Service-based internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS) architecture

Abstract

Systems and methods for extending a service-based architecture to an Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) are disclosed. In one example aspect, a method of wireless communication includes sending, by a network node in the IMS, a registration request to a network function repository function (NRF) via a first service-based network interface. The registration request includes capability information of the network node indicating support for one or more services.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application is an international patent application claiming the benefit of U.S. patent application No. 63 / 324,547, filed on March 28, 2022, entitled “SERVICE-BASED INTERNET PROTOCOL MULTIMEDIA SUBSYSTEM (IMS) ARCHITECTURE,” which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Background Art

[0003] Mobile communication technology is moving the world toward an increasingly connected and networked society. The fifth generation (5G) New Radio (NR) architecture follows a service-based architecture (SBA), which is an architectural approach that enables 5G network functionality to become more fine-grained and decoupled. SBA allows individual services to be updated independently with minimal impact on other services, thereby providing vendor independence, reduced deployment time, and enhanced operational efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0004] Figure 1 An example 5G reference architecture is illustrated in which a service-based interface is used within the control plane.

[0005] Figure 2 An example Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) architecture is illustrated.

[0006] Figure 3 An example architecture for IMS Application Function (AF) discovery via a Domain Name Server (DNS) is illustrated.

[0007] Figure 4 An example architecture of a service-based architecture IMS in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technology is illustrated.

[0008] Figure 5 An example sequence flow for an IMS node registration process in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technology is illustrated.

[0009] Figure 6 An example sequence flow for a Network Function Repository Function (NRF) subscription process in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technology is illustrated.

[0010] Figure 7 An example sequence flow for an IMS node discovery and selection process in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technology is illustrated.

[0011] Fig. 8Ais a flowchart representation of a method for wireless communications in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technology.

[0012] Figure 8B is a flowchart representation of another method for wireless communications in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technology.

[0013] Fig. 9 is a flowchart representation of yet another implementation for wireless communications in accordance with one or more implementations of the present technology.

[0014] Fig.10 is a diagram illustrating a wireless telecommunications network in which aspects of the disclosed technology are incorporated.

[0015] Fig.11 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a computer system in which at least some of the operations described herein may be implemented.

[0016] By studying the specific implementations in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the technology described herein will become clearer to those skilled in the art. The embodiments or specific implementations describing various aspects of the present invention are illustrated by way of example, and the same reference numerals may indicate similar elements. Although the accompanying drawings depict various specific implementations for illustrative purposes, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that alternative specific implementations may be adopted without departing from the principles of the present technology. Therefore, although specific specific implementations are shown in the accompanying drawings, the present technology may be variously modified. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] The section headings are used in this document only to improve readability and do not limit the scope of the embodiments and techniques disclosed in each section to only that section. Certain features are described using examples of fifth generation (5G) wireless protocols. However, the applicability of the disclosed techniques is not limited to 5G wireless systems.

[0018] Disclosed are systems, methods, and apparatus for extending a service-based architecture to an Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) to enable the use of unified interfaces and mechanisms to discover and select IMS nodes as non-IMS functions in 5G networks, thereby reducing the complexity of signaling, monitoring, and deployment of network elements.

[0019] The 5G service-based architecture was introduced in Release 15 of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards. Figure 1An example 5G reference architecture 100 is illustrated in which a service-based interface is used within the control plane. The Network Function Repository Function (NRF) is a key element of the service-based architecture. The NRF is a logical function used to support the functionality of network function (NF) and NF service discovery. The NRF provides a single record of the network functions (NFs) available in a given public land mobile network (PLMN) and the NF capabilities indicating the services they support. These capabilities are then used when performing NF selection.

[0020] In cellular networks, the Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) is an architectural framework for delivering IP multimedia services. The IMS uses Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) protocols, such as the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), for signaling. Figure 2 An example IMS architecture 200 is illustrated. Various roles of SIP servers or proxies, collectively referred to as Call Session Control Functions (CSCFs), are used to handle SIP signaling packets in the IMS. A Proxy-CSCF (P-CSCF) is a SIP proxy that serves as the first point of contact for an IMS terminal. An Inquiry-CSCF (I-CSCF) is another SIP function located at the edge of an administrative domain, where its IP address is published in the Domain Name System (DNS) so that remote servers can find it and use it as a forwarding point for SIP packets. A Serving-CSCF (S-CSCF) is a central node in the signaling plane. Conventionally, an S-CSCF uses the Diameter Cx and Dx interfaces to a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) to download user profiles and upload user associations.

[0021] For backward compatibility for early deployments of IMS and 5GC functions, the 5G system architecture supports the N5 interface and Rx interface between the policy control function (PCF) and the P-CSCF to implement IMS services. In Release 16 of the 3GPP standard, IMS is enhanced to utilize some service-based interfaces (e.g., toward P-CSCF, PCF and / or HSS). Currently, the P-CSCF selection functionality can be used by the session management function (SMF) to select the P-CSCF for the IMS protocol data unit (PDU) session of the user equipment (UE). SMF can use NRF to discover P-CSCF. However, other IMS elements (such as I / S-CSCF, telephone application server (TAS), rich communication service (RCS), export gateway control function (BGCF) and / or interconnection border control function (IBCF), etc.) use the IMS domain name server (DNS) to resolve the next hop address.

[0022] Figure 3An example architecture 300 for IMS application function (AF) discovery via DNS is illustrated. In this architecture, DNS provides discovery and region selection via service-based load sharing. In particular, an IMS management node monitors IMS nodes via Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) or Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) to remove nodes from selection in the event that the node handles a large traffic load in the region or is down for maintenance. Discovery and selection of IMS nodes utilizes pre-configuration or DNS to determine which node is correct for the service being used by the IMS user. For example, in order to select an IMS media resource function (MRF) dedicated to video codec adaptation, an IMS video application server (AS) needs to be configured with a list of fully qualified domain names (FQDNs) associated with a pool of MRFs that can perform video codec adaptation.

[0023] like Figure 3 The DNS-based discovery and selection process shown is not aligned with the 5G service-based architecture. In addition, the point-to-point interface between IMS elements (e.g., IMS management node and AF) also introduces complexity and signaling overhead. This patent document discloses techniques that can be implemented in various embodiments to extend the service-based architecture to IMS so as to implement the use of interfaces and mechanisms that are unified with non-IMS AFs to discover and select IMS AFs. Figure 4 An example architecture 400 of a service-based architecture IMS according to one or more embodiments of the present technology is illustrated. Figure 4 As shown, N-NRF can replace IMS DNS and / or IMS management node for discovering, selecting and / or monitoring the functionality of IMS nodes via service-based interfaces. In some embodiments, NRF can be adapted to support IMS node discovery and / or selection. NRF can support IMS node registration and support IMS node subscription to obtain node information (e.g., business load). In some embodiments, additional information (such as network function type and / or service capability extension) can be included in the IMS node registration process. NF discovery service can be adapted to support IMS application server discovery / selection (e.g., based on the capabilities of IMS nodes). In some embodiments, one or more new interfaces consistent with existing SBA can be added to support subscription and notification of node status (e.g., service load). Within IMS, IMS nodes can be adapted to support service-based architecture accordingly. IMS nodes can register with NRF to provide their capabilities to support various services and provide node information to NRF.

[0024] Figure 5 An example sequence flow 500 for an IMS node registration process according to one or more embodiments of the present technology is illustrated. Upon initialization, the IMS node performs a NF registration process with the NRF. Figure 5As shown, at operation 501, the IMS node transmits a request message (e.g., Nnrf_NFManagement_NFRegister request message) to inform the NRF of its configuration file when the IMS node becomes operational for the first time. The configuration file includes one or more services supported by this node. In some embodiments, the configuration file may include an alphanumeric sequence (e.g., a wildcard string) to indicate support for all services in a specific category. In addition to the indication of the capability, the IMS node may also include other types of parameters (such as its location, priority, etc.) into the configuration file. Other parameters that may be carried in the configuration file include, but are not limited to, IP address, IMS area, International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) range, mobile country code (MCC) and / or mobile network code (MNC) of supported PLMN networks (MCC / MNC) and / or supported 5G slices. At operation 502, the NRF stores the configuration file of the IMS node and marks it as available. At operation 503, the NRF confirms the IMS node registration via a response message (e.g., Nnrf_NFManagement_NFRegister response message). In some embodiments, in a distributed MRF implementation where the MRF controller (MRFC) and the MRF processor (MRFP) are deployed in a distributed manner, the MRFC and / or MRFP may follow the same Figure 5 The registration process is consistent with the flow shown. In some embodiments, if the pairing is known or pre-configured, only one of the MRFC or MRFP needs to be registered.

[0025] After successful registration, the IMS node may transmit updates to the NRF to communicate changes to its configuration files. Updates may be sent periodically or triggered by preconfigured / predefined events. Updates are used to communicate changes in the state or capabilities of the network to better handle the services provided to the IMS node. For example, the network may adapt and adjust the load of the IMS node when it detects that the selected IMS node is heavily loaded or lightly loaded.

[0026] In some embodiments, the NRF can optionally subscribe to an IMS node for information about the node (eg, the load status of the IMS node). Figure 6An example sequence flow 600 for an NRF subscription process according to one or more embodiments of the present technology is illustrated. At operation 601: the NRF transmits a subscription request (e.g., an Nxxx_eventexposuresubscribe request) to an IMS node so that it can be notified of a state change (e.g., a load change) of the IMS node. At operation 602, the IMS node authorizes the NRF request. At operation 603, the IMS node transmits a response message (e.g., an Nxxx_eventexposuresubscribe response) indicating that the request has been successfully accepted. At operation 604, the IMS node notifies the subscribed NRF (e.g., using the Nxxx_eventexposurenotify service) when its state (e.g., traffic load) changes. For example, the load state of the IMS node may include processor load, media channels, or data throughput. When the IMS node detects that its load exceeds one or more specific thresholds (e.g., 90%), the IMS node may notify the NRF. The interface for subscription / notification between the NRF and the IMS node may be named according to the service type supported by the IMS node. For example, for an IMS Media Resource Function (MRF) node, a new interface Nmrf may be added to provide subscription and even notification signaling.

[0027] When an IMS application server requires a corresponding IMS node to perform an operation for a specific service, the IMS AS requests service discovery / selection by the NRF. Figure 7 An example sequence flow 700 for an IMS node discovery and selection process according to one or more embodiments of the present technology is illustrated. At operation 701, an IMS NF (e.g., CSCF, AS, etc.) invokes discovery of an IMS node by transmitting a request (e.g., Nnrf_NFDiscovery_Request) to an NFR. The request may include information about one or more services supported by at least one IMS node. In some embodiments, the request may include a wildcard string indicating all services in a particular category. At operation 702, the NRF authorizes the discovery request based on 5G SBA practices. At operation 703, the NRF determines one or more IMS nodes that match the services indicated by the request and internal policies. The NRF then transmits information about one or more IMS nodes to the IMS NF via a response message (e.g., Nnrf_NFDiscovery_Request response). In some embodiments, in a distributed MRF implementation where MRFCs and MRFPs are deployed in a distributed manner, the NRF may communicate with the IMS NF to discover the IMS node. Figure 7 The illustrated process consistently discovers / selects MRFCs and / or MRFPs.

[0028] For example, the discovery request may include capabilities for a specific IMS service. In some embodiments, the NRF performs IMS node discovery, and the IMS AS performs IMS node selection. The NRF may respond with a list of IMS nodes that can meet the required service capabilities and other NRF parameters (e.g., location, priority, load, etc.). The IMS AS may select an appropriate IMS node based on the properties and / or characteristics of the IMS node (such as IP address, IMS area, non-public network identifier, PLMN identifier, roaming status, visited PLMN address, UE International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI), UE IMSI, UE Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number (MSISDN), HSS Group ID, required identifier for one or more network slices). In some embodiments, the NRF may perform both IMS node discovery and selection. The NRF may respond with a specific IMS node selected from a list of IMS nodes that meet the service requirements.

[0029] Depending on the specific IMS AS implementation, the AS may request each service individually, or request a specific set collectively (e.g., a TAS supporting voice services may request all voice services the first time it needs service for a specific user, or request each voice service individually when it needs to provide a specific service for a user).

[0030] One category of IMS services is media services (e.g., media resource functions (MRFs)). Examples of media services include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: voice announcements, voice conferencing, voice codec adaptation, video codec adaptation, video conferencing, etc. Other categories of IMS services include, but are not limited to, text messaging (including SMS interworking), Rich Communications Suite (RCS), peer-to-peer (or peer-to-peer) user data channels, IMS gaming services, IMS alternate / augmented reality, real-time text (RTT), and automated language translation services.

[0031] Fig. 8A800 is a flowchart representation of a process 800 for wireless communication according to one or more embodiments of the present technology. Process 800 includes sending a registration request to a network function repository function (NRF) via a first service-based network interface by a network node in an Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) at operation 810. The registration request includes capability information of the network node indicating support for one or more services. In some embodiments, the method includes: receiving a subscription request from the NRF via a second service-based network interface by the network node, and notifying the NRF of information about the state of the network node via the second service-based network interface. In some embodiments, the information about the state of the network node includes load information of the network node (e.g., processor load, network conditions, etc.). In some embodiments, the registration request includes information indicating a network function type (e.g., media service / media function) of the network node. In some embodiments, the first service-based network interface includes an Nnrf interface.

[0032] Figure 8B 850 is a flowchart representation of a process 850 for wireless communication according to one or more embodiments of the present technology. Process 850 includes receiving a registration request from a network node in an Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) via a first service-based network interface by a network function repository function (NRF) at operation 860. The registration request includes capability information of the network node indicating support for one or more services. In some embodiments, the method includes: sending a subscription request to the network node by the NRF via a second service-based network interface; and monitoring the state of the network node by the NRF in response to the subscription request. In some embodiments, the state of the network node includes load information of the network node. In some embodiments, the registration request includes information indicating the network function type of the network node. In some embodiments, the first service-based network interface includes an Nnrf interface. In some embodiments, the method includes: receiving a service request for a specified service from an application server of the IMS by the NRF, and determining one or more network nodes that support the specified service based on the capabilities of the network nodes in the IMS by the NRF in response to the service request.

[0033] Fig. 99 is a flowchart representation of a process 900 for wireless communication according to one or more embodiments of the present technology. The process 900 includes sending a service request for a specified service to a network function repository function (NRF) by an application server Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) at operation 910. The process 900 also includes receiving one or more network nodes that support the specified service in response to the service request at operation 920. In some embodiments, the method includes selecting a network node from one or more network nodes provided by the NRF by the application server.

[0034] For example, the network node includes a media resource function (MRF). The capability information indicates support for at least one of the following: voice announcement service, voice conferencing service, voice codec adaptation service, video codec adaptation service, video conferencing service. The second service-based network interface may be named according to the service type (e.g., Nmrf interface).

[0035] One example of changes that may be made to 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 23.228 is shown in Table 1 below.

[0036] Table 1 Example changes to TS 23.228 of the 3GPP standard

[0037]

[0038]

[0039]

[0040] Another example of changes that may be made to 3GPP TS 23.502 is shown in Table 2 below (in bold and underlined text).

[0041] Table 2 Example changes to TS23.502 of the 3GPP standard

[0042]

[0043]

[0044]

[0045] Wireless communication system Fig.101 is an illustration of a wireless telecommunications network 1000 ("network 1000") in which aspects of the disclosed technology are incorporated. Network 1000 includes base stations 1002-1 to 1002-4 (also referred to individually as "base stations 1002" or collectively as "base stations 1002"). A base station is a type of network access node (NAN), which may also be referred to as a cell site, a base transceiver station, or a radio base station. Network 1000 may include any combination of NANs, including access points, radio transceivers, gNodeBs (gNBs), NodeBs, eNodeBs (eNBs), Home NodeBs, or Home eNodeBs, among others. In addition to being a wireless wide area network (WWAN) base station, a NAN may also be a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point, such as an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 access point.

[0046] The NAN of network 1000 formed by network 1000 also includes wireless devices 1004-1 to 1004-7 (individually referred to as "wireless devices 1004" or collectively referred to as "wireless devices 1004") and a core network 1006. Wireless devices 1004-1 to 1004-7 may correspond to or include network 1000 entities capable of communicating using various connection standards. For example, a 5G communication channel may use a millimeter wave (mmW) access frequency of 28 GHz or higher. In some specific implementations, wireless device 1004 may be operably coupled to base station 1002 on a long term evolution / advanced long term evolution (LTE / LTE-A) communication channel referred to as a 4G communication channel.

[0047] The core network 1006 provides, manages, and controls security services, user authentication, access authorization, tracking, Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity, and other access, routing, or mobility functions. The base station 1002 interfaces with the core network 1006 via a first set of backhaul links (e.g., S1 interfaces) and may perform radio configuration and scheduling for communications with the wireless device 1004 or may operate under the control of a base station controller (not shown). In some examples, the base stations 1002 may communicate with each other directly or indirectly (e.g., through the core network 1006) over a second set of backhaul links 1010-1 to 1010-3 (e.g., X1 interfaces), which may be wired or wireless communication links.

[0048] Base station 1002 may communicate wirelessly with wireless device 1004 via one or more base station antennas. Cell sites may provide communication coverage for geographic coverage areas 1012-1 to 1012-4 (also individually referred to as "coverage areas 1012" or collectively referred to as "coverage areas 1012"). The geographic coverage area 1012 of base station 1002 may be divided into sectors (not shown) that constitute only a portion of the coverage area. Network 1000 may include different types of base stations (e.g., macro and / or small cell base stations). In some specific implementations, there may be overlapping geographic coverage areas 1012 for different service environments (e.g., Internet of Things (IoT), mobile broadband (MBB), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), machine-to-machine (M2M), machine-to-machine (M2X), ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC), machine-type communication (MTC), etc.).

[0049] The network 1000 may include a 5G network 1000 and / or an LTE / LTE-A or other network. In an LTE / LTE-A network, the term eNB is used to describe a base station 1002, and in a 5G New Radio (NR) network, the term gNB is used to describe a base station 1002 that may include mmW communications. Thus, the network 1000 may form a heterogeneous network 1000 in which different types of base stations provide coverage for various geographic areas. For example, each base station 1002 may provide communication coverage for a macro cell, a small cell, and / or other types of cells. As used herein, the term "cell" may relate to a base station, a carrier or component carrier associated with a base station, or a coverage area (e.g., a sector) of a carrier or base station, depending on the context.

[0050] A macro cell generally covers a relatively large geographic area (e.g., a radius of several kilometers) and may allow access by wireless devices with a service subscription to a wireless network 1000 service provider. As indicated above, a small cell is a lower power base station compared to a macro cell and may operate in the same or different (e.g., licensed, unlicensed) frequency band as a macro cell. Examples of small cells include pico cells, femto cells, and micro cells. In general, a pico cell may cover a relatively smaller geographic area and may allow unrestricted access by wireless devices with a service subscription to a network 1000 provider. A femto cell covers a relatively small geographic area (e.g., a home) and may provide restricted access by wireless devices associated with a femto cell (e.g., wireless devices in a closed subscriber group (CSG), wireless devices of users in a home). A base station may support one or more (e.g., two, three, four, etc.) cells (e.g., component carriers). All fixed transceivers that may provide access to the network 1000 as indicated herein are NANs, including small cells.

[0051] A communication network adapted to various disclosed examples may be a packet-based network operating according to a layered protocol stack. In the user plane, communications at the bearer or packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer may be IP-based. The radio link control (RLC) layer then performs packet segmentation and reassembly to communicate on a logical channel. The medium access control (MAC) layer may perform priority handling and multiplex logical channels into transport channels. The MAC layer may also use hybrid ARQ (HARQ) to provide retransmission at the MAC layer to improve link efficiency. In the control plane, the radio resource control (RRC) protocol layer provides the establishment, configuration, and maintenance of an RRC connection between a wireless device 1004 and a base station 1002 or a core network 1006 supporting a radio bearer for user plane data. At the physical (PHY) layer, transport channels are mapped to physical channels.

[0052] Wireless devices may be integrated with or embedded in other devices. As illustrated, wireless devices 1004 are distributed throughout the system 1000, where each wireless device 1004 may be fixed or mobile. For example, wireless devices may include handheld mobile devices 1004-1 and 1004-2 (e.g., smart phones, portable hotspots, tablets, etc.); laptops 1004-3; wearable devices 1004-4; drones 1004-5; vehicles with wireless connectivity 1004-6; head-mounted displays 1004-7 with wireless augmented reality / virtual reality (AR / VR) connectivity; portable game consoles; wireless routers, gateways, modems, and other fixed wireless access devices; wirelessly connected sensors that provide data to remote servers over a network; IoT devices, such as wirelessly connected smart home appliances, etc.

[0053] Wireless devices (e.g., wireless devices 1004-1, 1004-2, 1004-3, 1004-4, 1004-5, 1004-6, and 1004-7) may be referred to as user equipment (UE), customer premises equipment (CPE), mobile station, subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, handheld mobile device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, terminal equipment, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handset, mobile client, client, etc.

[0054] The wireless device may communicate with various types of base stations and network 1000 equipment at the edge of the network 1000, including macro eNB / gNB, small cell eNB / gNB, relay base station, etc. The wireless device may also communicate with other wireless devices within or outside the same coverage area of ​​the base station via device-to-device (D2D) communication.

[0055] The communication links 1014-1 to 1014-9 shown in the network 1000 (also individually referred to as "communication links 1014" or collectively referred to as "communication links 1014") include uplink (UL) transmissions from the wireless device 1004 to the base station 1002 and / or downlink (DL) transmissions from the base station 1002 to the wireless device 1004. Downlink transmissions may also be referred to as forward link transmissions, while uplink transmissions may also be referred to as reverse link transmissions. Each communication link 1014 includes one or more carriers, where each carrier may be a signal composed of multiple subcarriers modulated according to various radio technologies (e.g., waveform signals of different frequencies). Each modulated signal may be transmitted on a different subcarrier and carry control information (e.g., reference signals, control channels), overhead information, user data, etc. The communication link 1014 may use frequency division duplex (FDD) (e.g., using paired spectrum resources) or time division duplex (TDD) operation (e.g., using unpaired spectrum resources) to transmit bidirectional communications. In some implementations, the communication link 1014 includes an LTE and / or mmW communication link.

[0056] In some implementations of the network 1000, the base station 1002 and / or the wireless device 1004 include multiple antennas for employing antenna diversity schemes to improve the quality and reliability of communications between the base station 1002 and the wireless device 1004. Additionally or alternatively, the base station 1002 and / or the wireless device 1004 can employ multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) techniques that can utilize a multipath environment to transmit multiple spatial layers carrying the same or different coded data.

[0057] Computer Systems

[0058] Fig.11 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a computer system 1100 in which at least some of the operations described herein may be implemented. As shown, the computer system 1100 may include: one or more processors 1102; main memory 1106; non-volatile memory 1110; network interface device 1112; video display device 1118; input / output device 1120; control device 1122 (e.g., keyboard and pointing device); drive unit 1124, which includes storage medium 1126; and signal generating device 1130, which is communicatively connected to bus 1116. Bus 1116 represents one or more physical buses and / or point-to-point connections connected by appropriate bridges, adapters, or controllers. For simplicity, the following description will be given in detail. Figure 7 Various common components (eg, cache memory) are omitted. Rather, computer system 1100 is intended to illustrate a hardware device on which components illustrated or described with respect to the examples of the figures and any other components described in this specification may be implemented.

[0059] The computer system 1100 may take any appropriate physical form. For example, the computing system 1100 may share an architecture similar to that of a server computer, a personal computer (PC), a tablet computer, a mobile phone, a game console, a music player, a wearable electronic device, a network-connected ("smart") device (e.g., a television or home assistant), an AR / VR system (e.g., a head-mounted display), or any electronic device capable of executing a set of instructions specifying actions to be taken by the computing system 1100. In some implementations, the computer system 1100 may be an embedded computer system, a system on a chip (SOC), a single board computer system (SBC), or a distributed system (such as a network of computer systems) or include one or more cloud components in one or more networks. Where appropriate, one or more computer systems 1100 may perform operations in real time, near real time, or in batch mode.

[0060] The network interface device 1112 enables the computing system 1100 to communicate with entities external to the computing system 1100 by mediating data across a network 1114 via any communication protocol supported by the computing system 1100 and the external entities. Examples of the network interface device 1112 include a network adapter card, a wireless network interface card, a router, an access point, a wireless router, a switch, a multilayer switch, a protocol converter, a gateway, a bridge, a bridge router, a hub, a digital media receiver and / or a repeater, and all wireless elements noted herein.

[0061] The memory (e.g., main memory 1106, non-volatile memory 1110, machine-readable medium 1126) may be local, remote, or distributed. Although shown as a single medium, the machine-readable medium 1126 may include multiple media (e.g., centralized / distributed databases and / or associated caches and servers) storing one or more sets of instructions 1128. The machine-readable (storage) medium 1126 may include any medium capable of storing, encoding, or carrying sets of instructions for execution by the computing system 1100. The machine-readable medium 1126 may be non-transient or include a non-transient device. In this context, a non-transient storage medium may include a tangible device, meaning that the device has a specific physical form, but the device can change its physical state. Thus, for example, non-transient refers to a device that remains tangible despite such a change in state.

[0062] Although specific implementations have been described in the context of a fully operational computing device, various examples can be distributed as program products in a variety of forms. Examples of machine-readable storage media, machine-readable media, or computer-readable media include recordable media (such as volatile and non-volatile memory devices 1110, removable flash memory, hard drives, optical disks) and transmission media (such as digital and analog communication links).

[0063] Generally speaking, the routines executed to implement the examples herein may be implemented as part of an operating system or a specific application, component, program, object, module, or sequence of instructions (collectively referred to as a "computer program"). A computer program typically includes one or more sets of instructions (e.g., instructions 1104, 1108, 1128) in various memories and storage devices in a computing device at various times. When read and executed by processor 1102, the instructions cause the computing system 1100 to perform operations to perform elements related to various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0064] It should therefore be understood that the disclosed technology can be implemented in IMS to provide modularity and unified communications between IMS and other network functions in 5G or next generation wireless communication networks, thereby allowing for improved efficiency and reduced complexity in signaling, monitoring, and deployment.

[0065] Remark

[0066] The description and associated drawings are illustrative examples and should not be construed as limiting. The present disclosure provides certain details for a thorough understanding of these examples and enabling description. However, those skilled in the relevant art will appreciate that the present invention can be practiced without many of these details. Similarly, those skilled in the relevant art will appreciate that the present invention may include well-known structures or features that are not shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of the examples.

[0067] The terms "example," "implementation," and "implementation" are used interchangeably. For example, references to "one example" or "example" in the present disclosure may be, but are not necessarily, references to the same implementation; and such references mean at least one of the implementations. The appearances of the phrase "in an example" do not necessarily all refer to the same example, nor are they separate or alternative examples that are mutually exclusive of other examples. Features, structures, or characteristics described in conjunction with one example may be included in another example of the present disclosure. In addition, various features are described that may be exhibited by some examples and not by other examples. Similarly, various requirements are described that may be requirements of some examples and not others.

[0068] The terms used herein should be interpreted in their broadest reasonable manner, even if they are used in conjunction with certain specific examples of the present invention. The terms used in this disclosure generally have their ordinary meanings in the relevant technical field, in the context of this disclosure, and in the specific context in which each term is used. The statement of alternative language or synonyms does not exclude the use of other synonyms. Whether a term is detailed or discussed in this article should not have special significance. The use of highlighting has no effect on the scope and meaning of the term. In addition, it should be understood that the same thing can be described in more than one way.

[0069] Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims, the words "including" and the like should be interpreted as inclusive rather than exclusive or exhaustive; that is, in the sense of "including but not limited to". As used herein, the terms "connected", "coupled" or any variant thereof mean any connection or coupling (whether direct or indirect) between two or more elements; the coupling or connection between elements may be physical, logical or a combination thereof. Additionally, the words "herein", "above", "below" and words of similar meaning may refer to the entire application, rather than any particular part of the application. Where the context permits, the words used in the singular or plural in the above specific embodiments may also include the plural or singular, respectively. The word "or" about a list of two or more items covers all the following interpretations of the word: any item in the list, all items in the list, and any combination of items in the list. The term "module" refers broadly to software components, firmware components, and / or hardware components.

[0070] Although the above describes the specific example of technology for illustrative purposes, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the relevant art, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention.For example, although the process or frame are presented in a given order, alternative specific implementation can perform a routine with steps in different orders or adopt a system with a frame, and some processes or frames can be deleted, moved, added, subdivided, combined and / or modified to provide alternative or sub-combinations.Each process or frame in these processes or frames can be implemented in a variety of different ways.And, although a process or frame is sometimes shown as being performed successively, these processes or frames can be performed or implemented in parallel instead, or can be performed at different times.In addition, any specific number pointed out herein is only an example, so that alternative specific implementation can adopt different values ​​or scopes.

[0071] The details of the disclosed implementations may be quite different in specific implementations while still being covered by the disclosed teachings. As noted above, the specific terms used when describing the features or aspects of the present invention should not be considered to imply that the term is redefined herein to be limited to any specific characteristics, features or aspects of the present invention associated with the term. Generally speaking, the terms used in the appended claims should not be interpreted as limiting the present invention to the specific examples disclosed herein, unless the above specific embodiments clearly define such terms. Therefore, the actual scope of the present invention not only covers the disclosed examples, but also covers all equivalent ways of practicing or implementing the present invention under the claims. Some alternative implementations may include additional elements of those implementations described above or include fewer elements.

[0072] Any patents and applications and other references identified above, as well as any documents that may be listed in accompanying filing documents, are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, except for any subject matter disclaimers or disclaimers, and unless the incorporated material is inconsistent with the explicit disclosure herein (in which case the language of the present disclosure controls). Aspects of the invention can be modified to employ the systems, functions, and concepts of the various references described above to provide yet further embodiments of the invention.

[0073] In order to reduce the number of claims, certain specific implementations are presented below in certain claim forms, but the applicant envisions various aspects of the invention in other forms. For example, various aspects of the claims can be stated in a component plus function form or in other forms (such as embodied in a computer-readable medium). Claims intended to be interpreted as component plus function claims will use the words "components for...". However, the use of the term "for" in any other context is not intended to invoke a similar interpretation. The applicant reserves the right to seek such additional claim forms in this application or in a continuation application.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication, comprising: A registration request is sent by a network node in an Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) to a Network Function Repository Function (NRF) via a first service-based network interface, wherein the registration request includes capability information of the network node indicating support for one or more services.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: receiving, by the network node, a subscription request from the NRF via a second service-based network interface, and The NRF is notified of information regarding a status of the network node via the second service-based network interface. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the information about the status of the network node comprises load information of the network node.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the registration request comprises information indicating a network function type of the network node.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first service-based network interface comprises an Nnrf interface.

6. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the network node includes a media resource function (MRF), and wherein the capability information indicates support for at least one of the following: a voice announcement service, a voice conferencing service, a voice codec adaptation service, a video codec adaptation service, or a video conferencing service.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the second service-based network interface comprises an Nmrf interface.

8. A method for wireless communication, comprising: A registration request is received by a network function repository function (NRF) from a network node in an Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) via a first service-based network interface, wherein the registration request includes capability information of the network node indicating support for one or more services.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: Sending, by the NRF, a subscription request to the network node via a second service-based network interface; as well as The status of the network node is monitored by the NRF in response to the subscription request.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the status of the network node comprises load information of the network node.

11. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the registration request comprises information indicating a network function type of the network node.

12. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the first service-based network interface comprises an Nnrf interface.

13. A method according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein the network node includes a media resource function (MRF), and wherein the capability information indicates support for at least one of the following: a voice announcement service, a voice conferencing service, a voice codec adaptation service, a video codec adaptation service, or a video conferencing service.

14. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 13, wherein the second service-based network interface comprises an Nmrf interface.

15. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 14, further comprising: receiving, by the NRF, a service request for a designated service from an application server of the IMS, and The NRF determines, in response to the service request, one or more network nodes supporting the specified service according to capabilities of network nodes in the IMS.

16. A method for wireless communication, comprising: The application server Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) sends a service request for a specified service to the Network Function Repository Function (NRF), and One or more network nodes supporting the specified service are received in response to the service request.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising: A network node is selected by the application server from the one or more network nodes provided by the NRF.

18. A communication device comprising a processor configured to implement the method according to any one or more of claims 1 to 17.

19. A computer program product having stored thereon codes which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to implement the method according to any one or more of claims 1 to 17.

Images