102d) may implement radio technologies such as IEEE 802.15 to establish a wireless personal area network (WPAN). The base station 114c and the WTRU 102 (e.g., WTRU 102e) may utilize a cellular-based RAT (e.g., WCDMA, CDMA2000, GSM, LTE, LTE-A, NR, etc.) to establish a picocell or a femtocell. As Fig. 10A As shown, the base station 114c may have a direct connection to the Internet 110. Therefore, the base station 114c may not need to access the Internet 110 via the core network 106 / 107 / 109.

[0182] The RAN 103 / 104 / 105 and / or the RAN 103b / 104b / 105b may be in communication with a core network 106 / 107 / 109, which may be any type of network configured to provide voice, data, messaging, authorization and authentication, applications, and / or Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services to one or more of the WTRUs 102. For example, the core network 106 / 107 / 109 may provide call control, billing services, mobile location-based services, pre-paid calling, Internet connectivity, packet data network connectivity, Ethernet connectivity, video distribution, etc., and / or perform high-level security functions, such as user authentication.

[0183] although Fig. 10A Although not shown, it will be appreciated that the RAN 103 / 104 / 105 and / or the RAN 103b / 104b / 105b and / or the core network 106 / 107 / 109 may be in direct or indirect communication with other RANs that employ the same RAT as the RAN 103 / 104 / 105 and / or the RAN 103b / 104b / 105b or a different RAT. For example, in addition to being connected to the RAN 103 / 104 / 105 and / or the RAN 103b / 104b / 105b, which may be utilizing an E-UTRA radio technology, the core network 106 / 107 / 109 may also be in communication with another RAN (not shown) that employs a GSM or NR radio technology.

[0184] The core network 106 / 107 / 109 may also act as a gateway for the WTRU 102 to access the PSTN 108, the Internet 110, and / or other networks 112. The PSTN 108 may include a circuit-switched telephone network that provides plain old telephone service (POTS). The Internet 110 may include a global system of interconnected computer networks and devices that use common communication protocols such as the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), the User Datagram Protocol (UDP), and the Internet Protocol (IP) in the TCP / IP Internet protocol suite. The other networks 112 may include wired or wireless communication networks owned and / or operated by other service providers. For example, the networks 112 may include any type of packet data network (e.g., IEEE 802.3 Ethernet) or another core network connected to one or more RANs, which may employ the same RAT as the RAN 103 / 104 / 105 or the RAN 103b / 104b / 105b or a different RAT.

[0185] Some or all of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d, 102e, and 102f in the communication system 100 may include multi-mode capabilities. For example, the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d, 102e, and 102f may include multiple transceivers for communicating with different wireless networks via different wireless links. Fig. 10A The illustrated WTRU 102g may be configured to communicate with the base station 114a, which may employ a cellular-based radio technology, and with the base station 114c, which may employ an IEEE 802 radio technology.

[0186] Despite Fig. 10A It is not shown, but it should be understood that the user equipment can establish a wired connection with the gateway. The gateway can be a residential gateway (RG). The RG can provide a connection to the core network 106 / 107 / 109. It should be understood that many of the ideas contained herein are equally applicable to UEs that are WTRUs and UEs that use wired connections to connect to the network. For example, the ideas applied to wireless interfaces 115, 116, 117, and 115c / 116c / 117c are equally applicable to wired connections.

[0187] Fig. 10B 1 is a system diagram of an exemplary RAN 103 and a core network 106. As described above, the RAN 103 may employ a UTRA radio technology to communicate with the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c over the air interface 115. The RAN 103 may also be in communication with the core network 106. Fig. 10B As shown, the RAN 103 may include Node-Bs 140a, 140b, and 140c, which may each include one or more transceivers for communicating with the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c over the air interface 115. The Node-Bs 140a, 140b, and 140c may each be associated with a particular cell (not shown) within the RAN 103. The RAN 103 may also include RNCs 142a, 142b. It will be appreciated that the RAN 103 may include any number of Node-Bs and Radio Network Controllers (RNCs).

[0188] like Fig. 10BAs shown, Node B 140a, 140b can communicate with RNC 142a. In addition, Node B 140c can communicate with RNC 142b. Node B 140a, 140b and 140c can communicate with corresponding RNC 142a and 142b via Iub interface. RNC 142a and 142b can communicate with each other via Iur interface. Each of RNC 142a and 142b can be configured to control the corresponding Node B 140a, 140b and 140c to which it is connected. In addition, each of RNC 142a and 142b can be configured to perform or support other functionality, such as outer loop power control, load control, admission control, packet scheduling, handover control, macro diversity, security function, data encryption, etc.

[0189] Fig. 10B The illustrated core network 106 may include a media gateway (MGW) 144, a mobile switching center (MSC) 146, a serving GPRS support node (SGSN) 148, and / or a gateway GPRS support node (GGSN) 150. While each of the foregoing elements are depicted as part of the core network 106, it should be understood that any of these elements may be owned and / or operated by an entity other than the core network operator.

[0190] The RNC 142a in the RAN 103 may be connected to the MSC 146 in the core network 106 via an IuCS interface. The MSC 146 may be connected to the MGW 144. The MSC 146 and the MGW 144 may provide the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c with access to circuit-switched networks, such as the PSTN 108, to facilitate communications between the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c and traditional land-line communications devices.

[0191] The RNC 142a in the RAN 103 may also be connected to the SGSN 148 in the core network 106 via an IuPS interface. The SGSN 148 may be connected to the GGSN 150. The SGSN 148 and the GGSN 150 may provide the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c with access to packet-switched networks, such as the Internet 110, to facilitate communications between the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c and IP-enabled devices.

[0192] The core network 106 may also be connected to other networks 112, which may include other wired networks or wireless networks owned and / or operated by other service providers.

[0193] Fig. 10C1 is a system diagram of an exemplary RAN 104 and core network 107. As noted above, the RAN 104 may employ an E-UTRA radio technology to communicate with the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c over the air interface 116. The RAN 104 may also be in communication with the core network 107.

[0194] The RAN 104 may include eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, and 160c, though it will be appreciated that the RAN 104 may include any number of eNode-Bs. The eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, and 160c may each include one or more transceivers for communicating with the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c over the air interface 116. For example, the eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, and 160c may implement MIMO technology. Thus, the eNode-B 160a, for example, may use multiple antennas to transmit wireless signals to, and receive wireless signals from, the WTRU 102a.

[0195] Each of the evolved Node Bs 160a, 160b, and 160c may be associated with a particular cell (not shown) and may be configured to handle radio resource management decisions, handover decisions, user scheduling in the uplink and / or downlink, etc. Fig. 10C As shown, the eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, and 160c may communicate with one another via an X2 interface.

[0196] Fig. 10C The illustrated core network 107 may include a mobility management gateway (MME) 162, a serving gateway 164, and a packet data network (PDN) gateway 166. While each of the foregoing elements are depicted as being part of the core network 107, it should be understood that any of these elements may be owned and / or operated by an entity other than the core network operator.

[0197] The MME 162 may be connected to each of the evolved Node-Bs 160a, 160b, and 160c in the RAN 104 via an S1 interface and may serve as a control node. For example, the MME 162 may be responsible for authenticating users of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c, bearer activation / deactivation, selecting a particular serving gateway during an initial attach of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c, etc. The MME 162 may also provide a control plane function for switching between the RAN 104 and other RANs (not shown) that employ other radio technologies, such as GSM or WCDMA.

[0198] The serving gateway 164 may be connected to each of the evolved Node-Bs 160a, 160b, and 160c in the RAN 104 via an S1 interface. The serving gateway 164 may generally route and forward user data packets to / from the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c. The serving gateway 164 may also perform other functions, such as anchoring a user plane during inter-evolved Node-B handovers, triggering paging when downlink data is available for the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c, managing and storing contexts of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c, and the like.

[0199] The serving gateway 164 may also be connected to the PDN gateway 166, which may provide the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c with access to packet-switched networks, such as the Internet 110, to facilitate communications between the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c and IP-enabled devices.

[0200] The core network 107 may facilitate communications with other networks. For example, the core network 107 may provide the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c with access to circuit-switched networks, such as the PSTN 108, to facilitate communications between the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c and traditional land-line communications devices. For example, the core network 107 may include, or may be in communication with, an IP gateway (e.g., an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) server) that serves as an interface between the core network 107 and the PSTN 108. In addition, the core network 107 may provide the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c with access to the networks 112, which may include other wired or wireless networks that are owned and / or operated by other service providers.

[0201] Fig. 10D 1 is a system diagram of an exemplary RAN 105 and core network 109. The RAN 105 may employ NR radio technology to communicate with the WTRUs 102a and 102b over the air interface 117. The RAN 105 may also be in communication with the core network 109. A non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF) 199 may employ non-3GPP radio technology to communicate with the WTRU 102c over the air interface 198. The N3IWF 199 may also be in communication with the core network 109.

[0202] The RAN 105 may include Next Generation Node Bs 180a and 180b. It should be appreciated that the RAN 105 may include any number of Next Generation Node Bs. The Next Generation Node Bs 180a and 180b may each include one or more transceivers for communicating with the WTRUs 102a and 102b over the air interface 117. When an integrated access and backhaul connection is used, the same air interface may be used between the WTRU and the Next Generation Node B, which may be a core network 109 via one or more gNBs. The Next Generation Node Bs 180a and 180b may implement MIMO, MU-MIMO, and / or digital beamforming techniques. Thus, the Next Generation Node B 180a may, for example, use multiple antennas to transmit wireless signals to and receive wireless signals from the WTRU 102a. It should be appreciated that the RAN 105 may employ other types of base stations, such as an evolved Node B. It should also be appreciated that the RAN 105 may employ more than one type of base station. For example, the RAN may employ an evolved Node B and a Next Generation Node B.

[0203] The N3IWF 199 may include a non-3GPP access point 180c. It should be appreciated that the N3IWF 199 may include any number of non-3GPP access points. The non-3GPP access point 180c may include one or more transceivers for communicating with the WTRU 102c over the air interface 198. The non-3GPP access point 180c may communicate with the WTRU 102c over the air interface 198 using the 802.11 protocol.

[0204] Each of the next-generation Node Bs 180a and 180b may be associated with a particular cell (not shown) and may be configured to handle radio resource management decisions, handover decisions, user scheduling in the uplink and / or downlink, etc. Fig. 10D As shown, next-generation Node Bs 180a and 180b may communicate with each other, for example, via an Xn interface.

[0205] Fig. 10D The core network 109 shown may be a 5G core network (5GC). The core network 109 may provide a variety of communication services to customers interconnected by a radio access network. The core network 109 includes multiple entities that perform the functionality of the core network. As used herein, the term "core network entity" or "network function" refers to any entity that performs one or more functions of the core network. It should be understood that such core network entities may be logical entities implemented in the form of computer executable instructions (software) stored in a device or computer system (such as a processor) configured for wireless and / or network communications. Figure 10G The system 90 shown is stored in a memory and executed on a processor thereof.

[0206] exist Fig. 10D In the example of , the 5G core network 109 may include access and mobility management function (AMF) 172, session management function (SMF) 174, user plane function (UPF) 176a and 176b, user data management function (UDM) 197, authentication server function (AUSF) 190, network exposure function (NEF) 196, policy control function (PCF) 184, non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF) 199, user data repository (UDR) 178. Although each of the foregoing elements is depicted as part of the 5G core network 109, it should be understood that any of these elements may be owned and / or operated by an entity other than the core network operator. It should also be understood that the 5G core network may not include all of these elements, may include additional elements, and may include multiple instances of each of these elements. Fig. 10D The network functions are shown connected directly to each other, however, it should be understood that they may communicate via a routing agent such as a Diameter routing agent or a message bus.

[0207] exist Fig. 10D In the example of , the connection between network functions is realized via a set of interfaces or reference points. It should be understood that network functions can be modeled, described or realized as a set of services called or invoked by other network functions or services. The invocation of network function services can be realized via direct connection between network functions, message exchange on a message bus, calling software functions, etc.

[0208] The AMF 172 may be connected to the RAN 105 via an N2 interface and may serve as a control node. For example, the AMF 172 may be responsible for registration management, connection management, reachability management, access authentication, access authorization. The AMF may be responsible for forwarding user plane tunnel configuration information to the RAN 105 via the N2 interface. The AMF 172 may receive user plane tunnel configuration information from the SMF via the N11 interface. The AMF 172 may generally route and forward non-access stratum (NAS) packets to / from the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c via the N1 interface. The N1 interface is Fig. 10D Not shown in FIG.

[0209] The SMF 174 may be connected to the AMF 172 via the N11 interface. Similarly, the SMF may be connected to the PCF 184 via the N7 interface and to the UPFs 176a and 176b via the N4 interface. The SMF 174 may serve as a control node. For example, the SMF 174 may be responsible for session management, IP address allocation for the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c, management and configuration of traffic steering rules in the UPFs 176a and 176b, and generation of downlink data notifications to the AMF 172.

[0210] The UPF 176a and UPF 176b may provide the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c with access to a packet data network (PDN), such as the Internet 110, to facilitate communications between the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c and other devices. The UPF 176a and UPF 176b may also provide the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c with access to other types of packet data networks. For example, the other network 112 may be an Ethernet network or any type of network that switches data packets. The UPF 176a and UPF 176b may receive traffic steering rules from the SMF 174 via the N4 interface. The UPF 176a and UPF 176b may provide access to the packet data network by connecting to the packet data network via the N6 interface or by connecting to each other and to other UPFs via the N9 interface. In addition to providing access to the packet data network, UPF 176 may also be responsible for packet routing and forwarding, policy rule enforcement, quality of service handling for user plane traffic, and downlink packet buffering.

[0211] The AMF 172 may also be connected to the N3IWF 199, for example, via an N2 interface. The N3IWF facilitates connectivity between the WTRU 102c and the 5G core network 170, for example, via a radio interface technology that is not defined by 3GPP. The AMF may interact with the N3IWF 199 in the same or similar manner as it interacts with the RAN 105.

[0212] PCF 184 may be connected to SMF 174 via an N7 interface, to AMF 172 via an N15 interface, and to application function (AF) 188 via an N5 interface. The N15 and N5 interfaces are Fig. 10D 102a, 102b, and 102c. The PCF 184 may provide policy rules to control plane nodes such as the AMF 172 and the SMF 174, thereby allowing the control plane nodes to implement these rules. The PCF 184 may send policies for the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c to the AMF 172 so that the AMF may deliver the policies to the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c via the N1 interface. The policies may then be implemented or applied at the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c.

[0213] The UDR 178 may act as a repository for authentication credentials and subscription information. The UDR may be connected to a network function so that the network function may add to, read from, and modify data in the repository. For example, the UDR 178 may be connected to the PCF 184 via an N36 interface. Similarly, the UDR 178 may be connected to the NEF 196 via an N37 interface, and the UDR 178 may be connected to the UDM 197 via an N35 interface.

[0214] The UDM 197 may serve as an interface between the UDR 178 and other network functions. The UDM 197 may authorize network functions to access the UDR 178. For example, the UDM 197 may be connected to the AMF 172 via the N8 interface, and the UDM 197 may be connected to the SMF 174 via the N10 interface. Similarly, the UDM 197 may be connected to the AUSF 190 via the N13 interface. The UDR 178 and the UDM 197 may be tightly integrated.

[0215] AUSF 190 performs authentication-related operations and is connected to UDM 178 via the N13 interface and to AMF 172 via the N12 interface.

[0216] NEF 196 exposes the capabilities and services in the 5G core network 109 to the application function (AF) 188. The exposure may occur on the N33 API interface. NEF can be connected to AF 188 via the N33 interface, and NEF can be connected to other network functions to expose the capabilities and services of the 5G core network 109.

[0217] The application function 188 may interact with the network functions in the 5G core network 109. The interaction between the application function 188 and the network functions may occur via a direct interface or may occur via the NEF 196. The application function 188 may be considered part of the 5G core network 109 or may be external to the 5G core network 109 and deployed by an enterprise having a business relationship with a mobile network operator.

[0218] Network slicing is a mechanism that can be used by mobile network operators to support one or more "virtual" core networks behind the operator's air interface. This involves "slicing" the core network into one or more virtual networks to support different RANs or different service types running across a single RAN. Network slicing enables operators to create customized networks to provide optimized solutions for different market scenarios that require diverse requirements in terms of functionality, performance and isolation, for example.

[0219] 3GPP has designed the 5G core network to support network slicing. Network slicing is a useful tool that network operators can use to support a variety of 5G use cases that require diverse and sometimes extreme requirements (e.g., massive IoT, critical communications, V2X, and enhanced mobile broadband). Without the use of network slicing technology, when each use case has its own set of specific requirements for performance, scalability, and availability, the flexibility and scalability of the network architecture may not be sufficient to effectively support a wider range of use case requirements. In addition, new network services should be introduced more efficiently.

[0220] See again Fig. 10DIn a network slicing scenario, the WTRU 102a, 102b, or 102c may be connected to the AMF 172 via an N1 interface. The AMF may be a logical part of one or more slices. The AMF may coordinate the connection or communication of the WTRU 102a, 102b, or 102c with one or more of the UPFs 176a and 176b, the SMF 174, and other network functions. Each of the UPFs 176a and 176b, the SMF 174, and other network functions may be part of the same slice or different slices. When they are part of different slices, they may be isolated from each other in the sense that they may utilize different computing resources, security credentials, etc.

[0221] The core network 109 may facilitate communications with other networks. For example, the core network 109 may include or may communicate with an IP gateway (such as an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) server) that serves as an interface between the 5G core network 109 and the PSTN 108. For example, the core network 109 may include or may communicate with a short message service (SMS) service center that facilitates communications via a short message service. For example, the 5G core network 109 may facilitate the exchange of non-IP data packets between the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c and a server or application function 188. In addition, the core network 170 may provide the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c with access to the networks 112, which may include other wired or wireless networks owned and / or operated by other service providers.

[0222] This article describes and Fig. 10A , Fig. 10C , Fig. 10D and Fig.10E The core network entities shown in are identified by the names given to those entities in certain existing 3GPP specifications, but it should be understood that in the future, those entities and functions may be identified by other names, and that certain entities or functions may be combined in future specifications published by 3GPP, including future 3GPP NR specifications. Fig. 10A The specific network entities and functions described and illustrated in -E are provided by way of example only, and it should be understood that the subject matter disclosed and claimed herein may be embodied or implemented in any similar communication system (whether currently defined or defined in the future).

[0223] Fig.10EAn exemplary communication system 111 is shown in which the systems, methods, and apparatus described herein may be used. The communication system 111 may include wireless transmit / receive units (WTRUs) A, B, C, D, E, F, a base station gNB 121, a V2X server 124, and road side units (RSUs) 123a and 123b. In fact, the concepts presented herein may be applied to any number of WTRUs, base stations gNBs, V2X networks, and / or other network elements. One or several or all of the WTRUs A, B, C, D, E, and F may be outside the range of the access network coverage 131. WTRUs A, B, and C form a V2X group, where WTRU A is the group leader and WTRUs B and C are group members.

[0224] If WTRUs A, B, C, D, E, and F are within access network coverage 131, they may communicate with each other via gNB 121 over the Uu interface 129. Fig.10E In the example of FIG. 1 , WTRUs B and F are shown within access network coverage 131. WTRUs A, B, C, D, E, and F may communicate directly with one another via a sidelink interface (e.g., PC5 or NR PC5) such as interfaces 125a, 125b, or 128, regardless of whether they are within or outside access network coverage 131. For example, in Fig.10E In the example of , WTRU D outside the access network coverage 131 communicates with WTRU F inside the coverage 131.

[0225] WTRUs A, B, C, D, E, and F may communicate with the RSU 123a or 123b via the vehicle-to-network (V2N) 133 or the sidelink interface 125b. WTRUs A, B, C, D, E, and F may communicate with the V2X server 124 via the vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) interface 127. WTRUs A, B, C, D, E, and F may communicate with another UE via the vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) interface 128.

[0226] Fig.10F is a block diagram of an exemplary apparatus, device, or wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU) 102 that may be configured for wireless communications and operations in accordance with the systems, methods, and apparatus described herein, such as Fig. 10A -E WTRU 102. WTRU 102 may include user equipment (UE), mobile equipment (ME), device, sensor, computing device, IoT device or sensor, etc. Fig.10FAs shown, the exemplary WTRU 102 may include a processor 118, a transceiver 120, a transmit / receive element 122, a speaker / microphone 124, a keypad 126, a display / touchpad / indicator 128, a non-removable memory 130, a removable memory 132, a power supply 134, a global positioning system (GPS) chipset 136, and other peripherals 138. It should be understood that the WTRU 102 may include any sub-combination of the foregoing elements. In addition, the base stations 114a and 114b and / or the nodes that the base stations 114a and 114b may represent (such as, but not limited to, a transceiver station (BTS), a Node B, a site controller, an access point (AP), a Home Node B, an evolved Home Node B (eNode B), a Home evolved Node B (HeNB), a Home evolved Node B gateway, a next generation Node B (gNode-B), and a proxy node, etc.) may include Fig.10F Some or all of the elements depicted in and described herein.

[0227] The processor 118 may be a general purpose processor, a special purpose processor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors associated with a DSP core, a controller, a microcontroller, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) circuit, any other type of integrated circuit (IC), a state machine, etc. The processor 118 may perform signal coding, data processing, power control, input / output processing, and / or any other functionality that enables the WTRU 102 to operate in a wireless environment. The processor 118 may be coupled to the transceiver 120, which may be coupled to the transmit / receive element 122. Although Fig.10F The processor 118 and the transceiver 120 are depicted as separate components, but it is understood that the processor 118 and the transceiver 120 may be integrated together in an electronic package or chip.

[0228] The transmit / receive element 122 of the UE may be configured to transmit data to a base station (eg, Fig. 10A The base station 114a) transmits a signal or receives a signal from the base station, or transmits a signal to another UE or receives a signal from the UE through the air interface 115d / 116d / 117d. For example, the transmit / receive element 122 can be an antenna configured to transmit and / or receive RF signals. The transmit / receive element 122 can be a transmitter / detector configured to transmit and / or receive, for example, IR signals, UV signals, or visible light signals. The transmit / receive element 122 can be configured to transmit and receive both RF signals and optical signals. It should be understood that the transmit / receive element 122 can be configured to transmit and / or receive any combination of wireless signals or wired signals.

[0229] Furthermore, although the transmit / receive element 122 is Fig.10F Although depicted as a single element in the figure, the WTRU 102 may include any number of transmit / receive elements 122. More specifically, the WTRU 102 may employ MIMO technology. Thus, the WTRU 102 may include two or more transmit / receive elements 122 (e.g., multiple antennas) for transmitting and receiving wireless signals over the air interface 115 / 116 / 117.

[0230] The transceiver 120 may be configured to modulate signals to be transmitted by the transmit / receive element 122 and to demodulate signals received by the transmit / receive element 122. As noted above, the WTRU 102 may have multi-mode capabilities. Thus, the transceiver 120 may include multiple transceivers to enable the WTRU 102 to communicate via multiple RATs (e.g., NR and IEEE 802.11 or NR and E-UTRA), or to communicate with the same RAT via multiple beams to different RRHs, TRPs, RSUs, or nodes.

[0231] The processor 118 of the WTRU 102 may be coupled to, and may receive user input data from, the speaker / microphone 124, the keypad 126, and / or the display / touchpad / indicator 128 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) display unit or an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display unit). The processor 118 may also output user data to the speaker / microphone 124, the keypad 126, and / or the display / touchpad / indicator 128. In addition, the processor 118 may access information from and store data in any type of suitable memory, such as the non-removable memory 130 and / or the removable memory 132. The non-removable memory 130 may include a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a hard disk, or any other type of memory storage device. The removable memory 132 may include a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, a memory stick, a secure digital (SD) memory card, etc. The processor 118 may be located in a manner that is never physically located on the WTRU. The information is accessed from a memory on 102, such as on a server hosted on the cloud or on an edge computing platform or on a home computer (not shown), and the data is stored in the memory.

[0232] The processor 118 may receive power from the power source 134 and may be configured to distribute and / or control the power to the other components in the WTRU 102. The power source 134 may be any suitable device for powering the WTRU 102. For example, the power source 134 may include one or more dry cell batteries, solar cells, fuel cells, etc.

[0233] The processor 118 may also be coupled to the GPS chipset 136, which may be configured to provide location information (e.g., longitude and latitude) regarding the current location of the WTRU 102. In addition to or in lieu of the information from the GPS chipset 136, the WTRU 102 may receive location information from a base station (e.g., base stations 114a, 114b) over the air interface 115 / 116 / 117 and / or determine its location based on the timing of signals received from two or more nearby base stations. It will be appreciated that the WTRU 102 may acquire location information by any suitable location-determination method.

[0234] The processor 118 may also be coupled to other peripherals 138, which may include one or more software modules and / or hardware modules that provide additional features, functionality, and / or wired or wireless connectivity. For example, the peripherals 138 may include various sensors such as accelerometers, biometric (e.g., fingerprint) sensors, electronic compasses, satellite transceivers, digital cameras (for photos or videos), universal serial bus (USB) ports or other interconnect interfaces, vibration devices, television transceivers, hands-free headsets, modules, FM radio units, digital music players, media players, video game player modules, Internet browsers, and more.

[0235] The WTRU 102 may be included in other devices or equipment, such as sensors, consumer electronics, wearable devices (such as smart watches or smart clothing), medical or e-health devices, robots, industrial equipment, drones, vehicles (such as cars, trucks, trains, or airplanes). The WTRU 102 may be connected to other components, modules, or systems of such devices or equipment via one or more interconnect interfaces (such as an interconnect interface that may include one of the peripheral devices 138).

[0236] Figure 10G is a block diagram of an exemplary computing system 90, in which Fig. 10A , Fig. 10C , Fig. 10D and Fig.10E103 / 104 / 105, core network 106 / 107 / 109, PSTN 108, Internet 110, other network 112 or network service 113. The computing system 90 may include a computer or server and may be controlled primarily by computer-readable instructions, which may be in the form of software, regardless of where or by what means such software is stored or accessed. Such computer-readable instructions may be executed within a processor 91 to enable the computing system 90 to operate. The processor 91 may be a general-purpose processor, a special-purpose processor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors associated with a DSP core, a controller, a microcontroller, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) circuit, any other type of integrated circuit (IC), a state machine, and the like. The processor 91 may perform signal encoding, data processing, power control, input / output processing, and / or any other functionality that enables the computing system 90 to operate in a communication network. Coprocessor 81 is an optional processor distinct from main processor 91 that may perform additional functions or assist processor 91. Processor 91 and / or coprocessor 81 may receive, generate, and process data related to the methods and apparatus disclosed herein.

[0237] In operation, processor 91 fetches, decodes and executes instructions, and transfers information to and from other resources via the computing system's main data transfer path (system bus 80). Such a system bus connects components in computing system 90 and defines a medium for data exchange. System bus 80 typically includes data lines for sending data, address lines for sending addresses, and control lines for sending interrupts and for operating the system bus. An example of such a system bus 80 is a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus.

[0238] The memory coupled to the system bus 80 includes a random access memory (RAM) 82 and a read-only memory (ROM) 93. Such memory includes circuits that allow information to be stored and retrieved. ROM 93 generally contains stored data that cannot be easily modified. The data stored in RAM 82 can be read or changed by a processor 91 or other hardware device. Access to RAM 82 and / or ROM 93 can be controlled by a memory controller 92. The memory controller 92 can provide an address translation function that converts a virtual address into a physical address as an instruction is executed. The memory controller 92 can also provide a memory protection function that isolates processes within the system and isolates system processes from user processes. Therefore, a program running in the first mode can only access memory mapped by its own process virtual address space; unless memory sharing between processes has been set, it cannot access memory within the virtual address space of another process.

[0239] In addition, computing system 90 may include a peripheral device controller 83 responsible for passing instructions from processor 91 to peripheral devices such as printer 94 , keyboard 84 , mouse 95 , and disk drive 85 .

[0240] The display 86 controlled by the display controller 96 is used to display the visual output generated by the computing system 90. Such visual output may include text, graphics, animated graphics, and video. The visual output can be provided in the form of a graphical user interface (GUI). The display 86 can be implemented with a CRT-based video display, an LCD-based flat panel display, a gas plasma-based flat panel display, or a touch pad. The display controller 96 includes the electronic components required to generate the video signal sent to the display 86.

[0241] Additionally, computing system 90 may include communications circuitry such as, for example, a wireless or wired network adapter 97 that may be used to connect computing system 90 to an external communications network or device, such as Fig. 10A -E RAN 103 / 104 / 105, core network 106 / 107 / 109, PSTN 108, Internet 110, WTRU 102 or other network 112 to enable the computing system 90 to communicate with other nodes or functional entities of these networks. Communication circuits alone or in combination with the processor 91 may be used to perform the transmission and reception steps of certain devices, nodes or functional entities described herein.

[0242] It should be understood that any or all of the devices, systems, methods, and processes described herein may be embodied in the form of computer executable instructions (e.g., program code) stored on a computer-readable storage medium, which, when executed by a processor (such as processor 118 or 91), causes the processor to perform or implement the systems, methods, and processes described herein. Specifically, any of the steps, operations, or functions described herein may be implemented in the form of such computer executable instructions executed on a processor of a device or computing system configured for wireless and / or wired network communications. Computer-readable storage media include volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any non-transitory (e.g., tangible or physical) method or technology for storing information, but such computer-readable storage media do not include signals. Computer-readable storage media include, but are not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disk (DVD) or other optical disk storage, cassettes, tapes, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other tangible or physical media that can be used to store the desired information and can be accessed by a computing system.

Claims

1. A method performed by a wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU), the method comprising: receiving a message including policy information associated with a personal network, wherein the policy information includes one or more data network names (DNNs), one or more single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAIs), and one or more personal network identifiers; sending a protocol data unit (PDU) session establishment message to establish a PDU session for the personal network, wherein the PDU session is established to allow a plurality of devices on the personal network to access at least one data network indicated by a DNN of the one or more DNNs according to at least one S-NSSAI of the one or more S-NSSAIs, wherein at least one device of the plurality of devices utilizes a non-3GPP access technology; receiving a PDU session establishment accept message from the network in response to the PDU session establishment message; receiving data from a device among the plurality of devices on the personal network; as well as The data is sent to the network via an established PDU session established using the at least one S-NSSAI of the one or more S-NSSAIs. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the PDU session establishment message comprises one or more of a DNN or the personal network identifier of the personal network. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data is sent to the personal network based on the device being part of the network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the PDU session established for the personal network is associated with a specific S-NSSAI / DNN combination.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy information further comprises one or more of the following: one or more user identifiers for provisioning one or more non-3GPP devices of the plurality of devices of the personal network; or An indication of the maximum number of personal networks authorized for the WTRU. 6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising provisioning the one or more user identifiers to one or more non-3GPP devices of the one or more devices of the personal network.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending at least a portion of the policy information associated with the personal network to at least one device of the plurality of devices on the personal network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy information is associated with a plurality of personal networks.

9. A wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU), the WTRU comprising: A processor, the processor being configured to: receiving a message including policy information associated with a personal network, wherein the policy information includes one or more data network names (DNNs), one or more single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAIs), and one or more personal network identifiers; sending a protocol data unit (PDU) session establishment message to establish a PDU session for the personal network, wherein the PDU session is established to allow a plurality of devices on the personal network to access at least one data network indicated by a DNN of the one or more DNNs according to at least one S-NSSAI of the one or more S-NSSAIs, wherein at least one device of the plurality of devices utilizes a non-3GPP access technology; receiving a PDU session establishment accept message from the network in response to the PDU session establishment message; receiving data from a device among the plurality of devices on the personal network; as well as The data is sent to the network via an established PDU session established using the at least one S-NSSAI of the one or more S-NSSAIs.

10. The WTRU of claim 9, wherein the PDU session establishment message includes one or more of a DNN or the personal network identifier of the personal network.

11. The WTRU of claim 9, wherein the data is sent to the personal network based on the device being part of the network.

12. The WTRU of claim 9, wherein the PDU session established for the personal network is associated with a specific S-NSSAI / DNN combination.

13. The WTRU of claim 9 wherein the policy information further comprises one or more of: one or more user identifiers for provisioning one or more non-3GPP devices of the plurality of devices of the personal network; or An indication of the maximum number of personal networks authorized for the WTRU.

14. The WTRU of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to provision the one or more user identifiers to one or more non-3GPP devices of the one or more devices of the personal network.

15. The WTRU of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to send at least a portion of the policy information associated with the personal network to at least one device among the plurality of devices on the personal network.

16. The WTRU of claim 9, wherein the policy information is associated with a plurality of personal networks.

17. A wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU), the WTRU comprising: A processor, the processor being configured to: Create a Personal Internet of Things (IoT) Network (PIN); Provide discovery information for the device to discover the PIN; as well as Add devices to or remove devices from the PIN.

18. A wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU), the WTRU comprising: A processor, the processor being configured to: Create a protocol data unit (PDU) session; receiving an indication to back up one or more network parameters; sending a request including the one or more network parameters and a personal network identifier; as well as A confirmation message is received indicating that the personal network context has been updated.

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