Authorization, Creation, and Management of Personal Networks

Abstract

The present invention relates to the authorization, creation, and management of a personal network. The present invention discloses a wireless transmit / receive unit that can request authorization from a core network for creating one or more personal networks for one or more devices. After being granted authorization, the UE can be enabled to create a personal network and cause a PDU session for the personal network to be established with the core network. The UE can enable members 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 a PCT application that entered the Chinese national phase, with an international filing date of August 24, 2022, a national application number of 202280064006.8, and an invention title of "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 titled "Authorization, Creation, and Management of Personal Networks", the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 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 locally monitor and control devices, users and homeowners also want to remotely access these devices without additional configuration or security settings. Moreover, end - to - end security has become crucial, especially for personal health devices. So - called Personal Internet of Things (PIoT) networks are being considered and studied, as described, for example, in 3GPP TR 22.859, Study on Personal Internet of Things (PIoT) Networks; V18.0.1 (2021 - 06). Summary of the Invention

[0005] This document describes methods, apparatuses, and systems for authorizing, creating, and managing a personal network (PN) (e.g., a PIoT network). The core network can be enhanced to support the management of the personal network, including the storage of management data of the personal network. A wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU) can send a request to the core network for authorization to create and manage a personal network for one or more devices. The WTRU can receive a message from the core network that includes an indication that the WTRU is authorized to create and manage the personal network and also includes a policy associated with the personal network. The policy can include a data network name (DNN) and other information associated with the requested personal network. Using the DNN, the WTRU can cause the establishment of a protocol data unit (PDU) session to send data associated with the personal network to the core network. For example, the WTRU can send a request to the core network to establish a PDU session. The request can include the DNN. Once successful, the WTRU can 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 can send data associated with the personal network to the core network via the established PDU session.

[0006] In addition to the DNN, the policy can further 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 supplying one or more non-3GPP devices among the one or more devices; an identifier associated with the personal network; or an indication of the maximum number of personal networks authorized for the WTRU. The policy can also include one or more user identifiers that the WTRU can supply to one or more non-3GPP devices among the one or more devices of the personal network so that these non-3GPP devices can 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 not 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. Additionally, the claimed subject matter is not limited to limitations that solve any or all of the disadvantages noted in any part of this disclosure. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008] A more detailed understanding can 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 transfer is shown.

[0014] Figure 6 An exemplary method for personal network management data backup 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] Figure 9 An exemplary graphical user interface (GUI) is shown.

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

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

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

[0021] Figure 10F An exemplary device or equipment (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 in terms of reference points, 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)) can 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 TS23.501, System Architecture for 5G Systems; Phase 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 Management Function (AMF): The UE sends N1 messages to the AMF through the radio access network (RAN)

[0026] nodes to perform control plane signaling, such as registration, connection management, mobility management, access authentication and authorization, etc.

[0027] Session Management Function (SMF): The SMF is responsible for session management related to the establishment of protocol data units (PDUs)

[0028] for sessions, enabling 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): The PCF provides a policy framework for managing network behavior, accessing subscriber information for decision-making, etc.

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

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

[0032] Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF): The NSSF is related to various aspects of network slice management, such as selecting a network slice instance for the UE, managing network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI), etc.

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

[0034] To enable communication for both 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 traffic on the user plane through the (R)AN and User Plane Function (UPF) nodes of the 5G system (5GS). Uplink traffic is sent by the UE, while downlink traffic is received by the UE using the established PDU session. Data traffic flows between the UE and the DN through intermediate nodes (R)AN and UPF.

[0035] In Release 18, 3GPP started 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 a homeowner. 3GPP TR 22.859 provides the usage scenarios and requirements for PINs.

[0036] An important aspect of a PIN involves providing 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 can be referred to as non-3GPP devices. As used herein, the term "non-3GPP device" generally refers to a device that uses non-3GPP access technologies and does not have 3GPP credentials. The user identifier of such a non-3GPP device can be associated with a device linked to a user subscription with an MNO to enable the device to access the 5G network. Then, the device can not only communicate with other devices within the PIN but also communicate with other devices via the 5G network.

[0037] 3GPP TR 22.859 also defines the devices within a PIN as PIN elements, and a PIN element can have management or gateway capabilities. A PIN element with management capabilities manages the operation of the PIN, while a PIN element with gateway capabilities provides access to the 5G network for the members of the PIN. A PIN element (such as a UE) can have both management and gateway capabilities.

[0038] 3GPP has also studied how the 5G network can be enhanced to support a user-centric authentication layer on top of the existing subscription authentication. The results of this study have been captured in 3GPP TR 22.904. This study evaluated how the 3GPP system can provide customized services to different users using the same UE, how to identify the users of devices behind a gateway with a 3GPP subscription (but without a device with a dedicated 3GPP subscription), and how a user identifier can be linked to a subscription for accessing 3GPP services via non-3GPP access.

[0039] The user identity in the 3GPP system should 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 commercial relationship with the device, person, or application and is responsible for authenticating and authorizing requests from the device, person, or application and for maintaining a record of the information associated with the device, person, or application.

[0040] A challenge of existing systems can be illustrated by the following example. A homeowner may be in the process of automating their home using various devices such as surveillance cameras, door locks, garage door openers, lights, outlets, 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 the home. For example, the homeowner can view video from a surveillance camera while traveling. The homeowner hopes to be able to easily configure various personal networks using the smartphone and seamlessly access the devices in the network from anywhere in the world without additional configuration or security settings.

[0041] Currently, the configuration for connecting devices to a network can vary depending on each device manufacturer, and sometimes such configurations 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 may even be unavailable because the devices are in different product lines. For example, the manufacturer needs to plan product - to - product communication into the design of its products. Additionally, 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, a robust security mechanism is crucial for protecting user privacy. Finally, remote access to connected devices can vary quite a bit 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 personal networks, there may be many instances where the members of the network may not be 3GPP devices. For example, a device may not have a SIM card or a 3GPP subscription to a mobile network operator and may use non - 3GPP access technologies. A user identity is introduced to enable these types of devices to access the 5G network. However, so far, there has been no definition on how to supply the user identity to the UE and how to authorize the UE to create a personal network.

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

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

[0045] In this document, the terms "user identity" and "user identifier" are used to describe the process of supplying an identity or identifier for devices without a SIM card or without a subscription that can be used to communicate with the 5G network. The identity or identifier can be used by non-3GPP devices or 3GPP devices without a SIM card or without a subscription for accessing services from the 5G network, and can be linked to the user subscription for tracking and billing purposes. Therefore, the terms "user identity" and "user identifier" can be used interchangeably in this document. In addition, in the context of a personal network, when describing the interaction between devices and the network, the terms "user", "UE", and "WTRU" can be used interchangeably.

[0046] Architecture Enhancements for Supporting Personal Area Networks

[0047] Personal networks will bring an influx of devices to access the 5G network, 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 can consist of non-3GPP devices or 3GPP devices without a SIM card or without a subscription, which may require supplying user identities to allow these devices to access the 5G network. Therefore, the management of user identities is an important aspect of allowing devices in personal networks to access the 5G network. To avoid burdening the existing network functions in the 5G network with this additional functionality, new network functions (referred to in this document as the Personal Network Management Function (PNMF)) can be defined to handle the supply and management of user identities and personal network management.

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

[0049]

[0050] Table 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0057] The Npnm_NwCfg_Delete service operation can be invoked to request the deletion of the management data of the personal network. The configuration record ID or the personal network ID can be the required input for the service, and an indicator for specifying the release of the user identity can be an optional input. The operation status can be the output of the service. If available, the transaction parameters can be an optional output of the service. This service operation is used to remove the management data saved in the PNMF for the personal network. This service operation can be used after the personal network is deactivated.

[0058] The management data may include:

[0059] PN identifier

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

[0061] Identification and contact information of members with gateway and management capabilities

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

[0063] Expiration of the 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 as described herein, the PNMF service operation may be provided by a new network function, it may also be incorporated as a new service provided by an existing NF such as UDM. This may provide logical grouping of services, since UDM provides subscriber data management and UE authentication services, which are necessary functions in UEs authorized to have the ability to create and manage personal networks.

[0068] Authorized Registration for Personal Area Networks

[0069] As mentioned, personal networks (whether composed 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 subscription. Therefore, the user or homeowner will need to initiate a request via the UE to the mobile network operator to obtain authorization for creating and managing the personal network. The mobile network operator will then provide the UE with a policy including user identifiers to be assigned to the devices and will associate their use of 5G services with the user's subscription. This request may be integrated with the registration request described in 3GPP TS23.502, which the UE may use at registration to obtain services from the 5G network.

[0070] Figure 2 A method that may be performed by a WTRU (such as a UE) to request authorization for creating a personal network from a mobile network or a core network is shown. Figure 2 The method may be in a device havingFigure 1 executed in the network of the architecture shown and described above, or in any of the network architectures shown in Figure 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] In Figure 2 step 1, a WTRU (such as a UE) may send a request to the core network for authorization to create and manage a personal network for one or more devices. For example, a user or a 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 without a 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 process in which the UE sends a request to the core network for authorization from the 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). Additionally, the request may include a value indicating the number of user identities that the user and / or the UE requires for provisioning 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 that the WTRU requires for the devices of the listed device type or device capability.

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

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

[0074] In step 3, the UDM may check whether the UE's subscription information allows the UE to create a personal network, and if permitted, the UDM may perform the Npnm_UserID_Registration service operation to the PNMF 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 the 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 may include one or more of the following: an indicator signaling that the UE is permitted to create a personal network, one or more S-NSSAIs permitted for the personal network, one or more DNNs for creating a PDU session for the personal network, a pool of user identifiers for non-3GPP devices or 3GPP devices without a SIM card or without a subscription in the personal network, a value representing the maximum number of personal networks authorized for the UE, and / or a list of personal network identifiers / prefixes to be 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 without a subscription that can be members of the personal network. However, this limit may not apply to UEs joining the personal network as 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 supplied with more user identities and thus allow more non-3GPP devices or 3GPP devices without a SIM card or without a subscription to become members of the personal network.

[0076] In step 5, the UE (i.e., the WTRU) may receive a message from the core network, which 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), which 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 the PDU session routing the PN traffic. 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 can provide the PN policy to the application as a response to the AT command invoked in step 1.

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

[0079] In step 7, the UE (i.e., the WTRU) can use the DNN to cause the establishment of a protocol data unit (PDU) session 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 can cause a PDU session to be created for sending personal network-related data to the network. The PDU session can be caused to be established by sending a PDU session establishment message to the network using either 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 can be part of the configured NSSAI, and the slice type can indicate personal network traffic. The PDU session provides access to the 5G network for all members of the personal network. In addition, the UE can also include in the request a personal network identifier for identifying the personal network and a human-readable description for the personal network. The identifier can be used for discovery purposes and enables communication with devices in the personal network via the 5G network.

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

[0081] In step 8, the SMF can contact the PNMF to create a context for the personal network, e.g., perform the Npnm_NwCfg_Create service operation. The context created in the PNMF can contain configuration and management aspects for the personal network, such as the PN identifier, the UE or user identifier of the PN members, the identification of PN members with management and / or gateway capabilities, the PDU session ID including the associated S-NSSAI and / or DNN, the network configuration parameters for the PN, and other information associated with the personal network. The information stored in this step can be considered management data used by the member with management capabilities to manage the personal network, and it can 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 can also be used to perform device upgrades by replacing the member with management capabilities with a newer device 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 acceptance 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 separated from the PDU session ID. When the UE or some other entity wants to communicate with the network via 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 use the established PDU session specified by the DNN to send data from a member of the personal network to the 5G network (e.g., the core network). This process will be further described below.

[0084] Typically, a personal network is created in a home, office, or store to be shared among the members of a household or business. Thus, user subscriptions may be linked together for other users to receive notifications about 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, so that each user is notified whenever a personal network has been successfully created and access to the personal network is allowed. The notification may be in the form of a UE configuration update, which contains information about the created personal network, such as the PN ID, the 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 about the personal network created for that business. The user may then use the information from the UE configuration update message to access the personal network.

[0085] The user or homeowner may also request from the mobile network operator to share the authorization to create and manage the personal network with other family members during the registration process or via out-of-band communication with the operator (e.g., when linking user subscriptions). In those cases, the UE configuration update process may also provide the user with a PN policy. The PN policy will include the user identity associated with the corresponding user subscription for tracking and billing purposes. To ensure that the personal network created by the user can be accessed by all family members, the PDU session requirements in the PN policies of all family members may be the same. It should be noted that while some information in the PN policies 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 in the Personal Area Network Lifecycle

[0087] After the UE receives a personal network policy from a mobile network operator that provides the authorization and other information required for the UE to create and manage a personal network, the UE can then start the process of creating and managing one or more personal networks. The life cycle of a personal network includes processes of device and service discovery, user identity payment, creation and management of the personal network, and finally decommissioning of the personal network. Some personal networks may be short-term and temporary in nature, such as a gaming session that lasts for a few hours, while other personal networks may be long-term or limited by the device's lifespan, such as a home automation network. Within a personal network and according to 3GPP TR 22.859, members can 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 utilize the services of a 5G network, while management capabilities enable members to create and manage a personal network. It should be noted that a device can have both gateway capabilities and management capabilities.

[0088] Personal Area Network Discovery

[0089] Before creating a personal network, the device 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 network supported by the device. Regardless of the discovery mechanism used, the devices must use the same mechanism and must be able to communicate with each other using the same access network. However, it may be necessary to exchange information about the device capabilities related to the personal network to facilitate the creation of such a network. The following is a list of information that can be exchanged during discovery:

[0090] Device capabilities, such as gateway, management, routing, device-specific, etc.

[0091] Device identifier (3GPP devices will use the identifier assigned by 3GPP; 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, such as power grid, battery, solar power supply, etc.

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

[0095] Access to 5G network connection

[0096] Nearest neighbor

[0097] Network topology

[0098] Supported protocols

[0099] Security requirements

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

[0101] Deregistration options

[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 start 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 the homeowner via an application on the UE, or it can be done in conjunction with the discovery process as Figure 3 shown. In addition, the provisioning of the user identity pool can also be done during the creation of the personal network or when adding members to the personal network. It should be noted that Figure 3 the method of Figure 2 can be performed in conjunction with the method of

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

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

[0106] In step 3, after discovering the capabilities of the devices, the UE makes a determination to provision the 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 can also be provided, such as the PN ID of other personal networks, information about other devices with gateway or management capabilities, and routing policies. Dev1 can be the UE or a non-3GPP device, or a 3GPP device without a SIM card or subscription, and has additional capabilities to manage the personal network by provisioning user identities to non-3GPP devices or 3GPP devices without a SIM card or subscription, adding or removing members from the personal network, and 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 device with management capabilities, the device responds to the UE with an acknowledgement.

[0108] Figure 3 The process of shows a UE supplying 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 Area 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 offering capability exchange to assist the nearby devices in making a determination on whether to join the personal network. If interested, the nearby devices continue to join the personal network by sending a join request. Figure 4 shows an exemplary method for creating a personal network or for adding members to an existing personal network. After obtaining a connection to the network, Dev1, Dev2, or the UE can 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 of can be combined with Figures 2 to 3 any or all of the methods of to be executed.

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

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

[0113] In step 3, Dev1 and Dev2 are interested in joining the personal network and send join requests to the UE. In this request, Dev1 and Dev2 can include their capabilities and other information, such as device identifiers, manufacturers, models, power, 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 to Dev1 and Dev2 respectively with an indication of the status showing the join request. The UE can 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 as they are non-3GPP devices or 3GPP devices without a SIM card or without a 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 identities, 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 detachment 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 the members of the personal network. The PDU session request may include the S-NSSAI and / or DNN specified by the PN policy and also include the PN identifier for the personal network. In addition, configuration information about the personal network can also be provided by the UE to assist the 5G network in managing the personal network. Information such as the members of the personal network and their identifiers, the identities of the members with management and / or gateway capabilities, and local network configuration parameters and options can be provided. It should be noted that a PDU session may have been previously created before the device join request, for example when the personal network was initially created. In this case, a PDU session modification procedure can 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, PIN identifier, and other information about the personal network, such as the IDs and capabilities of the members, etc. In addition, the LAN configuration of the personal network can be provided to the PNMF. The configuration information may include network type, WLAN SSID, BSSID, security mechanism, 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 alternatively executes 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 the PN identifier to the UE in the response. The PN identifier can be used to identify the personal network from other personal networks and can be used for routing purposes between personal networks. In addition, the PN ID can be used for discovery purposes and for enabling other UEs to access the members associated with the PN ID through the 5G network.

[0118] Figure 4The exemplary method not only shows a UE creating a personal network but can also be applied to a UE adding members to a personal network. Additionally, the method can be extended to a device with management capabilities, but only if the device also has gateway capabilities. For a device with only management capabilities, the PDU session establishment step will not be performed unless there is also a member with gateway capabilities in the personal network. In Figure 4 the exemplary method, Dev1 is not able to establish a PDU session, but it can add or remove members from the personal network and also perform other management functions, such as supplying user identity to a non-3GPP device or a 3GPP device without a SIM card or without a subscription.

[0119] Personal Area Network Management

[0120] The management of a personal network can 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 rest of its personal network of the change. In this example, UE1 is acting as the gateway of the personal network it is leaving, while UE2 acts as the gateway of another personal network and aims to provide gateway functionality in place of UE1. In this example, Dev1 is a non-3GPP device with management capabilities or a 3GPP device without a SIM card or without a subscription, and Dev2 is also a non-3GPP device with device-specific functionality in the personal network of Dev1 and UE1 or a 3GPP device without a SIM card or without a subscription. It should be noted that Figure 5 the method can be combined with Figures 2 to 4 any or all of the methods.

[0121] In Figure 5 step 1, UE1 can 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 the homeowner may optionally initiate a transfer of the gateway function to UE2, where information about personal network 1 is transmitted to UE2. The information includes, for example, 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 acknowledges that UE1 becomes the new gateway of 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 transfer of the gateway function to UE2 when it detects that UE1 leaves the personal network. As part of the creation of a 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 mobility update procedure, and triggers a UE configuration update procedure to transfer the gateway functionality to UE2. During this process, the 5G network may provide the saved management data to UE2, such as the personal network identifier, the members of the personal network and their associated user identities, the identifiers of the members with management and / or gateway capabilities, the PDU session ID with the associated S-NSSAI and / or DNN, network configuration parameters, etc. Then, UE2 continues 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 indicating that UE1 is leaving the personal network. The notification message may use the name or identifier of the new gateway (if available) to indicate whether the new gateway is available to serve personal network 1 (e.g., if step 502 is successful). The contact information of the new gateway may also be provided.

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

[0125] In step 5, Dev1 notifies Dev2 and the other members of the personal network of the change to the personal network, e.g., that there is a new member providing the gateway functionality for the network. The notification may also include information that UE1 is no longer used as the gateway of 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 the contact information of UE2 (if such 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 step 7, in response to being notified, Dev2 may send a request to Dev1 to request inclusion into the new personal network. If UE1 has provided information about UE2, Dev2 may instead directly contact UE2 (as shown by the dashed 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 can provide user identities and thus can manage the personal network. The provision and management of user identities is one of the main features in the management of personal networks.

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

[0130] In step 10, Dev2 forwards data to UE2 (the new gateway of personal network 1). It should be noted that in this case, UE2 serves as the gateway for both personal networks. Therefore, UE2 can 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 in Figure 5In an exemplary method of leaving the personal network, it can still use the PDU session originally established for the personal network to access members of the personal network. Since UE2 is using the same PDU session requirements as UE1 to establish the PDU session, UE1 can 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 twin network of the personal network in the home. Therefore, whether the user is at home or away from home, the user can connect to the personal network without any additional configuration or security settings. In addition, 3GPP security is provided for end-to-end communication.

[0132] Once the personal network has been created and operating for some time, there may be configuration changes to the network parameters that the user or homeowner may want to save for backup purposes. An example is that the user may want to replace a member with management capabilities with a new device while retaining the management data of the personal network. Another example is if the user has changed network parameters that may affect the operation of the personal network, such as changing the network password. As Figure 6 shown, a request can be made by a member of the personal network with management capabilities to back up the management data (e.g., network configuration) of the personal network. It should be noted that Figure 6 the method of Figures 2 to 5 can be performed in combination with

[0133] In Figure 6 step 1, the UE can make a 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 the 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 uses the PDU session establishment process described above to create a PDU session. The network configuration information and other management data can be saved in the PNMF together with the PIN ID. It should be noted that the PDU session can be established before the personal network is created locally, so step 603 can occur before step 602.

[0136] In step 4, after some time or due to a change in the 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 the management data and the PN ID.

[0137] In step 5, the SMF performs the Npnm_NwCfg_Update operation with the PIN ID and management data provided by the UE to the PNMF. The 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 previously mentioned, home and / or business user subscriptions can be linked together so that other users can receive notifications of the creation of a personal network. As part of the notification, information such as the PN ID and S-NSSAI / DNN is provided to the UEs of other home and / or business users. When the information is received, 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 exchanges) can be limited to members with gateway or management capabilities. These management functions can be performed locally within the personal network, or they can also be saved as management data in the PNMF.

[0141] Once the management data of the personal network has been saved in the PNMF, if a device with management capabilities fails and causes the personal network to be 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. Then, the SMF will perform the Npnm_NwCfg_Get service operation to retrieve the management data from the PNMF and return the data to the UE.

[0142] Personal Area Network Dismantling

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

[0144] Another method for disconnecting a personal network can include using an update timer that has been provisioned during the creation or modification process. The update timer can be provided to members of the personal network to indicate that if a member does not initiate activity before the update timer expires, the member can be removed from the network. From the perspective of the member providing the gateway functionality, the update timer can represent that there has been no traffic within the duration of the timer and that the personal network should be disconnected. In other words, if there is no activity within the personal network during the duration of the update timer, the member with gateway capabilities can implicitly disconnect the network. An example of using an update timer is the case where a user has created a personal network for a gaming session with a set duration, and the update timer is provisioned to all members of the personal network at creation. After the gaming session is complete, the user leaves without explicitly initiating a disconnection request, and the personal network automatically disconnects when the update timer expires.

[0145] The need to disconnect a personal network can be due to the removal of network members until only one member remains. This is another case of implicit disconnection without user or homeowner intervention. Members of the personal network maintain a list of the 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 disconnect the network (if configured to do so). An example can be that a user or a homeowner can have multiple personal networks and has removed all members except one member of a particular personal network without realizing it. Then, the remaining member decides to disconnect the personal network. The decision to implicitly disconnect the personal network can be provided as a configuration option.

[0146] As part of the personal network disassociation, 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 the Npnm_NwCfg_Delete service operation to delete the administrative data saved in the PNMF for that specific personal network, and may release the user identities associated with the 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 policies. For example, the operator policy may specify that the PNMF discards the user identities instead of allowing reuse.

[0147] Personal Area Network User Plane

[0148] When a member of a personal network needs to send data to the 5G network, the traffic is routed within the personal network to the member with gateway capabilities, and the member with gateway capabilities sends the data to the data network on the PDU session established for the personal network. As mentioned before, the PDU session established for the personal network can be targeted at 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 items 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 traffic routed to the PDU session. So far, the DNN has been used in association with PDU sessions that support 5G access to personal networks. Due to the security risks of exposing personal networks to the Internet, the mobile network operator may want to design the data network to reside within its network domain to provide an additional layer of security. In addition, the network operator may provide value-added services within these data networks, similar to how value-added services are provided in the service hosting environment of the LTE system. 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 of abnormal events, such as an elderly person's fall or a detected broken window. Other value-added services may include data compression, service function chaining, 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, the member with administrative capabilities may be able to help find another personal network to which the data can be rerouted to the 5G network. Figure 7 An exemplary method of this kind is shown. It should be noted that Figure 7 the method of Figures 2 to 6 may be performed in combination with any or all of the methods of

[0151] In Figure 7 step 1, there are two personal networks: PN 1 consisting of Dev1, Dev2, and UE1, and PN 2 consisting of Dev3, Dev4, and UE2. The UEs in the two personal networks provide gateway capabilities to their respective personal networks, and Dev1 is a member with management capabilities for PN 1, and Dev3 has the corresponding function 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 latency, 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 via communication with UE1 that the data cannot be sent.

[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, the user identifier of Dev2, requirements for the PDU session in which the data is to be sent (e.g., S-NSSAI, DNN), the status of UE1, etc.

[0154] In step 4, Dev1 is able to communicate with the management-capable devices of other personal networks and, therefore, checks with Dev3 to see if the gateway functionality is still operational in PN 2. Dev1 may provide the requirements of the PDU session that Dev2 is seeking to check if PN 2 can support rerouting the 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 the user identity of Dev2 and the PDU session requirements (e.g., S-NSSAI / DNN) to Dev3. Alternatively, if the personal network allows such functionality, Dev1 may reroute the data provided by Dev2 via the PDU session requirements received in step 703, which may be determined during the configuration of the personal network. In this alternative scenario, 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), then Dev1 returns a response to Dev2 using the new routing path via PN 2. In the response, Dev1 may provide the contact information of Dev3 and other information required for Dev2 to forward data via PN 2. An example could be the PDU session ID included with the data sent to Dev3.

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

[0157] Figure 7 A situation is shown where only one UE provides gateway capabilities for a personal network. For more robust operation, it can be configured such that the personal network includes two or more UEs capable of providing gateway functionality. This configuration adds redundancy to the personal network in the case where one of the UEs is leaving the vicinity of the personal network or has an intermittent or no connection to the 5G network. Figure 8 An example of a personal network accessing the 5G network through multiple UEs with gateway capabilities is shown. It should be noted that Figure 8 's method can be performed in combination with Figures 2 to 7 any or all of the methods of

[0158] In Figure 8 step 1, the personal network consists of Dev1, Dev2, Dev3, UE1, and UE2. The UEs provide gateway capabilities, while Dev1 and UE1 are members with management capabilities. Both UE1 and UE2 have established PDU sessions that support the personal network. For example, the 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 the 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 the 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 period of time, 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 can 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 the mains power supply, and thus will 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 can 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 its local policy of the personal network than Dev2. For example, Dev1 may have the information that Dev3 can access UE2 to route the data to the 5G network, which Dev2 may not have in its local policy.

[0162] As previously described, once UE1 leaves the vicinity of the personal network as in the Figure 8 example, it can no longer provide gateway access to the 5G network for the members of the personal network. However, when away from home, it is still possible to use the 5G network 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 that is established to provide gateway functionality for the members of the personal network in the home also provides access to the personal network. In addition, the security mechanisms provided by the 5G network ensure the privacy of the users of the personal network.

[0163] Graphical User Interface

[0164] In Figure 9 an exemplary graphical user interface that can be displayed by one of the devices in the personal network is shown. The GUI can provide relevant information about the personal network, such as the PN ID, a list of members of the personal network, the 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. Additionally, there are network configuration buttons that the user can select to view the network settings for the personal network, such as the network type, WLAN SSID, BSSID, netmask, security mechanism, 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 can be saved in the PNMF as part of the personal network management data.

[0165] Figure 9The GUI shows an exemplary personal network where 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 that do not have 3GPP credentials or subscriptions and are thus assigned user identifiers. The devices can be non-3GPP devices or 3GPP devices without a SIM card or without 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) has developed technical standards for cellular telecommunications network technologies, including radio access, core transport networks, and service capabilities, including research on codec, security, and quality of service. The most recent radio access technology (RAT) standards include WCDMA (commonly known as 3G), LTE (commonly known as 4G), LTE Advanced standards, and New Radio (NR) (also known as "5G"). It is hoped that the 3GPP NR standards will continue to evolve and include the definition of a next-generation radio access technology (new RAT). It is hoped that the next-generation radio access technology will provide new flexible radio access below 7 GHz and new ultra-mobile broadband radio access above 7 GHz. This flexible radio access is expected to include new non-backward compatible radio access in new spectra 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 requirements. The ultra-mobile broadband is expected to include centimeter-wave and millimeter-wave spectra, which will provide opportunities for ultra-mobile broadband access for, for example, indoor applications and hotspots. Specifically, the ultra-mobile broadband is expected to share a common design framework with the flexible radio access below 7 GHz, 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 diverse user experience requirements for data rate, latency, and mobility. Use cases include the following general categories: enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC), massive machine type communication (mMTC), network operations (e.g., network slicing, routing, migration, and interworking, energy savings), and enhanced vehicle-to-everything (eV2X) communication, which may include any one of vehicle-to-vehicle communication (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure communication (V2I), vehicle-to-network communication (V2N), vehicle-to-pedestrian communication (V2P), and vehicle communication with other entities. Specific services and applications in 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, automotive emergency calls, disaster alerts, real-time gaming, multi-person video calls, autonomous driving, augmented reality, tactile internet, virtual reality, home automation, robotics, and drones, among others. All of these usage scenarios and other usage scenarios are envisioned herein, and the methods described and illustrated above in conjunction with Figures 2 to 8 The methods shown and described may be combined in any combination with any of the exemplary systems and devices shown and described in the following in conjunction with Figures 10A to 10G implemented or executed.

[0169] Figure 10A Exemplary communication system 100 is shown in which the systems, methods, and devices described and claimed herein may be used. 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 WTRU 102 or multiple WTRUs 102. Communication system 100 may include radio access networks (RANs) 103 / 104 / 105 / 103b / 104b / 105b, core networks 106 / 107 / 109, public switched telephone network (PSTN) 108, Internet 110, other networks 112, and network services 113. Network services 113 may include, for example, V2X servers, V2X functions, ProSe servers, ProSe functions, IoT services, video streaming, and / or edge computing, among others.

[0170] It should be understood 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 equipment configured to operate and / or communicate in a wireless environment. In Figure 10A the example of Figure 10A-E depicts each WTRU 102 in the E as a handheld wireless communication device. It should be understood that in the case of various use cases envisioned for wireless communication, each WTRU may include any type of device or equipment configured to transmit and / or receive wireless signals or included therein, by way of example only, including: user equipment (UE), mobile station, fixed or mobile subscriber unit, pager, cellular phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), smart phone, laptop computer, tablet computer, netbook, notebook computer, personal computer, wireless sensor, consumer electronic device, wearable device (such as a smart watch or smart clothing), medical device or electronic health device, robot, industrial equipment, drone, vehicle such as a car, truck, train or airplane.

[0171] The communication system 100 may also include base stations 114a and 114b. In Figure 10A the example, each of the base stations 114a and 114b is depicted as a single element. In fact, the base stations 114a and 114b may include any number of interconnected base stations and / or network elements. The base station 114a may be any type of device configured to wirelessly interface with at least one of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c 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 wired and / or wirelessly interface with at least one of the remote radio heads (RRHs) 118a, 118b, transmit and receive points (TRPs) 119a, 119b, and / or 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, other networks 112, and / or network services 113. The RRHs 118a, 118b may be any type of device configured to wirelessly interface with at least one WTRU in 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, network services 113, and / or other networks 112.

[0172] TRP 119a and 119b can 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 core network 106 / 107 / 109, Internet 110, network services 113, and / or other networks 112. RSU 120a and 120b can 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 core network 106 / 107 / 109, Internet 110, other networks 112, and / or network services 113. By way of example, base stations 114a, 114b can be base transceiver stations (BTSs), Node Bs, evolved Node Bs, home Node Bs, home evolved Node Bs, next generation Node Bs (gNode Bs), satellites, site controllers, access points (APs), wireless routers, etc.

[0173] Base station 114a can be part of RANs 103 / 104 / 105, which may also include other base stations and / or network elements (not shown) such as base station controllers (BSCs), radio network controllers (RNCs), relay nodes, etc. Similarly, base station 114b can be part of RANs 103b / 104b / 105b, which may also include other base stations and / or network elements (not shown) such as BSCs, RNCs, relay nodes, etc. Base station 114a can be configured to transmit and / or receive wireless signals within a particular geographical area that may be referred to as a cell (not shown). Similarly, base station 114b can be configured to transmit and / or receive wired and / or wireless signals within a particular geographical area that may be referred to as a cell (not shown). A cell can be further divided into cell sectors. For example, the cell associated with base station 114a can be divided into three sectors. Thus, for example, base station 114a can include three transceivers, e.g., one transceiver for each sector of the cell. Base station 114a can employ multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology and can thus utilize multiple transceivers, for example, for each sector of the cell.

[0174] Base station 114a can communicate with one or more of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, and 102g via air interfaces 115 / 116 / 117, which can be any suitable wireless communication link (e.g., radio frequency (RF), microwave, infrared (IR), ultraviolet (UV), visible light, centimeter wave, millimeter wave, etc.). Any suitable radio access technology (RAT) can be used to establish the air interfaces 115 / 116 / 117.

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

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

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

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

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

[0180] The base station 114a in RAN 103 / 104 / 105 and the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, and 102g, or the RRHs 118a and 118b, TRPs 119a and 119b, and / or RSUs 120a and 120b in RAN 103b / 104b / 105b and the WTRUs 102c, 102d, 102e, and 102f can implement radio technologies such as the following: IEEE 802.16 (e.g., Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX)), CDMA2000, CDMA2000 1X, CDMA2000 EV-DO, Interim Standard 2000 (IS-2000), Interim Standard 95 (IS-95), Interim Standard 856 (IS-856), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Enhanced Data Rate for GSM Evolution (EDGE), GSM EDGE (GERAN), etc.

[0181] Figure 10A The base station 114c in can be, for example, a wireless router, a home Node B, a home evolved Node B, or an access point, and can utilize any suitable RAT to facilitate wireless connectivity in a local area such as a business premise, a home, a vehicle, a train, an antenna, a satellite, a factory, a campus, etc. The base station 114c and the WTRU 102 (e.g., the WTRU 102e) can implement a radio technology such as IEEE 802.11 to establish a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN). Similarly, the base station 114c and the WTRU 102 (e.g., the WTRU 102d) can implement a radio technology such as IEEE 802.15 to establish a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN). The base station 114c and the WRTU 102 (e.g., the WTRU 102e) can utilize a cellular-based RAT (e.g., WCDMA, CDMA2000, GSM, LTE, LTE-A, NR, etc.) to establish a pico cell or a femto cell. As Figure 10A shown, the base station 114c can have a direct connection to the Internet 110. Thus, the base station 114c may not need to access the Internet 110 via the core network 106 / 107 / 109.

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

[0183] Although Figure 10A not shown in, it should be understood that RAN 103 / 104 / 105 and / or RAN 103b / 104b / 105b and / or core network 106 / 107 / 109 may communicate directly or indirectly with other RANs employing the same RAT or a different RAT as RAN 103 / 104 / 105 and / or RAN 103b / 104b / 105b. For example, in addition to being connected to RAN 103 / 104 / 105 and / or RAN 103b / 104b / 105b that may be utilizing E-UTRA radio technology, core network 106 / 107 / 109 may also communicate with another RAN (not shown) employing GSM or NR radio technology.

[0184] Core network 106 / 107 / 109 may also act as a gateway for WTRUs 102 to access PSTN 108, Internet 110, and / or other networks 112. PSTN 108 may include a circuit-switched telephone network that provides Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS). Internet 110 may include a global system of interconnected computer networks and devices that use common communication protocols such as Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), and Internet Protocol (IP) in the TCP / IP Internet protocol suite. Other networks 112 may include wired or wireless communication networks owned and / or operated by other service providers. For example, network 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 or a different RAT as RAN 103 / 104 / 105 or RAN 103b / 104b / 105b.

[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. For example, Figure 10A The illustrated WTRU 102g may be configured to communicate with a base station 114a that may employ a cellular-based radio technology and with a base station 114c that may employ an IEEE 802 radio technology.

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

[0187] Figure 10B is a system diagram of an exemplary RAN 103 and core network 106. As described above, the RAN 103 may employ UTRA radio technology to communicate with the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c via the air interface 115. The RAN 103 may also communicate with the core network 106. As Figure 10B 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 via the air interface 115. The Node Bs 140a, 140b, and 140c may each be associated with a specific cell (not shown) within the RAN 103. The RAN 103 may also include RNCs 142a, 142b. It should be understood that the RAN 103 may include any number of Node Bs and radio network controllers (RNCs).

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

[0189] Figure 10B The core network 106 shown 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. Although each of the foregoing elements is depicted as part of the core network 106, it should be understood that any of these elements can be owned and / or operated by an entity other than the core network operator.

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

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

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

[0193] Figure 10CIt is a system diagram of exemplary RAN 104 and core network 107. As pointed out above, RAN 104 may adopt E-UTRA radio technology to communicate with WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c via air interface 116. RAN 104 may also communicate with core network 107.

[0194] RAN 104 may include evolved Node Bs 160a, 160b, and 160c, but it should be understood that RAN 104 may include any number of evolved Node Bs. Each of evolved Node Bs 160a, 160b, and 160c may include one or more transceivers for communicating with WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c via air interface 116. For example, evolved Node Bs 160a, 160b, and 160c may implement MIMO technology. Thus, evolved Node B 160a, for example, may use multiple antennas to transmit wireless signals to WTRU 102a and receive wireless signals from WTRU 102a.

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

[0196] Figure 10C The core network 107 shown may include a Mobility Management Entity (MME) 162, a Serving Gateway 164, and a Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway 166. Although each of the foregoing elements is depicted as part of 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] MME 162 may be connected to each of evolved Node Bs 160a, 160b, and 160c in RAN 104 via the S1 interface and may serve as a control node. For example, MME 162 may be responsible for authenticating users of WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c, bearer activation / deactivation, selecting a specific Serving Gateway during the initial attachment of WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c, etc. MME162 may also provide control plane functions for handover between RAN 104 and other RANs (not shown) employing other radio technologies such as GSM or WCDMA.

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

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

[0200] The core network 107 can facilitate communication with other networks. For example, the core network 107 can provide the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c with access to a circuit-switched network (such as the PSTN 108) to facilitate communication between the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c and traditional landline communication devices. For example, the core network 107 can include 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 or can communicate with the IP gateway. In addition, the core network 107 can provide the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c with access to the network 112, which can include other wired or wireless networks owned and / or operated by other service providers.

[0201] Figure 10D is a system diagram of an exemplary RAN 105 and core network 109. The RAN 105 can communicate with the WTRUs 102a and 102b via the air interface 117 using NR radio technology. The RAN 105 can also communicate with the core network 109. The non-3GPP Interworking Function (N3IWF) 199 can communicate with the WTRU 102c via the air interface 198 using non-3GPP radio technology. The N3IWF 199 can also communicate with the core network 109.

[0202] The RAN 105 may include next-generation Node Bs 180a and 180b. It should be understood 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 via the air interface 117. When using integrated access and backhaul connections, the same air interface may be used between the WTRU and the next-generation Node B, which may be the 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 the WTRU 102a and receive wireless signals from the WTRU 102a. It should be understood that the RAN 105 may employ other types of base stations, such as evolved Node Bs. It should also be understood that the RAN 105 may employ more than one type of base station. For example, the RAN may employ evolved Node Bs and next-generation Node Bs.

[0203] The N3IWF 199 may include non-3GPP access points 180c. It should be understood that the N3IWF 199 may include any number of non-3GPP access points. The non-3GPP access points 180c may include one or more transceivers for communicating with the WTRU 102c via the air interface 198. The non-3GPP access points 180c may communicate with the WTRU 102c via 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. As Figure 10D shown, the next-generation Node Bs 180a and 180b may communicate with each other, for example, via the Xn interface.

[0205] Figure 10D The core network 109 shown may be a 5G core network (5GC). The core network 109 may provide various communication services to customers interconnected via the 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 the memory of a device or computer system (such as Figure 10G the system 90 shown) configured for wireless and / or network communication and executed on its processor.

[0206] InFigure 10D In the example, the 5G core network 109 may include an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) 172, a Session Management Function (SMF) 174, User Plane Functions (UPF) 176a and 176b, a User Data Management Function (UDM) 197, an Authentication Server Function (AUSF) 190, a Network Exposure Function (NEF) 196, a Policy Control Function (PCF) 184, a Non-3GPP Interworking Function (N3IWF) 199, and a 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 entities 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. Figure 10D It is shown that the network functions are directly connected 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] In Figure 10D the example, the connections between the network functions are implemented via a set of interfaces or reference points. It should be understood that the network functions may be modeled, described, or implemented as a set of services invoked or called by other network functions or services. The invocation of network function services may be implemented via direct connections between network functions, message exchanges on a message bus, invocation of software functions, etc.

[0208] The AMF 172 may be connected to the RAN 105 via the 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, and 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 typically route and forward non-access stratum (NAS) packets to / from the WTRU 102a, 102b, and 102c via the N1 interface. The N1 interface is not shown in Figure 10D this figure.

[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 UPF 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 WTRU 102a, 102b, and 102c, management and configuration of traffic steering rules in the UPF 176a and the UPF 176b, and generation of downlink data notifications to the AMF 172.

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

[0211] The AMF 172 can also be connected to the N3IWF 199, for example, via the N2 interface. The N3IWF facilitates the connection 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 can interact with the N3IWF 199 in the same or similar manner as it interacts with the RAN 105.

[0212] The PCF 184 can be connected to the SMF 174 via the N7 interface, to the AMF 172 via the N15 interface, and to the application function (AF) 188 via the N5 interface. The N15 and N5 interfaces are not shown in Figure 10D The PCF 184 can provide policy rules to control plane nodes such as the AMF 172 and the SMF 174, thereby allowing the control plane nodes to enforce these rules. The PCF 184 can send policies for the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c to the AMF 172 such that the AMF can deliver the policies to the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c via the N1 interface. The policies can then be enforced or applied at the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c.

[0213] The UDR 178 can act as a repository for authentication credentials and subscription information. The UDR can be connected to network functions such that the network functions can add data to the repository, read data from the repository, and modify data in the repository. For example, the UDR178 can be connected to the PCF 184 via the N36 interface. Similarly, the UDR 178 can be connected to the NEF 196 via the N37 interface, and the UDR 178 can be connected to the UDM 197 via the N35 interface.

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

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

[0216] The 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. The NEF can be connected to the AF 188 via the N33 interface, and the 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 can interact with the network functions in the 5G core network 109. The interaction between the application function 188 and the network functions can occur via a direct interface or can occur via the NEF 196. The application function 188 can be considered part of the 5G core network 109 or can be external to the 5G core network 109 and deployed by an enterprise having a business relationship with the mobile network operator.

[0218] A network slice is a mechanism that can be used by a mobile network operator 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 the operator to create customized networks to provide optimized solutions for different market scenarios that require diverse requirements, for example, in terms of functionality, performance, and isolation.

[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 multiple 5G use cases (such as massive IoT, critical communications, V2X, and enhanced mobile broadband) that require diverse and sometimes extreme requirements. Without using 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 broader range of use case requirements. In addition, new network services should be introduced more effectively.

[0220] See again Figure 10D, in a network slicing scenario, a WTRU 102a, 102b, or 102c may be connected to an 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 communication with other networks. For example, the core network 109 may include 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 or may communicate with that IP gateway. For example, the core network 109 may include a Short Message Service (SMS) Service Center that facilitates communication via the Short Message Service or may communicate with that SMS Service Center. 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 a network 112, which may include other wired or wireless networks owned and / or operated by other service providers.

[0222] The core network entities described herein and shown in Figure 10A , Figure 10C , Figure 10D and Figure 10E 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 certain entities or functions may be combined in future specifications published by 3GPP, including future 3GPP NR specifications. Thus, the specific network entities and functions described and shown in Figure 10A -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 to be defined in the future.

[0223] Figure 10EFIG. 0 illustrates an exemplary communication system 111 in which the systems, methods, and apparatuses 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 roadside units (RSUs) 123a and 123b. In fact, the concepts presented herein may be applied to any number of WTRUs, base stations gNB, 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 the access network coverage 131, they may communicate with each other via the gNB 121 over the Uu interface 129. In Figure 10E the example of, WTRUs B and F are shown within the access network coverage 131. WTRUs A, B, C, D, E, and F may communicate directly with each other 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 the access network coverage 131. For example, in Figure 10E the example of, the WRTU D outside the access network coverage 131 communicates with the 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] Figure 10F is a block diagram of an exemplary apparatus, device, or wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU) 102 that may be configured for wireless communication and operation in accordance with the systems, methods, and apparatuses described herein, such as Figure 10A the WTRU 102 of -E. The WTRU102 may include a user equipment (UE), a mobile equipment (ME), a device, a sensor, a computing device, an IoT device, or a sensor, etc. As Figure 10FAs shown, an 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 peripheral devices 138. It should be understood that the WTRU 102 may include any sub-combination of the foregoing elements. Additionally, 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, transceiver stations (BTSs), Node Bs, site controllers, access points (APs), home Node Bs, evolved home Node Bs (eNode Bs), home evolved Node Bs (HeNBs), home evolved Node B gateways, next-generation Node Bs (gNode-Bs), and proxy nodes, etc.) may include Figure 10F some or all of the elements depicted in Figure 10F and described herein.

[0227] The processor 118 may be a general-purpose processor, a dedicated processor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), multiple 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 encoding, 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 Figure 10F the processor 118 and the transceiver 120 are depicted as separate components, it should be 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 signals to or receive signals from a base station (e.g., Figure 10A base station 114a) via an air interface 115 / 116 / 117, or transmit signals to or receive signals from another UE via an air interface 115d / 116d / 117d. For example, the transmit / receive element 122 may be an antenna configured to transmit and / or receive RF signals. The transmit / receive element 122 may 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 may be configured to transmit and receive both RF signals and optical signals. It should be understood that the transmit / receive element 122 may be configured to transmit and / or receive any combination of wireless or wired signals.

[0229] In addition, although the transmit / receive element 122 is depicted as a single element in Figure 10F 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 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 for enabling the WTRU 102 to communicate via multiple RATs (e.g., NR and IEEE 802.11 or NR and E-UTRA), or to communicate via multiple beams to different RRHs, TRPs, RSUs or nodes with the same RAT.

[0231] The processor 118 of the WTRU 102 may be coupled to the speaker / microphone 124, keypad 126, and / or display / touchpad / indicator 128 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) display unit or an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display unit), and may receive user input data therefrom. The processor 118 may also output user data to the speaker / microphone 124, keypad 126, and / or display / touchpad / indicator 128. In addition, the processor 118 may access information from any type of suitable memory (such as non-removable memory 130 and / or removable memory 132), and store data in any type of suitable memory. The non-removable memory 130 may include random access memory (RAM), 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 access information from a memory that is not physically located on the WTRU 102 (such as a server hosted in the cloud or on an edge computing platform or on a home computer (not shown)), and store data in that memory.

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

[0233] The processor 118 may also be coupled to a 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 instead 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) via 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 should be understood that the WTRU 102 may obtain location information by any suitable location determination method.

[0234] The processor 118 may also be coupled to other peripheral devices 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 peripheral devices 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, frequency modulation (FM) radio units, digital music players, media players, video game player modules, Internet browsers, and the like.

[0235] The WTRU 102 may be included in other devices or apparatuses, 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 apparatuses 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 may be embodied specifically Figure 10A 、 Figure 10C 、 Figure 10D and Figure 10EOne or more devices of the communication network shown, such as certain nodes or functional entities in RAN 103 / 104 / 105, core network 106 / 107 / 109, PSTN 108, Internet 110, other networks 112, or network service 113. The computing system 90 may include a computer or a server and may be mainly controlled 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 the processor 91 to cause the computing system 90 to operate. The processor 91 may be a general-purpose processor, a dedicated processor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), multiple 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 so on. 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 the communication network. The coprocessor 81 is an optional processor different from the main processor 91, which may perform additional functions or assist the processor 91. The processor 91 and / or the coprocessor 81 may receive, generate, and process data related to the methods and devices disclosed herein.

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

[0238] The memories coupled to system bus 80 include random access memory (RAM) 82 and read-only memory (ROM) 93. Such memories include circuitry that allows information to be stored and retrieved. ROM 93 typically contains stored data that cannot be easily modified. The data stored in RAM 82 can be read or changed by processor 91 or other hardware devices. Access to RAM 82 and / or ROM 93 can be controlled by memory controller 92. Memory controller 92 can provide an address translation function that converts virtual addresses into physical addresses as instructions are executed. Memory controller 92 can also provide a memory protection function that isolates processes within the system and isolates system processes from user processes. Thus, a program running in the first mode can only access the memory mapped through its own process virtual address space; it cannot access the memory within another process's virtual address space unless memory sharing between processes has been set up.

[0239] In addition, computing system 90 can 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] A display 86 controlled by display controller 96 is used to display the visual output generated by computing system 90. Such visual output can include text, graphics, animated graphics, and video. The visual output can be provided in the form of a graphical user interface (GUI). 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 touchpad. Display controller 96 includes the electronic components needed to generate the video signals sent to display 86.

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

[0242] It should be understood that any one or all of the devices, systems, methods, and processes described herein can 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), cause the processor to execute or implement the systems, methods, and processes described herein. Specifically, any one of the steps, operations, or functions described herein can 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 communication. A computer-readable storage medium includes 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 technologies, CD-ROM, digital versatile disc (DVD) or other optical disc storage devices, magnetic tape cartridges, tapes, magnetic disk storage devices or other magnetic storage devices, or any other tangible or physical medium 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 the 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 includes 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 this 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. 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 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 the 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 this 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 of 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.

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