Time-demanding communications between user equipments

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to time-demanding communications between user equipments. Systems, methods, integrated circuits, and computer-readable storage media for configuring time-demanding communications (TSC) are disclosed. The configuration of the TSC includes monitoring, by a user plane function (UPF), a source and destination of packets in a first protocol data unit (PDU) session of a first user equipment (UE) and in a second PDU session of a second UE; pairing a first device-side TSN converter (DS-TT) port of the first UE with a second DS-TT port of the second UE when the first PDU session and the second PDU session are served by the same UPF, where the pairing is based on the monitoring of the first PDU session and the second PDU session, and when the first DS-TT port and the second DS-TT port are paired, the pairing is based on the monitoring of the first PDU session and the second PDU session. The packet is transmitted between the first UE and the second UE in a UE-UE communication manner without traversing the TSN.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of a Chinese patent application with an application date of April 30, 2021, a national application number of 202110479026.9, and an invention name of “Time-critical communication between user equipment”. Background Art

[0002] In Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) applications, various UEs transmit and receive time-critical communications (TSC) to / from each other. These communications are typically performed via a Time-critical Networking (TSN) network. The UEs may include industrial equipment / machinery networked together. This connectivity allows data collection, exchange, analysis and / or control of the various UEs. In order to facilitate communication from a first UE to a second UE, a TSN bridge is established between each UE and the TSN network. The data packets are then transmitted from the first UE to the TSN network via the TSN bridge on the transmitting side and then received by the second UE via the TSN bridge on the receiving side. Summary of the invention

[0003] Some exemplary embodiments include a method for configuring time-critical communication (TSC). The method includes: monitoring, by a user plane function (UPF), a source and a destination of packets in a first protocol data unit (PDU) session of a first user equipment (UE), wherein the packets are communicated over a time-critical network (TSN); monitoring, by the UPF, a source and a destination of packets in a second PDU session of a second UE, wherein the packets are communicated over a time-critical network (TSN); pairing, when the first PDU session and the second PDU session are served by the same UPF, a first device-side TSN translator (DS-TT) port of the first UE with a second DS-TT port of the second UE, wherein the pairing is based on monitoring the first PDU session and the second PDU session, and when the first DS-TT port and the second DS-TT port are paired, transmitting packets between the first UE and the second UE in a UE-UE communication manner without traversing the TSN.

[0004] Other exemplary embodiments provide a system having one or more network components configured to provide a fifth generation core network (5GC) that provides 5G radio access network (RAN) services to a first user equipment (UE) and a second UE in a time-critical communication (TSC) network (TSN). The one or more network components are configured to: monitor, by a user plane function (UPF), the source and destination of packets in a first protocol data unit (PDU) session of the first UE; monitor, by the UPF, the source and destination of packets in a second PDU session of the second UE; when the first PDU session and the second PDU session are served by the same UPF, pair a first device-side TSN converter (DS-TT) port of the first UE with a second DS-TT port of the second UE, wherein the pairing is based on monitoring the first PDU session and the second PDU session, and when the first DS-TT port and the second DS-TT port are paired, transmit packets between the first UE and the second UE in a UE-UE communication manner without traversing the TSN.

[0005] Another exemplary embodiment provides one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media including an instruction set. The instruction causes one or more processors to perform operations when executed. The operation includes: monitoring the source and destination of a packet in a first protocol data unit (PDU) session of a first user equipment (UE) by a user plane function (UPF), wherein the packet is communicated through a time-critical network (TSN); monitoring the source and destination of a packet in a second PDU session of a second UE by the UPF, wherein the packet is communicated through a time-critical network (TSN); when the first PDU session and the second PDU session are served by the same UPF, pairing the first device-side TSN converter (DS-TT) port of the first UE with the second DS-TT port of the second UE, wherein the pairing is based on monitoring the first PDU session and the second PDU session, and when the first DS-TT port and the second DS-TT port are paired, transmitting packets between the first UE and the second UE in a UE-UE communication manner without traversing the TSN. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Figure 1 Exemplary network arrangements are shown according to various exemplary embodiments.

[0007] Figure 2 An exemplary UE according to various exemplary embodiments is shown.

[0008] Figure 3 An exemplary network architecture for TSC data exchange according to various exemplary embodiments is shown.

[0009] Figure 4 A signaling diagram for UE-to-UE communication according to various exemplary embodiments is shown.

[0010] Figure 5 A signaling diagram is shown for a user plane function (UPF) reporting a port pair to an application function (AF) according to various exemplary embodiments.

[0011] Figure 6 A second exemplary signaling diagram is shown for UPF reporting port pairs to AF according to various exemplary embodiments.

[0012] Figure 7 A signaling diagram for UE-initiated port pairing according to various exemplary embodiments is shown.

[0013] Figure 8 A signaling diagram for SMF port pairing in response to a UE request according to various exemplary embodiments is shown.

[0014] Fig. 9 A signaling diagram of AMF / SMF broadcasting available port pairings for UE selection according to various exemplary embodiments is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] The exemplary embodiments may be further understood with reference to the following description and the associated drawings, wherein similar elements have the same reference numerals. The exemplary embodiments relate to a first user equipment (UE) sending a time-critical communication (TSC) to a second UE. If the first UE and the second UE are served by the same UPF, the exemplary embodiments allow a user plane function (UPF) on a 5G new radio (NR) core network to bypass a time-critical networking (TSN) network, thereby saving time between transmitting and receiving TSC data.

[0016] The exemplary embodiments are also described with reference to a network including a 5G New Radio (NR) radio access technology (RAT). However, in some embodiments, the network may include a Long Term Evolution (LTE) RAT, even though the following description will focus primarily on the 5G NR RAT. Although the UE may communicate with the network over both licensed and unlicensed bands of the spectrum, the following description will focus primarily on NR-U communications between the UE and the network.

[0017] The first problem with TSC data is that it is always routed through the TSN network, regardless of whether the transmitting UE and the receiving UE are served by UPF. Therefore, time that is critical to TSC is wasted.

[0018] According to an exemplary embodiment, if the UPF determines that the device-side TSN translator (DS-TT) port of the first UE (UE1) and the DS-TT of the second UE (UE2) are served by the same UPF, the UPF may pair the two DS-TT ports instead of routing the communication through the TSN network.

[0019] According to another exemplary embodiment, the first UE1 may hardcode the DS-TT port of the second UE2 (e.g., via update or storage in a memory device of UE1), or UE1 may know the details of the DS-TT port of UE2 from previous TSC communication. In such an embodiment, UE1 may send the port pairing to the session management function (SMF) of the 5G NR core network during PDU session establishment.

[0020] According to another exemplary embodiment, the UPF maintains a database of all DS-TT ports served by the UPF. The UPF shares the database with the SMF. When UE1 establishes a PDU session with the SMF, UE1 requests a port pairing for UE2. In response, the SMF selects a port pair suitable for the UE selected by UE1 (e.g., UE2).

[0021] According to another exemplary embodiment, the SMF notifies the access and mobility management function (AMF) on the 5G NR core network of the DS-TT port database shared by the UPF and the SMF. The AMF broadcasts a list of available ports for pairing to all UEs served by the same UPF. When UE1 establishes a PDU session with the SMF, UE1 can send the port pairing to the SMF based on the broadcasted list.

[0022] Figure 1 An exemplary network arrangement 100 according to various exemplary embodiments is shown. The exemplary network arrangement 100 includes a UE 110 and a UE 112. Although the following description focuses primarily on Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) devices, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the UE 110 and the UE 112 may alternatively be any type of electronic component configured to communicate via a network, such as a mobile phone, a tablet, a smart phone, a phablet, an embedded device, a wearable device, a Cat-M device, a Cat-M1 device, an MTC device, an eMTC device, other types of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, etc. It should also be understood that an actual network arrangement may include any number of UEs used by any number of users. Therefore, an example with two UEs 110 and UE 112 is provided for illustrative purposes only.

[0023] UE 110 and UE 112 may be configured to communicate with one or more networks. In the example of network configuration 100, the networks with which UE 110 and UE 112 may wirelessly communicate are 5G New Radio (NR) Radio Access Network (5G NR-RAN) 120, LTE Radio Access Network (LTE-RAN) 122, and Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) 124. However, it should be understood that UE 110 and UE 112 may also communicate with other types of networks, and UE 110 and UE 112 may also communicate with the network via a wired connection. Therefore, UE 110 and UE 112 may include a 5G NR chipset that communicates with 5G NR-RAN 120, an LTE chipset that communicates with LTE-RAN 122, and an ISM chipset that communicates with WLAN 124.

[0024] 5G NR-RAN 120 and LTE-RAN 122 may be part of cellular networks that may be deployed by cellular providers (e.g., Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, etc.). These networks 120, 122 may include, for example, cells or base stations (NodeB, eNodeB, HeNB, eNBS, gNB, gNodeB, macrocell base stations, microcell base stations, small cell base stations, femtocell base stations, etc.) configured to send and receive traffic from UEs equipped with appropriate cellular chipsets. WLAN 124 may include any type of wireless local area network (WiFi, hotspot, IEEE 802.11x network, etc.).

[0025] UE 110 and UE 112 may be connected to 5G NR-RAN 120 via gNB 120A. gNB 120A may be configured with necessary hardware (e.g., antenna array), software and / or firmware to perform massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) functionality. Massive MIMO may refer to a base station configured to generate multiple beams for multiple UEs. During operation, UE 110 and UE 112 may be within range of multiple gNBs. Therefore, simultaneously or alternatively, UE 110 and UE 112 may also be connected to 5G NR-RAN 120 via gNB 120B. Reference to two gNBs 120A, 120B is for illustrative purposes only. The exemplary embodiments may be applied to any appropriate number of gNBs. Additionally, UE 110 and UE 112 may communicate with eNB 122A of LTE-RAN 122 to transmit and receive control information for downlink and / or uplink synchronization with respect to the 5G NR-RAN 120 connection.

[0026] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that any associated process may be performed for UE 110 and UE 112 to connect to 5G NR-RAN 120. For example, as described above, 5G NR-RAN 120 may be associated with a particular cellular provider at which UE 110 and UE 112 and / or their users have protocol and credential information (e.g., stored on a SIM card). Upon detecting the presence of 5G NR-RAN 120, UE 110 and UE 112 may transmit corresponding credential information in order to associate with 5G NR-RAN 120. More specifically, UE 110 and UE 112 may be associated with a particular base station (e.g., gNB 120A of 5G NR-RAN 120).

[0027] In addition to networks 120 and 122, network arrangement 100 also includes a cellular core network 130. Cellular core network 130 can be viewed as an interconnected collection of components that manage the operation and traffic of a cellular network. In this example, the components include SMF 131, AMF 132, UPF 133, policy control function (PCF) 134, application function (AF) 135, and TSN network 136. However, an actual cellular core network may include a variety of other components that perform any of a variety of different functions.

[0028] SMF 131 performs operations related to: session management (SM), UE IP address allocation and management (including optional authorization), selection and control of user plane functions; configuring traffic steering at UPF 133 to route traffic to the appropriate destination, terminating the interface towards the policy control function, controlling part of policy enforcement and quality of service (QoS), downlink data notification; initiating access network specific SM information sent to 5G NR RAN 120 via AMF 132; and determining the session and service continuity (SSC) mode of the session. SM may refer to the management of PDU sessions. PDU sessions may refer to PDU connectivity services that provide or implement PDU exchanges between UE 110 and cellular core network 130. PDU sessions can be established at the request of UE 110 and UE 112. Reference to a single SMF 131 is for illustrative purposes only; actual network arrangements may include any appropriate number of SMFs, as will be discussed below.

[0029] AMF 132 performs operations related to mobility management, such as, but not limited to, paging, non-access stratum (NAS) management, and registration process management between UE 110 and UE 112 and cellular core network 130. Reference to a single AMF 132 is for illustrative purposes only; an actual network arrangement may include any appropriate number of AMFs.

[0030] The UPF 133 performs operations related to intra-RAT and inter-RAT mobility, external PDU session points interconnecting with the cellular core network 130, and branch points supporting multi-homed PDU sessions. The UPF 133 may also perform packet routing and forwarding, perform packet inspection, implement the user plane portion of policy rules, lawful interception of packets (UP collection), perform traffic usage reporting, perform QoS processing for the user plane (e.g., packet filtering, gating, UL / DL rate enforcement), perform uplink traffic validation (e.g., service data flow (SDF) to QoS flow mapping), transport level packet marking in the uplink and downlink, and downlink packet buffering and downlink data notification triggering. Reference to a single UPF 133 is for illustrative purposes only; an actual network arrangement may include any appropriate number of UPFs.

[0031] PCF 134 performs operations related to the control plane, such as, but not limited to, managing policy rules for control plane functions, including network slicing, roaming, and mobility management. Reference to a single PCF 134 is for illustrative purposes only; actual network arrangements may include any appropriate number of PCFs.

[0032] AF 135 performs operations related to the impact of applications on traffic routing, access to the network cloud engine (NCE), and interaction with the policy framework for policy control. NCE can be a mechanism that allows the cellular core network 130 and AF 135 to provide information to each other, which can be used for edge computing implementation. In such implementations, network operators and third-party services can be hosted near the UE 110 and UE 112 access points of the attachment to achieve effective service delivery through reduced end-to-end delay and load on the transmission network. For edge computing implementations, the cellular core network 130 can select a UPF 133 close to UE 110 and UE 112, and perform traffic steering from UPF 133 to the network. This can be based on UE subscription data, UE location, and information provided by AF 135. In this way, AF 135 can affect UPF (re) selection and traffic routing. Reference to a single AF135 is for illustrative purposes only; the actual network arrangement may include any appropriate number of AFs.

[0033] The TSN network 136 performs operations related to ensuring minimum latency for critical data, reserving resources for critical traffic (e.g., TSC data), and configuring 5G system (5GS) bridge parameters for TSC data.

[0034] Figure 2 An exemplary UE 110 is shown in accordance with various exemplary embodiments. Figure 2An exemplary UE 110 will be described, but it should be understood that the description is equally applicable to UE 112. Figure 1 100 is used to describe the UE 110. The UE 110 may represent any electronic device and may include a processor 205, a memory arrangement 210, a display device 215, an input / output (I / O) device 220, a transceiver 225, and other components 230. The other components 230 may include, for example, an audio input device, an audio output device, a battery providing a limited power source, a data acquisition device, a port for electrically connecting the UE 110 to other electronic devices, one or more antenna panels, etc. For example, the UE 110 may be coupled to industrial equipment via one or more ports.

[0035] The processor 205 may be configured to execute multiple engines of the UE 110. For example, the engines may include a TSC management engine 235. The TSC management engine 235 may perform various operations related to configuring TSC data for transmission, establishing a PDU session with an SMF, and processing received TSC data.

[0036] The above-described engine as an application (e.g., program) executed by the processor 205 is merely exemplary. The functions associated with the engine may also be represented as an independent combined component of the UE 110, or may be a modular component coupled to the UE 110, for example, an integrated circuit with or without firmware. For example, an integrated circuit may include an input circuit for receiving a signal and a processing circuit for processing the signal and other information. The engine may also be embodied as an application or multiple separate applications. In addition, in some UEs, the functionality described for the processor 205 is shared between two or more processors such as a baseband processor and an application processor. The exemplary embodiments may be implemented in any of these or other configurations of the UE.

[0037] The memory arrangement 210 may be a hardware component configured to store data related to operations performed by the UE 110. The display device 215 may be a hardware component configured to display data to a user, and the I / O device 220 may be a hardware component that enables user input. The display device 215 and the I / O device 220 may be separate components or may be integrated together (such as a touch screen). The transceiver 225 may be a hardware component configured to establish a connection with the 5G NR-RAN 120, LTE-RAN 122, WLAN 124, etc. Thus, the transceiver 225 may operate on multiple different frequencies or channels (e.g., a continuous set of frequencies).

[0038] Figure 3An exemplary network architecture 300 for TSC data exchange between a first UE (UE1 301) and a second UE (UE2 302) according to various exemplary embodiments is shown. Figure 3 As shown, in order to send TSC data from one UE (e.g., UE1 301) to another UE (e.g., UE2 302), each UE establishes a PDU session (PDU session 1 and PDU session 2) with UPF 304. Figure 3 As shown, both UEs are electrically coupled to the same TSN terminal station 306. The TSN terminal station 306 may be, for example, an industrial facility where each UE is communicatively coupled to industrial equipment. Currently, TSC data is routed from a transmitting UE (UE1 301 or UE2 302) to a UPF 304, to a TSN system 308, back to the same UPF 304, and to a receiving UE (UE2 302 or UE1 301). This routing is Figure 3 is marked as "No UE-UE communication".

[0039] However, as will be discussed below, according to an exemplary embodiment, since UPF 304 serves both PDU sessions, UPF 304 may bypass TSN system 308 and perform port pairing of the DS-TT ports of the two UEs. Figure 3 Therefore, sending TSC data from one UE to another UE (UE-UE communication) saves time.

[0040] The following exemplary embodiments include various signaling diagrams, which include messages exchanged between various components and / or functions. These messages may be provided with message names and / or information element (IE) names. It should be understood that these names are merely exemplary, and in different embodiments, messages and / or IEs providing the same information may have different names. Those skilled in the art will understand the various functions and / or information provided in each message, and may apply them to other embodiments.

[0041] Figure 4 A signaling diagram for UE-to-UE communication according to various exemplary embodiments is shown. At 401, a first UE (UE1 451) having a first DS-TT port establishes a PDU session (1) with a first SMF (SMF1 454). At 402, a second UE (UE2 452) having a second DS-TT port establishes a PDU session (2) with a second SMF (SMF2 455). It is determined here that both PDU sessions are served by the same UPF 456 having a network side TT (NW-TT).

[0042] Therefore, at 403, UPF 456 determines that traffic flows between the DS-TT port of UE1 451 and the DS-TT port of UE2 452 based on the source MAC address and the destination MAC address. Therefore, the two ports can be paired. In some embodiments, UPF 456 assigns port numbers to the DS-TT port of UE1 451 and the DS-TT port of UE2 452 during the corresponding PDU session. UPF 456 can maintain a database table in which all port numbers are assigned to different DS-TTs served by the PDU. UPF 456 will understand the source port number and the destination port number based on the header of the Ethernet packet. Therefore, UPF 456 determines that two UEs can be paired for UE-UE communication based on the source port number and the destination port number present in the header.

[0043] At 404, UPF 456 transmits the port pair to AF 458 via SMF (SMF1 454 or SMF2 455) and PCF 457. AF 458 may be a TSN AF. At 405, AF 458 calculates the bridge delay information as follows:

[0044] Bridge delay information = [UE1-DT-TT dwell time + PDB of PDU session (1)] + [UE2-DS-TT dwell time + PDB of PDU session (2)]

[0045] Wherein, the dwell time is the time taken for a data packet to travel from the DS-TT to its corresponding UE; PDB is the packet delay budget of the PDU session.

[0046] At 406, based on the calculated bridge delay information, AF 458 evaluates the QoS of the UL link and the DL link for UE-UE communication, and shares the information with PCF 457 together with TSC auxiliary information (TSCAI), and requests PCF 457 to create corresponding policy control and charging (PCC) rules for SMF via, for example, Npcf_Policy Authorization service for use in PDU session. TSCAI is information describing TSC traffic characteristics.

[0047] At 407, PCF 457 creates PCC rules for uplink transmission and updates SMF1 454 of PDU Session (1) via, for example, Npcf_SMPolicyControl_UpdateNotify procedure. At 408, SMF1 454 modifies PDU Session (1) where the updated QoS is sent to the DS-TT of UE1 451. Figure 4As shown, the PDU session modification for accommodating UE-to-UE communication can be performed in the same manner as the PDU session modification described with respect to Section 4.3.3.2-1 of 3GPP TS23.502. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the purpose of the PDU session modification described in the 3GPP standard is different from the purpose of the PDU session modification described herein. However, the process for modifying the session can be the same.

[0048] At 409, the PCF 457 creates PCC rules for the downlink transmission and updates the SMF2 455 of the PDU session (2) via the Npcf_SMPolicyControl_UpdateNotify procedure. At 410, the SMF2 455 modifies the PDU session (2) where the updated QoS is sent to the DS-TT of the UE1 452. Again, the PDU session modification may be performed in the same manner as the PDU session modification described with respect to 3GPP TS 23.502 Section 4.3.3.2-1. In some embodiments, the PCF 457 may alternatively use an existing TSC configuration provided by the AF 458 during the PDU session establishment procedure and provide the updated PCC rules and TSCAI to the SMF 455 (for UE-UE communication) via, for example, the Npcf_SMPolicyControl_UpdateNotify procedure.

[0049] Figure 5 501, UPF 553 determines, based on the source MAC address and the destination MAC address in the packet, whether the traffic is on the DS-TT port of the first UE (UE1 551) and the second UE ( Figure 5 Therefore, since both UEs are connected to the same UPF, the two ports can be paired.

[0050] At 502, the UPF 553 reports the port pair to the SMF 552 via, for example, an N4 association update request. The UPF 553 includes the port pair and the PDU session ID of the two UEs to be converted to UE-UE communication.

[0051] At 503, SMF 552 sends a confirmation to UPF 553 via, for example, an N4 association update response. At 504, SMF 552 requests PCF 554 to update the PDU session by providing new PCC rules applicable to UE-UE communication. SMF 552 also provides port pairs and 5GS bridge information. 5GS bridge information can be considered as information elements (IEs) received by SMF 134 from UE and UPF during PDU session establishment. SMF encapsulates these IEs, and this can be considered as 5GS bridge information. At 505, PCF 554 provides QoS configuration and TSCAI for uplink and downlink transmission for PCC rules used for PDU session.

[0052] At 506, if the PCF 554 does not have PCC rules for UE-UE communication, the PCF 554 may request the AF 555 to provide QoS rules and TSCAI via, for example, Npcf_PolicyAuthorisation_Notify by including the port pair and 5GS bridge information in the request.

[0053] At 507, AF 555 uses the above relative Figure 4 At 508, based on the calculated bridge delay information, AF 555 evaluates the QoS of the UL link and DL link for UE-UE communication and shares the information with PCF 554. At 509, PCF 554 modifies the PDU session, where the updated QoS is sent to the DS-TT of UE1551.

[0054] Figure 6 A second exemplary signaling diagram 600 is shown of a UPF reporting a port pair to an AF according to various exemplary embodiments. Figure 6 The implementation is basically similar to Figure 5 The implementation scheme is different in Figure 6 , at 601, SMF 652 configures UPF 653 to report any port pairs determined by UPF 653. At 602, UPF 653 determines that traffic flows between DS-TT of UE1 and DS-TT port of UE2 based on source MAC address and destination MAC address. Therefore, the two ports can be paired. At 603, UPF 653 transmits the port pair to SMF 652 via, for example, N4 report. UPF 653 includes the port pair and PDU session ID of the UE to be converted into UE-UE communication. At 604, SMF 652 sends an acknowledgment to UPF 653 via N4 report ACK. Since 605-610 are the same as 504-509 above, the description of these communications is omitted here.

[0055] Figure 7 A signaling diagram 700 of UE-initiated port pairing according to various exemplary embodiments is shown. At 701, a first UE (UE1 751) establishes a PDU session (1) with an SMF 753. At 702, a second UE (UE2 752) establishes a PDU session (2) with an SMF 753. In some embodiments, in the PDU session (2) establishment request, UE2 752 also includes a port pair and the direction of data transmission in UE-UE communication. In this example, UE2 752 is the UL side. In some embodiments, the port details of UE1 751 may be hard-coded into the memory of UE2 752 (e.g., via a software update or pre-programmed into the memory of UE2). In some embodiments, UE2 752 may alternatively learn the port details of the DS-TT of UE1 751 based on prior knowledge (e.g., UE1 and UE2 have previously been in UE-UE communication).

[0056] At 703, a PDU session is established for UE2. SMF 753 selects UPF 754 based on the port pair details shared by UE2 752. That is, SMF 753 will select the UPF that serves PDU session (1) of UE1 751. In some embodiments, if SMF 753 cannot find a UPF that serves the UE identified in the port pair details shared by UE2 752, SMF 753 may request AF 756 to resolve the UPF details of the DS-TT port of UE1 751.

[0057] At 704, AF 756 uses the above relative Figure 4 At 705, AF 756 evaluates the QoS of the UL link and DL link for UE-UE communication together with TSCAI. AF 756 also requests PCF 755 to create corresponding PCC rules for SMF 753 via Npcf_Policy Authorization service for PDU sessions (1 and 2). At 706, SMF 753 modifies PDU session (1), where the updated QoS is sent to the DS-TT of UE1 751. At 707, similar to 706, PDU session (2) is modified for downlink transmission with QoS.

[0058] Figure 8A signaling diagram for SMF port pairing in response to a UE request according to various exemplary embodiments is shown. At 801, the DS-TT of the first UE (UE1 851) establishes a PDU session (1) with the SMF 854. At 802, the UPF 855 maintains a database table of port numbers assigned to different DS-TTs served by the UPF 855. At 803, the UPF 855 shares the DS-TT database table with the SMF 854 via an N4 Report / Ack SM message. At 804, the DS-TT of the second UE (UE2 852) initiates a request to establish a PDU session (2) with the SMF 854. In the request, UE2 852 includes a tag indicating to the SMF 854 that UE2 852 seeks a port pair to transmit data via UE-UE communication. In this example, UE2 is the DL side.

[0059] At 805, SMF 854 selects a port suitable for pairing for the requested UE. At 806, a PDU session is established for UE2 852. SMF 854 selects UPF 855 based on the port pair details shared by UE2. That is, SMF 854 selects the UPF that is serving PDU session (1). In some embodiments, if SMF 854 cannot find a UPF based on the port pair details shared by UE2 852, SMF 854 will request AF 857 to resolve the UPF details of DS-TT of UE1 851.

[0060] At 807, AF 857 uses the above relative Figure 4 The bridge delay information formula is used to calculate the bridge delay information. At 808, AF 857 evaluates the QoS of the UL link and DL link used for UE-UE communication together with TSCAI. AF 857 also requests PCF 856 to create corresponding PCC rules for SMF 854 for PDU sessions performed via Npcf_Policy Authorization service. At 809, SMF 854 modifies the PDU session (1), where the updated QoS is sent to the DS-TT of UE1851. At 810, similar to 809, the PDU session (2) is modified for downlink transmission with QoS.

[0061] Fig. 9A signaling diagram of AMF / SMF broadcasting available port pairing for UE selection according to various exemplary embodiments is shown. At 901, the DS-TT of the first UE (UE1 951) establishes a PDU session (1) with SMF 954. At 902, UPF 955 maintains a database table of port numbers assigned to different DS-TTs served by UPF 955. At 903, UPF 955 shares the DS-TT database table with SMF 954 via N4 Report / Ack SM messages.

[0062] At 904, SMF 954 notifies the subscribed AMF 953 of the DS-TT database table. At 905, UPF 955 broadcasts a list of available ports for pairing to all UEs served by UPF (5GS bridge). At 906, the second UE (UE2 952) selects a suitable DS-TT port from the broadcasted list for pairing. At 907, the DS-TT of UE2 952 establishes a PDU session with SMF 954 (2). In the PDU session establishment request, UE2 952 also includes the port pair and the direction of data transmission in UE-UE communication. In this example, UE2 952 is on the DL side.

[0063] At 908, a PDU session (2) is established for UE2 952. The SMF 954 selects a UPF 955 based on the port pair details shared by UE2 952. That is, the SMF 954 will select a UPF 955 that serves the PDU session (1) of UE1 951. In some embodiments, if the SMF 954 cannot find a UPF based on the port pair details shared by UE2 952, the SMF 954 may request the AF 957 to resolve the UPF details of the DS-TT of UE1 951.

[0064] At 909, AF 957 uses the above relative Figure 4 The bridge delay information formula is used to calculate the bridge delay information. At 910, AF 957 evaluates the QoS of the UL link and DL link for UE-UE communication together with TSCAI. AF 957 requests PCF 956 to create corresponding PCC rules for SMF 954 for PDU sessions performed via Npcf_Policy Authorization service. At 911, SMF 954 modifies the PDU session (1), where the updated QoS is sent to the DS-TT of UE1951. At 912, similar to 911, the PDU session (2) is modified for downlink transmission with QoS.

[0065] Although this patent application describes various combinations of various embodiments each having different features, those skilled in the art will understand that any feature of an embodiment may be combined with features of other embodiments in any manner not publicly denied or with features that are not functionally or logically inconsistent with the operation or function of the device of the embodiments disclosed in the present invention.

[0066] It is understood that the use of personally identifiable information should be subject to privacy policies and practices that are generally recognized to meet or exceed industry or government requirements for maintaining user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of the authorized use should be clearly stated to users.

[0067] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the exemplary embodiments described above may be implemented with any suitable software configuration or hardware configuration or combination thereof. Exemplary hardware platforms for implementing the exemplary embodiments may include, for example, Intel x86-based platforms with compatible operating systems, Windows OS, Mac platforms and MAC OS, mobile devices with operating systems such as iOS, Android, etc. In other examples, the exemplary embodiments of the above methods may be embodied as a program including lines of code stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, which, when compiled, may be executed on a processor or microprocessor.

[0068] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made to the present disclosure without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is intended to cover modifications and variations of the present disclosure, provided that these modifications and variations are within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for configuring time-critical communication (TSC), the method comprising: monitoring, by a user plane function (UPF), sources and destinations of packets in a first protocol data unit (PDU) session of a first user equipment (UE), wherein the packets are transmitted over a time-critical network (TSN); monitoring, by the UPF, a source and a destination of packets in a second PDU session of a second UE, wherein the packets are transmitted over the time-critical network (TSN); The UPF allocates a port number to a device-side TSN translator (DS-TT) served by the UPF; as well as The port number is shared by the UPF with the Session Management Function (SMF).

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: When the first PDU session and the second PDU session are served by the same UPF, pairing a first device-side TSN translator (DS-TT) port of the first UE with a second DS-TT port of the second UE, wherein the pairing is based on the monitoring of the first PDU session and the second PDU session; and When the first DS-TT port and the second DS-TT port are paired, the packet is transmitted between the first UE and the second UE in a UE-UE communication manner without traversing the TSN.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the pairing of the first DS-TT port with the second DS-TT port is based on a source port number and a destination port number.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the second UE indicates a desired port pair and a direction of data transmission when requesting the second PDU session.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein details of the first DS-TT port are hard-coded on the second UE.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein details of the first DS-TT port are stored on the second UE based on previous UE-UE communications with the first UE.

7. A method for configuring time-critical communication (TSC), the method comprising: When a first protocol data unit (PDU) session and a second PDU session are served by the same user plane function (UPF), determining, by an application function (AF), a port pair including a first device-side TSN translator (DS-TT) port of a first user equipment (UE) configured with the first PDU session and a second DS-TT port of a second UE configured with the second PDU session; as well as The AF determines bridge delay information of the first PDU session and the second PDU session, wherein the bridge delay information is based on at least a first dwell time between the first DS-TT and the first UE, and a second dwell time between the second DS-TT and the second UE.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising: Setting a first flow direction of the first PDU session to an uplink (UL) link; and The second flow direction of the second PDU session is set to a downlink (DL) link.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: The AF determines a quality of service (QoS) of a UL link and a DL link of UE-UE communication based at least on the bridge delay information.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: The QoS of the UL link and the DL link of the UE-UE communication is reported by the AF to a policy control function (PCF).

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising: The TSC information is reported by the AF to the PCF.

12. A processor of one or more user plane functions (UPFs), the processor being configured to: monitoring a source and a destination of packets in a first protocol data unit (PDU) session of a first user equipment (UE), wherein the packets are transmitted over a time-critical network (TSN); monitoring a source and a destination of packets in a second PDU session of a second UE, wherein the packets are transmitted over the time-critical network (TSN); Assigning port numbers to the device-side TSN translator (DS-TT) served by the UPF; as well as The port number is shared with the Session Management Function (SMF).

13. The one or more processors of claim 12, further configured to: When the first PDU session and the second PDU session are served by the same UPF, pairing a first device-side TSN translator (DS-TT) port of the first UE with a second DS-TT port of the second UE, wherein the pairing is based on the monitoring of the first PDU session and the second PDU session; and When the first DS-TT port and the second DS-TT port are paired, the packet is transmitted between the first UE and the second UE in a UE-UE communication manner without traversing the TSN.

14. The one or more processors of claim 13, wherein the pairing of the first DS-TT port with the second DS-TT port is based on a source port number and a destination port number.

15. The one or more processors of claim 13, wherein the second UE indicates a desired port pair and direction of data transmission when requesting the second PDU session.

16. The one or more processors of claim 15, wherein details of the first DS-TT port are hard-coded on the second UE.

17. The one or more processors of claim 15, wherein details of the first DS-TT port are stored on the second UE based on previous UE-UE communications with the first UE.

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