System and method for providing external identification to user equipment

Abstract

Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for a user equipment (UE) to request a UE ID. Certain aspects provide a method for wireless communication performed by a UE. The method generally includes sending a registration request to a core network, receiving an external identifier from the core network, sending the external identifier to an application client at the UE, and invoking a capability of the core network using the external identifier.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of and priority to Indian Application No. 202241045725 filed on August 10, 2022, which is assigned to the assignee of this application, and the entire contents of that application are expressly incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth below and for all applicable purposes. Technical Field

[0003] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to wireless communications, and more particularly, to techniques for providing a User Equipment (UE) with a UE Identifier (ID). Background Art

[0004] Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various telecommunication services such as telephony, video, data, messaging, broadcast, etc. These wireless communication systems may employ multiple access technologies capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., bandwidth, transmit power, etc.). Examples of such multiple access systems include 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) systems, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) systems, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) systems, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) systems, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) systems, Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) systems, and Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA) systems, to name a few.

[0005] These multiple access technologies have been adopted in various telecommunication standards to provide a common protocol that enables different wireless devices to communicate at a city, country, region, and even global level. New radio (e.g., 5G NR) is an example of an emerging telecommunication standard. NR is an enhancement set to the LTE mobile standard released by 3GPP. NR is designed to better integrate with other open standards by improving spectrum efficiency, reducing costs, improving services, utilizing new spectrum, and using OFDMA with cyclic prefix (CP) on the downlink (DL) and on the uplink (UL), thereby better supporting mobile broadband Internet access. To this end, NR supports beamforming, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna technology, and carrier aggregation.

[0006] However, as the demand for mobile broadband access continues to grow, there is a need for further improvements to NR and LTE technologies. Preferably, these improvements should be applicable to other multi-access technologies and the telecommunication standards that employ these technologies. Summary of the invention

[0007] The systems, methods, and devices of the present disclosure each have several aspects, no single aspect of which is solely responsible for its desirable attributes. Without limiting the scope of the present disclosure as expressed by the claims that follow, some features will now be briefly discussed. After considering this discussion, and particularly after reading the section entitled "Detailed Description," a skilled artisan will understand how the features of the present disclosure provide advantages for improving public identification of UEs.

[0008] As described herein, a UE may not know its external ID, even if one is assigned to it. Sharing certain IDs (e.g., a mobile station international subscriber directory number (MSISDN) to an application function (AF)) has privacy concerns. By knowing and using the external ID, the UE can share it with the AF, reducing the privacy concerns associated with sharing other IDs (e.g., MSISDN).

[0009] Certain aspects of a method of wireless communication may be implemented by a UE. The method generally includes sending a request to a core network, receiving an external identifier (e.g., a general public subscription identifier (GPSI)) from the core network in response to the request, sending the GPSI to an application client at the UE, and invoking a capability of a core network (CN) using the GPSI.

[0010] Other aspects of the method of wireless communication can be implemented by the UE. The method generally includes: sending an application layer request to the AF (the AF receives an external identifier (e.g., GPSI) from a network exposure function (NEF) of the CN), and the UE receives an application layer response including the external identifier (e.g., GPSI) from the AF.

[0011] Other aspects provide: an apparatus operable to, configured to, or otherwise adapted to perform any one or more of the above methods and / or methods described elsewhere herein; a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of the apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform the above methods and methods described elsewhere herein; a computer program product embodied on a computer-readable storage medium, comprising code for performing the above methods and methods described elsewhere herein; and / or an apparatus comprising means for performing the above methods and methods described elsewhere herein. For example, an apparatus may include a processing system, a device having a processing system, or a processing system cooperating through one or more networks.

[0012] The foregoing has been fairly broadly outlined according to the features and technical advantages of the examples of the present disclosure, so that the following specific embodiments can be better understood. Additional features and advantages will be described hereinafter. The disclosed concepts and specific examples can be easily used as the basis for modifying or designing other structures for the same purpose of performing the present disclosure. Such equivalent constructions do not deviate from the scope of the appended claims. When considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the characteristics of the concepts disclosed herein (both their organization and method of operation) and the associated advantages will be better understood according to the following description. Each of the figures in the accompanying drawings is provided for the purpose of illustration and description, and is not intended to be a limitation on the limits of the claims.

[0013] Although various aspects and embodiments are described in this application by the description of some examples, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that additional examples and use cases can be implemented in many different arrangements and scenarios. The various aspects described herein can be implemented across many different platform types, devices, systems, shapes, sizes, and packaging arrangements. For example, various aspects and / or uses can be implemented via integrated chip embodiments and other devices based on non-module components (e.g., end-user devices, vehicles, communication devices, computing devices, industrial devices, retail / purchase devices, medical devices, AI-enabled devices, etc.). Although some examples may or may not be specifically for use cases or applications, a variety of applicability of the described aspects may occur. Implementations can range from chip-level or modular components to non-modular, non-chip-level implementations on the spectrum, and can also be aggregated, distributed, or original equipment manufacturer (OEM) devices or systems that incorporate one or more aspects of the described aspects. In some practical settings, the device containing the described aspects and features may also necessarily include additional components and features for implementing and practicing the claimed and described aspects. For example, the transmission and reception of wireless signals must include multiple components for analog and digital purposes (e.g., hardware components including antennas, RF chains, power amplifiers, modulators, buffers, processors, interleavers, adders / accumulators, etc.) It is expected that the various aspects described herein are intended to be practiced in a variety of devices, chip-level components, systems, distributed arrangements, or end-user devices of different sizes, shapes, and configurations.

[0014] For purposes of illustration, the following description and drawings set forth certain features. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] In order to understand the above-mentioned features of the present disclosure in detail, the contents briefly summarized above can be described in more detail with reference to various aspects, some of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings illustrate only certain aspects of the present disclosure and are therefore not to be considered limiting, as the description may admit other equally effective aspects.

[0016] Figure 1 An example wireless communication network is depicted.

[0017] Figures 2A-2D Each shows an example logical architecture.

[0018] Figure 3 Aspects of example base stations and user equipment are depicted.

[0019] Figure 4A-4B Depicted is an example call flow for obtaining an edge-specific external identifier in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 5A-5B is an example call flow for a UE to request a UE ID during UE registration in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0021] Figure 6A-6B is another example call flow for a UE to request a UE ID during UE registration in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 7A-7B is an example call flow for a UE to request a UE ID during a protocol data unit (PDU) session establishment in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 8 A process is shown for a UE to request a UE ID using a service level authentication and authorization (AA) procedure in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0024] Fig. 9 is an example call flow for a UE to request a UE ID using a service level AA procedure in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0025] Fig.10 is an example call flow for allocating a UE ID during an authentication and key management for applications (AKMA) procedure in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0026] Fig.11 is an example call for verifying a UE-provided GPSI in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0027] Fig.12is an example call flow for verifying a UE-provided GPSI in an edge enabler server (EES) in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0028] Fig.13 is an example call flow for verifying a UE-provided GPSI in a CN in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0029] Fig.14 is an example call flow in which an AF retrieves a UE ID from a CN based on input provided by a UE in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0030] Fig.15 is an example call flow in which an AF retrieves a UE ID from a unified data management (UDM) function of a CN based on input provided by the UE in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0031] Fig.16 is a flow diagram depicting example operations for a UE to request a UE ID in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0032] Fig.17 is another flow diagram depicting example operations for a UE to request a UE ID in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0033] Fig.18 is an example communication device according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0034] To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate common elements among the figures. It is contemplated that elements disclosed in one aspect may be beneficially utilized on other aspects without specific recitation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] Aspects of the present disclosure provide apparatus, methods, processing systems, and computer-readable media for a UE to acquire an external identifier of the UE. As described above, in some aspects, although an external ID is assigned to a UE, the UE may not know its external ID.

[0036] There are privacy concerns in sharing certain IDs (e.g., sharing the MSISDN with the AF). By obtaining the UE's external ID, the UE can share its external ID with the AF, reducing the privacy concerns associated with sharing other IDs (such as the MSISDN).

[0037] Introduction to Wireless Communication Networks

[0038] The techniques and methods described herein can be used in various wireless communication networks. Although terms generally associated with 3G, 4G and / or 5G wireless technologies may be used herein to describe various aspects, various aspects of the present disclosure may also be equally applicable to other communication systems and standards not explicitly mentioned herein.

[0039] Figure 1 An example of a wireless communication network 100 is depicted in which various aspects described herein may be implemented.

[0040] In general, the wireless communication network 100 includes various network entities (i.e., network elements or network nodes). A network entity is typically a communication device and / or a communication function performed by a communication device (e.g., a UE, a BS, a component of a BS, a server, etc.). For example, various functions of a network and various devices associated with and interacting with the network can be considered network entities. In addition, the wireless communication network 100 includes terrestrial aspects, such as ground-based network entities (e.g., BS 102), and non-terrestrial aspects, such as satellites 140 and aircraft 145, which may include airborne network entities (e.g., one or more BSs) that can communicate with other network elements (e.g., ground BSs) and user equipment.

[0041] In the depicted example, the wireless communication network 100 includes a BS 102, a UE 104, and one or more core networks, such as an evolved packet core (EPC) 160 and a 5G core (5GC) network 190, which interoperate to provide communication services over various communication links (including wired and wireless links).

[0042] Figure 1 Various examples of UE 104 are depicted, which may generally include: a cell phone, a smart phone, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phone, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a satellite radio, a global positioning system, a multimedia device, a video device, a digital audio player, a camera, a game console, a tablet computer, a smart device, a wearable device, a vehicle, an electric meter, a gas pump, large or small kitchen appliances, a healthcare device, an implant, a sensor / actuator, a display, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, an Always On (AON) device, an edge processing device, or other similar devices. UE 104 may also be more generally referred to as a mobile device, a wireless device, a wireless communication device, a station, a mobile station, a subscriber station, a mobile subscriber station, a mobile unit, a subscriber unit, a wireless unit, a remote unit, a remote device, an access terminal, a mobile terminal, a wireless terminal, a remote terminal, a handheld device, etc.

[0043] BS 102 wirelessly communicates with (e.g., sends signals to or receives signals from) UE 104 via communication link 120. Communication link 120 between BS 102 and UE 104 may include uplink (UL) (also referred to as a reverse link) transmissions from UE 104 to BS 102 and / or downlink (DL) (also referred to as a forward link) transmissions from BS 102 to UE 104. In various aspects, communication link 120 may use MIMO antenna technology, including spatial multiplexing, beamforming, and / or transmit diversity.

[0044] BS 102 generally includes: Node B, enhanced Node B (eNB), next generation enhanced Node B (ng-eNB), next generation Node B (gNB or gNodeB), access point, base transceiver, radio base station, radio transceiver, transceiver function, transmission and reception point, etc. Each BS 102 in BS 102 can provide communication coverage for a respective geographic coverage area 110, which is sometimes referred to as a cell, and in some cases can overlap (for example, a small cell 102' can have a coverage area 110' that can overlap with the coverage area 110 of a macro cell). For example, a BS can provide communication coverage for a macro cell (covering a relatively large geographic area), a pico cell (covering a relatively small geographic area, such as a stadium), a femto cell (relatively small geographic area, such as a home), and / or other types of cells.

[0045] Although BS102 is described as a single communication device in various aspects, BS102 can be implemented in various configurations. For example, to give some examples, one or more components of the base station can be decomposed, including a central unit (CU), one or more distributed units (DU), one or more radio units (RU), a near real-time (Near-RT) RAN intelligent controller (RIC) or a non-real-time (Non-RT) RIC. In another example, various aspects of the base station can be virtualized. More generally, BS102 may include components located at a single physical location or components located at different physical locations. In an example in which the BS includes components located at different physical locations, different components may each perform a function so that different components together implement functions similar to those of a BS located at a single physical location. In some aspects, a base station including components located at different physical locations may be referred to as a decomposed radio access network architecture, such as an open RAN (O-RAN) or a virtualized RAN (VRAN) architecture.

[0046] Different BSs 102 within the wireless communication network 100 may also be configured to support different radio access technologies, such as 3G, 4G, and / or 5G. For example, a BS 102 configured for 4G LTE (collectively referred to as the Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN)) may interface with the EPC 160 via a first backhaul link 132 (e.g., an S1 interface). A BS 102 configured for 5G (e.g., 5G NR or Next Generation RAN (NG-RAN)) may interface with the 5GC 190 via a second backhaul link 184. The BSs 102 may communicate with each other (e.g., via the EPC 160 or the 5GC 190) directly or indirectly via a third backhaul link 134 (e.g., an X2 interface), which may be wired or wireless.

[0047] The wireless communication network 100 may subdivide the electromagnetic spectrum into various categories, frequency bands, channels, or other characteristics. In some aspects, the subdivision is provided based on wavelength and frequency, where frequency may also be referred to as a carrier, subcarrier, frequency channel, tone, or subband. For example, 3GPP currently defines frequency range 1 (FR1) to include 410 MHz-7125 MHz, which is often referred to as (interchangeably) "low 6 GHz". Similarly, 3GPP currently defines frequency range 2 (FR2) to include 24,250 MHz-52,600 MHz, sometimes referred to as (interchangeably) "millimeter wave" ("mmW" or "mmWave"). A base station (e.g., a millimeter wave base station such as BS180) configured to communicate using millimeter wave / near millimeter wave radio bands can utilize beamforming (e.g., 182) with a UE (e.g., 104) to improve path loss and range.

[0048] For example, the communication link 120 between the BS 102 and the UE 104 may be through one or more carriers, which may have different bandwidths (e.g., 5, 10, 15, 20, 100, 400, and / or other MHz) and may be aggregated in various aspects. The carriers may or may not be adjacent to each other. The allocation of carriers may be asymmetric for DL ​​and UL (e.g., more or fewer carriers may be allocated for DL ​​than for UL).

[0049] Communications using higher frequency bands can have higher path losses and shorter distances than communications at lower frequencies. Figure 1180) can utilize beamforming 182 with UE 104 to improve path loss and distance. For example, BS 180 and UE 104 can each include multiple antennas (such as antenna elements, antenna panels and / or antenna arrays) to facilitate beamforming. In some cases, BS 180 can send beamformed signals to UE 104 in one or more transmit directions 182'. UE 104 can receive beamformed signals from BS 180 in one or more receive directions 182". UE 104 can also send beamformed signals to BS 180 in one or more transmit directions 182". BS 180 can also receive beamformed signals from UE 104 in one or more receive directions 182'. BS 180 and UE 104 can then perform beam training to determine the best receive and transmit directions for each of BS 180 and UE 104. It is worth noting that the transmit direction and receive direction for BS 180 can be the same or can be different. Similarly, the transmit direction and receive direction for UE 104 may be the same or may be different.

[0050] The wireless communication network 100 also includes a Wi-Fi access point AP 150 that communicates with a Wi-Fi station (STA) 152 via a communication link 154 in an unlicensed spectrum such as 2.4 GHz and / or 5 GHz.

[0051] Certain UEs 104 may communicate with each other using a device-to-device (D2D) communication link 158. The D2D communication link 158 may use one or more sidelink channels, such as a physical sidelink broadcast channel (PSBCH), a physical sidelink discovery channel (PSDCH), a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH), and a physical sidelink control channel (PSFCH) and / or a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH).

[0052] The EPC 160 may include various functional components, including: a mobile management entity (MME) 162, other MMEs 164, a serving gateway 166, a multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS) gateway 168, a broadcast multicast service center (BM-SC) 170, and / or a packet data network (PDN) gateway 172, such as shown in the depicted example. The MME 162 may communicate with a home subscriber server (HSS) 174. The MME 162 is a control node that handles signaling between the UE 104 and the EPC 160. In general, the MME 162 provides bearer and connection management.

[0053] Typically, user Internet Protocol (IP) packets are forwarded through the Serving Gateway 166, which itself is connected to the PDN Gateway 172. The PDN Gateway 172 provides UE IP address allocation and other functions. The PDN Gateway 172 and the BM-SC 170 are connected to IP Services 176, which may include, for example, the Internet, an Intranet, an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), a Packet Switched (PS) streaming service, and / or other IP services.

[0054] The BM-SC 170 may provide functionality for MBMS user service provisioning and delivery. The BM-SC 170 may serve as an entry point for content provider MBMS transmissions, may be used to authorize and initiate MBMS bearer services within a public land mobile network (PLMN), and / or may be used to schedule MBMS transmissions. The MBMS Gateway 168 may be used to distribute MBMS services to BSs 102 belonging to a multicast broadcast single frequency network (MBSFN) area of ​​a broadcast specific service, and / or may be responsible for session management (start / stop) and collecting eMBMS related charging information.

[0055] 5GC 190 may include various functional components, including access and mobility management function (AMF) 192, other AMFs 193, session management function (SMF) 194, and user plane function (UPF) 195. AMF 192 may communicate with UDM 196.

[0056] AMF 192 is a control node that processes signaling between UE 104 and 5GC 190. For example, AMF 192 provides quality of service (QoS) flow and session management, etc.

[0057] Internet Protocol (IP) packets are transmitted through UPF 195, which is connected to IP service 197, and the IP service 197 provides UE IP address allocation and other functions for 5GC 190. IP service 197 may include, for example, the Internet, intranet, IMS, PS streaming service and / or other IP services.

[0058] In various aspects, a network entity or network node may be implemented as a converged BS, a decomposed BS, a component of a BS, an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, a relay node, a sidelink node, to name a few examples.

[0059] Figure 2A An example logical architecture 200 of an NR RAN is shown, which may be Figure 1204. The wireless communication system shown in FIG. 20 is implemented. UE 202 can access RAN 204 via NR air interface 206. RAN can communicate with UPF 208 via N3 interface 210. Communication between different UPFs 208 can be conveyed via N9 interface 212. UPF can communicate with data network (DN) 214 (e.g., Internet, services provided by network operators) via one or more N6 interfaces 216. UE can communicate with one or more core AMF 218 via N1 interface 220. RAN can communicate with one or more AMF via N2 interface 222. UPF can communicate with SMF 226 via N4 interface 228.

[0060] Communications between different AMFs 218 may be conveyed via the N14 interface 230. The AMF may communicate with the SMF 226 via the N11 interface 232. The AMF may communicate with the Policy Control Function (PCF) 234 via the N15 interface 236. The SMF may communicate with the PCF via the N7 interface 238. The PCF may communicate with the AF 240 via the N5 interface 242. The AMF may communicate with the Authentication Server Function (AUSF) 244 via the N12 interface 246. The AMF may communicate with the UDM 248 via the N8 interface 250. The SMF may communicate with the UDM via the N10 interface 252. The AUSF may communicate with the UDM via the N13 interface 254.

[0061] Although the example architecture 200 illustrates a single UE, the present disclosure is not so limited and the architecture can accommodate any number of UEs. Similarly, the architecture shows a UE accessing a single DN, but the present disclosure is not so limited and the architecture accommodates a UE communicating with multiple DNs, as shown below. Figure 2B described.

[0062] Figure 2B An example logical structure 260 of the NR RAN is shown, which may be Figure 1 The logic architecture 260 is similar to Figure 2A 200, many of the same entities are shown and labeled with the same reference numerals. Figure 2A are different. Figure 2BUE 202 in FIG. 2 accesses two DNs: 214a and 214b via RAN 204. RAN communicates with first UPF 208a via first N3 interface 210a. RAN also communicates with second UPF 208b via second N3 interface 210b. Each UPF communicates with corresponding DN 214a or 214b via corresponding N6 interface 216a or 216b. Similarly, each UPF communicates with corresponding SMF 226a or 226b via corresponding N4 interface 228a or 228b. Each SMF communicates with AMF 218 via corresponding N11 interface 232a or 232b. Similarly, each SMF communicates with PCF via corresponding N7 interface 238a or 238b.

[0063] Figure 2C An example logical structure 270 of the NR RAN is shown, which may be Figure 1 The logic architecture 270 is similar to Figure 2A 200, many of the same entities are shown and labeled with the same reference numerals. Figure 2A In logical architecture 270, UE 202 is roaming and is therefore connected to the home physical land mobile network (HPLMN) of UE 202 via certain entities in the visited physical land mobile network (VPLMN). In particular, the SMF communicates with the VPLMN PCF (vPCF) 234v, but some policy information about the UE's visited DN 214 can be retrieved from the HPLMN PCF (hPCF) 234h via the roaming N7r interface 238r. Figure 2C In the example, UE 202 can access DN 214 via VPLMN.

[0064] Figure 2D An example logical structure 280 of the NR RAN is shown, which may be Figure 1 The logic architecture 280 is similar to Figure 2C 270, many of the same entities are shown and labeled with the same reference numerals. Figure 2C In logical architecture 280, UE 202 is roaming and, therefore, is connected to the HPLMN of UE 202 via certain entities in the VPLMN. Figure 2C different, Figure 2D UE 202 in is accessing DN 214, and UE 202 cannot access DN 214 via VPLMN. Figure 2CDifferently, the UPF 208v in the VPLMN communicates with the VPLMN SMF (V-SMF) 226v via the N4 interface 228v, while the UPF 208h in the HPLMN communicates with the HPLMN SMF (H-SMF) 226h via the N4 interface 228h. The UPF 208v of the VPLMN communicates with the UPF 208h of the HPLMN via the N9 interface 282. Similarly, the V-SMF 226v communicates with the H-SMF 226h via the N16 interface 284.

[0065] exist Figures 2A-2D The operations performed and protocols used by the various entities shown in the example logical architectures 200, 260, 270 and 280 are described in more detail in the following documents: "TS 23.501; System Architecture for 5G Systems; Stage 2 (Release 15)" and "TS 23.502; Procedures for 5G Systems; Stage 2 (Release 15)", both versions of which are publicly available.

[0066] Figure 3 Aspects of an example BS 102 and an example UE 104 are depicted.

[0067] In general, BS 102 includes various processors (e.g., 320, 330, 338, and 340), antennas 334a-t (collectively 334), transceivers 332a-t (collectively 332), including modulators and demodulators, and other aspects that enable wireless transmission of data (e.g., data source 312) and wireless reception of data (e.g., data sink 339). For example, BS 102 can send and receive data between BS 102 and UE 104. BS 102 includes controller / processor 340, which can be configured to implement various functions described herein related to wireless communications.

[0068] Generally speaking, the UE 104 includes various processors (e.g., 358, 364, 366, and 380), antennas 352a-r (collectively 352), transceivers 354a-r (collectively 354), including modulators and demodulators, and other aspects that enable wireless transmission of data (e.g., retrieved from a data source 362) and wireless reception of data (e.g., provided to a data sink 360). The UE 104 includes a controller / processor 380 that can be configured to implement various functions described herein related to wireless communications.

[0069] Regarding example downlink transmissions, BS 102 includes a transmit processor 320 that can receive data from a data source 312 and control information from a controller / processor 340. The control information can be for a physical broadcast channel (PBCH), a physical control format indicator channel (PCFICH), a physical HARQ indicator channel (PHICH), a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), a group common PDCCH (GC PDCCH), etc. In some examples, the data can be for a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).

[0070] The transmit processor 320 may process (e.g., encode and symbol map) data and control information, respectively, to obtain data symbols and control symbols. The transmit processor 320 may also generate reference symbols, e.g., for a primary synchronization signal (PSS), a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), a PBCH demodulation reference signal (DMRS), and a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS).

[0071] The transmit (TX) MIMO processor 330 may perform spatial processing (e.g., precoding) on ​​the data symbols, control symbols, and / or reference symbols (if applicable), and may provide an output symbol stream to a modulator (MOD) in a transceiver 332a-332t. Each modulator in the transceiver 332a-332t may process a respective output symbol stream to obtain an output sample stream. Each modulator may further process (e.g., convert to analog, amplify, filter, and up-convert) the output sample stream to obtain a downlink signal. The downlink signals from the modulators in the transceivers 332a-332t may be transmitted via antennas 334a-334t, respectively.

[0072] To receive downlink transmissions, UE 104 includes antennas 352a-352r that can receive downlink signals from BS 102 and can provide received signals to demodulators (DEMODs) in transceivers 354a-354r, respectively. Each demodulator in transceivers 354a-354r can condition (e.g., filter, amplify, downconvert, and digitize) a respective received signal to obtain input samples. Each demodulator can further process the input samples to obtain received symbols.

[0073] A MIMO detector 356 may obtain received symbols from all demodulators in the transceivers 354a-354r, perform MIMO detection on the received symbols (if applicable), and provide detected symbols. A receive processor 358 may process (e.g., demodulate, deinterleave, and decode) the detected symbols, provide decoded data for the UE 104 to a data sink 360, and provide decoded control information to a controller / processor 380.

[0074] With respect to example uplink transmissions, the UE 104 also includes a transmit processor 364 that can receive and process data from a data source 362 (e.g., a PUSCH) and control information from a controller / processor 380 (e.g., a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH)). The transmit processor 364 can also generate reference symbols for reference signals (e.g., for a sounding reference signal (SRS)). The symbols from the transmit processor 364 can be precoded by a TX MIMO processor 366 (if applicable), further processed by modulators 354a-354r in the transceiver (e.g., for SC-FDM, etc.), and transmitted to the BS 102.

[0075] At BS 102, uplink signals from UE 104 may be received by antennas 334a-t, processed by demodulators 332a-332t in the transceiver, detected by MIMO detector 336 (if applicable), and further processed by receive processor 338 to obtain decoded data and control information sent by UE 104. Receive processor 338 may provide decoded data to data sink 339 and decoded control information to controller / processor 340.

[0076] Memories 342 and 382 may store data and program codes for BS 102 and UE 104, respectively.

[0077] A scheduler 344 may schedule UEs for data transmission on the downlink and / or uplink.

[0078] In various aspects, the BS 102 may be described as sending and receiving various types of data associated with the methods described herein. In these contexts, "sending" may refer to various mechanisms for outputting data, such as outputting data from a data source 312, a scheduler 344, a memory 342, a transmit processor 320, a controller / processor 340, a TX MIMO processor 330, a transceiver 332a-t, an antenna 334a-t, and / or other aspects described herein. Similarly, "receiving" may refer to various mechanisms for acquiring data, such as acquiring data from an antenna 334a-t, a transceiver 332a-t, an RX MIMO detector 336, a controller / processor 340, a receive processor 338, a scheduler 344, a memory 342, and / or other aspects described herein.

[0079] In various aspects, the UE 104 may also be described as transmitting and receiving various types of data related to the methods described herein. In these contexts, "transmitting" may refer to various mechanisms for outputting data, such as outputting data from a data source 362, a memory 382, ​​a transmit processor 364, a controller / processor 380, a TX MIMO processor 366, a transceiver 354a-t, an antenna 352a-t, and / or other aspects described herein. Similarly, "receiving" may refer to various mechanisms for acquiring data, such as acquiring data from an antenna 352a-t, a transceiver 354a-t, a RX MIMO detector 356, a controller / processor 380, a receive processor 358, a memory 382, ​​and / or other aspects described herein.

[0080] In some aspects, one or more processors may be configured to perform various operations, such as operations associated with the methods described herein, as well as to send (output) data to or receive (acquire) data from another interface that is configured to send or receive data, respectively.

[0081] Example method for providing UE ID to UE

[0082] The UE may be publicly identified using the GPSI. One example type of GPSI is the MSISDN (e.g., mobile phone number). Another type of GPSI is an External ID. An External ID may have the format <id> @ <domain>The GPSI can be used by the AF to call the CN capability exposure application programming interface (API) for a specific UE. For example, the AF can call the CN API to retrieve the location of the UE.

[0083] The AF can obtain the GPSI from the Mobile Network Operator (MNO), for example, based on a service level agreement. An example is the Nnef_UEId_Get method exposed by the NEF (this method does not support Network Address Translation (NAT)). When the UE knows its GPSI, the AF can obtain the GPSI from the UE.

[0084] The UE may know the MSISDN (if it has one), but the UE may not know its External ID (even if one is assigned to the UE). However, there are privacy issues with the UE sharing its MSISDN with the AF. Therefore, the UE may share its External ID with the AF, but there is no standard method to provide the External ID to the UE so that the UE can share the External ID with the AF. Therefore, there is a desire to provide the External ID to the UE so that the UE can provide the External ID to the AF without affecting the privacy of the UE.

[0085] According to various aspects of the present disclosure, a new UE external ID is defined. Although various aspects of the present disclosure are discussed about requesting, providing and using external IDs, the technology discussed herein can be used to request, provide and use any type of UE ID. In some aspects, the new external ID of the UE is an edge computing specific external ID (E-GPSI). E-GPSI is designed to avoid privacy issues. In some aspects, only edge enabler layer entities (e.g., EES and edge configuration servers (ECS)) are expected to use E-GPSI. In some aspects, a list of E-GPSIs is stored to avoid tracking UEs across edge computing service providers (ECSPs). In some aspects, one E-GPSI is assigned per ECSP.

[0086] According to aspects of the present disclosure, AF information and / or service information associated with an external ID (e.g., E-GPSI) is stored in the UDM (e.g., in addition to the stored list of E-GPSIs). The AF information and / or service information may include information of services and / or AFs that are authorized to use the corresponding external ID (e.g., E-GPSI). In some aspects, the AF and / or service information is shared with the UE. In some aspects, the UE uses the AF and / or service information to determine which external ID (e.g., E-GPSI) corresponds to which service, AF, and / or ECSP.

[0087] According to aspects of the present disclosure, the UE provides an external ID (eg, E-GPSI) and service / AF information (eg, ECSP information) to the correct AF (eg, EES / ECS belonging to the correct ECSP).

[0088] Although aspects are described with reference to edge computing, and the edge computing specific external ID of the UE is referred to as E-GPSI, these aspects are not limited to edge computing or E-GPSI. In addition, the methods described herein can be used to provide a UE ID for any or all services requested by the UE.

[0089] Figure 4A-4B is an example call flow diagram of a process 400 for acquiring E-GPSI in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0090] According to certain aspects, the MNO creates an E-GPSI for UE 402 when UE 402 subscribes to edge enabler layer (EEL) services and stores the E-GPSI in UDM 412. Figure 4A-4B As shown, at step 1, UE 402 (e.g., Figure 1-3 4 . The depicted UE 104 or UE 202) sends a Registration Request message to the AMF 410 (e.g., via the Non-Access (NAS) layer 408). At step 2, the AMF 410 retrieves subscription data from the UDM 412. At step 3, the UDM 412 returns the subscription data (including the E-GPSI) to the AMF 410. At step 4, the AMF 410 sends a Registration Accept message (including the E-GPSI) to the UE 402. At step 5, the E-GPSI is forwarded (e.g., by the NA layer 408 of the UE 402) to the Edge Enabler Client (EEC) 406 of the UE 402.

[0091] According to certain aspects, EEC 406 receives the E-GPSI converted to an edge application specific (EAS) UE ID via EES 416. Figure 4A-4B As shown, at step 6, EEC 406 sends an edge UE ID request (e.g., including E-GPSI and request EAS ID) to EES 416. At step 7, EES 416 stores the E-GPSI, creates one or more EAS IDs, and stores a mapping between the E-GPSI and the one or more EAS IDs. At step 8, EES 416 provides the EAS ID to EEC 406. At step 9, EEC 406 forwards the EAS ID to application client (AC) 404. At step 10, AC 404 provides the EASID to EAS 418.

[0092] At step 11, EAS 418 uses the EAS ID to call the EDGE-3 API via EES 416. At step 12, EES 416 converts the EAS ID to the corresponding E-GPSI and uses the E-GPSI to call the corresponding CN capability API via NEF 414. At step 14, EES 416 sends a response to EAS 418.

[0093] exist Figure 4A-4B , UE 402 receives a single E-GPSI; however, in some aspects, the UE may be provisioned with multiple UE IDs.

[0094] UE External ID in Registration Acceptance:

[0095] Figure 5A-5B An example call flow 500 for a UE 502 requesting a UE ID during a UE registration process is depicted in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 5A-5B As shown, at step 1, UE 502 sends a registration request message to RAN 504. At step 2, RAN 504 selects an AMF, and at step 3, forwards the registration request message to the selected new AMF 506.

[0096] At steps 4 and 5, the new AMF 506 and the old AMF 508 may optionally transmit the UE context, respectively. At steps 6 and 7, respectively, the new AMF 506 may optionally request the UE identity, and the UE 502 provides an identity response. At step 8, the new AMF 506 may optionally select AUSF 514. At step 9, authentication and security may optionally be performed. At step 10, the new AMF 506 notifies the old AMF 508 that the registration has been completed. At step 11, the UE 502 and the new AMF 506 may optionally exchange identity requests and identity responses. At step 12, the new AMF 506 may optionally interface with the Equipment Identity Register (EIR). At step 13, the new AMF 506 may optionally select UDM 516.

[0097] At step 14a, the new AMF 506 registers with the UDM 516. At step 14b, the new AMF 506 retrieves the E-GPSI from the UDM 516 (e.g., using a Nudm_SDM_Get operation). At step 14c, the new AMF 506 sends a subscription message to the UDM 516.

[0098] At steps 14d and 14e, respectively, the old AMF 508 may optionally send a deregistration notification and an unsubscribe message to the UDM 516. At step 15, the new AMF 506 may optionally select the PCF 510. At step 16, the new AMF 506 may optionally establish an access and mobility (AM) policy association with the PCF 510. At step 17, the new AMF 506 may optionally send an update or release session management (SM) to the SMF 512. At steps 18 and 19, respectively, the new AMF 506 may optionally exchange mobility acceptance and mobility response messages with the interworking function (IWF). At step 20, the old AMF 508 may optionally terminate its AM policy association with the PCF 510.

[0099] At step 21, the new AMF 506 sends a Registration Accept message to the UE 502. In some aspects, the UE ID (e.g., GPSI or E-GPSI) is included in the Registration Accept message. In some aspects, the registration accept message at step 21 includes one or more of the following: 5G Globally Unique Temporary Identifier (GUTI), registration area, one or more GPSIs, mobility restrictions, PDU session status, allowed network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI), mapping of allowed NSSAI, NSSAI configured for serving PLMN, mapping of configured NSSAI, network slice selection resource group (NSSRG) information, rejected single NSSAI (S-NSSAI), pending NSSAI, mapping of pending NSSAI, periodic registration update timer, activation time, strict periodic registration timer indication, local area data network (LADN) information, accept mobile origin connection only (MICO) mode, IMS PS-based voice session support indication, emergency service support indicator, accept discontinuous reception (DRX) parameters for E-UTRA and NR, and narrowband Io Acceptance DRX parameters for T(NB-IoT), extended idle mode DRX parameters, paging time window, network support without N26 interoperability, access layer connection establishment NSSAI inclusion mode, network slice subscription change indication, operator defined access category definition, equivalent PLMN list, enhanced coverage restriction information, supported network behaviors, service interval time, UE radio capability ID assigned to PLMN, UE radio capability ID deletion assigned to PLMN, wake-up signal (WUS) assistance information], AMF Public Emergency Information Public Safety (PEIPS) assistance information, truncated 5G shortened temporary mobile subscriber identity (5G-S-TMSI) configuration, support connection release, support paging reason indication for voice services, support paging restriction, support rejection of paging request, accept / reject paging restriction information, list of PLMNs used in disaster conditions, disaster roaming waiting range information, and / or disaster return waiting range information.

[0100] At step 22, the UE 502 may optionally send a registration complete message to the new AMF 506. At step 23, the new AMF 506 may optionally send a confirmation to the UDM 516.

[0101] In some aspects, the registration and subscription messages at steps 14a-14c may be optional for certain UEs (e.g., for edge application-enabled UEs), and may be optional information elements (IEs) included only upon request by the UE, such as Figure 6A-6B In some aspects, at step 1, the registration request message from UE 502 to RAN 504 includes a "UEID request" indication, which is forwarded by RAN 504 to AMF 506 in step 3. At step 21, the new AMF 506 includes the UE ID in the registration accept message in response to the request to UE502. In some aspects, the registration request message includes one or more registration types, a subscriber concealed identity (SUCI), a 5G-GUTI, a PEI, a UE ID request, a last visited tracking area identity (TAI), security parameters, a requested NSSAI, a mapping of requested NSSAI, an indication of a default configured NSSAI, a UE radio capability update, a UE MM core network capability, a PDU session state, a list of PDU sessions to be activated, a follow-up request, a MINO mode priority, a requested activation time, a requested DRX parameters for E-UTRA and NR, a requested DRX parameters for NB-IoT, an extended idle mode DRX parameters], an indicator of LADN DNN or requested LADN information, a NAS message container, support for restrictions on the use of enhanced coverage, a preferred network behavior, UE paging probability information, a paging subgroup support indication, a UE policy container (a list of PDU session identities (PSI), an indication that the UE supports access network discovery and selection policy (ANDSP) and an operating system identity, a UE radio capability ID, a release request indication, paging restriction information, a PEI and / or a PLMN under disaster conditions.

[0102] UE External ID in PDU Session Establishment:

[0103] According to certain circumstances, the UE sends a request for the UE ID to the core network in a protocol data unit (PDU) session establishment request to the SMF of the CN, and receives an external UE ID (e.g., GPSI or E-GPSI) from the CN as part of a PDU session establishment accept message. In some aspects, the UE sends a request for the UE ID to the CN in a PDU session modification request to the SMF of the CN, and receives an external UE ID (e.g., GPSI or E-GPSI) from the CN as part of a PDU session modification command message.

[0104] Figure 7A-7B FIG. 7 is an example call flow 700 in which a UE 702 requests a UE ID during a PDU session establishment procedure. Figure 7A-7B As shown, at step 1, the UE 702 sends a PDU session establishment request message to the AMF 706. In some aspects, the PDU session establishment request message includes S-NSSAI, UE requested DNN, PDU session ID, request type, old PDU session ID, N1 SM container, PDU session establishment request and / or port management information container. In some aspects, in order to establish a new PDU session, the UE 702 generates a new PDU session ID. In some aspects, the UE 702 initiates the UE requested PDU session establishment process by transmitting a NAS message containing a PDU session establishment request in an N1 SM container. In some aspects, the PDU session establishment request includes (e.g., in addition to or in addition to the above information) a PDU session ID, a requested PDU session type, a requested session and service continuity (SSC) mode, 5GSM capabilities, a protocol configuration option (PCO), a SM PDU DN request container, a number of packet filters, a header compression configuration, a UE integrity protection maximum data rate, a requested always-on PDU session, an RSN, and / or a PDU session pair ID. In some aspects, in the PCO, the UE 702 indicates that the UE 702 requests a UE ID. In some aspects, the PDU session establishment request message in step 1 includes a request for UE ID retrieval as part of a protocol configuration option (PCO) or an extended PCO (ePCO).

[0105] At step 2, AMF 706 selects SMF 710. At step 3, AMF 706 sends a request message to SMF 710 to create a session management context.

[0106] At step 4, for example, if UE 702 indicated in the PCO that it requested a UE ID, SMF 710 retrieves the GPSI of UE 702 and subscription data from UDM 714. In certain aspects, if SMF 710 receives a request for a UE ID in the request, SMF 710 includes the GPSI of the UE in the reply sent to UE 702 via RAN 704 in step 13. In some aspects, if UE 702 indicated in the PCO that UE 702 supports the capability of receiving an ECS address via NAS, SMF 710 also includes the GPSI of the UE along with the ECS address configuration information in the reply sent to UE 702 via RAN 704 in step 13.

[0107] At step 5, SMF 710 responds to AMF 706 with SM context response. At step 6, PDU session authentication and authorization are performed. At step 7a, SMF 710 may optionally select PCF 712. At step 7b, SM policy association establishment or SMF-initiated SM policy association modification may be completed. At step 8, SMF 710 selects UPF 708. At step 9, SMF-initiated SM policy association modification may be optionally performed by SMF 710 and PCF 712. At steps 10a and 10b, SMF 710 and UPF 708 may optionally exchange N4 session establishment / modification request and response messages.

[0108] At step 11, SMF 710 and AMF 706 exchange Namf_Communication_N1N2 message transmission. In some aspects, the Namf_Communication_N1N2 message transmission includes one or more PDU session IDs, N2 SM information (e.g., PDU session ID, quality of service (QoS) profile, one or more QoS flow identifiers (QFIs), CN tunnel information, S-NSSAI from allowed NSSAI, session aggregation maximum bit rate (AMBR), PDU session type, user plane security implementation information, UE integrity protection maximum data rate, RSN and / or PDU session pair ID) and / or N1 SM container (e.g., PDU session establishment accept, QoS rules, QoS flow level QoS parameters, selected SSC mode, S-NSSAI, UE requested DNN, assigned IPv4 address, interface identifier, session-AMBR, selected PDU session type, reflected QoS timer, proxy call session control function (P-CSCF) address, control plane only indicator, header compression configuration, always-on PDU session grant, small data rate control parameters, small data rate control state, serving PLMN rate control, PVS fully qualified domain name (FQDN) and / or PVS IP address).

[0109] At step 12, AMF 706 forwards the N2 PDU Session Request to RAN 704. At step 13, RAN 704 sends a PDU Session Establishment Accept message to UE 702. At step 14, RAN 704 sends an N2 PDU Session Response to AMF 706, and UE 702 can send uplink data to UPF 708. At step 15, AMF 706 sends an Update SM Context Request to SMF 710. At step 16a, SMF 710 sends an N4 Session Modification Request to UPF 708. At step 16b, UPF 708 sends an N4 Session Modification Response to SMF 710. At step 16c, SMF 710 can perform registration and downlink data can be sent from UPF 708 to UE 702. At step 17, SMF 710 sends an Update SM Context Response to AMF 706. At step 18, SMF 710 sends a SM context status notification to AMF 706. At step 19, SMF 710 may send an IPv6 address configuration to UPF 708, which forwards it to UE 702. At step 20, SMF 710 may initiate a SM policy association modification. At step 21, SMF 710 may cancel the subscription.

[0110] UE External ID during service level authentication and authorization process:

[0111] Figure 8 An example AA process 800 is shown in which a UE 802 uses a service level AA process to request a UE ID in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Service level AA may be performed during PDU session establishment and modification (e.g., Fig. 7A 6 in step 4). UE 802 includes a service level device ID for initiating a service level AA procedure. AF 808 may provide the new service level device ID to UE 802. In some aspects, UE 802 performs AA with ECS and EES.

[0112] In some aspects, the UE 802 and / or the CN do not know the ECS address at the time of the PDU session establishment request. If the UE 802 knows the ECS address, the UE 802 can include the ECS address as a service level AA server address in a service level AA container (SLAC). In some aspects, the SLAC includes one or more of the following: a service level device ID, a service level AA server address, a service level AA response, a service level AA type, a service level AA suspension indication, and / or a service level AA payload. If the UE 802 does not know the ECS address, the AA process 800 can be triggered by the PDU session modification process.

[0113] In some aspects, if the AA process 800 fails, the UE 802 may not use the PDU session. If the UE 802 is using an Internet PDU session for an edge application (e.g., EDGEAPP), or if the UE 802 is using a common PDU session for multiple services, not being able to use the PDU session may cause problems, and other services (not related to EDGEAPP) will be interrupted.

[0114] Fig. 9 9 is an example call flow 900 for a UE 902 to request a UE ID using a service level AA procedure in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. At step 912, when the UE 902 requests to establish or modify a PDU session for edge services, the UE 902 sends a SLAC including a service level device ID set to an EEC ID to the SMF 906.

[0115] According to aspects of the present disclosure, the SMF 906 includes the SUCI or SUPI in the Nnef_Auth API into the NEF 908 so that the NEF identifies the UE. During the AA process, at 918 or 922, if the GPSI is required by the AF 910, the NEF 908 allocates a GPSI (e.g., E-GPSI) for the service. The AF 910 requests the GPSI for the UE 902 from the NEF 908 during the Naf_Auth API operation. In addition, if there is a single GPSI in the UE subscription, the NEF 908 may decide to provide a single GSPI because there may be no need to allocate a new GSPI. If there is a list of GPSIs in the UE subscription, and if the NEF 908 can determine the corresponding GPSI for the AF request, the NEF 908 provides the corresponding GPSI. If the NEF 908 cannot determine the GPSI corresponding to the AF request, the NEF 908 may allocate a new GPSI.

[0116] In some aspects, after the NEF 908 determines to allocate a GPSI to the UE 902, the NEF 908 requests a GPSI allocation from the UDM for the requested AF 910. The NEF 908 provides the allocated GPSI to the AF 910.

[0117] After the AA procedure is successful, for example, at steps 922 and 924, the AF 910 sends the AA result and the received GPSI (as the service level device ID) to the UE through the CN.

[0118] In some aspects, as an alternative to using a service level device ID, a payload or new IE for obtaining and providing GPSI can be used. The UE 902 passes the received service level device ID (e.g., GPSI) assigned by the NEF 908 to the upper layer (e.g., EEC), and the upper layer uses the ID for EDGE-1 or EDGE-4 API (e.g., after step 924, not shown).

[0119] In some aspects, a specific policy indication may require that the PDU session will not be released or rejected even if the AA process fails (in the case where the PDU session is used for multiple services). This policy may be indicated by the AF 910 (e.g., in the Naf_Auth API) or by the NEF 908 (e.g., based on operator policy) to the SMF 906 so that the SMF 906 can take appropriate action.

[0120] UE External ID during AKMA process:

[0121] Fig.10 1000 is an example call flow for allocating a UE ID during an AKMA process in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Fig.10 As shown, during the AKMA procedure, the NEF allocates a UE ID and the ECS provides the allocated UE ID to the UE.

[0122] At step 1010, master authentication is performed and the AKMA key (K AKMA ). At step 1012, UE 1002 sends an application layer request including an AKMA key identifier (A-KID) to ECS 1008. In some aspects, the application layer request is a service provisioning request (sent to EES) or an EEC registration request.

[0123] At step 1014, ECS 1008 sends Nnef to NEF 1006. AKMA_AFKey At step 1016, the NEF 1006 selects the AKMA anchor function (AAnF) 1004, and at step 1018, the NEF 1006 sends an N-KID including the A-KID and the AF ID to the AAnF 1004. AAnF_AKMA_AFKey At step 1020, AAnF 1004 utilizes N AAnF_AKMA_AFKey The response includes the AKMA application key (K AF ), K AF Expiration time (K AF_ExpTime ) and SUPI.

[0124] At step 1022, the NEF 1006 allocates a GPSI (e.g., an E-GPSI) to the UE 1002. In some aspects, the GPSI is allocated per UE (rather than per EEC). In some aspects, the K is received at step 1020. AF After receiving and SUPI, NEF 1006 requests GPSI allocation for the requested AF from UDM. In some aspects, AF requests NEF 1006 to allocate GPSI in Nnef_AKMA_AFKey_request.

[0125] In some aspects, if the NEF 1006 allocates a new GPSI, the NEF 1006 calls the new UDM exposed API to inject the GPSI into the UE subscription information so that the NF can identify the UE 1002 when calling the externally exposed API. Alternatively, once the NEF 1006 determines to allocate a GPSI, the NEF 1006 can request a GPSI (e.g., E-GPSI) allocation from the UDM for the requested AF.

[0126] In some aspects, if the UE ID is present in the UE subscription, the NEF 1006 may decide to provide an existing GPSI. If there is a list of GPSIs in the UE subscription, and if the NEF 1006 can determine the corresponding GPSI for the AF request, the NEF 1006 provides the corresponding GPSI. If the NEF 1006 cannot determine the corresponding GPSI for the AF request, the NEF may allocate a new GPSI.

[0127] At step 1024, NEF 1006 sends Nnef to ECS 1008. AKMA_AFKey Key response, which includes K AF , K AF_ExpTime In some aspects, once the AF (eg, ECS 1008) receives the GPSI, the GPSI and EECID pair may be assigned to the associated EES. In some aspects, the EES may query the ECS for the GPSI using the EEC ID as a query parameter.

[0128] At step 1026, the ECS 1008 provides the GPSI to the UE 1002 in response to the application layer request. If the AF is an EES, the AF provides the GPSI to the UE 1002 as a response to the EES registration request.

[0129] In some aspects, once UE 1002 (e.g., EEC) receives the GPSI from an EEL network entity (e.g., ECS 1008), the EEC stores the GPSI associated with the ECSP to which the EEL network entity belongs, and the EEC may provide the GPSI (e.g., E-GPSI as an edge UE ID) to the application client.

[0130] In some aspects, Nudm SubscriberDataManagement The message includes a subscription data type including access and mobility subscription data and session management subscription data. In some aspects, both the access and mobility subscription data and the session management subscription data contain a GPSI list.

[0131] UE External ID Verification:

[0132] Fig.11 11 is an example call flow 1100 illustrating a process of verifying a UE ID (eg, E-GPSI) provided by a UE.

[0133] As shown at step 1108, the UE (e.g., EEC 1102) registers with 5GC 1104 and obtains the E-GPSI. For example, the E-GPSI can be provided to the EEC 1102 in a registration acceptance message (e.g., as shown in Figures 4-6). At step 1110, the EEC 1102 provides the E-GPSI to the EES 1106.

[0134] In order to verify whether the UE ID (e.g., E-GPSI) provided by EEC 1102 actually belongs to the UE, the Nnef_Trigger_Delivery service can be used. As shown in steps s1112-1114, EES1106 uses the Nnef_Trigger_Delivery service to send an indication to EEC 1102 via 5GC 1104 to verify the fresh value (nonce) of E-GPSI. At step 1114, EEC 1102 will receive the fresh value only if the UE ID provided by EEC 1102 in step 1108 belongs to the UE. At step 1116, EEC 1102 sends the fresh value to EES1106 to confirm that EEC 1102 has received the fresh value, and therefore, the UE ID provided to EES1106 by EEC 1102 belongs to the UE. In some aspects, the fresh value can be replaced by an authorization token. In this case, the UE can support SMS over NAS.

[0135] Fig.12 1 is an example call flow illustrating a process 1200 for verifying a UE ID provided by a UE in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. As shown at step 1208, the EEC 1202 provides a request to the 5GC 1204. In some aspects, the E-GPSI is requested in a registration request (e.g., as shown in FIGS. 4-6 ). In some aspects, the E-GPSI is requested in a PDU session establishment message (e.g., as shown in FIG. 4-6 ). Fig. 7A ). At step 1210, 5GC 1204 retrieves the E-GPSI, assigns a fresh value, and stores a mapping of the E-GPSI to the fresh value. At step 1212, 5GC 1204 provides the E-GPSI and the fresh value to EEC 1202. At step 1214, EEC 1202 provides the E-GPSI and the fresh value to EES 1206. At 1216, EES 1206 sends the E-GPSI received from EEC 1202 to 5GC 1204. At step 1218, 5GC 1204 returns the fresh value associated with the E-GPSI in the stored mapping to EES 1206. At step 1220, EES 1206 compares the fresh value sent from the UE (i.e., the fresh value received from EEC 1202 at step 1214) with the fresh value sent from the 5GC at step 1218. In some aspects, the fresh value may be replaced with an authorization token.Based on the comparison, the EES 1206 verifies the E-GPSI provided by the UE.

[0136] Fig.13 1300 is an example call flow illustrating a process 1300 for verifying a UE ID provided by a UE. As shown at step 1308, EEC 1302 provides a request to 5GC 1304. In some aspects, the E-GPSI is required in a registration request (e.g., as shown in FIGS. 4-6). In some aspects, the E-GPSI is requested in a PDU session establishment message (e.g., as shown in FIGS. 7a-7b). At step 1310, 5GC 1304 retrieves the E-GPSI, assigns a fresh value, and stores a mapping of the E-GPSI to the fresh value. At step 1312, 5GC 1304 provides the E-GPSI and the fresh value to EEC 1302. At step 1314, EEC 1302 provides the E-GPSI and the fresh value to EES 1306. At 1316, EES 1306 sends the E-GPSI received from EEC 1302 to 5GC 1304. At step 1318, 5GC 1304 compares the fresh value received from EES 1306 at step 1316 with the fresh value stored at step 1310. In some aspects, the fresh value may be replaced with an authorization token. Based on the comparison, 5GC 1304 verifies the E-GPSI provided by the UE. At step 1320, 5GC 1304 may indicate whether EES 1306 has verified the E-GPSI (e.g., OK / NOK).

[0137] Fig.14 1406 obtains GPSI from CN 1404 based on input provided by UE 1402. As shown at step 1408, UE 1402 indicates support for UE ID (e.g., E-GPSI) allocation and retrieval to CN 1404 (e.g., SMF). At step 1410, CN 1404 assigns fresh values ​​to the subscription. In some aspects, the fresh values ​​are a key ID and a key. In some aspects, the key ID and the key are used in AKMA procedures (e.g., as Fig.10 ). At step 1412, CN 1404 provides fresh values ​​to UE 1402, which passes the fresh values ​​through a function and generates a result. In some aspects, the function is to generate a message authentication code. In some aspects, UE 1402 uses application function information such as AF ID and the fresh value together to generate a message authentication code. At 1414, UE 1402 provides the result of the function and other related parameters (e.g., key ID) to AF 1406. At step 1416, AF 1406 provides the fresh values ​​to CN 1404. At 1418, CN 1404 uses the fresh values ​​to retrieve a GPSI (e.g., E-GPSI) corresponding to the UE for which the fresh value was assigned at step 1410. At step 1420, CN 1404 provides GSPI to AF 1406, which AF 1406 can share with UE 1402.

[0138] Fig.15 1507 obtains GPSI (e.g., E-GPSI) from CN based on input provided by UE 1502. As shown at step 1508, UE 1502 instructs the core network function (e.g., SMF 1504) to allocate and retrieve UE ID (e.g., E-GPSI). As with 1510, SMF 1504 allocates a fresh value to the subscription. At step 1512, SMF 1504 creates a context for the fresh value in UDM 1506 and stores the context with the UE subscription. At step 1514, UDM 1506 provides the UDM context ID to SMF 1504. In some aspects, the fresh value is a key and the UDM context ID is a key ID. In some aspects, the key and key ID are used in the AKMA process. SMF 1504 provides the fresh value and UDM context ID back to UE 1502. At step 1516, UE 1502 passes the fresh value through the function and generates a result (e.g., generates a message authentication code), and provides the result of the function and the UDM context ID to AF 1507. At step 1518, AF 1508 provides the UE-provided information to UDM 1506, which, at step 1520, uses the information to retrieve the GPSI (e.g., E-GPSI) associated with the UE for which the fresh value is assigned. Then, at step 1522, UDM 1506 provides the GSPI to AF 1507, which can share the GPSI with UE 1502.

[0139] According to certain aspects, the techniques described herein enable a UE to retrieve its external ID (e.g., E-GPSI), which is later used to identify the UE at the edge application layer, regardless of whether NAT is deployed. For example, the external ID can be used to initiate an application context relocation (ACR) process.

[0140] Example operations performed by a user device

[0141] Fig.16 1 is an example call flow diagram illustrating operation 1600 for wireless communication according to certain aspects of the present disclosure. Operation 1600 may be performed, for example, by a UE (e.g., UE 120a in wireless communication network 100) to receive a UE ID. Operation 1600 may be implemented as a software component executed and run on one or more processors. In addition, the transmission and reception of signals by the UE in operation 1600 may be enabled, for example, by one or more antennas. In certain aspects, the transmission and / or reception of signals by the UE may be implemented via a bus interface of one or more processors that acquire and / or output signals.

[0142] Operation 1600 may begin with operation 1602, where the UE sends a request to the CN. At operation 1604, the UE receives an external identifier (e.g., E-GPSI) from the CN in response to the request. At operation 1606, the UE sends the external identifier to an application client at the UE. At operation 1608, the UE uses the external identifier to invoke a capability of the CN.

[0143] Fig.17 1 is a flow chart illustrating an example operation 1700 for wireless communication according to certain aspects of the present disclosure. Operation 1700 may be performed, for example, by a UE (e.g., UE 120a in wireless communication network 100) for UE-initiated deregistration. Operation 1700 may be implemented as a software component executed and run on one or more processors. In addition, the transmission and reception of signals by the UE in operation 1700 may be enabled, for example, by one or more antennas. In certain aspects, the transmission and / or reception of signals by the UE may be implemented via a bus interface of one or more processors that acquire and / or output signals.

[0144] At 1702, an application layer request is sent by the UE to the AF. Although not a UE operation, at 1704, the AF receives an external identifier (eg, E-GPSI) from the NEF of the CN. At 1506, the UE receives an application layer response from the AF including the external identifier.

[0145] Example Communication Device

[0146] Fig.18 Various aspects of an example communication device 1800 are depicted. In some aspects, the communication device 1800 is a user device, such as described above with respect to Figure 1 and 3 The UE 104.

[0147] The communication device 1800 includes a processing system 1802 coupled to a transceiver 1808 (e.g., a transmitter and / or a receiver). The transceiver 1808 is configured to transmit and receive signals for the communication device 1800, such as the various signals described herein, via an antenna 1810. The processing system 1802 may be configured to perform processing functions for the communication device 1800, including processing signals to be received and / or transmitted by the communication device 1800.

[0148] The processing system 1802 includes one or more processors 1820. In various aspects, the one or more processors 1820 may represent one or more of the receive processor 358, the transmit processor 364, the TX MIMO processor 366, and / or the controller / processor 380, as described with respect to FIG. Figure 3 The one or more processors 1820 are coupled to a computer readable medium / memory 1830 via bus 1806. In some aspects, the computer readable medium / memory 1830 is configured to store instructions (e.g., computer executable code) that, when executed by the one or more processors 1820, cause the one or more processors 1820 to perform operations related to the computer readable medium / memory 1830. Figure 16-17 The described operations 1600 and / or operations 1700, or any aspects related thereto. Note that reference to a processor performing a function of the communication device 1800 may include one or more processors performing that function of the communication device 1800.

[0149] In the depicted example, the computer readable medium / memory 1830 stores code 1831 (e.g., executable instructions) for obtaining, code 1832 for outputting, code 1833 for forwarding, and code 1834 for calling. Processing of the codes 1831-1834 may enable the communication device 1800 to perform operations related to the communication device 1800. Figure 16-17 Operation 1600 and / or operation 1700 described, or any aspect related thereto.

[0150] The one or more processors 1820 include circuit systems for implementing (e.g., executing) code stored in the computer-readable medium / memory 1830, including circuit systems for obtaining 1821, circuit systems for outputting 1822, circuit systems for forwarding 1823, and circuit systems for calling 1824. Processing using circuit systems 1821-1824 may enable the communication device 1800 to perform operations related to Figure 16-17 Operation 1600 and / or operation 1700 described, or any aspect related thereto.

[0151] The various components of the communication device 1800 may provide for performing Figure 16-17 The described means of operation 1600 and / or operation 1700, or any aspect related thereto. For example, the means for transmitting, sending, or outputting for transmission may include Figure 3 The transceiver 354 and / or antenna 352 and / or Fig.18 The transceiver 1808 and antenna 1810 of the communication device 1800 in FIG. The unit for receiving or acquiring may include Figure 3 The transceiver 354 and / or antenna 352 and / or Fig.18 The transceiver 1808 and antenna 1810 of the communication device 1800 in FIG.

[0152] Sample Clauses

[0153] Implementation examples are described in the following numbered clauses:

[0154] Clause 1: A method of performing wireless communications by a user equipment (UE), comprising: sending a request to a core network; receiving an external identifier (GPSI) from the core network in response to the request; sending the GPSI to an application client at the UE; and using the GPSI to invoke a capability of the core network.

[0155] Clause 2: A method according to clause 1, wherein: the external identifier includes an edge computing specific external identifier (E-GPSI); and sending the E-GPSI to the application client includes responding to receiving the E-GPSI at an edge enabler layer of the UE.

[0156] Clause 3: A method according to clause 1, wherein the core network includes an access and mobility management function (AMF); sending the request to the core network includes sending a UE registration request to the AMF of the core network; and receiving the GPSI from the core network includes receiving the GPSI as part of a UE registration accept message.

[0157] Clause 4: A method according to clause 3, wherein sending the registration request to the AMF of the core network further comprises: sending a request for a UE identifier (ID) as part of the UE registration request.

[0158] Clause 5: A method according to any of clauses 1-3, wherein: the core network includes a session management function (SMF); and sending the request to the core network also includes sending a protocol data unit (PDU) session establishment request message or a PDU session modification request message to the SMF of the core network; and receiving the GPSI from the core network includes receiving the GPSI as part of a PDU session establishment accept message or part of a PDU session modification command message.

[0159] Clause 6: A method according to any of clauses 1-5, wherein sending the PDU session establishment request or the PDU session modification request message to the core network also includes: sending a request for a UE identifier (ID) to the core network as part of a protocol configuration option (PCO) information block of the PDU session establishment request or the PDU session modification request message.

[0160] Clause 7: The method of any of clauses 1-6, wherein receiving the GPSI further comprises receiving the GPSI as part of a PCO information block of the PDU SESSION ESTABLISHMENT ACCEPT message or the PDU SESSION MODIFY COMMAND message.

[0161] Clause 8: A method as described in any of clauses 1-7, wherein the external identifier comprises an edge computing specific external identifier (E-GPSI), and wherein receiving the E-GPSI from the core network comprises receiving the E-GPSI during a service level authentication and authorization (AA) process.

[0162] Clause 9: A method as described in any of clauses 1-8, further comprising: including, by the UE, a service level equipment identifier (ID) to initiate the service level AA process.

[0163] Clause 10: The method of any of clauses 1-9, further comprising: receiving a new set of service level device IDs to the E-GPSI during the service level AA process.

[0164] Clause 11: A method of performing wireless communications by a user equipment (UE), comprising: sending an application layer request to an application function; and receiving an application layer response including an external identifier (GPSI) from the application function.

[0165] Clause 12: The method of clause 12, further comprising: including, by the UE, authentication and key management (AKMA) related details for an application in the application layer request.

[0166] Clause 13: A method as described in any of clauses 11-12, wherein the GPSI is allocated by the NEF and received by the application function.

[0167] Clause 14: A method according to any of clauses 1-13, wherein the application layer request is a service provisioning request, or an edge enabler client (EEC) registration request, or an edge enabler service (EAS) discovery request; and the application layer response is a service provisioning response, or an EEC registration response, or an EAS discovery response.

[0168] Clause 15: A processing system comprising: a memory including computer executable instructions; one or more processors configured to execute the computer executable instructions and cause the processing system to perform the method according to any one of clauses 1-14.

[0169] Clause 16: A processing system comprising means for performing the method according to any one of clauses 1-14.

[0170] Clause 17: A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising: computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a processing system, cause the processing system to perform the method of any one of clauses 1-14.

[0171] Clause 18: A computer program product embodied on a computer readable storage medium, comprising code for executing the method according to any one of clauses 1-14.

[0172] Additional Considerations

[0173] The technology described in this article can be used for various wireless communication technologies, such as NR (e.g., 5GNR), 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE Advanced (LTE-A), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA), Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA), and other networks. The terms "network" and "system" are often used interchangeably. A CDMA network can implement radio technologies such as Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA), cdma2000, etc. UTRA includes Wideband CDMA (WCDMA) and other variants of CDMA. cdma2000 covers IS-2000, IS-95, and IS-856 standards. A TDMA network can implement radio technologies such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). An OFDMA network may implement radio technologies such as NR (e.g., 5G RA), Evolved UTRA (E-UTRA), Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), IEEE 802.20, Flash-OFDMA, etc. UTRA and E-UTRA are part of Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). LTE and LTE-A are versions of UMTS that use E-UTRA. UTRA, E-UTRA, UMTS, LTE, LTE-A, and GSM are described in documents from an organization named "3rd Generation Partnership Project" (3GPP), and cdma2000 and UMB are described in documents from an organization named "3rd Generation Partnership Project 2" (3GPP2). NR is an emerging wireless communication technology under development.

[0174] In 3GPP, the term "cell" may refer to the coverage area of ​​a Node B (NB) and / or a NB subsystem serving the coverage area, depending on the context in which the term is used. In NR systems, the term "cell" and BS, next-generation Node B (gNB or gNodeB), access point (AP), distributed unit (DU), carrier or transmit receive point (TRP) may be used interchangeably. A BS may provide communication coverage for a macro cell, a pico cell, a femto cell and / or other types of cells. A macro cell may cover a relatively large geographic area (e.g., a radius of several kilometers) and may allow unrestricted access by a UE through a service subscription. A pico cell may cover a relatively small geographic area and may allow unrestricted access by a UE with a service subscription. A femto cell may cover a relatively small geographic area (e.g., a home) and may allow restricted access to UEs associated with a femto cell (e.g., UEs in a closed subscriber group (CSG), UEs of users in a home, etc.). A BS for a macro cell may be referred to as a macro BS. A BS for a pico cell may be referred to as a pico BS. A BS for a femto cell may be referred to as a femto BS or a home BS.

[0175] UE may also be referred to as a mobile station, a terminal, an access terminal, a subscriber unit, a station, a customer premises equipment (CPE), a cellular phone, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a wireless modem, a wireless communication device, a handheld device, a laptop computer, a cordless phone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a tablet computer, a camera, a gaming device, a netbook, a smartbook, an ultrabook, an appliance, a medical device or medical apparatus, a biometric sensor / device, a wearable device (e.g., a smart watch, smart clothing, smart glasses, a smart wristband, smart jewelry (e.g., a smart ring, a smart bracelet, etc.)), an entertainment device (e.g., a music device, a video device, a satellite radio unit, etc.), a vehicle component or sensor, a smart meter / sensor, an industrial manufacturing device, a global positioning system device, or any other suitable device configured to communicate via a wireless or wired medium. Some UEs may be considered machine type communication (MTC) devices or evolved MTC (eMTC) devices. MTC and eMTC UEs include, for example, robots, drones, remote devices, sensors, meters, monitors, location tags, etc., which can communicate with a BS, another device (e.g., a remote device), or some other entity. A wireless node can provide, for example, a connection to or to a network (e.g., a wide area network such as the Internet or a cellular network) via a wired communication link or a wireless communication link. Some UEs can be considered Internet of Things (IoT) devices, which can be narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) devices.

[0176] In some examples, access to the air interface can be scheduled. The scheduling entity (e.g., BS) allocates resources for the communication between some or all devices and apparatuses in its service area or cell. The scheduling entity can be responsible for scheduling, allocating, reconfiguring and releasing resources for one or more subordinate entities. That is, for scheduled communications, the subordinate entity utilizes the resources allocated by the scheduling entity. The base station is not the only entity that can be used as a scheduling entity. In some examples, the UE can be used as a scheduling entity, and resources can be scheduled for one or more subordinate entities (e.g., one or more other UEs), and other UEs can use the resources scheduled by the UE for wireless communication. In some examples, the UE can act as a scheduling entity in a peer-to-peer (P2P) network and / or in a mesh network. In the mesh network example, in addition to communicating with the scheduling entity, the UE can also communicate directly with each other.

[0177] In some cases, two or more slave entities (e.g., UEs) can communicate with each other using sidelink signals. Real-life applications of such sidelink communications may include public safety, proximity services, UE-to-network relay, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications, Internet of Everything (IoE) communications, IoT communications, mission-critical mesh networks, and / or various other appropriate applications. Generally, a sidelink signal may refer to a signal transmitted from one slave entity (e.g., UE1) to another slave entity (e.g., UE2) without the need for the communication to be relayed through a scheduling entity (e.g., UE or BS), even though the scheduling entity may be used for scheduling and / or control purposes. In some examples, licensed spectrum may be used to transmit sidelink signals (unlike wireless local area networks that typically use unlicensed spectrum).

[0178] The method disclosed herein includes one or more steps or actions for implementing the described method. These method steps and / or actions may be interchangeable without departing from the scope of the present invention. In other words, unless a specific order of steps or actions is specified, the order and / or use of specific steps and / or actions may be modified without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0179] As used herein, a phrase referring to "at least one of" a list of items refers to any combination of those items, including single members. For example, "at least one of a, b, or c" is intended to cover a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, and abc, as well as any combination with multiples of the same elements (e.g., aa, aaa, aab, aac, abb, acc, bb, bbb, bbc, cc, and ccc or any other ordering of a, b, and c).

[0180] As used herein, the term "determining" encompasses a wide variety of actions. For example, "determining" may include calculating, estimating, processing, deriving, investigating, searching (e.g., searching in a table, data pool, or other data structure), verifying, etc. In addition, "determining" may include receiving (e.g., receiving information), accessing (e.g., accessing data in a memory), etc. In addition, "determining" may include resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, etc.

[0181] The above description is provided to enable any skilled person in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. Various modifications to these aspects will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may also be applied to other aspects. Therefore, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but are consistent with the full scope of the language of the claims, wherein, unless otherwise stated, a singular reference to an element is not intended to mean "one and only one", but "one or more". Unless otherwise specified, the term "some" refers to one or more. All structural and functional equivalents of the elements of the various aspects described throughout the present disclosure, which are known or will be known later to a person of ordinary skill in the art, are expressly incorporated herein by reference, and are intended to be covered by the claims. In addition, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public, whether or not such disclosure is explicitly mentioned in the claims. No claim element is to be interpreted according to the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112 (f), unless the element is explicitly recorded using the phrase "unit for...", or in the case of a method claim, the element is recorded using the phrase "step for...".

[0182] The various operations of the above method can be performed by any suitable unit capable of performing the corresponding function. The unit may include various hardware and / or software components and / or modules, including but not limited to circuits, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) or processors. Generally, where there are operations shown in the figure, those operations may have corresponding paired units plus functional components with similar numbers.

[0183] The various illustrative logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the present disclosure may be implemented or performed with a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device (PLD), discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but alternatively, the processor may be any commercially available processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0184] When implemented in hardware, an exemplary hardware configuration may include a processing system in a wireless node. The processing system may be implemented using a bus architecture. The bus may include any number of interconnecting buses and bridges depending on the specific application and overall design constraints of the processing system. The bus may link various circuits (including processors, machine-readable media, and bus interfaces) together. The bus interface may be used to connect a network adapter, etc., to the processing system via the bus. The network adapter may be used to implement the signal processing functions of the PHY layer. In the user equipment 104 (see Figure 1 ), a user interface (e.g., a keypad, display, mouse, joystick, etc.) may also be connected to the bus. The bus may also link various other circuits, such as timing sources, external devices, voltage regulators, power management circuits, etc., which are well known in the art and are not described further here. The processor may be implemented using one or more general purpose processors and / or special purpose processors. Examples include microprocessors, microcontrollers, DSP processors, and other circuits capable of executing software. Those skilled in the art will recognize how best to implement the described functionality for the processing system, depending on the specific application and the overall design constraints imposed on the entire system.

[0185] If implemented in software, these functions can be stored or sent as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium. Software should be broadly interpreted as referring to instructions, data, or any combination thereof, regardless of whether it is referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or other. Computer-readable media include both computer storage media and communication media, and communication media include any media that facilitates the transfer of computer programs from one place to another. The processor can be responsible for managing the bus and general processing, including executing software modules stored on a machine-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium can be coupled to the processor so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium. Alternatively, the storage medium can be integrated into the processor. As an example, the machine-readable medium can include a transmission line, a carrier modulated by data, and / or a computer-readable storage medium with instructions stored thereon separated from the wireless node, all of which can be accessed by the processor through a bus interface. Alternatively or in addition, the machine-readable medium or any part thereof can be integrated into the processor, for example, the case can be a cache and / or a general register file. Examples of machine-readable storage media may include, for example, RAM (random access memory), flash memory, ROM (read-only memory), PROM (programmable read-only memory), EPROM (erasable programmable read-only memory), EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory), registers, magnetic disks, optical disks, hard drives, or any other suitable storage media, or any combination of the above. Machine-readable media may be implemented in a computer program product.

[0186] A software module may include a single instruction or many instructions, and may be distributed across several different code segments, across different programs, and across multiple storage media. A computer-readable medium may include several software modules. A software module includes instructions that cause a processing system to perform various functions when executed by a device such as a processor. A software module may include a transmission module and a reception module. Each software module may reside in a single storage device, or may be distributed across multiple storage devices. For example, when a triggering event occurs, a software module may be loaded from a hard disk into a RAM. During execution of the software module, the processor may load some of the instructions into a cache to increase access speed. Subsequently, one or more cache lines may be loaded into a general register file for execution by the processor. It will be understood that when the function of a software module is mentioned below, such function is implemented by the processor when executing instructions from the software module.

[0187] Moreover, any connection is appropriately referred to as a computer-readable medium. For example, if a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL) or wireless technology (e.g., infrared (IR), radio and microwave) is used to send software from a website, server or other remote source, the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL or wireless technology (e.g., infrared, radio and microwave) is included in the definition of the medium. As used herein, "disk" and "optical disc" include compact discs (CDs), laser discs, optical discs, digital versatile discs (DVDs), floppy disks and blue-ray discs, wherein disks usually copy data magnetically, and optical discs use lasers to optically copy data. Therefore, in some aspects, a computer-readable medium may include a non-temporary computer-readable medium (e.g., a tangible medium). In addition, for other aspects, a computer-readable medium may include a temporary computer-readable medium (e.g., a signal). The combination of the above should also be included in the scope of computer-readable media.

[0188] Thus, certain aspects may include a computer program product for performing the operations presented herein. For example, such a computer program product may include a computer-readable medium having stored (and / or encoded) thereon instructions executable by one or more processors to perform the operations described herein, for example, instructions for performing the operations described herein, and other operations disclosed herein for performing the various techniques discussed herein for performing slice-aware network selection and / or performing UE-initiated deregistration.

[0189] In addition, it should be understood that the modules and / or other suitable units for executing the methods and techniques described herein can be appropriately downloaded and / or otherwise acquired by a user terminal and / or a base station. For example, such a device can be coupled to a server to facilitate the transmission of units for executing the methods described herein. Alternatively, the various methods described herein can be provided via a storage unit (e.g., RAM, ROM, a physical storage medium such as a compact disc (CD) or a floppy disk, etc.), so that the user terminal and / or the base station can acquire the various methods when the storage unit is coupled to or provided to the device. In addition, any other suitable technology for providing the methods and techniques described herein to the device can be used.

[0190] It is to be understood that the claims are not limited to the precise configuration and components shown above. Various modifications, changes and variations may be made in the arrangement, operation and details of the methods and apparatus described above without departing from the scope of the claims.< / domain> < / id>

Claims

1. A method for performing wireless communication by a user equipment (UE), comprising: Sending a request message to a core network, the request message including a request for an identifier of the UE; receiving a response message from the core network, the response message including an external identifier of the UE; forwarding the external identifier to an application client at the UE; as well as A capability of the core network is invoked using the external identifier.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The external identifier includes an edge computing specific general public subscription identifier (E-GPSI).

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: Forwarding the external identifier to the application client includes forwarding the E-GPSI to the application client in response to receiving the E-GPSI at an edge enabler layer of the UE.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein: Sending the request message to the core network includes sending a UE registration request message to an access and mobility management function (AMF); and Receiving the external identifier from the core network comprises receiving the E-GPSI from the AMF as part of a UE Registration Accept message.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein: Sending the request message to the core network includes sending a protocol data unit (PDU) session establishment request message or a PDU session modification request message to a session management function (SMF); as well as Receiving the E-GPSI from the core network includes receiving the E-GPSI from the SMF as part of a PDU session establishment accept message or as part of a PDU session modification command message.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein: Sending the PDU session establishment request message or the PDU session modification request message to the SMF includes: The request for the identifier of the UE to the SMF is included as part of a Protocol Configuration Option (PCO) information block of the PDU Session Establishment Request message or the PDU Session Modification Request message.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein: Receiving the E-GPSI includes receiving the E-GPSI as a part of a PCO information block of the PDU session establishment accept message or the PDU session modification command message.

8. The method according to claim 2, wherein: Receiving the E-GPSI from the core network includes receiving the E-GPSI during a service level authentication and authorization (AA) procedure.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: The service level AA procedure is initiated by including a service level equipment identifier (ID) by the UE.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: A new set of service level device IDs is received to the E-GPSI during the service level AA process.

11. A method for performing wireless communication by a user equipment (UE), comprising: Send application layer requests to application functions; as well as An application layer response is received from an application function, the application layer response including an external identifier of the UE.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising: The UE includes authentication and key management (AKMA) related information for the application in the application layer request.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein: The external identifier of the UE is an Edge Computing Specific General Public Subscription Identifier (E-GPSI) assigned by a Network Exposure Function (NEF).

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein: The application layer request is one of a service provisioning request, an edge enabler client (EEC) registration request, or an edge enabler service (EAS) discovery request; as well as The application layer response is one of a service provision response, an EEC registration response, or an EAS discovery response.

15. A user equipment (UE), comprising: one or more memories storing computer executable code; as well as One or more processors, coupled to the one or more memories and configured to execute the computer executable code and cause the UE to perform the following operations: Sending a request message to a core network, the request message including a request for an identifier of the UE; receiving a response message from the core network, the response message including an external identifier of the UE; forwarding the external identifier to an application client at the UE; as well as A capability of the core network is invoked using the external identifier.

16. The user equipment according to claim 15, wherein: The external identifier includes an edge computing specific general public subscription identifier (E-GPSI).

17. The user equipment according to claim 16, wherein: The one or more processors are configured to cause the UE to forward the external identifier including forwarding the E-GPSI to the application client in response to receiving the E-GPSI at an edge enabler layer of the UE.

18. The user equipment according to claim 16, wherein: The one or more processors being configured to cause the UE to send the request message to the core network includes: the one or more processors being configured to cause the UE to send a UE registration request message to an access and mobility management function (AMF); and The one or more processors being configured to cause the UE to receive the external identifier from the core network includes: the one or more processors being configured to cause the UE to receive the E-GPSI from the AMF as part of a UE registration accept message.

19. The user equipment according to claim 16, wherein: The one or more processors being configured to cause the UE to send the request message to the core network includes: the one or more processors being configured to cause the UE to send a protocol data unit (PDU) session establishment request message or a PDU session modification request message to a session management function (SMF); and The one or more processors being configured to cause the UE to receive the E-GPSI from the core network includes: the one or more processors being configured to cause the UE to receive the E-GPSI from the SMF as part of a PDU session establishment accept message or as part of a PDU session modification command message.

20. The user equipment according to claim 19, wherein: The one or more processors are configured to cause the UE to send the PDU session establishment request message or the PDU session modification request message to the SMF, including: the one or more processors are configured to cause the UE to include a request for an identifier of the UE to the SMF as part of a protocol configuration option (PCO) information block of the PDU session establishment request message or the PDU session modification request message.

21. The user equipment according to claim 20, wherein: The one or more processors being configured to cause the UE to receive the E-GPSI includes: the one or more processors being configured to cause the UE to receive the E-GPSI as part of a PCO information block of the PDU session establishment accept message or the PDU session modification command message.

22. The user equipment according to claim 16, wherein: The one or more processors configured to cause the UE to receive the E-GPSI from the core network includes the one or more processors configured to cause the UE to receive the E-GPSI during a service level authentication and authorization (AA) procedure.

23. The user equipment of claim 22, the one or more processors configured to further cause the UE to: include, by the UE, a service level equipment identifier (ID) to initiate the service level AA process.

24. The user equipment of claim 23, the one or more processors configured to further cause the UE to: receive a new set of service level device IDs to the E-GPSI during the service level AA procedure.

25. A user equipment (UE), comprising: one or more memories storing computer executable code; as well as One or more processors, coupled to the one or more memories and configured to execute the computer executable code and cause the UE to perform the following operations: Send application layer requests to application functions; as well as An application layer response is received from an application function, the application layer response including an external identifier of the UE.

26. The user equipment of claim 25, the one or more processors being configured to further cause the UE to: include, by the UE, authentication and key management (AKMA) related information for an application in the application layer request.

27. The user equipment according to claim 25, wherein: The external identifier of the UE is an Edge Computing Specific General Public Subscription Identifier (E-GPSI) assigned by a Network Exposure Function (NEF).

28. The user equipment according to claim 25, wherein: The application layer request is one of a service provisioning request, an edge enabler client (EEC) registration request, or an edge enabler service (EAS) discovery request; as well as The application layer response is one of a service provision response, an EEC registration response, or an EAS discovery response.

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