Dynamic self-organizing group configuration and processing in fifth generation (5G) systems (5GS)

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for dynamic ad hoc group configuration and processing are provided. A method may include receiving, at a group management node, group attributes associated with an ad hoc group of user equipments (UEs) from an application function; and converting, by the group management node, the group attribute provided by the application function into at least one of internal ad-hoc group information or internal requirements for the ad-hoc group of the UE. The method may also include providing at least one of the ad hoc group information and the internal requirements to the group execution node.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Some example embodiments may generally relate to communications including mobile or wireless telecommunication systems, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) or fifth generation (5G) radio access technology or new radio (NR) access technology or beyond 5G (e.g., 6G) access technology, or other communication systems. For example, certain example embodiments may generally relate to systems and / or methods for dynamic self-organizing configuration and processing in 5G systems (5GS). Background Art

[0002] Examples of mobile or wireless telecommunication systems may include Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), Long Term Evolution (LTE) Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN), Advanced LTE (LTE-A), MulteFire, LTE-A Pro, and / or fifth generation (5G) radio access technology or new radio (NR) access technology, super 5G and / or sixth generation (6G) radio access technology. 5G wireless systems refer to next generation (NG) radio systems and network architectures. 5G systems may be primarily built on 5G New Radio (NR), but 5G (or NG) networks may also be built on E-UTRA radio. It is estimated that NR provides bit rates of about 10-20 Gbit / s or higher, and may support at least service categories such as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) and ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC) and massive machine type communications (mMTC). NR is expected to deliver extreme broadband and ultra-robust low latency connectivity and large-scale networking to support the Internet of Things (IoT). With the increasing popularity of IoT and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, the need for networks that meet low power, low data rates, and long battery life will grow. Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) refers to the RAN for 5G, which can provide NR and LTE (and Advanced LTE) radio access. It should be noted that in 5G, a node that can provide radio access functionality to user equipment (i.e., similar to a Node B (NB) in UTRAN or an evolved NB (eNB) in LTE) can be named a next-generation NB (gNB) when built on an NR radio, and can be named a next-generation eNB (NG-eNB) when built on an E-UTRA radio. Super 5G or 6G is expected to support other use cases beyond current mobile usage scenarios, such as virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence, instant messaging, improved IoT support, etc. Summary of the invention

[0003] An embodiment may be directed to a method, which may include: receiving, by a group management node, group attributes associated with a self-organizing group of a user equipment (UE) from an application function, converting the group attributes provided by the application function into at least one of internal self-organizing group information or internal requirements of the self-organizing group of the user equipment (UE), and providing at least one of the self-organizing group information and the internal requirements to a group execution node.

[0004] An embodiment may be directed to a method, which may include: receiving, by a group execution node, self-organizing group information for a self-organizing group of a user equipment (UE) from a group management node, and determining, based on the self-organizing group information, whether the user equipment (UE) being served by the group execution node is a member of the self-organizing group. When it is determined that the user equipment (UE) is a member of the self-organizing group, the method may include: applying self-organizing group processing to the user equipment.

[0005] An embodiment may be directed to an apparatus, comprising: at least one processor, and at least one memory including computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: receive group attributes associated with a self-organizing group of a user equipment (UE) from an application function, convert the group attributes provided by the application function into at least one of internal self-organizing group information or internal requirements for the self-organizing group of the user equipment (UE), and provide at least one of the self-organizing group information and the internal requirements to a group execution node.

[0006] An embodiment may be directed to an apparatus, comprising: at least one processor, and at least one memory including computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: receive self-organizing group information of a self-organizing group for a user equipment (UE) from a group management node, determine whether the user equipment (UE) being served by the apparatus is a member of the self-organizing group based on the self-organizing group information, and when it is determined that the user equipment (UE) is a member of the self-organizing group, apply the self-organizing group processing to the apparatus.

[0007] An embodiment may be directed to an apparatus comprising: a component for receiving group attributes associated with a self-organizing group of a user equipment (UE) from an application function, a component for converting the group attributes provided by the application function into at least one of internal self-organizing group information or internal requirements for the self-organizing group of the user equipment (UE), and a component for providing at least one of the self-organizing group information and the internal requirements to a group execution node.

[0008] An embodiment may be directed to an apparatus comprising: a component for receiving self-organizing group information of a self-organizing group for a user equipment (UE) from a group management node, a component for determining whether the user equipment (UE) being served by the apparatus is a member of the self-organizing group based on the self-organizing group information, and a component for applying self-organizing group processing to the user equipment when it is determined that the user equipment (UE) is a member of the self-organizing group. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] For a proper understanding of the example embodiments, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0010] Figure 1 An example of an edge computing-specific system architecture 100 is illustrated in accordance with an example embodiment;

[0011] Figure 2 illustrates an example signaling diagram according to an example embodiment;

[0012] Figure 3 illustrates an example signaling diagram according to an example embodiment;

[0013] Figure 4 illustrates an example signaling diagram according to an example embodiment;

[0014] Figure 5 illustrates an example flow chart of a method according to an example embodiment;

[0015] Figure 6 An example flow chart illustrating a method according to an example embodiment; and

[0016] Figure 7 A system including a plurality of devices according to some example embodiments is illustrated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] It will be readily appreciated that, as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein, the components of certain example embodiments may be arranged and designed in a variety of different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of some example embodiments of systems, methods, apparatus, and computer program products for dynamic self-organizing group configuration and processing, such as in a 5G system (5GS) is not intended to limit the scope of certain embodiments, but rather represents selected example embodiments.

[0018] The features, structures, or characteristics of the example embodiments described throughout this specification may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more example embodiments. For example, throughout this specification, the use of the phrases "certain embodiments," "some embodiments," or other similar language refers to the fact that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment. Thus, throughout this specification, the appearance of the phrases "certain embodiments," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," or other similar language does not necessarily all refer to the same set of embodiments, and the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more example embodiments.

[0019] Additionally, if necessary, the different functions or processes discussed below can be performed in different orders and / or performed concurrently with each other. In addition, if necessary, one or more of the described functions or processes can be optional or can be combined. Like this, the following description should be considered as only an illustration of the principles and teachings of some example embodiments, rather than a limitation thereof.

[0020] Edge computing is currently being studied in conjunction with the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Release 18. 3GPP Technical Report (TR) 23.700-48 currently includes architectural assumptions, use cases, and corresponding requirements and topics related to 5GS enhancements for edge computing. One of the agreed technical requirements includes: affecting the user plane function (UPF) and edge application server (EAS) (re)location for a set of UEs (see, for example, Section 5.4 of 3GPP TR 23.700-48v0.2.0). Therefore, a solution needs to be provided to affect the protocol data unit (PDU) session anchor (PSA)-UPF and EAS (re)location for a set of UEs, for example in scenarios where (multiple) UEs should use the same EAS and are not members of a predefined group.

[0021] Figure 1 An example of an edge computing-specific system architecture 100 is illustrated according to an example embodiment. Figure 1 The example depicts a plurality of network functions (NFs), which may be implemented as software running as part of a network device or dedicated hardware, as a network device itself or dedicated hardware, or as virtual functions running as a network device or dedicated hardware. For example, user plane functions (UPFs) 105, 110, 115 may provide services such as intra-RAT and inter-RAT mobility, routing and forwarding of data packets, inspection of packets, user plane quality of service (QoS) processing, caching of downlink packets, and / or triggering of downlink data notifications. For example, at least UPF 110 may communicate with EAS 130 via an N6 interface. As shown in FIG. Figure 1As illustrated in the example of , EAS 130 may be located in a local portion of a data network (DN).

[0022] It should be noted that although the exemplary embodiments are described herein with respect to 5GS, this is only an example. It should be understood that the exemplary embodiments are not limited to this example and may also be applicable to non-5G systems, including systems beyond 5G, such as sixth generation systems, etc.

[0023] Providing dynamic self-organizing groups of UEs for edge computing applications may raise several issues. This may include finding appropriate ways to influence the PSA-UPF and EAS (re)location for the self-organizing group of UEs, including in scenarios where (multiple) UEs should use the same EAS and are not members of a predefined (i.e. static) group. Solving this overall problem of dynamic self-organizing groups with collective specific behavior also requires finding ways to ensure that UEs of the self-organizing group are served by the same session management function (SMF) or the same set of SMFs (for example if indicated in the group attributes in the unified data management (UDM)), and ways to handle any conflicting requirements in the case where the UE belongs to more than one self-organizing group. In addition, the SMF may need methods to know the self-organizing groups configured in the system to which the UE may belong (it is not configured with an explicit list of group members, i.e., no list of UE IDs or UE IP addresses).

[0024] Certain embodiments described herein may at least address the above-mentioned problems and issues. For example, certain example embodiments may at least provide apparatus and methods to influence PSA-UPF and EAS (re)location for a self-organizing group of UEs, such as in a scenario where (multiple) UEs should use the same EAS and are not members of a predefined or static group. Further, certain example embodiments may provide methods to ensure that UEs of a self-organizing group are served by an SMF or a set of SMFs. In addition, it may be necessary to consider the situation where multiple access and mobility management functions (AMFs) or a set of AMFs may serve different UEs in the group. In addition, in the case where a UE belongs to more than one self-organizing group, certain example embodiments may handle any conflicting requirements.

[0025] When a self-organizing group is defined as a group of (multiple) UEs that meet dynamic criteria, for example not based on (multiple) UE subscriptions, the current group management process (currently using a group identifier to configure the subscription record of each group member) cannot be used. Therefore, according to certain example embodiments, the (multiple) group execution NF (i.e., the (multiple) NFs that need to execute group policies related to these self-organizing groups, such as AMF / SMF) may use another mechanism to understand the group. In an embodiment, the group management NF may store the group definition. For example, the group management NF may include a network exposure function (NEF), a unified data repository (UDR) and / or a unified data management (UDM). According to some embodiments, the group definition may include a group identifier (ID), a group scope, a group policy, dynamic group data, etc. For example, the group scope may be a data network name (DNN) and / or a single-network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI).

[0026] In an embodiment, the (multiple) group execution NFs may receive or obtain information from one or more group management NFs, for example by subscribing to a group that matches a certain criterion (e.g., a scope of groups corresponding to a DNN and / or S-NSSAI). According to an embodiment, based on the retrieved self-organizing group information obtained from the (multiple) group management NFs, the (multiple) group execution NFs may determine whether the UE it is serving matches the scope and / or criteria of the self-organizing group. If so, the (multiple) group execution NFs may apply the expected self-organizing treatment (e.g., assigning the same EAS to group members) to the UE or PDU session.

[0027] Since a self-organizing group may be specific to different use cases and requirements, various attributes specific to the group should be available and known to different NFs, such as SMF, AMF, PCF (which may be referred to as (multiple) group execution NFs elsewhere in this document), for the corresponding NF-specific purposes and corresponding expected processing. Further, some group-specific attributes (such as group members, serving SMFs, PDU sessions, etc.) may be dynamic in nature. Therefore, these dynamic attributes should be up-to-date and the corresponding NFs should be notified accordingly when needed.

[0028] Figure 2 An example signaling flow diagram depicting ad hoc group attribute provision according to an example embodiment is illustrated. Figure 2 The illustrated messages and APIs are examples, and different or new messages / APIs may be used. For example, the Nnef_GroupParameterProvision API may be used instead of the Nnef_ParameterProvision API, and so on.

[0029] like Figure 2As illustrated in the example of , in 210, the AF may provide self-organizing group attributes. Figure 2 In an example of , the AF may provide group attributes to the NEF via a Nnef_ParameterProvision Create / Update / Delete request. The group attributes may include, among others, a group ID, a group range, a group policy, and / or dynamic group data. In some embodiments, the group range may include information specified in 3GPP TS23.502§4.15.6.3b or enhancements to the information specified in 3GPP TS23.502§4.15.6.3b. In some embodiments, the group policy may include criteria and / or characteristics for determining dynamic membership of the group and self-organizing group attributes, such as a high mobility indication, the same EAS indication, and application information (e.g., as specified in Table 2 below). According to some embodiments, the AF may provide a target general public subscription identifier (GPSI) list (e.g., as specified in 3GPP TS23.502§4.15.6.3c) or a reference to a subscription group ID as an optional parameter to limit the scope of the group.

[0030] Further, in some embodiments, the AF may indicate dynamic criteria for forming a self-organizing group to the NEF in 210. For example, the criteria may include one or more of the following: DNN, S-NSSAI, Tracking Area Identifier (TAI), and / or application (e.g., all members of a specific queuing group), etc.

[0031] exist Figure 2In the example of 210a, the NEF may convert the attributes provided by the AF into specific 5GC internal information and requirements. This may include, for example, converting an external self-organizing group ID into an internal self-organizing group ID, and / or converting a user ID / IP address provided by the AF into a GPSI / Subscription Permanent Identifier (SUPI). The NEF may also convert the provided attributes into 5GC internal requirements. For example, such an internal requirement may include that all group members are served by the same EAS. This may be based on an indication from the AF, for example, when the AF provides an EAS ID to be used for group member UEs. Another example of an internal requirement may include that all group members are served by the same SMF. This may be based on an indication from the AF, such as a specific application (e.g., a vehicle platoon) and / or based on pre-configured logic on the NEF. Yet another example of an internal requirement may include using the same PSA-UPF and data network access identifier (DNAI) for all UEs in the group. Similarly, this may be based on an indication from the AF, such as the same EAS, or a specific application (e.g., a vehicle platoon) and / or based on pre-configured logic on the NEF. Additionally, to support a large number of application-specific self-organizing groups, the NEF may have additional internal logic, for example defining group categories, such as AF requests corresponding to the Group 1 category, to be mapped to corresponding 5GC internal requirements.

[0032] like Figure 2 As further illustrated by the example of , in 220, the NEF may provide the self-organizing group data and the group-specific 5GC requirements to the group management NF, such as UDM / UDR. As illustrated by 220a, 230, and 240, the UDM / UDR may store and / or update the group data, including, for example, the group ID, the group type (i.e., self-organizing or registered / static), and / or attributes. In some embodiments, the self-organizing group data may be managed using a shared data feature defined for the UDM / UDR. In this case, the shared data may be identified using a shared data identifier.

[0033] Table 1 below shows an example definition of shared data attributes according to certain embodiments. For example, in an embodiment, a new shared data attribute (sharedDataId) may be included as an enhancement to Table 6.1.6.2.27-1 in 3GPP TS29.503. In addition, as shown below in Table 1, in addition to the sharedDataId attribute, the table may also be enhanced to include sharedVnGroupData and sharedAdhocGroupData attributes.

[0034]

[0035]

[0036]

[0037] Table 1

[0038] exist Figure 2 In the example of , in 250, the UDM / UDR may provide a provision response to the NEF, which in turn may provide a provision response to the AF in 260. Figure 2 In the example of 280, a NF such as an SMF and / or an AMF may retrieve or receive self-organizing group data from the UDM. For example, in an embodiment, the NF may subscribe to notifications about changes in the self-organizing group data. The NF may then receive any changes in the group data or state, for example via (multiple) Nudm_SDM_Notification messages. It should be noted that, as used herein, "self-organizing group data" may alternatively be referred to as self-organizing group information or simply group information.

[0039] Table 2 below shows examples of Nudm_PP specific data types, including new sharedAdhocGroupDataConfiguration, sharedAdhocGroupData, and PpData Entry attributes. Note that Table 2 shows data types that the Nudm_PP service API reuses from other APIs, including references when needed and descriptions of their use within the Nudm_PP service API. For example, in some embodiments, these new attributes may be included as enhancements to Table 6.5.6.1-1 in 3GPP TS29.503.

[0040]

[0041]

[0042] Table 2

[0043] According to some example embodiments, the following Table 3 provides parameter provision data types. As shown in Table 3, according to example embodiments, a new data type called "self-organizing group data" is provided.

[0044]

[0045] Table 3

[0046] According to some example embodiments, Table 4 below provides a description of parameters that may be included as part of the self-organizing group data. It should be noted that the parameter details provided in Table 4 may also be provided as an enhancement to existing tables, such as Table 4.15.6.3b-1: Description of 5GVN Group Data and Table 4.15.6.3b-1: Description of 5GVN Group Membership Management Parameters of 3GPP TS23.502 V17.4.0.

[0047]

[0048]

[0049] Table 4

[0050] Table 5 below provides an example definition of the AdhocGroupConfiguration data type according to certain embodiments.

[0051]

[0052]

[0053] Table 5

[0054] Table 6 below provides an example definition of the AdhocGroupData type according to certain embodiments.

[0055]

[0056]

[0057]

[0058] Table 6

[0059] Table 7 below provides an example definition of a PpDataEntry type according to certain embodiments.

[0060]

[0061]

[0062] Table 7

[0063] Table 8 below provides an example definition of the EASAddrConfigInfo type according to certain embodiments.

[0064]

[0065] Table 8

[0066] Certain example embodiments include methods of providing ad hoc group and member information to the SMF. For example, this may be applicable at least to situations where ad hoc groups are made without explicit UE IDs or IP addresses (lists), such as ad hoc groups of UEs with a specific geographic area or tracking area identifier (TAI), or a specific S-NSSAI / DNN. In these cases, the SMF may be made aware of the existence of an ad hoc group of which the UE may be a part by any of the following methods.

[0067] In one approach, the SMF may subscribe to a group management NF, such as an NEF or UDM, to receive self-organizing groups configured in the system that match specific criteria. An example criterion may be for the SMF to retrieve self-organizing group(s) defined for the S-NSSAI / DNN and / or TAI supported by the SMF. Alternatively or additionally, the NEF may provide (i.e., push) the self-organizing groups to the SMF based on the criteria of the self-organizing groups, such as TAI or S-NSSAI / DNN.

[0068] Another approach may utilize EAS deployment information (EDI) (e.g., as defined in TS23.548). For example, in an embodiment, the EAS deployment information may be extended to include a self-organizing group ID (and corresponding members and other group attributes). According to this embodiment, when a UE is served using a DNN, S-NSSAI, a fully qualified domain name (FQDN), or EAS, the SMF may retrieve (multiple) self-organizing group definitions from a group management NF (e.g., NEF or UDM).

[0069] Certain example embodiments may provide methods for ensuring that group member UEs are served by the same SMF instance and / or SMF set. For certain group applications, such as vehicle platooning, the network may improve and optimize service by ensuring that the same SMF (or SMF instance belonging to the same SMF set) serves all group member UEs, and may reduce management or signaling overhead. The SMF may then provide common and coordinated processing for the group member UEs. This embodiment provides methods for implementing this behavior and selecting the same SMF for all group member UEs.

[0070] Figure 3 An example signalling diagram is illustrated depicting an enhancement that allows a serving SMF to register itself with a group management NF, such as UDM / UDR and / or NEF, to update an ad hoc group profile. Figure 3 In the example of , the service SMF can register with the UDM and / or UDR via the NEF (ie, group management NF). This may include enhancements to Nudm_UECM_Registration or new messages / APIs (or similar updates for NEF).

[0071] like Figure 3 As illustrated in the example of , in 310, the UE may send a PDU session establishment request to the AMF, and in 320, a session establishment procedure (e.g., as provided in 3GPP TS23.502) may be performed. As illustrated in 330 and 330a, the SMF may register the SMF ID and / or SMF set ID (serving a particular self-organizing group of UEs), associated DNN, S-NSSAI, PDU session ID, etc. with the UDM and / or NEF. In some embodiments, the SMF may use a new message / API or an enhanced Nudm_UECM_Registration API to register the SMF ID and / or SMF set ID for the self-organizing group ID.

[0072] As shown in 330, the Nudm_UECM_Registration message may include a group ID, a group type, a group service SMF identity, an SMF set ID, a SUPI, a DNN, an S-NSSAI, and / or a PDU session ID, etc.

[0073] exist Figure 3 In the example of 330a, 340 and 350, the UDM may also store this information in the UDR via Nudr_DM_Update, thereby updating the self-organizing group attributes to indicate the service SMF for the particular group.

[0074] As shown in 360, the SMF may register with the NEF as a serving SMF for the group. This registration in 360 may be another option, i.e., instead of the SMF sending to the UDM in 330. In this case, in 360, the SMF may provide the NEF with the group ID, group type, group serving SMF identity, SMF set ID, etc. As illustrated in 370 and 380, the NEF may update the received information to the UDR.

[0075] In the case of a PDU session establishment process for subsequent group member UEs, the (multiple) AMFs may take this information into account in their SMF selection criteria so that subsequent group member UEs are also served by the same SMF. For example, upon receiving a DNS report notification sent by the EASDF, the SMF may check for the FQDN / IP address reported in the EASDF notification whether it is associated with a UE that is a member of the self-organizing group retrieved from or notified by the UDM. If the UE is the first member of the group, the SMF may report the group ID and SMF ID to the UDM. The UDM may notify the subscribed AMFs to be notified. During PDU session establishment for another UE of the self-organizing group, the AMF may check whether the second UE is part of the self-organizing group and may select the associated SMF ID for the PDU session.

[0076] According to an embodiment, in order to receive group information and / or attributes also including the serving SMF ID, the AMF may query the self-organizing group definition and / or subscribe to notifications about changes in the self-organizing group definition towards the UDM, for example during the establishment of a PDU session of the UE whose subscription data indicates that it is part of the self-organizing group, or for example when a PDU session matching specific criteria (e.g. a specific DNN and / or S-NSSAI) is established and the AMF is informed of the group attribute changes via Nudm_SDM_NotificationNotify.

[0077] Note that in some embodiments, the group attributes (which may also include S-NSSAI and / or DNN) ensure that only compatible groups are served by the same S-NSSAI and / or DNN, thereby avoiding any conflicting requirements in the case where a UE belongs to more than one ad hoc group.

[0078] Since a single UE can be part of one or more groups in parallel, it is the responsibility of the AF / NEF to ensure that only compatible groups are assigned to the same corresponding NSSAI and DNN combination. If two groups are not compatible with a single NSSAI / DNN combination, two different slices may be required at the UE to serve the two groups. For example, the groups are compatible as long as the QoS requirements and business policies of the 5GS network operator for the actual active members of the two groups can be met within the same DNN / NSSAI combination. The 5GS and AF will be able to know whether the groups are compatible, for example based on the Service Level Agreement (SLA) with the 5GS, and the NEF can check and authorize the AF request.

[0079] Compatible groups (within the same NSSAI / DNN combination) where both groups have participants can be hosted by the same set of SMFs. In this sense, where the SMF identifies that the UE belongs to several groups, then as described above, the SMF can notify the UDM of one, multiple or all group IDs associated with the UE.

[0080] Certain example embodiments provide methods that enable the SMF to relocate UPF (PSA UPF and / or UL CL UPF) and / or EAS. This method allows the SMF to change PSA UPF, UL CL UPF, and / or EAS based on different triggers. The trigger may include (multiple) policy and charging control (PCC) rules from the PCF. These PCC rules may be due to PCF internal logic, due to input from the AF, pre-configuration, and / or subscription information specific to the self-organizing group, etc.

[0081] Figure 4 An example signaling diagram is illustrated, depicting the AF impact of traffic routing of group member UEs. More specifically, Figure 4 The example shows how the AF can influence the relocation of the UPF and / or EAS of a set of UEs forming a group.

[0082] like Figure 4 As illustrated in the example of , in 410, the AF may create an AF request to influence the UEs in the group. There may be multiple triggers for creating an AF request, such as an AF decision to relocate the EAS, a change in the DNAI (e.g., based on a notification from the 5GC), etc. In 420, the AF may send an Nnef_TrafficInfluence_Create / Update / Delete message directly or via the NEF for a specific self-organizing group (indicated by a group ID), EAS, DNAI, etc., thereby indicating common treatment of group member UEs, such as applying the same EAS and / or DNAI to group member UEs.

[0083] exist Figure 4 In the example of 430a, the NEF and / or UDR may store, update and / or remove group information based on the message received from the AF in 420. In 430b, the NEF may send a Nnef_TrafficInfluence_Create / Update / Delete response message to the AF. In 440, the UDR may notify the PCF(s) of updates or changes to the group-specific information and / or attributes. For example, this may be based on the PCF subscribing to the UDM / UDR to receive group-specific information and attributes. In 450, the PCF may provide the SMF with self-organizing group-specific PCC rules.

[0084] like Figure 4 As further illustrated in the example of, in 460, the SMF may decide to jointly perform service routing reconfiguration based on the input received from the PCF, and relocate all group member UEs so that they use common EAS, PSA-UPF, DNAI, etc. The SMF may make a relocation decision based on the impact on all UEs of the self-organizing group, such as observing the delay limit and selecting the EAS to ensure that no UE exceeds the delay limit, optimizing the average delay, or any different or similar logic. In 470, the SMF may notify the AMF accordingly via, for example, a Nsmf_PDUSession_SMContextStatusNotify message.

[0085] Figure 5 An example flow chart of a method for dynamic self-organizing UE group configuration and processing according to one embodiment is illustrated. For example, the method can ensure a common EAS and / or SMF for UEs in the self-organizing group. In some example embodiments, Figure 5The flowchart may be executed by a network entity or a network node in a communication system such as LTE, 5G, or beyond 5G (e.g., 6G). In some example embodiments, the execution Figure 5 The network entities of the method may include a base station, an access node, a Node B, an eNB, a gNB, a NG-RAN node, a transmission reception point (TRP), a high altitude platform station (HAPS), a relay station, etc. or be included therein.

[0086] For example, according to some embodiments, executing Figure 5 The entities of the method may include a group management node or NF, such as NEF, UDM and / or UDR, such as Figures 1 to 4 In some embodiments, Figure 5 The method may be performed by an apparatus, such as apparatus 10, 20 or 30 discussed below. It should be noted that Figure 5 One or more of the processes depicted in the examples may correspond to the above with respect to Figures 2 to 4 One or more messages or processes are illustrated and discussed.

[0087] like Figure 5 As illustrated in the example of , the method may include: in 505, receiving, by the group management node, a group attribute associated with a self-organizing group of a user equipment (UE) from an application function (AF). The method may also include: in 510, converting the group attribute provided by the application function into at least one of internal self-organizing group information or internal requirements (e.g., 5GC internal requirements) of the self-organizing group of the user equipment (UE).

[0088] In some embodiments, the conversion 510 may include: converting an external self-organizing group identifier (ID) into an internal self-organizing group identifier (ID), and / or converting a user equipment (UE) identifier (ID) or an Internet Protocol (IP) address into a universal public subscription identifier (GPSI) or a subscription permanent identifier (SUPI). Additionally or alternatively, in an embodiment, the conversion 510 may include: converting into a 5GC internal requirement, which includes one or more of the following items: user equipment (UE) in a self-organizing group to be served by the same EAS, user equipment (UE) in a self-organizing group served by the same SMF, or having a PSA-UPF and DNAI for user equipment (UE) in a self-organizing group.

[0089] According to an embodiment, Figure 5 The method may include storing group information for a self-organizing group of a user equipment (UE) in 515. The group information may include, for example, one or more of the following: a group identifier (ID), a group range, a group policy, and / or dynamic group data, or any other group information or group data described herein.

[0090] In certain embodiments, Figure 5 The method may include sending or otherwise providing at least one of the self-organizing group information and / or the internal requirements to the group execution node in 520. For example, the group execution node may include at least one of the following items: AMF or SMF, or similar NF.

[0091] In some embodiments, the method may include receiving a subscription from a group execution node to be notified of changes or updates to at least one of self-organizing group information or internal requirements, and notifying the group execution node when at least one of the self-organizing group information or internal requirements changes.

[0092] According to some embodiments, the method may include receiving a subscription from a group execution node to receive self-organizing group information for self-organizing groups matching a specific criterion. In this case, sending 520 may include providing self-organizing group information for self-organizing groups matching the criterion. For example, the criterion may include self-organizing groups defined for S-NSSAI, DNN, and / or TAI supported by the group execution node.

[0093] In some embodiments, the method may include: receiving a request from an application function (AF) to affect user equipment (UE) in the self-organizing group. The request may indicate: jointly process the user equipment (UE) in the self-organizing group by applying the same EAS and / or DNAI to the user equipment (UE) in the self-organizing group.

[0094] It should be noted that Figure 5 One example embodiment of a method or process is provided. However, certain embodiments are not limited to this example, and other examples are possible as discussed elsewhere herein.

[0095] Figure 6 An example flow chart of a method for dynamic self-organizing UE group configuration and processing according to one embodiment is illustrated. For example, the method can ensure a common EAS and / or SMF for UEs in the self-organizing group. In some example embodiments, Figure 6 The flowchart may be executed by a network entity or a network node in a communication system such as LTE, 5G, or beyond 5G (e.g., 6G). In some example embodiments, the execution Figure 6 The network entities of the method may include a base station, an access node, a Node B, an eNB, a gNB, a NG-RAN node, a transmission reception point (TRP), a high altitude platform station (HAPS), a relay station, etc. or be included therein.

[0096] For example, according to some embodiments, executing Figure 6The entity of the method may include a group execution node or NF, such as SMF or AMF, such as Figures 1 to 4 In some embodiments, Figure 6 The method may be performed by an apparatus, such as apparatus 10, 20 or 30 discussed below. It should be noted that Figure 6 One or more of the processes depicted in the examples may correspond to the above with respect to Figures 2 to 4 One or more messages or processes are illustrated and discussed.

[0097] like Figure 6 As illustrated in the example of , the method may include: receiving self-organizing group information of a self-organizing group for a user equipment (UE) from a group management node (such as an NEF, UDM and / or UDR) in 605. Based on the self-organizing group information, the method may include: determining in 610 whether the user equipment (UE) being served by the group execution node is a member of the self-organizing group. When it is determined that the user equipment (UE) is a member of the self-organizing group, the method may include: applying self-organizing group processing to the user equipment (UE) in 620. However, when it is determined that the user equipment (UE) is not a member of the self-organizing group, the method may include: applying non-group processing to the user equipment (UE) in 625.

[0098] In some embodiments, the group information may include at least one of the following: a group identifier (ID), a group range, a group policy, and / or dynamic group data, or any other group information or group data described elsewhere herein. According to an embodiment, the application 620 of the self-organizing group processing may include: assigning the same EAS to user equipment (UE) in the self-organizing group.

[0099] According to an embodiment, the method may include sending a subscription to the group management node to be notified of changes or updates to at least one of the self-organizing group information and / or the internal requirements. In this embodiment, the method may include receiving a notification from the group management node when at least one of the self-organizing group information or the internal requirements changes.

[0100] In some embodiments, the method may include: subscribing to a group management node to receive self-organizing group information for self-organizing groups that match specific criteria. In this case, receiving 605 may include: receiving self-organizing group information for self-organizing groups that match the criteria. For example, the criteria may include: self-organizing groups defined for S-NSSAI, DNN, and / or TAI supported by the group execution node.

[0101] According to certain embodiments, receiving 605 may include retrieving self-organizing group information from a group management node when the group execution node is serving a user equipment (UE) using a DNN, S-NSSAI, FQDN, or EAS included in edge application server deployment information (EDI).

[0102] In an embodiment, the method may include: the SMF registering its SMF identifier (ID) or SMF set identifier (ID) and group information for the self-organizing group to the UDM or NEF to indicate that the SMF is serving the self-organizing group.

[0103] According to some embodiments, the method may include: receiving input from a PCF, such as a PCC, by a group execution node. In this case, the method may include: based on the input received from the PCF (e.g., PCC), deciding to jointly perform service routing reconfiguration and relocate user equipment (UE) in the self-organizing group so that they use at least one of the following: a public EAS, a PSA-UPF, or a DNAI.

[0104] It should be noted that Figure 6 One example embodiment of a method or process is provided. However, certain embodiments are not limited to this example, and other examples are possible as discussed elsewhere herein.

[0105] Figure 7 An example of a system including apparatus 10, apparatus 20, and apparatus 30 according to certain embodiments is illustrated. In an embodiment, apparatus 10 may be a node, host, or server in a communication network or serving such a network. For example, apparatus 10 may be a satellite, a base station, a Node B, an evolved Node B (eNB), a 5G Node B or access point, a next generation Node B (NG-NB or gNB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a high altitude platform station (HAPS), an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, and / or a WLAN access point associated with a wireless access network (such as an LTE network, 5G, or NR). In an example embodiment, apparatus 10 may represent an SMF, an AMF, a NF, an AF, a PCF, or other 5GC node, such as Figures 1 to 4 Those shown.

[0106] It should be understood that in some example embodiments, the device 10 may include an edge cloud server as a distributed computing system, where the server and the radio nodes may be independent devices that communicate with each other via a radio path or via a wired connection, or they may be located in the same entity that communicates via a wired connection. For example, in certain example embodiments where the device 10 represents a gNB, it may be configured in a central unit (CU) and distributed unit (DU) architecture that divides the gNB functionality. In such an architecture, the CU may be a logical node that includes gNB functionality, such as transmission of user data, mobility control, radio access network sharing, positioning and / or session management. The CU may control the operation of (multiple) DUs on the fronthaul interface. Depending on the functional splitting option, the DU may be a logical node that includes a subset of gNB functionality. It should be noted that a person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the device 10 may include Figure 7 Components or features not shown.

[0107] like Figure 7 As illustrated in the example of , the device 10 may include a processor 12 for processing information and executing instructions or operations. The processor 12 may be any type of general or special purpose processor. In fact, as an example, the processor 12 may include one or more of the following items: a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture, or any other processing component.

[0108] Despite Figure 7 A single processor 12 is shown in FIG. 1 , but multiple processors may be used according to other example embodiments. For example, it should be understood that in some embodiments, the apparatus 10 may include two or more processors, which may form a multi-processor system that may support multi-processing (e.g., in which case the processor 12 may represent a multi-processor). In some embodiments, the multi-processor system may be tightly coupled or loosely coupled (e.g., to form a computer cluster).

[0109] Processor 12 may perform functions associated with the operation of device 10, which may include, for example, precoding of antenna gain / phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits forming communication messages, formatting of information, and overall control of device 10, including processes associated with management of communication resources.

[0110] The device 10 may also include or be coupled to a memory 14 (internal or external), which may be coupled to the processor 12 for storing information and instructions that may be executed by the processor 12. The memory 14 may be one or more memories and of any type suitable for the local application environment, and may be implemented using any suitable volatile or non-volatile data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and / or removable memory. For example, the memory 14 may include a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a static storage device such as a magnetic disk or optical disk, a hard disk drive (HDD), or any other type of non-transient machine or computer readable medium, or any combination of other suitable storage components. The instructions stored in the memory 14 may include program instructions or computer program code that, when executed by the processor 12, enables the device 10 to perform the tasks described herein.

[0111] In an embodiment, the device 10 may also include or be coupled to a (internal or external) drive or port configured to accept and read an external computer-readable storage medium, such as an optical disk, a USB drive, a flash drive, or any other storage medium. For example, the external computer-readable storage medium may store a computer program or software for execution by the processor 12 and / or the device 10.

[0112] In some embodiments, the device 10 may also include or be coupled to one or more antennas 15 to send signals and / or data to the device 10 and receive signals and / or data from the device 10. The device 10 may also include or be coupled to a transceiver 18 configured to send and receive information. The transceiver 18 may include, for example, multiple radio interfaces that may be coupled to (multiple) antennas 15, or may include any other suitable transceiver components. In some embodiments, the radio interface may correspond to a variety of radio access technologies, including LTE, 5G, WLAN, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, BT-LE, NFC, radio frequency identifier (RFID), ultra-wideband (UWB), MulteFire, and / or one or more of the radio access technologies. According to an example embodiment, the radio interface may include components such as filters, converters (e.g., digital-to-analog converters, etc.), mappers, fast Fourier transform (FFT) modules, etc., for example to generate symbols or signals for transmission via one or more downlinks and receive symbols (e.g., via uplinks).

[0113] Thus, the transceiver 18 may be configured to modulate information onto a carrier waveform for transmission by the antenna(s) 15, and demodulate information received via the antenna(s) 15 for further processing by other elements of the apparatus 10. In other example embodiments, the transceiver 18 may be capable of directly sending and receiving signals or data. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the apparatus 10 may include input devices and / or output devices (I / O devices), or input / output components.

[0114] In an embodiment, memory 14 may store software modules that provide functionality when executed by processor 12. These modules may include, for example, an operating system that provides operating system functionality for device 10. Memory may also store one or more functional modules, such as applications or programs, to provide additional functionality for device 10. The components of device 10 may be implemented in hardware, or as any suitable combination of hardware and software.

[0115] According to some embodiments, the processor 12 and the memory 14 may be included in the processing circuit system or the control circuit system, or may form a part thereof. In addition, in some embodiments, the transceiver 18 may be included in the transceiver circuit system, or may form a part thereof.

[0116] As used herein, the term "circuitry" may refer to a hardware circuitry implementation only (e.g., analog and / or digital circuitry), a combination of hardware circuitry and software, a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry with software / firmware, any portion of a hardware processor(s) (including a digital signal processor) with software, (which work together to enable a device (e.g., device 10) to perform various functions), and / or hardware circuit(s) and / or processor(s), or portions thereof, which operate using software, but which may not be present when not required for operation. As another example, as used herein, the term "circuitry" may also cover an implementation of a hardware circuit or processor only (or multiple processors), or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor, and its accompanying software and / or firmware. For example, the term circuitry may also cover a baseband integrated circuit in a server, a cellular network node or device, or other computing or network device.

[0117] As introduced above, in some embodiments, the apparatus 10 may be a network node or RAN node, such as a base station, access point, Node B, eNB, gNB, TRP, HAPS, IAB node, WLAN access point, etc. In an example embodiment, the apparatus 10 may be an SMF, AMF, NF, AF, PCF, NRF, or other 5GC node. For example, in some embodiments, the apparatus 10 may be configured to perform one or more processes depicted in any flowchart or signaling diagram described herein, such as Figures 1 to 6 In some embodiments, apparatus 10 may be configured to perform processes related to, for example, dynamic self-organizing UE group configuration and handling, as discussed herein.

[0118] Figure 7 An example of an apparatus 20 according to another embodiment is illustrated. In an embodiment, the apparatus 20 may be a node or element in a communication network or associated with such a network, such as a satellite, a base station, a Node B, an evolved Node B (eNB), a 5G Node B or access point, a next generation Node B (NG-NB or gNB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a high altitude platform station (HAPS), an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, and / or a WLAN access point associated with a wireless access network (such as an LTE network, 5G or NR). In an example embodiment, the apparatus 20 may represent a data storage device or repository including a user subscription data storage device, such as Figures 1 to 4 The illustrated UDM and / or UDR. Additionally or alternatively, the device 20 may represent a network open node or NEF, such as Figures 1 to 4 NEF shown.

[0119] It should be understood that in some example embodiments, the device 20 may include an edge cloud server as a distributed computing system, where the server and the radio node may be independent devices that communicate with each other via a radio path or via a wired connection, or they may be located in the same entity that communicates via a wired connection. For example, in certain example embodiments where the device 20 represents a gNB, it may be configured in a central unit (CU) and distributed unit (DU) architecture that divides the gNB functionality. In such an architecture, the CU may be a logical node that includes gNB functionality, such as transmission of user data, mobility control, radio access network sharing, positioning and / or session management. The CU may control the operation of (multiple) DUs on the fronthaul interface. Depending on the functional split option, the DU may be a logical node that includes a subset of gNB functionality. It should be noted that a person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the device 20 may include Figure 7 Components or features not shown.

[0120] In some example embodiments, the apparatus 20 may include one or more processors, one or more computer-readable storage media (e.g., memory, storage, etc.), one or more radio access components (e.g., modems, transceivers, etc.), and / or a user interface. In some embodiments, the apparatus 20 may be configured to operate using one or more radio access technologies, such as LTE, LTE-A, NR, 5G, WLAN, WiFi, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, NFC, MulteFire, and / or any other radio access technology. It should be noted that one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the apparatus 20 may include Figure 7 Components or features not shown.

[0121] like Figure 7 As illustrated in the example of , the device 20 may include or be coupled to a processor 22 for processing information and executing instructions or operations. The processor 22 may be any type of general or special purpose processor. In fact, as an example, the processor 22 may include one or more of a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Although in Figure 7 A single processor 22 is shown in FIG. 1 , but multiple processors may be utilized according to other embodiments. For example, it should be understood that in some embodiments, the apparatus 20 may include two or more processors, which may form a multiprocessor system that may support multiprocessing (e.g., in this case, the processor 22 may represent a multiprocessor). In some embodiments, the multiprocessor system may be tightly coupled or loosely coupled (e.g., to form a computer cluster).

[0122] Processor 22 may perform functions associated with the operation of device 20, including, as some examples, precoding of antenna gain / phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits forming communication messages, formatting of information, and overall control of device 20, including processes associated with management of communication resources.

[0123] The device 20 may also include or be coupled to a memory 24 (internal or external), which may be coupled to the processor 22 for storing information and instructions that may be executed by the processor 22. The memory 24 may be one or more memories and of any type suitable for the local application environment, and may be implemented using any suitable volatile or non-volatile data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and / or removable memory. For example, the memory 24 may include any combination of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), static storage devices such as magnetic disks or optical disks, hard disk drives (HDDs), or any other type of non-transient machine or computer readable media. The instructions stored in the memory 24 may include program instructions or computer program code that, when executed by the processor 22, enables the device 20 to perform the tasks described herein.

[0124] In an embodiment, the device 20 may also include or be coupled to a (internal or external) drive or port configured to accept and read an external computer-readable storage medium, such as an optical disk, a USB drive, a flash drive, or any other storage medium. For example, the external computer-readable storage medium may store a computer program or software for execution by the processor 22 and / or the device 20.

[0125] In some embodiments, the device 20 may also include or be coupled to one or more antennas 25 for receiving downlink signals from the device 20 and for transmitting via an uplink. The device 20 may also include a transceiver 28 configured to send and receive information. The transceiver 28 may also include a radio interface (e.g., a modem) coupled to the antenna 25. The radio interface may correspond to a variety of radio access technologies, including one or more of GSM, LTE, LTE-A, 5G, NR, WLAN, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, BT-LE, NFC, RFID, UWB, etc. The radio interface may include other components, such as filters, converters (e.g., digital-to-analog converters, etc.), symbol demappers, signal shaping components, inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) modules, etc., to process symbols carried by the downlink or uplink, such as OFDMA symbols.

[0126] For example, the transceiver 28 may be configured to modulate information onto a carrier waveform for transmission by the antenna(s) 25, and demodulate information received via the antenna(s) 25 for further processing by other elements of the device 20. In other embodiments, the transceiver 28 may be capable of directly sending and receiving signals or data. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the device 20 may include input and / or output devices (I / O devices). In some embodiments, the device 20 may also include a user interface, such as a graphical user interface or a touch screen.

[0127] In an embodiment, the memory 24 stores software modules that provide functionality when executed by the processor 22. These modules may include, for example, an operating system that provides operating system functionality for the device 20. The memory may also store one or more functional modules, such as applications or programs, to provide additional functionality for the device 20. The components of the device 20 may be implemented in hardware, or as any suitable combination of hardware and software. According to an example embodiment, the device 20 may optionally be configured to communicate with the device 10 or the device 30 via a wireless or wired communication link or interface 70 according to any radio access technology (such as NR).

[0128] According to some embodiments, the processor 22 and the memory 24 may be included in, or may form part of, a processing circuit system / component or a control circuit system / component. In addition, in some embodiments, the transceiver 28 may be included in, or may form part of, a transceiver circuit system or a transceiver component.

[0129] As discussed above, according to some embodiments, the apparatus 20 may be, for example, a data store or repository including a user subscription data store, such as a UDM and / or a UDR. According to some embodiments, the apparatus 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to perform functions associated with the example embodiments described herein. For example, in some embodiments, the apparatus 20 may be configured to perform one or more processes depicted in any flow chart or signaling diagram described herein, such as Figures 1 to 6 Thus, according to an embodiment, the apparatus 20 may be configured to perform processes related to, for example, dynamic self-organizing UE group configuration and handling, as discussed elsewhere herein.

[0130] Figure 7An example of an apparatus 30 according to another example embodiment is illustrated. In an example embodiment, the apparatus 30 may be a node or element in a communication network or associated with such a network, such as a satellite, a base station, a Node B, an evolved Node B (eNB), a 5G Node B or access point, a next generation Node B (NG-NB or gNB), and / or a WLAN access point associated with a radio access network (such as an LTE network, 5G or NR). For example, according to one embodiment, the apparatus 30 may be a 5GC node or may be included therein, such as an AF.

[0131] In some example embodiments, the apparatus 30 may include one or more processors, one or more computer-readable storage media (e.g., memory, storage, etc.), one or more radio access components (e.g., modems, transceivers, etc.), and / or a user interface. In some example embodiments, the apparatus 30 may be configured to operate using one or more radio access technologies, such as GSM, LTE, LTE-A, NR, 5G, WLAN, WiFi, NB-IoT, MulteFire, and / or any other radio access technology. It should be noted that one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the apparatus 30 may include Figure 7 Components or features not shown.

[0132] like Figure 7 As illustrated in the example of , the device 30 may include or be coupled to a processor 32 for processing information and executing instructions or operations. The processor 32 may be any type of general or special purpose processor. In fact, as an example, the processor 32 may include one or more of a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Although in Figure 7 A single processor 32 is shown in FIG. 1 , but multiple processors may be utilized according to other example embodiments. For example, it should be understood that in some example embodiments, apparatus 30 may include two or more processors, which may form a multiprocessor system that may support multiprocessing (e.g., in which case processor 32 may represent a multiprocessor). In some example embodiments, the multiprocessor system may be tightly coupled or loosely coupled (e.g., to form a computer cluster).

[0133] Processor 32 may perform functions associated with the operation of device 30, including, as some examples, precoding of antenna gain / phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits forming communication messages, formatting of information, and overall control of device 30, including processes associated with management of communication resources.

[0134] The device 30 may also include or be coupled to a memory 34 (internal or external), which may be coupled to the processor 32 for storing information and instructions that may be executed by the processor 32. The memory 34 may be one or more memories and of any type suitable for the local application environment, and may be implemented using any suitable volatile or non-volatile data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and / or removable memory. For example, the memory 34 may include a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a static storage device such as a magnetic disk or optical disk, a hard disk drive (HDD), or any other type of non-transient machine, or any combination of computer-readable media. The instructions stored in the memory 34 may include program instructions or computer program code that, when executed by the processor 32, enables the device 30 to perform the tasks described herein.

[0135] In an example embodiment, the device 30 may also include or be coupled to a (internal or external) drive or port configured to accept and read an external computer-readable storage medium such as an optical disk, a USB drive, a flash drive, or any other storage medium. For example, the external computer-readable storage medium may store a computer program or software for execution by the processor 32 and / or the device 30.

[0136] In some example embodiments, the apparatus 30 may also include or be coupled to one or more antennas 35 for receiving downlink signals from the apparatus 30 and transmitting via an uplink. The apparatus 30 may also include a transceiver 38 configured to send and receive information. The transceiver 38 may also include a radio interface (e.g., a modem) coupled to the antenna 35. The radio interface may correspond to a variety of radio access technologies, including one or more of GSM, LTE, LTE-A, 5G, NR, WLAN, NB-IoT, BT-LE, RFID, UWB, etc. The radio interface may include other components, such as filters, converters (e.g., digital-to-analog converters, etc.), symbol demappers, signal shaping components, inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) modules, etc., to process symbols carried by a downlink or uplink, such as OFDMA symbols.

[0137] For example, the transceiver 38 may be configured to modulate information onto a carrier waveform for transmission by the antenna(s) 35, and demodulate information received via the antenna(s) 35 for further processing by other elements of the apparatus 30. In other example embodiments, the transceiver 38 may be capable of directly sending and receiving signals or data. Additionally or alternatively, in some example embodiments, the apparatus 30 may include input and / or output devices (I / O devices). In certain example embodiments, the apparatus 30 may also include a user interface, such as a graphical user interface or a touch screen.

[0138] In an example embodiment, the memory 34 stores software modules that provide functionality when executed by the processor 32. These modules may include, for example, an operating system that provides operating system functionality for the device 30. The memory may also store one or more functional modules, such as applications or programs, to provide additional functionality for the device 30. The components of the device 30 may be implemented in hardware, or as any suitable combination of hardware and software. According to an example embodiment, the device 30 may optionally be configured to communicate with the device 10 via a wireless or wired communication link 71 according to any radio access technology (such as NR) and / or communicate with the device 20 via a wireless or wired communication link 72.

[0139] According to some example embodiments, the processor 32 and the memory 34 may be included in, or may form part of, the processing circuit system or the control circuit system. In addition, in some example embodiments, the transceiver 38 may be included in, or may form part of, the transceiver circuit system.

[0140] As discussed above, according to some example embodiments, the apparatus 30 may be a 5GC node, such as an AF, for example. According to some example embodiments, the apparatus 30 may be controlled by the memory 34 and the processor 32 to perform functions associated with the example embodiments described herein. For example, in some example embodiments, the apparatus 30 may be configured to perform one or more processes depicted in any of the diagrams or signaling flow diagrams described herein, such as Figures 1 to 6 According to certain example embodiments, the apparatus 30 may be configured to perform processes related to, for example, dynamic self-organizing UE group configuration and handling.

[0141] In some example embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., apparatus 10 and / or apparatus 20 and / or apparatus 30) may include components for performing one or more methods, flows and / or processes, or any variations discussed herein. Examples of such components may include one or more processors, memories, controllers, transmitters, receivers, sensors, circuits and / or computer program codes for causing the execution of any operations discussed herein.

[0142] In view of the foregoing, certain example embodiments provide several technical improvements, enhancements, and / or advantages over prior art processes, and constitute at least an improvement in the technical field of wireless network control and / or management. For example, as discussed in detail above, certain example embodiments may provide a system and / or method for EAS assignment of a self-organizing group of UEs by ensuring that the same EAS is assigned to UEs in the same self-organizing group. Further, certain example embodiments may ensure that the UEs of the self-organizing group are served by the same SMF or SMF set. In this way, some example embodiments may provide improved network efficiency, for example by reducing signaling, latency overhead and / or power consumption. Therefore, the use of certain example embodiments results in improved operation of communication networks and their nodes (such as base stations, eNBs, gNBs, 5GC nodes and / or IoT devices, UEs or mobile stations, or other network nodes or devices).

[0143] In some example embodiments, the functionality of any method, process, signaling diagram, algorithm, or flow chart described herein may be implemented by software and / or computer program code or code portions, which are stored in a memory or other computer-readable or tangible medium and executed by a processor.

[0144] In some example embodiments, the device may include or be associated with at least one software application, module, unit or entity, which is configured as (multiple) arithmetic operations, or a program or program portion (including added or updated software routines) that can be executed by at least one operating processor or controller. The program (also referred to as a program product or computer program, including software routines, applets and macros) can be stored in a data storage medium readable by any device, and may include program instructions for performing specific tasks. The computer program product may include one or more computer executable components, which are configured to perform some example embodiments when the program is running. One or more computer executable components may be at least one software code or code portion. The modifications and configurations required to implement the functionality of the example embodiments may be performed as (multiple) routines, which may be implemented as (multiple) software routines added or updated. In one example, (multiple) software routines may be downloaded into the device.

[0145] As an example, software or computer program code or code portions may be in source code form, object code form, or some intermediate form, and may be stored in some carrier, distribution medium, or computer readable medium (which may be any entity or device capable of carrying the program). For example, such a carrier may include a recording medium, a computer memory, a read-only memory, an optoelectronic and / or electrical carrier signal, a telecommunications signal, and / or a software distribution package. Depending on the processing power required, the computer program may be executed in a single electronic digital computer, or it may be distributed among multiple computers. The computer readable medium or computer readable storage medium may be a non-transient medium.

[0146] In other example embodiments, the functionality of the example embodiments may be performed by hardware or circuitry included in a device, such as by using an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable gate array (PGA), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or any other combination of hardware and software. In yet another example embodiment, some functionality of the example embodiments may be implemented as a signal that may be carried by an electromagnetic signal downloaded from the Internet or other network.

[0147] According to example embodiments, an apparatus such as a node, a device, or a corresponding component may be configured as a circuit system, a computer, or a microprocessor such as a single-chip computer element, or as a chipset that may include at least a memory for providing storage capacity for (multiple) arithmetic operations and / or an operating processor for performing (multiple) arithmetic operations.

[0148] Some embodiments described herein may use the conjunction "and / or". It should be noted that, when used, the term "and / or" is intended to include either or both alternatives, depending on the example embodiment or implementation. In other words, "and / or" may refer to one or the other or both or any one or more or all of the things or options associated with the use of the conjunction.

[0149] The example embodiments described herein may apply to both singular and plural implementations, regardless of whether singular or plural language is used in conjunction with describing certain embodiments. For example, an embodiment describing the operation of a single network node may also apply to example embodiments including multiple instances of the network node, and vice versa.

[0150] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the example embodiments discussed above may be practiced with processes in a different order and / or with hardware elements in configurations different from those disclosed. Therefore, although some embodiments have been described based on these example embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that certain modifications, variations, and alternative constructions will be apparent while remaining within the spirit and scope of the example embodiments.

[0151] Partial glossary:

[0152] 5GC 5G Core Network

[0153] AF Application Function

[0154] C-DNS Central DNS

[0155] C-NEF Central NEF

[0156] C-PSA UPF Central PSA UPF

[0157] DN Data Network

[0158] DNAI DN Access Identifier

[0159] DNN data network name

[0160] DNS

[0161] EAS Edge Application Server

[0162] EASDF Edge Application Server Discovery Function

[0163] ECS Edge Configuration Server

[0164] EDC Edge DNS Client

[0165] EEC Edge Enabler Client

[0166] EES Edge Enabler Server

[0167] EHE Edge Hosting Environment

[0168] FQDN Fully Qualified Domain Name

[0169] L-DN Local part of the DN

[0170] L-DNS Local DNS

[0171] L-NEF Local NEF

[0172] L-PSA UPF Local PSA UPF

[0173] NEF Network Exposure Function

[0174] NF Network Function

[0175] NRF Network Discovery Function

[0176] PCF Policy Control Function

[0177] PSA PDU Session Anchor

[0178] QoS Quality of Service

[0179] SMF session management functions

[0180] UDM Unified Data Management

[0181] UDR Unified Data Repository

[0182] UL Uplink

[0183] UL CL Uplink Classifier

[0184] UPF User Plane Function

Claims

1. A method comprising: receiving, by a group management node from an application function, group attributes associated with a self-organizing group of user equipment (UE); converting the group attributes provided by the application function into at least one of internal self-organizing group information or internal requirements for the self-organizing group of a user equipment (UE); as well as The at least one of the self-organizing group information and the internal requirement is provided to a group execution node. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the group information comprises at least one of the following: a group identifier (ID), a group scope, a group policy, and / or dynamic group data.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, comprising: The group information for the ad hoc group of user equipment (UE) is stored.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising: receiving a subscription from the group execution node to be notified of changes or updates to the at least one of the ad hoc group information or internal requirements; as well as When at least one of the self-organizing group information or the internal requirement changes, the group execution node is informed.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising: receiving a subscription from said group execution node to receive said ad hoc group information for ad hoc groups matching a specific criterion, The providing includes: providing the self-organizing group information for the self-organizing group matching the specific criteria.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the specific criteria include: A self-organizing group defined by a single-network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI), a data network name (DNN), and / or a tracking area identifier (TAI) supported by the group execution node.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the conversion comprises at least one of the following: Converting an external self-organizing group identifier (ID) into an internal self-organizing group identifier (ID); Converting a User Equipment (UE) identifier or Internet Protocol (IP) address into a General Public Subscription Identifier (GPSI) or Subscription Permanent Identifier (SUPI); or Translated into 5G core network (5GC) internal requirements, wherein the internal requirements include at least one of the following items: the user equipment (UE) in the self-organizing group to be served by the same edge application server (EAS), the user equipment (UE) in the self-organizing group to be served by the same session management function (SMF), or having the same protocol data unit (PDU) session anchor (PSA) user plane function (UPF) and data network access identifier (DNAI) for the user equipment (UE) in the self-organizing group.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising: A request affecting user equipment (UE) in the self-organizing group is received from an application function (AF), the request indicating that the user equipment (UE) in the self-organizing group is processed together by applying at least one of the same edge application server (EAS), the same data network access identifier (DNAI), or the same delay to the user equipment (UE) in the self-organizing group.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the group attributes including the single-network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI) and / or the data network name (DNN) ensure that only compatible self-organizing groups are served by the same single-network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI) and / or data network name (DNN) to avoid conflicting requirements when a user equipment (UE) belongs to more than one self-organizing group.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein user equipments (UEs) belonging to a compatible ad hoc group can be served by the same session management function (SMF).

11. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the group management node includes at least one of the following items: a network exposure function (NEF), a unified data repository (UDR), or a unified data management (UDM), and wherein the group execution node includes at least one of the following items: an access and mobility management function (AMF), or a session management function (SMF).

12. A method comprising: receiving, by the group execution node from the group management node, self-organizing group information for a user equipment (UE); Based on the self-organizing group information, determining whether a user equipment (UE) being served by the group execution node is a member of the self-organizing group; as well as When it is determined that the user equipment (UE) is a member of the ad hoc group, an ad hoc group process is applied to the user equipment (UE).

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the group information comprises at least one of: a group identifier (ID), a group scope, a group policy, and / or dynamic group data.

14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the application comprises: The same edge application server (EAS) is assigned to the user equipment (UE) in the ad hoc group.

15. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, comprising: sending a subscription to the group management node to be notified of changes or updates to the at least one of the ad hoc group information or internal requirements; as well as When the at least one of the self-organizing group information or the internal requirements changes, a notification is received from the group management node.

16. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, comprising: subscribing to the group management node to receive the ad hoc group information for ad hoc groups matching specific criteria, and The receiving includes: receiving the self-organizing group information for a self-organizing group matching the specific criteria, wherein the specific criteria include: a self-organizing group defined by a single-network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI), a data network name (DNN), and / or a tracking area identifier (TAI) supported by the group execution node.

17. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the receiving comprises: The self-organizing group information is retrieved from the group management node when the group execution node is serving a user equipment (UE) using: the data network (DNN), single-network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI), fully qualified domain name (FQDN), or edge application server (EAS) included in edge application service manager deployment information (EDI); or EAS deployment information (EDI) having (one or more) self-organizing group IDs and possibly corresponding members and group attributes.

18. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 17, wherein the group execution node includes a session management function (SMF), and The method further comprises: The session management function (SMF) registers its session management function (SMF) identifier (ID) or session management function (SMF) set identifier (ID) and the group information for the self-organizing group to the unified data management (UDM) or network open function (NEF) to indicate that the session management function (SMF) is serving the self-organizing group.

19. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 18, wherein the group execution node comprises an access and mobility management function (AMF), and The method further comprises: The same session management function (SMF) is selected to serve all the user equipments (UEs) in the ad hoc group.

20. A method according to any one of claims 12 to 19, comprising: receiving, by the group execution node, an input from a policy control function (PCF); as well as Based on the input received from the policy control function (PCF), decide to jointly perform service routing reconfiguration and relocate the user equipment (UE) in the self-organizing group so that they use at least one of the following items: a common edge application server (EAS), a protocol data unit (PDU) session anchor (PSA)-user plane function (UPF), or a data network access identifier (DNAI).

21. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the group execution node includes at least one of the following items: an access and mobility management function (AMF), or a session management function (SMF), and wherein the group management node includes at least one of the following items: a network exposure function (NEF), a unified data repository (UDR), or a unified data management (UDM).

22. An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory including computer program code, The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: receiving, from an application function, group attributes associated with an ad hoc group of a user equipment (UE); converting the group attributes provided by the application function into at least one of internal self-organizing group information or internal requirements for the self-organizing group of a user equipment (UE); as well as The at least one of the self-organizing group information and the internal requirement is provided to a group execution node.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the group information comprises at least one of: a group identifier (ID), a group range, a group policy, and / or dynamic group data.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 or 23, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: The group information for the ad hoc group of user equipment (UE) is stored.

25. The apparatus according to any one of claims 22 to 24, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: receiving a subscription from the group execution node to be notified of changes or updates to the at least one of the ad hoc group information or internal requirements; and When at least one of the self-organizing group information or the internal requirement changes, the group execution node is informed.

26. The apparatus according to any one of claims 22 to 24, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: receiving a subscription from the group execution node to receive the ad hoc group information for ad hoc groups matching specific criteria, and The apparatus is configured to provide the self-organizing group information for the self-organizing group matching the specific criteria.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the specific criteria include: A self-organizing group defined by the single-network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI), data network name (DNN), and / or tracking area identifier (TAI) supported by the group execution node.

28. The apparatus according to any one of claims 22 to 27, wherein to convert the set of attributes, the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least one of the following: Converting an external self-organizing group identifier (ID) into an internal self-organizing group identifier (ID); Converting a User Equipment (UE) identifier or an Internal Protocol (IP) address into a General Public Subscription Identifier (GPSI) or a Subscription Permanent Identifier (SUPI); or Translated into 5G core network (5GC) internal requirements, wherein the internal requirements include at least one of the following items: the user equipment (UE) in the self-organizing group to be served by the same edge application server (EAS), the user equipment (UE) in the self-organizing group to be served by the same session management function (SMF), or having the same protocol data unit (PDU) session anchor (PSA) user plane function (UPF) and data network access identifier (DNAI) for the user equipment (UE) in the self-organizing group.

29. The apparatus according to any one of claims 22 to 28, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: A request affecting user equipment (UE) in the self-organizing group is received from an application function (AF), the request indicating that the user equipment (UE) in the self-organizing group is processed together by applying at least one of the same edge application server (EAS), the same data network access identifier (DNAI), or the same delay to the user equipment (UE) in the self-organizing group.

30. An apparatus according to any one of claims 22 to 29, wherein the group attributes including the single-network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI) and / or the data network name (DNN) ensure that: only compatible self-organizing groups are served by the same single-network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI) and / or data network name (DNN) to avoid conflicting requirements when a user equipment (UE) belongs to more than one self-organizing group.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein user equipment (UE) belonging to a compatible ad hoc group can be served by the same session management function (SMF).

32. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the apparatus comprises at least one of the following: a network exposure function (NEF), a unified data repository (UDR), or a unified data management (UDM), and wherein the group execution node comprises at least one of the following: an access and mobility management function (AMF), or a session management function (SMF).

33. An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory including computer program code, The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: receiving, from a group management node, ad hoc group information for an ad hoc group of a user equipment (UE); Based on the self-organizing group information, determining whether a user equipment (UE) being served by the apparatus is a member of the self-organizing group; as well as When it is determined that the user equipment (UE) is a member of the ad hoc group, an ad hoc group process is applied to the user equipment (UE).

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the group information comprises at least one of: a group identifier (ID), a group range, a group policy, and / or dynamic group data.

35. The apparatus of claim 33 or 34, wherein the application comprises: The same edge application server (EAS) is assigned to the user equipment (UE) in the ad hoc group.

36. An apparatus according to any one of claims 33 to 35, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: sending a subscription to the group management node to be notified of changes or updates to the at least one of the ad hoc group information or internal requirements; and When the at least one of the self-organizing group information or the internal requirements changes, a notification is received from the group management node.

37. An apparatus according to any one of claims 33 to 35, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: subscribing to the group management node to receive the ad hoc group information for ad hoc groups matching specific criteria, and The receiving includes: Receive the self-organizing group information for a self-organizing group matching the specific criteria, wherein the specific criteria include: a self-organizing group defined for a single-network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI), a data network name (DNN), and / or a tracking area identifier (TAI) supported by the device.

38. The apparatus of any one of claims 33 to 35, wherein the receiving comprises: The self-organizing group information is retrieved from the group management node when the device is serving a user equipment (UE) using: the data network (DNN), single-network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI), fully qualified domain name (FQDN), or edge application server (EAS) included in edge application service manager deployment information (EDI); or EAS deployment information (EDI) having (one or more) self-organizing group IDs and possibly corresponding members and group attributes.

39. The device according to any one of claims 33 to 38, wherein the apparatus comprises a session management function (SMF), and Wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the device to at least: register the session management function (SMF) identifier (ID) or the session management function (SMF) set identifier (ID) and the group information for the self-organizing group to the unified data management (UDM) or the network open function (NEF) by the session management function (SMF) to indicate that the session management function (SMF) is serving the self-organizing group.

40. The device according to any one of claims 33 to 39, wherein the apparatus comprises an access and mobility management function (AMF), and The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: select the same session management function (SMF) to serve all the user equipments (UEs) in the ad hoc group.

41. An apparatus according to any one of claims 33 to 40, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: receiving input from a policy control function (PCF); and Based on the input received from the policy control function (PCF), decide to jointly perform service routing reconfiguration and relocate the user equipment (UE) in the self-organizing group so that they use at least one of the following items: a common edge application server (EAS), a protocol data unit (PDU) session anchor (PSA)-user plane function (UPF), or a data network access identifier (DNAI).

42. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the apparatus comprises at least one of the following: an access and mobility management function (AMF), or a session management function (SMF), and wherein the group management node comprises at least one of the following: a network exposure function (NEF), a unified data repository (UDR), or a unified data management (UDM).

43. An apparatus comprising: means for receiving, from an application function, group attributes associated with an ad hoc group of user equipment (UE); means for converting the group attributes provided by the application function into at least one of internal ad hoc group information or internal requirements for the ad hoc group of a user equipment (UE); as well as Means for providing said at least one of said self-organizing group information and internal requirements to a group execution node.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the group information comprises at least one of: a group identifier (ID), a group range, a group policy, and / or dynamic group data.

45. The apparatus according to claim 43 or 44, comprising: Means for storing the group information for the ad hoc group of user equipment (UE).

46. ​​The apparatus according to any one of claims 43 to 45, comprising: means for receiving a subscription from the group execution node to be notified of changes or updates to the at least one of the ad hoc group information or internal requirements; as well as Means for notifying said group execution node when said at least one of said self-organizing group information or internal requirements changes.

47. The apparatus according to any one of claims 43 to 45, comprising: means for receiving a subscription from said group execution node to receive said ad hoc group information for ad hoc groups matching specific criteria, and The means for providing includes means for providing the self-organizing group information for the self-organizing group matching the specific criteria.

48. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein the specific criteria include: A self-organizing group defined by the single-network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI), data network name (DNN), and / or tracking area identifier (TAI) supported by the group execution node.

49. The device according to any one of claims 43 to 48, wherein the means for converting comprises at least one of the following: means for converting an external self-organizing group identifier (ID) into an internal self-organizing group identifier (ID); means for converting a User Equipment (UE) identifier or an Internal Protocol (IP) address into a General Public Subscription Identifier (GPSI) or a Subscription Permanent Identifier (SUPI); or A component for converting into internal requirements of a 5G core network (5GC), wherein the internal requirements include at least one of the following items: the user equipment (UE) in the self-organizing group to be served by the same edge application server (EAS), the user equipment (UE) in the self-organizing group to be served by the same session management function (SMF), or having the same protocol data unit (PDU) session anchor (PSA) user plane function (UPF) and data network access identifier (DNAI) for the user equipment (UE) in the self-organizing group.

50. The apparatus according to any one of claims 43 to 49, comprising: A component for receiving a request affecting user equipment (UE) in the self-organizing group from an application function (AF), the request indicating: processing the user equipment (UE) in the self-organizing group together by applying at least one of the same edge application server (EAS), the same data network access identifier (DNAI), or the same delay to the user equipment (UE) in the self-organizing group.

51. An apparatus according to any one of claims 43 to 50, wherein the group attributes including the single-network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI) and / or the data network name (DNN) ensure that: only compatible self-organizing groups are served by the same single-network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI) and / or data network name (DNN) to avoid conflicting requirements when a user equipment (UE) belongs to more than one self-organizing group.

52. The apparatus of claim 51, wherein user equipment (UE) belonging to a compatible ad hoc group can be served by the same session management function (SMF).

53. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the apparatus comprises at least one of the following: a network exposure function (NEF), a unified data repository (UDR) or a unified data management (UDM), and wherein the group execution node comprises at least one of the following: an access and mobility management function (AMF), or a session management function (SMF).

54. An apparatus comprising: means for receiving, from a group management node, self-organising group information for a user equipment (UE); means for determining, based on the self-organizing group information, whether a user equipment (UE) being served by the apparatus is a member of the self-organizing group; as well as When it is determined that the user equipment (UE) is a member of the ad hoc group, means for applying ad hoc group processing to the user equipment (UE).

55. The apparatus of claim 54, wherein the group information comprises at least one of: a group identifier (ID), a group range, a group policy, and / or dynamic group data.

56. The apparatus of claim 54 or 55, wherein the means for applying comprises: Means for assigning the same edge application server (EAS) to the user equipment (UE) in the ad hoc group.

57. The apparatus according to any one of claims 54 to 56, comprising: means for sending a subscription to the group management node to be notified of changes or updates to the at least one of the ad hoc group information or internal requirements; as well as Means for receiving a notification from the group management node when said at least one of the ad hoc group information or internal requirements changes.

58. The apparatus of any one of claims 54 to 56, comprising: means for subscribing to said group management node to receive said ad hoc group information for ad hoc groups matching certain criteria, and The component for receiving includes: a component for receiving the self-organizing group information for a self-organizing group matching the specific criteria, wherein the specific criteria include: a self-organizing group defined for a single-network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI), a data network name (DNN), and / or a tracking area identifier (TAI) supported by the device.

59. The apparatus of any one of claims 54 to 56, wherein the means for receiving comprises: A component for retrieving the self-organizing group information from the group management node when the device is serving a user equipment (UE) using the following items: the data network (DNN), single-network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI), fully qualified domain name (FQDN), or edge application server (EAS) included in edge application service manager deployment information (EDI); or EAS deployment information (EDI) having (one or more) self-organizing group IDs and possibly corresponding members and group attributes.

60. The device according to any one of claims 54 to 59, wherein the apparatus comprises a session management function (SMF), and The device comprises: A component used by the session management function (SMF) to register its session management function (SMF) identifier (ID) or session management function (SMF) set identifier (ID) and the group information for a self-organizing group to a unified data management (UDM) or a network exposure function (NEF) to indicate that the session management function (SMF) is serving the self-organizing group.

61. The device according to any one of claims 54 to 60, wherein the apparatus comprises an access and mobility management function (AMF), and The device comprises: Means for selecting said same session management function (SMF) to serve all said user equipments (UEs) in said ad hoc group.

62. The apparatus of any one of claims 54 to 61, comprising: means for receiving input from a policy control function (PCF); as well as Based on the input received from the policy control function (PCF), a component for deciding to jointly perform service routing reconfiguration and relocate the user equipment (UE) in the self-organizing group so that they use at least one of the following items: a common edge application server (EAS), a protocol data unit (PDU) session anchor (PSA)-user plane function (UPF), or a data network access identifier (DNAI).

63. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the apparatus comprises at least one of the following: an access and mobility management function (AMF), or a session management function (SMF), and wherein the group management node comprises at least one of the following: a network exposure function (NEF), a unified data repository (UDR), or a unified data management (UDM).

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