CAG extensions for mobile IAB nodes

Abstract

A method performed by a user equipment (UE) includes receiving a closed access group (CAG) configuration from a wireless communication network; receiving extended CAG configuration information indicating a validity condition in which the CAG configuration should be considered valid or invalid by the UE; and applying the CAG configuration based on the indicated validity condition. A method performed by a network node includes transmitting a CAG configuration to a UE; and transmitting extended CAG configuration information to the UE, the extended CAG configuration information indicating a validity condition in which the CAG configuration should be considered valid or invalid by the UE.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to wireless communication networks, and in particular to Closed Access Group (CAG) configuration for Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB). Background Art

[0002] In the fifth generation (5G) communication system (5GS), as specified in clause 5.35 of [1], an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) architecture is supported. An IAB node may first connect to the 5G system via an IAB donor node. Then, a user equipment (UE) may connect to the IAB node, which provides access to the 5G system.

[0003] Integrated Access and Backhaul Overview

[0004] 5G networks are being designed and deployed with dense deployment of small cells in mind in order to serve more UEs with higher throughput and lower latency at the same time. However, building a completely new infrastructure from scratch is expensive and time-consuming. Deploying wireless backhaul is envisioned as an economically and technically feasible way to build a flexible and dense network.

[0005] The IAB solution was standardized in 3GPP Release 16 to support wireless relay in NG-RAN and continued in 3GPP Release 17.

[0006] IAB Structure

[0007] IAB is based on the central unit (CU)-distributed unit (DU) partitioning standardized in 3GPP Release 15. The CU is responsible for the radio resource control (RRC) and packet data convergence (PCDP) protocols, while the distributed unit (DU) is responsible for the radio link control (RLC) and multiple access control (MAC) protocols. The F1 interface connects the CU and DU. The CU-DU partitioning supports separate physical CUs and DUs while also allowing a single CU to be connected to multiple DUs.

[0008] The main components of the IAB architecture are IAB nodes and IAB donors. An IAB node is a node that allows wireless access to UEs while also backhauling traffic to other nodes. An IAB node includes a DU that provides access to the connected UEs. An IAB node also includes a mobile terminal (MT) that is connected to other IAB nodes or donors in the uplink direction for backhaul. An IAB donor is a node that provides an interface to the core network to the UE and provides wireless functionality to other IAB nodes to backhaul their traffic to the core network. Figure 1 An example of the basic architecture of the IAB is shown.

[0009] Figure 1The illustrated architecture includes a single IAB donor 10 connected to a core network (CN) 40. The IAB donor 10 includes, among other functions, a CU-CP 14 for handling control plane (CP) functions and a CU-UP 16 for handling user plane (UP) functions. The IAB donor 10 serves three direct IAB child nodes 20A, 20B, 20C through two co-located DUs 12A, 12B at the IAB donor 10 for wireless backhaul. The central IAB node 20B in turn serves two IAB nodes 20D, 20E through the wireless backhaul. Figure 1 All IAB nodes in the process backhaul traffic, including traffic related to UEs connected to them and other backhaul traffic from downstream IAB nodes.

[0010] In 3GPP Release 16, IAB is standardized with basic support for multi-hop multi-path backhaul for directed acyclic graph (DAG) topology. Mesh-based topologies are not supported. 3GPP Release 16 also supports Quality of Service (QoS) prioritization of backhaul traffic and flexible resource usage between access and backhaul. Current discussions in 3GPP Release 17 are about topological enhancements to IAB, where partial migration of IAB nodes is used for radio link failure (RLF) recovery and load balancing.

[0011] In 3GPP Release 18, it is expected that different RAN groups will enhance the functionality of IAB by focusing on Mobile IAB / Vehicle-mounted Relay (VMR) providing 5G coverage enhancement. Summary of the invention

[0012] A method performed by a user equipment (UE) includes: receiving a closed access group (CAG) configuration from a wireless communication network; receiving extended CAG configuration information, wherein the extended CAG configuration information indicates a validity condition under which the CAG configuration should be considered valid or invalid by the UE; and applying the CAG configuration based on the indicated validity condition.

[0013] The extended CAG configuration information may include a duration, during which the received CAG configuration should be considered valid by the UE.

[0014] A CAG configuration may include multiple CAG IDs, and wherein the duration may be common to all CAG IDs received by the UE. The duration may be measured by a one-shot timer, wherein the CAG configuration is invalid after expiration of the one-shot timer. The duration may be measured by a timer, which is started by the UE after first receiving the CAG configuration, and when the timer expires, the timer may be restarted again after an indication from the network.

[0015] In some embodiments, the timer may be started only upon instruction from the network.

[0016] In various embodiments, the validity condition may include at least one of the following: a geographic location (in which the received CAG configuration should be considered valid by the UE), a tracking area (TA) or a list of TAs (in which the received CAG configuration should be considered valid by the UE), a registration area (RA) or a list of RAs (in which the received CAG configuration should be considered valid by the UE), a radio access node (RAN) notification area (RNA) or a list of RNAs (in which the received CAG configuration should be considered valid by the UE), an indication to the UE as to whether the received CAG configuration should be considered valid or invalid by the UE.

[0017] The geographic location may include a list of geographic coordinates. In some embodiments, the geographic location includes a set of geographic coordinates representing a specific area.

[0018] The extended CAG configuration information may be applied to a single CAG ID configured at the UE.

[0019] The CAG configuration may include multiple CAG IDs, and the extended CAG configuration information may be common to all CAG IDs received by the UE.

[0020] Receiving an extended CAG configuration from a mobile IAB node. In some embodiments, the extended CAG configuration may be received in a container generated by an access and mobility function AMF.

[0021] The method may also include providing user data, and forwarding the user data to the host via a transmission to the network node.

[0022] The extended CAG configuration information may be received in non-access stratum (NAS) signaling or radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

[0023] The network node may be a mobile integrated access and backhaul IAB node.

[0024] Some embodiments provide a method performed by a network node. The method includes sending a closed access group (CAG) configuration to a user equipment (UE), and sending extended CAG configuration information to the (UE), the extended CAG configuration information indicating validity conditions under which the CAG configuration should be considered valid or invalid by the UE.

[0025] The method may also include obtaining user data and forwarding the user data to a host or user device.

[0026] Some embodiments provide a unified data management (UDM) function of a core network of a wireless communication system, which is configured to provide extended CAG configuration information and subscription data related to a user equipment (UE), wherein the extended CAG configuration information indicates the validity conditions under which the user equipment (UE) should consider a closed access group (CAG) configuration valid or invalid to an access and mobility management function (AMF).

[0027] Some embodiments provide an access and mobility management function (AMF) of a core network of a wireless communication system, wherein the access and mobility management function (AMF) is configured to: receive extended CAG configuration information and subscription data related to a user equipment (UE) from a unified data management (UDM) function, wherein the extended CAG configuration information indicates validity conditions under which a closed access group (CAG) configuration should be considered valid or invalid by the UE; and send the extended CAG configuration information to the UE.

[0028] A UE according to some embodiments includes a processing circuit, a transceiver coupled to the processing circuit, and a memory coupled to the processing circuit. The memory includes computer-readable programming instructions that, when executed by the processing circuit, cause the UE to perform operations including: receiving a closed access group (CAG) configuration from a wireless communication network; receiving extended CAG configuration information, the extended CAG configuration information indicating a validity condition under which the CAG configuration should be considered valid or invalid by the UE; and applying the CAG configuration based on the indicated validity condition.

[0029] A network node according to some embodiments includes a processing circuit, a transceiver coupled to the processing circuit, and a memory coupled to the processing circuit. The memory includes computer-readable programming instructions, which, when executed by the processing circuit, cause the network node to perform operations including: sending a closed access group (CAG) configuration to a user equipment (UE); and sending extended CAG configuration information to the UE, the extended CAG configuration information indicating a validity condition under which the CAG configuration should be considered valid or invalid by the UE. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0001] Figure 1 An example of the basic architecture of the IAB is shown.

[0002] Figure 2 and Figure 3 A possible structure of a CAG Information List information element according to some embodiments is shown.

[0003] Figure 4 is a flow diagram of operations performed by a UE according to some embodiments.

[0004] Figure 5 is a flow diagram of operations performed by a network node according to some embodiments.

[0005] Figure 6 An example of a communication system in accordance with some embodiments is shown.

[0006] Figure 7 An example of a UE according to some embodiments is shown.

[0007] Figure 8 An example of a network node according to some embodiments is shown.

[0008] Fig. 9 An example of a host node in accordance with some embodiments is shown.

[0009] Fig.10 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment in which functionality implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized.

[0010] Fig.11 A communication diagram is shown in which a host communicates with a UE via a network node over a partially wireless connection according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] One of the main use cases of mobile IAB cells is to serve UEs residing in vehicles with onboard relays. Other related use cases of mobile IAB involve mobile / roaming IAB network nodes installed on vehicles, which provide extended coverage for scenarios where additional coverage is needed during special events such as concerts, disasters, etc. The roaming IAB nodes provide access to surrounding UEs, while the backhaul traffic from the roaming IAB nodes is then transmitted wirelessly with the help of the IAB donor or non-terrestrial network (NTN). The roaming IAB nodes can also reduce or even eliminate the signal strength loss due to vehicle penetration for UEs present in the vehicle.

[0012] Some advantages of mobile IAB include reduction / elimination of vehicle penetration losses (especially at high frequencies) and reduction / elimination of group switching.

[0013] There are certain challenges. Supporting IAB nodes that can be moved is part of the Rel-18 study item FS_VMR in SA2. The key issues and solutions are documented in [3]. In [3], VMR stands for "Vehicle-Mounted Relay" and MBSR stands for "Mobile Base Station Relay". VMR or MBSR is a RAN relay node that can be moved. In the SA2 study, it has been agreed to use the existing IAB architecture as the basis for the study. This means that the IAB node is equivalent to VMR / MBSR, but it can be moved. Therefore, the terms VMR, MBSR and IAB node can be used interchangeably.

[0014] Key issue 7 described in [3] relates to how to control UE access to mobile IAB nodes. Some embodiments described herein may provide solutions to these or other challenges. Specifically, some embodiments described herein enhance closed access group (CAG) functionality using a flag in subscription data to indicate whether a UE is allowed to access an IAB node.

[0015] That is, a flag in the subscription data (or CAG ID as it is known) may indicate whether the UE is allowed to access the IAB node. The CAG information may also include applicable duration and applicable location (eg, certain geographic areas or Tracking Area Identity (TAI)).

[0016] The access and mobility function (AMF) of the 5G core network shall convert the flag (if used) into a CAG identifier (ID) applicable to the mobile IAB node in the serving public land mobile network (PLMN). The AMF also provides CAG ID related information to the radio access network (RAN) for mobility related control.

[0017] The flag and applicable duration / position may be provided by the AMF to the Unified Data Management (UDM) function using the parameter provision procedure specified in 3GPP.

[0018] Additionally, the Mobile IAB may provide a CAG ID or a list of CAG IDs that are relevant to the Mobile IAB and that the UE should consider to determine whether it can access a cell (hosted by the Mobile IAB).

[0019] Therefore, some embodiments provide a solution based on existing CAG concepts with limited extensions to control UE access to mobile IAB nodes. Because the solution requires limited extensions of existing concepts, the impact on the overall system may be limited.

[0020] Some embodiments contemplated herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.The embodiments are provided by way of example to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.

[0021] CAG-based UE access control via IAB node

[0022] Some embodiments described herein relate to KI#7 “Control of UE access to 5GS via mobile base station relay”. In particular, some embodiments described herein use the existing CAG (Closed Access Group) concept as the basis for managing UE access control via an IAB node.

[0023] There are some simplifications of the existing CAG logic to fit into the IAB architecture.

[0024] Functional Description

[0025] When a UE attempts to connect to a 5GS via a mobile IAB node, access control of the UE is managed by the CN, RAN, and optionally the UE. During CM-CONNECTED mobility, access control via a mobile IAB node is managed by the CN and RAN.

[0026] According to some embodiments, a new CAG identifier (or IAB CAG identifier) ​​is allocated in the network. The new CAG identifier is supported by the cells covered by the IAB node. Considering the roaming IAB node scenario, this new IABCAG identifier in the subscription data in the UDM is defined as a "public" or "well-known" CAG identifier or just a flag, which can be interpreted in the same way by different PLMNs, i.e., allowing the UE to access cells that support the IAB CAG identifier in the current network.

[0027] The RAN and CN support UE access control based on the new IAB CAG identifiers supported by the cells and the CAG identifiers allowed for the UE in the network.

[0028] For UEs that support CAG, they can use the existing CAG control logic to select cells covered by IAB nodes. For UEs that do not support CAG (i.e., UEs cannot implement broadcasted CAG information through cells) but support the use of the IAB architecture, they can select cells covered by IAB nodes as normal and rely on RAN and CN to use CAG control logic to control IAB node access.

[0029] Considering the IAB Node access use case, additional controls (e.g. duration, specific geographic location) may be linked to IABCAG identifier management, e.g. when a user buys a bus / train ticket, access to the IAB Node / IAB CAG identifier may be limited to a specific time period and a specific location, and the user subscription data may be granted via AF / NEF or O&M.

[0030] It is to be noted that it is assumed that the serving PLMN hosting the mobile IAB node is configured to support the required roaming interface towards all HPLMNs that allow UEs to access the serving PLMN via the mobile IAB node.

[0031] CAG controls are well described in different procedures in TS 23.502 [5]. In the case of an IAB CAG identifier (e.g., duration or specific geographic location), the procedure details can be updated with additional controls.

[0032] Impact on Services, Entities, and Interfaces

[0033] The AMF supports CAG controls with links to additional controls (eg, duration, geographic location).

[0034] UDM supports CAG identifiers with links to additional controls (e.g., duration, geographic location).

[0035] The gNB / IAB node supports the CAG function.

[0036] The UE supports the CAG function.

[0037] Some examples of updates to the interfaces used to implement the functionality listed above will now be described.

[0038] The mobility restriction list information element (IE) as shown in Table 1 may define roaming or access restrictions for subsequent mobility actions for which the NG-RAN provides information about the target of a mobility action (e.g., handover) towards the UE, or for SCG selection during dual connectivity operation, or for allocating an appropriate RNA. The NG-RAN behavior upon receipt of this IE is specified in TS 23.501 [9]. Table 1 - Mobility Restriction List IE

[0039] The NPN mobility information IE as shown in Table 2 indicates access restrictions associated with the NPN. Table 2 - NPN Mobility Information IE

[0040] The Allowed PNI-NPN List IE as shown in Table 3 contains information on allowed UE mobility among PNI-NPNs including allowed PNI-NPNs and whether the UE is allowed to access a non-CAG cell of each PLMN. Table 3 - Allowed PNI-NPN List IE

[0041] The Mobile IAB Mobility Information IE as shown in Table 4 contains information on allowed UE mobility in PNI-NPN including allowed PNI-NPNs, and information on whether the UE is allowed to access a non-CAG cell for each PLMN. Table 4 - Mobile IAB Mobility Information IE

[0042] On NAS (TS24.501), NAS messages with CAG IE (used by several messages) may be updated to include additional CAG related information.

[0043] The CAG information list IE can provide the “CAG information list” or delete the “CAG information list” at the UE.

[0044] The CAG information list information element can be Figure 2 and Figure 3 The encoding is shown in Table 5. Table 5-CAG Information List IE

[0045] The CAG Information List is a Type 6 information element with a minimum length of 3 octets.

[0046] The interface between AF / NEF and NEF / UDM / AMF may be updated with messages or IEs to support the use of subscription data to control UE access to the mobile IAB node.

[0047] In the "AccessAndMobilitySubscriptionData" parameter from UDM to AMF (clause 6.1.6.2.4 of TS 29.503), new parameters (e.g., IAB access information) may be added as shown in Table 6, or the current CagData may be improved as shown in Tables 7-9. Table 6 - AccessAndMobilitySubscriptionData type definition Table 7-CagData definition Table 8 - Definition of type CagInfo Table 9 - Definition of Type IAB Access Information

[0048] As shown in Table 10, in the "Ppdata" parameter from NEF to UDM (clause 6.5.6.2.2 of TS29.503), new parameters (e.g., IAB access information) may be added. It will be possible to define separate parameters to deliver IAB access related information (similar logic may be introduced for service operation from AF to NEF to deliver such information). Table 10- Definition of PpData

[0049] In the RRC system information broadcast, a new SIB specific to IAB may be defined to broadcast the CAG configuration, or an existing SIB such as SIB1 / SIB3 / 4 may be reused.

[0050] One way is to extend the following system information defined for IE cell AccessRelatedInfo in SIB1 to specify the CAG ID for mobile IAB.

[0051] The IE CellAccessRelatedInfo shown in Table 11 indicates the cell access related information for the cell. Table 11 - CellAccessRelatedInfo information element

[0052] refer to Figure 4 In a method at a user equipment (UE), the UE receives a CAG configuration from a mobile IAB (block 402), the UE receives extended CAG configuration information indicating a validity condition for the CAG configuration (block 404), and applies the CAG configuration based on the indicated validity condition for the CAG configuration (block 406). The extended CAG configuration information may include one of the following: • Timer T1 (or time period) during which the UE shall consider the received CAG configuration valid. In this case, the timer may be common to all CAG IDs received. • The geographical location in which the UE shall consider the received CAG configuration to be valid. - Tracking Area (TA) or a list of tracking areas in which the UE shall consider the received CAG configuration to be valid. • Registration Area (RA) or a list of registration areas in which the UE shall consider a received CAG configuration to be valid. - RAN Notification Area (RNA) or a list of RAN Notification Areas in which the UE shall consider the received CAG configuration to be valid. • An indication to the UE that the received CAG configuration should be considered valid (or invalid) by the UE.

[0053] In one option, timer T1 may be a one-shot timer, which means that the UE starts T1 once, and when T1 expires, the CAG configuration is considered no longer valid (and thus will be deleted). In some embodiments, the timer may be a time period indicated by a pair of timestamps (e.g., timestamp 1 and timestamp 2) during which the CAG configuration is valid.

[0054] In one option, timer T1 is started by the UE when it first receives the CAG configuration, and when it expires, is restarted again following an indication from the network.

[0055] In one option, timer T1 is started only after an instruction from the network.

[0056] In one option, the geographic location is simply a list of coordinates (eg, longitude and latitude).

[0057] In one option, a geographic location is a set of coordinates representing an area.

[0058] The above different options may be provided for a single CAG ID configured at the UE, or may be common to all CAG IDs configured at the UE.

[0059] The CAG-related information has two parts: (i) individual UE-related CAG information (referred to herein as extended CAG configuration information) and (ii) supported CAG information broadcasted by the RAN in the serving network, which is independent of the individual UE CAG information.

[0060] The extended CAG configuration information can be sent from UDM to AMF as part of the subscription data, and then from AMF to RAN (IAB donor + IAB node) and UE. The information sent from UDM to AMF can be provided in different formats, including geographical coordinates. The information sent to UE / RAN can be converted into TAI / cell information. If such data is received from UDM, AMF is responsible for converting geographical coordinates into TAI / cell.

[0061] The extended CAG configuration information may be delivered to the UE via a non-access stratum (NAS) message. Alternatively, the extended CAG configuration information may be provided using RRC signaling.

[0062] Therefore, some embodiments provide a UDM configured to provide extended CAG configuration information and subscription data related to a user equipment UE, the extended CAG configuration information indicating validity conditions under which the CAG configuration should be considered valid or invalid by the UE.

[0063] Some embodiments provide an AMF configured to support extended CAG configuration information. In some embodiments, the AMF is configured to convert geographic coordinate data in the extended CAG configuration into TAI / cell information.

[0064] Some embodiments provide a RAN node configured to support extended CAG configuration information.

[0065] Some embodiments provide a UE configured to receive an extended CAG configuration via NAS signaling or via RRC signaling.

[0066] refer to Figure 5 Some embodiments provide a method performed by a mobile IAB. The mobile IAB sends a CAG configuration to a UE (block 502). The mobile IAB sends another configuration indicating a validity condition for the CAG configuration (i.e., a condition under which the CAG configuration should be considered valid or invalid by the UE) (block 504). In particular, the additional configuration may include one or more of the following: • Timer T1 (or time period) during which the UE shall consider the received CAG configuration valid. • The geographical location in which the UE shall consider the received CAG configuration to be valid. - Tracking area or list of tracking areas in which the UE shall consider the received CAG configuration to be valid. ●U registration area or list of registration areas in which the UE shall consider the received CAG configuration to be valid. ● RAN notification area or list of RAN notification areas in which the UE shall consider the received CAG configuration to be valid. • An indication to the UE that the received CAG configuration should be considered valid (or invalid) by the UE.

[0067] In one option, timer T1 may be a one-shot timer, which means that the UE starts T1 once, and when T1 expires, the CAG configuration is considered no longer valid (and will therefore delete it).

[0068] In one option, timer T1 is started by the UE when it first receives the CAG configuration, and when it expires, is restarted again following an indication from the network.

[0069] In one option, timer T1 is started only after an instruction from the network.

[0070] In one option, the geographic location is simply a list of coordinates (eg, longitude and latitude).

[0071] In one option, a geographic location is a set of coordinates representing an area.

[0072] Note that the different options described in the method may be provided for a single CAG ID configured at the UE, or may be common to all CAG IDs configured at the UE.

[0073] Figure 6 An example of a communication system 600 is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0074] In this example, the communication system 600 includes a telecommunications network 602, which includes an access network 604 such as a radio access network (RAN) and a core network 606, which includes one or more core network nodes 608. The access network 604 includes one or more access network nodes, such as network nodes 610a and 610b (one or more of which may be generally referred to as network nodes 610), or any other similar third generation partnership project (3GPP) access node or non-3GPP access point. In addition, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the network node is not necessarily limited to an implementation in which the radio portion and the baseband portion are supplied and integrated by a single supplier. Therefore, it will be understood that the network node includes a decomposed implementation or part thereof. For example, in some embodiments, the telecommunications network 602 includes one or more open RAN (ORAN) network nodes. An ORAN network node is a node in the telecommunications network 602 that supports ORAN specifications (e.g., specifications published by the O-RAN Alliance or any similar organization) and can operate alone or in conjunction with other nodes to implement one or more functions of any node in the telecommunications network 602 (including one or more network nodes 610 and / or core network nodes 608).

[0075] Examples of ORAN network nodes include an open radio unit (O-RU), an open distributed unit (O-DU), an open central unit (O-CU) including an O-CU control plane (O-CU-CP) or an O-CU user plane (O-CU-UP), a RAN intelligent controller (near real-time or non-real-time) hosting software or software plug-ins, such as a near real-time control application (e.g., xApp) or a non-real-time control application (e.g., rApp), or any combination thereof (the adjective "open" specifies support of ORAN specifications). The network node can support the specifications by, for example, supporting interfaces defined by the ORAN specifications, such as A1, F1, W1, E1, E2, X2, Xn interfaces, an open fronthaul user plane interface, or an open fronthaul management plane interface. In addition, the ORAN access node can be a logical node in a physical node. In addition, the ORAN network node can be implemented in a virtualized environment (described further below) that virtualizes one or more network functions. For example, the virtualized environment can include an O-cloud computing platform orchestrated by a service management and orchestration framework via an O-2 interface defined by the O-RAN Alliance or similar technology. The network node 610 supports direct or indirect connectivity of user equipment (UE), such as by connecting UEs 612a, 612b, 612c, and 612d (one or more of which may be generally referred to as UE 612) to the core network 606 over one or more radio connections.

[0076] Example wireless communications over wireless connections include sending and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and / or other types of signals suitable for conveying information without the use of wires, cables, or other material conductors. In addition, in different embodiments, the communication system 600 may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, UEs, and / or any other components or systems that may support or participate in the communication of data and / or signals via a wired or wireless connection. The communication system 600 may include and / or interface any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, radio network, and / or other similar types of systems.

[0077] UE 612 may be any of a variety of communication devices, including wireless devices that are arranged, configured and / or operable to wirelessly communicate with network node 610 and other communication devices. Similarly, network node 610 is arranged, capable, configured and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with UE 612 and / or with other network nodes or devices in telecommunication network 602 to enable and / or provide network access, such as wireless network access, and / or perform other functions, such as management in telecommunication network 602.

[0078] In the depicted example, the core network 606 connects the network node 610 to one or more hosts, such as the host 616. These connections may be direct or indirect via one or more intermediate networks or devices. In other examples, the network node may be directly coupled to the host. The core network 606 includes one or more core network nodes (e.g., core network node 608) constructed with hardware and software components. The features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the UE, network node, and / or host, so that their description is generally applicable to the corresponding components of the core network node 608. The example core network node includes the functions of one or more of the following: a mobile switching center (MSC), a mobility management entity (MME), a home subscriber server (HSS), an access and mobility management function (AMF), a session management function (SMF), an authentication server function (AUSF), a subscription identifier de-hiding function (SIDF), a unified data management (UDM), a security edge protection proxy (SEPP), a network open function (NEF), and / or a user plane function (UPF).

[0079] The host 616 may be under the ownership or control of a service provider other than the operator or provider of the access network 604 and / or the telecommunications network 602, and may be operated by or on behalf of the service provider. The host 616 may host various applications to provide one or more services. Examples of such applications include live and pre-recorded audio / video content, data collection services (such as retrieving and compiling data about various environmental conditions detected by multiple UEs), analysis functionality, social media, functions for controlling or otherwise interacting with remote devices, functions for alarm and monitoring centers, or any other such functions performed by a server.

[0080] As a whole, Figure 6 The communication system 600 implements the connection between the UE, the network node and the host. In this sense, the communication system can be configured to operate according to predefined rules or procedures, such as but not limited to: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM); Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); Long Term Evolution (LTE) and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G standards or any applicable future generation standards (e.g., 6G); Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) standards, such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard (WiFi); and / or any other suitable wireless communication standards, such as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (Wi Max), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Near Field Communication (NFC) ZigBee, LiFi and / or any Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) standards, such as LoRa and Sigfox.

[0081] In some examples, the communication network 602 is a cellular network that implements 3GPP standardized features. Thus, the communication network 602 can support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices connected to the communication network 602. For example, the communication network 602 can provide ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) services to some UEs, while providing enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) services to other UEs, and / or provide massive machine type communication (mMTC) / massive IoT services to additional UEs.

[0082] In some examples, UE 612 is configured to transmit and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, the UE may be designed to send information to access network 604 with a predetermined schedule when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to a request from access network 604. In addition, the UE may be configured to operate in a single RAT or multi-RAT or multi-standard mode. For example, the UE may operate with any one or a combination of Wi-Fi, NR (New Radio), and LTE, i.e., be configured for multi-radio dual connectivity (MR-DC), such as E-UTRAN (Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network) New Radio-Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).

[0083] In this example, a hub 614 communicates with an access network 604 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UE 612c and / or 612d) and a network node (e.g., network node 610b). In some examples, the hub 614 may be a controller, a router, a content source, and analysis, or any other communication device described herein with respect to a UE. For example, the hub 614 may be a broadband router that enables access to a core network 606 of a UE. As another example, the hub 614 may be a controller that sends commands or instructions to one or more actuators in a UE. Commands or instructions may be received from an executable code, script, process, or other instruction in a UE, a network node 610, or through a hub 614. As another example, the hub 614 may be a data collector used as temporary storage for UE data, and in some embodiments, analysis or other processing of the data may be performed. As another example, the hub 614 may be a content source. For example, for a UE that is a VR headset, display, speaker, or other media delivery device, the hub 614 can retrieve VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to the sensory information via the network node, and then the hub 614 provides it directly to the UE after performing local processing and / or after adding additional local content. In another example, the hub 614 acts as a proxy server or coordinator for the UE, especially if one or more UEs are low-energy IoT devices.

[0084] Hub 614 can have constant / persistent or intermittent connection to network node 610b. Hub 614 can also allow different communication schemes and / or scheduling between hub 614 and UE (e.g., UE 612c and / or 612d) and between hub 614 and core network 606. In other examples, hub 614 is connected to core network 606 and / or one or more UEs via wired connection. In addition, hub 614 can be configured to be connected to M2M service provider and / or by directly connecting to another UE via access network 604. In some scenarios, UE can establish wireless connection with network node 610, while still connected via hub 614 via wired or wireless connection. In some embodiments, hub 614 can be a dedicated hub, that is, its main function is to route communication from UE to / from network node 610b to the hub of UE. In other embodiments, the hub 614 may be a non-dedicated hub, ie, a device operable to route communications between UEs and the network node 610b, but which is also capable of operating as a communications start and / or end point for certain data channels.

[0085] Figure 7 A UE 700 according to some embodiments is shown. Examples of UEs include, but are not limited to, smartphones, mobile phones, cellular phones, voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, desktop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless cameras, game consoles or devices, music storage devices, playback devices, wearable terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, tablet computers, laptops, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop equipment (LMEs), smart devices, wireless customer terminal equipment (CPEs), in-vehicle or vehicle embedded / integrated wireless devices, etc. Other examples include any UE identified by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) UEs, machine type communication (MTC) UEs, and / or enhanced MTC (eMTC) UEs.

[0086] A UE may support device-to-device (D2D) communications, such as by implementing 3GPP standards for sidelink communications, dedicated short-range communications (DSRC), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), or vehicle-to-everything (V2X). In other examples, a UE may not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates the associated device. Rather, a UE may represent a device that is intended to be sold to or operated by a human user but may not be initially associated with a specific human user (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller). Alternatively, a UE may represent a device that is not intended to be sold or operated by an end user but may be associated or operated for the benefit of a user (e.g., a smart meter).

[0087] UE 700 includes a processing circuit 702, which is operatively coupled to an input / output interface 706, a power supply 708, a memory 710, a communication interface 712, and / or any other components, or any combination thereof, via a bus 704. Some UEs may utilize Figure 7 All or a subset of the components shown in . The level of integration between components may vary from one UE to another UE. In addition, some UEs may include multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0088] The processing circuit 702 is configured to process instructions and data, and may be configured to implement any sequential state machine operable to execute instructions stored as a machine-readable computer program in the memory 710. The processing circuit 702 may be implemented as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., in discrete logic, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc.); programmable logic and appropriate firmware; one or more stored computer programs, general-purpose processors (such as microprocessors or digital signal processors (DSPs)) and appropriate software; or any combination of the above. For example, the processing circuit 702 may include multiple central processing units (CPUs).

[0089] In this example, the input / output interface 706 can be configured to provide an interface or interface to an input device, an output device, or one or more input and / or output devices. Examples of output devices include speakers, sound cards, video cards, displays, monitors, printers, actuators, transmitters, smart cards, another output device, or any combination thereof. An input device can allow a user to capture information into the UE 700. Examples of input devices include touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive displays, cameras (e.g., digital cameras, digital video cameras, web cameras, etc.), microphones, sensors, mice, trackballs, directional keys, trackpads, rollers, smart cards, etc. A presence-sensitive display can include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor to sense input from a user. The sensor can be, for example, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a tilt sensor, a force sensor, a magnetometer, an optical sensor, a proximity sensor, a biometric sensor, etc., or any combination thereof. An output device can use an interface port of the same type as an input device. For example, a universal serial bus (USB) port can be used to provide input devices and output devices.

[0090] In some embodiments, the power supply 708 is configured as a battery or a battery pack. Other types of power supplies may be used, such as an external power supply (e.g., a power socket), a photovoltaic device, or a power unit. The power supply 708 may also include a power circuit for delivering power from the power supply 708 itself and / or an external power supply to various parts of the UE 700 via an input circuit or an interface such as a power cable. The delivered power may be used, for example, for charging the power supply 708. The power circuit may perform any formatting, conversion, or other modification on the power from the power supply 708 so that the power is suitable for the corresponding components of the UE 700 that provide power.

[0091] The memory 710 may be or be configured to include a memory such as a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a hard disk, a removable cartridge, a flash drive, etc. In one example, the memory 710 includes one or more application programs 714, such as an operating system, a web browser application, a widget, a gadget engine, or other application, and corresponding data 716. The memory 710 may store any of a variety of operating systems or combinations of operating systems used by the UE 700.

[0092] The memory 710 may be configured to include multiple physical drive units, such as a redundant array of independent disks (RAID), a flash memory, a USB flash drive, an external hard drive, a thumb drive, a pen drive, a key drive, a high-density digital versatile disk (HD-DVD) optical drive, an internal hard drive, a Blu-ray optical drive, a holographic digital data storage (HDDS) optical drive, an external mini dual in-line memory module (DIMM), a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), an external micro-DIMM SDRAM, a smart card memory such as a tamper-proof module in the form of a universal integrated circuit card (UICC), the UICC including one or more subscriber identity modules (SIMs), such as USIM and / or ISIM, other memories, or any combination thereof. The UICC may be, for example, an embedded UICC (e UICC), an integrated UICC (i UICC), or a removable UICC commonly referred to as a "SIM card". The memory 710 may allow the UE 700 to access instructions, applications, etc. stored on a transient or non-transient memory medium to offload data or upload data. An article of manufacture, such as utilizing a communication system, may be tangibly embodied as or stored in memory 710 , which may be or include a device-readable storage medium.

[0093] The processing circuit 702 may be configured to communicate with an access network or other network using a communication interface 712. The communication interface 712 may include one or more communication subsystems and may include or be communicatively coupled to an antenna 722. The communication interface 712 may include one or more transceivers for communicating, such as by communicating with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication (e.g., another UE or network node in the access network). Each transceiver may include a transmitter 77 and / or a receiver 720 adapted to provide network communications (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocation, etc.). In addition, the transmitter 77 and the receiver 720 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., antenna 722) and may share circuit components, software, or firmware, or may be implemented separately instead.

[0094] In the illustrated embodiment, the communication functions of the communication interface 712 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, LPWAN communication, data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communication (e.g., Bluetooth), near field communication, location-based communication (e.g., use of a global positioning system (GPS)) to determine location, another similar communication function, or any combination thereof. The communication may be implemented according to one or more communication protocols and / or standards, such as IEEE 802.11, code division multiple access (CDMA), wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA), GSM, LTE, new radio (NR), UMTS, WiMax, Ethernet, transmission control protocol / Internet protocol (TCP / IP), synchronous optical network (SONET), asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), QUIC, hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), etc.

[0095] Regardless of the type of sensor, the UE may provide an output of data captured by its sensor via a wireless connection to a network node through its communication interface 712. The data captured by the UE's sensor may be transmitted to the network node via another UE via a wireless connection. The output may be periodic (e.g., once every 15 minutes if it reports a sensed temperature), random (e.g., outputting a load even from reports from several sensors), in response to a trigger event (e.g., sending an alarm when moisture is detected), in response to a request (e.g., a user-initiated request), or a continuous stream (e.g., a live video feed of a patient).

[0096] As another example, the UE includes an actuator, motor, or switch associated with a communication interface configured to receive wireless input from a network node via a wireless connection. In response to the received wireless input, the state of the actuator, motor, or switch can change. For example, the UE can include a motor that adjusts a control surface or rotor of a drone in flight based on the received input, or adjusts a robotic arm performing a medical procedure based on the received input.

[0097] When in the form of an Internet of Things (IoT) device, a UE may be a device for use in one or more application domains including, but not limited to, urban wearable technology, extended industrial applications, and healthcare. A non-limiting example of such an IoT device is a device that is or is embedded in: a connected refrigerator or freezer, a TV, a connected lighting device, an electric meter, a robotic vacuum cleaner, a voice-controlled smart speaker, a home security camera, a motion detector, a thermostat, a smoke detector, a door / window sensor, a flood / humidity sensor, an electric door lock, a connected doorbell, an air conditioning system (such as a heat pump, an autonomous vehicle, a surveillance system, a weather monitoring device, a vehicle parking monitoring device, an electric vehicle charging station, a smart watch, a fitness tracker, a head-mounted display for augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR), a wearable device for tactile enhancement or sensory enhancement, a water sprinkler, an animal or item tracking device, a sensor for monitoring plants or animals, an industrial robot, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and any kind of medical device, such as a heart rate monitor or a remotely controlled surgical robot. A UE in the form of an IoT device may include, in addition to the examples described above, Figure 7 The UE 700 shown in FIG. 7 may include other components described in addition to circuits and / or software depending on the intended application of the IoT device.

[0098] As yet another specific example, in an IoT scenario, a UE may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurements, and transmits the results of such monitoring and / or measurements to another UE and / or a network node. In this case, the UE may be an M2M device, which may be referred to as an MTC device in the 3GPP context. As a specific example, a UE may implement the 3GPP NB-IoT standard. In other scenarios, a UE may represent a vehicle, such as a car, bus, truck, ship, and airplane, or other device capable of monitoring and / or reporting its operating status or other functions associated with its operation.

[0099] In practice, any number of UEs may be used together with respect to a single use case. For example, a first UE may be or be integrated in a drone and provide drone speed information (obtained via a speed sensor) to a second UE that is a remote controller operating the drone. When the user changes from the remote control, the first UE may adjust the throttle on the drone (e.g., by controlling an actuator) to increase or decrease the drone speed. The first UE and / or the second UE may also include more than one of the above functions. For example, a UE may include a sensor and an actuator and handle communication of data from both the speed sensor and the actuator.

[0100] Figure 8A network node 800 according to some embodiments is shown. As used herein, a network node refers to a device capable, configured, arranged and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with a UE and / or other network nodes or devices in a telecommunications network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., radio access points), base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio base stations, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs), and NR Node Bs (gNBs)), O-RAN nodes, or components of O-RAN nodes (e.g., O-RUs, O-DUs, O-CUs).

[0101] Base stations may be classified based on the amount of coverage they provide (or in other words, their transmission power level), and may therefore be referred to as femto base stations, pico base stations, micro base stations, or macro base stations, depending on the amount of coverage provided. A base station may be a relay node or a relay donor node that controls a relay. A network node may also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station, such as a centralized digital unit and / or a remote radio unit (RRU), sometimes referred to as a remote radio head (RRH). Such a remote radio unit may or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna-integrated radio. Components of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS).

[0102] Other examples of network nodes include multiple transmission point (multi-TRP) 5G access nodes, multi-standard radio (MSR) equipment (such as MSR BS), network controllers (such as radio network controllers (RNC) or base station controllers (BSC), base transceiver stations (BTS), transmission points, transmission nodes, multi-cell / multicast coordination entities (MCEs), operations and maintenance (O&M) nodes, operations support system (OSS) nodes, self-organizing network (SON) nodes, positioning nodes (e.g., evolved serving mobile location center (E-SMLC)) and / or minimization of drive tests (MDT).

[0103] The network node 800 includes a processing circuit 802, a memory 804, a communication interface 806 and a power supply 808. The network node 800 may be composed of a plurality of physically separated components (e.g., a Node B component and an RNC component, or a BTS component and a BSC component, etc.), each of which may have its own corresponding components. In certain scenarios where the network node 800 includes a plurality of separate components (e.g., a BTS and a BSC component), one or more separate components may be shared between several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control a plurality of Node Bs. In this case, each unique NodeB and RNC pair may be considered to be a single separate network node in some cases. In some embodiments, the network node 800 may be configured to support a plurality of radio access technologies (RATs). In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate memories 804 for different RATs), and some components may be reused (e.g., the same antenna 810 may be shared by different RATs). The network node 800 may also include multiple sets of various illustrated components for different wireless technologies, such as GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, Zigbee, Z-wave, LoRaWAN, radio frequency identification (RFID), or Bluetooth wireless technologies, integrated into the network node 800. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chips or chipsets and other components within the network node 800.

[0104] The processing circuit 802 may include a combination of one or more of the following: a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a central processing unit, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software, and / or encoded logic operable to provide network node 800 functionality, either alone or in combination with other network node 800 components (such as memory 804).

[0105] In some embodiments, processing circuitry 802 includes a system on a chip (SOC). In some embodiments, processing circuitry 802 includes radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 812 and / or baseband processing circuitry 814. In some embodiments, RF transceiver circuitry 812 and baseband processing circuitry 814 may be on separate chips (or chipsets), boards, or units, such as a radio unit and a digital unit. In alternative embodiments, part or all of RF transceiver circuitry 812 and baseband processing circuitry 814 may be on the same chip or collection of chips, boards, or units.

[0106] The memory 804 may include any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory, including but not limited to persistent storage, solid-state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media (e.g., hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., flash drive, compact disk (CD) or digital video disk (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device readable and / or computer executable memory device that stores information, data and / or instructions that can be used by the processing circuit 802. The memory 804 may store any suitable instructions, data or information, including computer programs, software, applications including one or more of logic, rules, codes, tables and / or other instructions that can be executed by the processing circuit 802 and utilized by the network node 800 (collectively referred to as computer programs 804a, which may be computer program products). The memory 804 may be used to store any calculations performed by the processing circuit 802 and / or any data received via the communication interface 806. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 802 and the memory 804 are integrated.

[0107] The communication interface 806 is used for wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data between network nodes, access networks and / or UEs. As shown in the figure, the communication interface 806 includes a port / terminal 816 for sending and receiving data to the network via a wired connection. The communication interface 806 also includes a radio front-end circuit 818, which can be coupled to an antenna 810 or to a part of an antenna 810 in some embodiments. The radio front-end circuit 818 includes a filter 820 and an amplifier 822. The radio front-end circuit 818 can be connected to the antenna 810 and the processing circuit 802. The radio front-end circuit 818 can be configured to adjust the signal transmitted between the antenna 810 and the processing circuit 802. The radio front-end circuit 818 can receive digital data to be sent to other network nodes or UEs via a radio connection. The radio front-end circuit 818 can use a combination of a filter 820 and / or an amplifier 822 to convert digital data into a radio signal with appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters. The radio signal can then be sent via the antenna 810. Similarly, when receiving data, antenna 810 may collect radio signals, which are then converted into digital data by radio front end circuit 818. The digital data may be passed to processing circuit 802. In other embodiments, the communication interface may include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0108] In some alternative embodiments, the network node 800 does not include a separate radio front end circuit 818, but rather, the processing circuit 802 includes the radio front end circuit and is connected to the antenna 810. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF transceiver circuit 812 is part of the communication interface 806. In other embodiments, the communication interface 806 includes one or more ports or terminals 816, the radio front end circuit 818, and the RF transceiver circuit 812 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the communication interface 806 communicates with the baseband processing circuit 814 as part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0109] Antenna 810 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to transmit and / or receive wireless signals. Antenna 810 may be coupled to radio front end circuitry 818 and may be any type of antenna capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data and / or signals. In some embodiments, antenna 810 is separate from network node 800 and connectable to network node 800 via an interface or port.

[0110] Antenna 810, communication interface 806 and / or processing circuit 802 may be configured to perform any receiving operation and / or certain obtaining operations described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data and / or signal may be received from a UE, another network node and / or any other network device. Similarly, antenna 810, communication interface 806 and / or processing circuit 802 may be configured to perform any sending operation described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data and / or signal may be sent to a UE, another network node and / or any other network device.

[0111] The power supply 808 provides power to the various components of the network node 800 in a form suitable for the respective components (e.g., at the voltage and current levels required by each respective component). The power supply 808 may also include or be coupled to a power management circuit to provide power to the components of the network node 800 for performing the functions described herein. For example, the network node 800 may be connected to an external power source (e.g., an electrical grid, a power outlet) via an input circuit or interface such as a cable, whereby the external power source supplies power to the power circuit of the power supply 808. As another example, the power supply 808 may include a power source in the form of a battery or battery pack that is connected to or integrated in the power circuit. If the external power source fails, the battery may provide backup power.

[0112] Embodiments of network node 800 may include Figure 8800 for providing certain aspects of the network node, including any functionality described herein and / or any functionality necessary to support the subject matter described herein. For example, the network node 800 may include a user interface device to allow information to be input into the network node 800 and to allow information to be output from the network node 800. This may allow a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other management functions for the network node 800.

[0113] Fig. 9 is a block diagram of a host 900 according to various aspects described herein, and the host 900 may be Figure 6 616 of the embodiment of the host. As used herein, the host 900 can be or include various combinations of hardware and / or software, including processing resources in a standalone server, a blade server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server, a virtual machine, a container, or a server cluster. The host 900 can provide one or more services to one or more UEs.

[0114] Host 2000 includes processing circuitry 2002 operatively coupled to input / output interface 2006, network interface 2008, power supply 2010, and memory 2012 via bus 2004. Other components may be included in other embodiments. The features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to previous figures (such as FIG. Figure 7 and 8 ) so that its description is generally applicable to corresponding components of the host 900.

[0115] The memory 912 may include one or more computer programs, including one or more host applications 914 and data 916, which may include user data, for example, data generated by the UE for the host 900 or data generated by the host 900 for the UE. An embodiment of the host 900 may utilize only a subset or all of the components shown. The host application 914 may be implemented in a container-based architecture and may provide support for video codecs (e.g., general video coding (VVC), high efficiency video coding (HEVC), advanced video coding (AVC), MPEG, VP9) and audio codecs (e.g., FLAC, advanced audio coding (AAC), MPEG, G). 711) includes transcoding of multiple different categories, types or implementations for UEs (e.g., mobile phones, desktop computers, wearable display systems, head-up display systems). The host application 914 may also provide user authentication and license checks, and may periodically report health, routing, and content availability to a central node (such as a device in or on the edge of a core network). Thus, the host 900 may select and / or indicate different hosts for over-the-top services for the UE. The host application 914 may support various protocols, such as HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) protocol, Real Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP), Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (MPEG-DASH), etc.

[0116] Fig.10 1 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualized environment 1000 in which functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized. In this context, virtualization means creating a virtual version of an apparatus or device, which may include virtualized hardware platforms, storage devices, and network resources. As used herein, virtualization may be applied to any apparatus or component thereof described herein, and relates to an embodiment in which at least a portion of the functionality is implemented as one or more virtual components. Some or all of the functions described herein may be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more virtual machines (VMs) implemented in one or more virtual environments 1000 hosted by one or more hardware nodes (such as hardware computing devices operating as network nodes, UEs, core network nodes, or hosts). In addition, in embodiments where the virtual nodes do not require wireless connectivity (e.g., core network nodes or hosts), the nodes may be fully virtualized. In some embodiments, the virtualized environment 1000 includes components defined by the O-RAN Alliance, such as an O-Cloud environment orchestrated by a service management and orchestration framework via an O-2 interface.

[0117] Application 1002 (which may alternatively be referred to as a software instance, a virtual appliance, a network function, a virtual node, a virtual network function, etc.) runs in a virtualized environment Q400 to implement some features, functions and / or benefits of some embodiments disclosed herein.

[0118] The hardware 1004 includes processing circuitry, memory storing software and / or instructions (collectively referred to as computer program 1004a, which may be a computer program product) executable by the hardware processing circuitry, and / or other hardware devices as described herein, such as network interfaces, input / output interfaces, etc. The software may be executed by the processing circuitry to instantiate one or more virtualization layers 1006 (also referred to as hypervisors or virtual machine monitors (VMMs)), provide VMs 1008a-b (one or more of which may be generally referred to as VMs 1008), and / or perform any of the functions, features, and / or benefits described with respect to some embodiments described herein. The virtualization layer 1006 may present a virtual operating platform that appears to be networked hardware to the VMs 1008.

[0119] The VM 1008 includes virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interfaces, and virtual storage, and may be run by a corresponding virtualization layer 1006. Different embodiments of instances of virtual devices 1002 may be implemented on one or more of the VMs 1008, and may be implemented in different ways. Virtualization of hardware is in some contexts referred to as network function virtualization (NFV). NFV may be used to consolidate many network device types onto industry standard high-capacity server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage devices, which may be located in data centers and customer premises equipment.

[0120] In the context of NFV, each VM 1008 can be a software implementation of a physical machine running programs, as if they were executed on a physical non-virtualized machine. Each VM 1008 and the portion of the hardware 1004 that executes the VM can be hardware dedicated to the VM and / or hardware shared with other VMs, forming a separate virtual network element. Still in the context of NFV, a virtual network function is responsible for handling a specific network function running in one or more VMs 1008 on top of the hardware 1004 and corresponding to an application 1002.

[0121] Hardware 1004 can be implemented in a standalone network node with general or specific components. Hardware 1004 can implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, hardware 1004 can be part of a larger hardware cluster (e.g., such as in a data center or CPE), where many hardware nodes work together and are managed via management system 1010, which particularly oversees the life cycle management of application 1002. In some embodiments, hardware 1004 is coupled to one or more radio units, each of which includes one or more transmitters and one or more receivers that can be coupled to one or more antennas. The radio unit can communicate directly with other hardware nodes via one or more appropriate network interfaces, and can be used in combination with virtual components to provide a virtual node with radio capabilities, such as a radio access node or base station. In some embodiments, some signaling can be provided by using a control system 1012, which can alternatively be used for communication between hardware nodes and radio units.

[0122] Fig.11 A communication diagram of a host 1102 communicating with a UE 1106 via a network node 1104 over a partially wireless connection according to some embodiments. Reference will now be made to Fig.11 Describe UE (such as Figure 6 UE 612a and / or Figure 7 UE 700), network nodes (such as Figure 6 The network node 610a and / or Figure 8 The network node 800) and the host discussed in the preceding paragraphs (such as Figure 6 Host 616 and / or Fig. 9 An example implementation of the host 900).

[0123] Similar to the host 900, an embodiment of the host 1102 includes hardware, such as a communication interface, a processing circuit, and a memory. The host 1102 also includes software stored in or accessible by the host 1102 and executable by the processing circuit. The software includes a host application operable to provide services to a remote user, such as a UE 1106 connected via an over-the-top (OTT) connection 1150 extending between the UE 1106 and the host 1102. When providing services to the remote user, the host application can provide user data transmitted using the OTT connection 1150.

[0124] The network node 1104 includes hardware that enables it to communicate with the host 1102 and the UE 1106. The connection 1160 can be direct or through a core network (such as Figure 6The core network 606 of the present invention) and / or one or more other intermediate networks, such as one or more public networks, private networks or managed networks. For example, the intermediate network can be a backbone network or the Internet.

[0125] UE 1106 includes hardware and software stored in or accessible by UE 1106 and executable by UE processing circuitry. The software includes a client application, such as a web browser or an operator-specific "app", which is operable to provide services to a human or non-human user via UE 1106 to the support of host 1102. In host 1102, the executing host application can communicate with the executing client application via an OTT connection 1150 terminated at UE 1106 and host 1102. When providing services to the user, the client application of the UE can receive request data from the host application of the host and provide user data in response to the request data. The OTT connection 1150 can transmit both request data and user data. The client application of the UE can interact with the user to generate user data that it provides to the host application via the OTT connection 1150.

[0126] The OTT connection 1150 may extend via a connection 1160 between the host 1102 and the network node 1104 and via a wireless connection 1170 between the network node 1104 and the UE 1106 to provide connectivity between the host 1102 and the UE 1106. The connection 1160 and the wireless connection 1170 that may provide the OTT connection 1150 are drawn abstractly to illustrate communications between the host 1102 and the UE 1106 via the network node 1104 without explicit reference to any intermediate devices and the precise routing of messages via those devices.

[0127] As an example of transmitting data via the OTT connection 1150, in step 1108, the host 1102 provides user data that can be executed by executing a host application. In some embodiments, the user data is associated with a specific human user interacting with the UE 1106. In other embodiments, the user data is associated with the UE 1106 that shares data with the host 1102 without explicit human interaction. In step 1110, the host 1102 initiates a transmission carrying the user data to the UE 1106. The host 1102 may initiate the transmission in response to a request sent by the UE 1106. The request may be caused by human interaction with the UE 1106 or by the operation of a client application executed on the UE 1106. According to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, the transmission may be delivered via the network node 1104. Therefore, in step 1112, according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, the network node 1104 sends the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the host 1102 to the UE 1106. In step 1114 , the UE 1106 receives the user data carried in the transmission, which may be performed by a client application executing on the UE 1106 in association with a host application executed by the host 1102 .

[0128] In some examples, UE 1106 executes a client application that provides user data to host 1102. The user data may be provided in response to data received from host 1102. Thus, in step 1116, UE 1106 may provide user data that may be executed by executing the client application. In providing the user data, the client application may also take into account user input received from a user via an input / output interface of UE 1106. Regardless of the specific manner in which the user data is provided, UE 1106 initiates transmission of the user data to host 1102 via network node 1104 in step 1118. In step 1120, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, network node 1104 receives user data from UE 1106 and initiates transmission of the received user data to host 1102. In step 1111, host 1102 receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by UE 1106.

[0129] One or more of the various embodiments improve the performance of OTT services provided to UE 1106 using OTT connection 1150, where wireless connection 1170 forms the last segment.

[0130] In an example scenario, plant status information may be collected and analyzed by the host 1102. As another example, the host 1102 may process audio and video data that may have been retrieved from the UE for use in creating a map. As another example, the host 1102 may collect and analyze real-time data to help control vehicle congestion (e.g., control traffic lights). As another example, the host 1102 may store surveillance videos uploaded by the UE. As another example, the host 1102 may store or control access to media content (such as video, audio, VR, or AR) that it may broadcast, multicast, or unicast to the UE. As other examples, the host 1102 may be used for energy pricing, remote control of non-time-critical power loads to balance power generation demand, location services, presentation services (such as compiled graphs of data collected from remote devices, etc.), or any other function of collecting, retrieving, storing, analyzing, and / or sending data.

[0131] In some examples, a measurement process may be provided for the purpose of monitoring data rates, delays, and other factors targeted by one or more embodiments. In response to changes in the measurement results, there may also be an optional network function for reconfiguring the OTT connection 1150 between the host 1102 and the UE 1106. The measurement process and / or network function for reconfiguring the OTT connection may be implemented in software and hardware of the host 1102 and / or the UE 1106. In some embodiments, sensors (not shown) may be deployed in other devices through which the OTT connection 1150 passes or are deployed in association with other devices; the sensors may participate in the measurement procedure by supplying the values ​​of the monitored quantities exemplified above or supplying the values ​​of other physical quantities from which the software can calculate or estimate the monitored quantities. The reconfiguration of the OTT connection 1150 may include message formats, retransmission settings, preferred routes, etc.; the reconfiguration does not require direct changes to the operation of the network node 1104. Such processes and functions may be known and practiced in the art. In some embodiments, the measurement may involve proprietary UE signaling that facilitates measurements of throughput, propagation time, delay, etc. by the host 1102. These measurements can be implemented in the software, using the OTT connection 1150 to send messages in specific empty or "dummy" messages while monitoring propagation time, errors, etc.

[0132] Although the computing devices (e.g., UE, network node, host) described herein may include a combination of the hardware components shown, other embodiments may include computing devices with different combinations of components. It should be understood that these computing devices may include any suitable combination of hardware and / or software required to perform the tasks, features, functions, and methods disclosed herein. The determination, calculation, acquisition, or similar operations described herein may be performed by a processing circuit, which may, for example, convert the obtained information into other information, compare the obtained information or the converted information with the information stored in the network node, and / or perform one or more operations based on the obtained information or the converted information, and determine to process the information as a result of the processing. In addition, although the components are depicted as being located within a larger box or a single box nested within multiple boxes, in practice, a computing device may include multiple different physical components that make up a single illustrated component, and functions may be divided between separate components. For example, a communication interface may be configured to include any component described herein, and / or the functionality of a component may be divided between a processing circuit and a communication interface. In another example, the non-computationally intensive functions of any such component may be implemented in software or firmware, and the computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

[0133] In some embodiments, some or all of the functions described herein may be provided by a processing circuit that executes instructions stored in a memory, which in some embodiments may be a computer program product in the form of a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by a processing circuit without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device-readable storage medium, such as in a hardwired manner. In any of those specific embodiments, the processing circuit may be configured to perform the described functions regardless of whether instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium are executed. The benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to separate processing circuits or other components of a computing device, but are generally beneficial to computing devices and / or generally beneficial to end users and wireless networks.

[0134] References [1] 3GPP TS23.501v17.5.0 [2]3GPP TR22.839 [3] 3GPP TR23.700-05v0.3.0 VMR Study (Release 18) [4]3GPP TS23.502v17.5.0 [5] 3GPP TS38.413v17.1.1 [6]3GPP TS29.503v17.7.0 [7]3GPP TS29.522v17.6.0 [8]3GPP TS24.501v17.7.1

Claims

1. A method performed by a user equipment UE, comprising: Receiving a closed access group (CAG) configuration from a wireless communication network (402); receiving extended CAG configuration information, the extended CAG configuration information indicating validity conditions under which the CAG configuration should be considered valid or invalid by the UE (404); as well as The CAG configuration is applied based on the indicated validity condition (406).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the extended CAG configuration information includes a duration, during which the received CAG configuration should be considered valid by the UE. 3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the CAG configuration comprises a plurality of CAG IDs, and wherein the duration is common to all CAG IDs received by the UE. 4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the duration is measured by a one-shot timer, wherein the CAG configuration is invalid after expiration of the one-shot timer.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the duration is measured by a timer, the timer is started by the UE after first receiving the CAG configuration, and when the timer expires, the timer is restarted again after an indication from the network.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the duration is measured by a timer, the timer being started only after an indication from the network.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the validity condition comprises at least one of the following: a geographical location in which the CAG configuration received should be considered valid by the UE; a tracking area TA or a list of TAs, in which the received CAG configuration shall be considered valid by the UE; a registration area RA or a list of RAs, where the received CAG configuration shall be considered valid by the UE; the radio access node RAN notifies the area RNA or a list of RNAs, in which the received CAG configuration shall be considered valid by the UE; or An indication to the UE as to whether the received CAG configuration should be considered valid or invalid by the UE. The method of claim 7 , wherein the geographic locations comprise a list of geographic coordinates.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the geographic location comprises a set of geographic coordinates representing a particular area.

10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the extended CAG configuration information applies to a single CAG ID configured at the UE.

11. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the CAG configuration comprises a plurality of CAG IDs, and wherein the extended CAG configuration information is common to all CAG IDs received by the UE.

12. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the extended CAG configuration is received from a mobile integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the extended CAG configuration is received in a container generated by an access and mobility function (AMF).

14. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: Provide user data; as well as The user data is forwarded to a host via a transmission to the network node.

15. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the extended CAG configuration information is received in non-access stratum (NAS) signaling.

16. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the extended CAG configuration is received in Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling.

17. A method performed by a network node of a wireless communication system, comprising: Sending a closed access group CAG configuration to a user equipment UE (502); as well as Extended CAG configuration information is sent to the UE, where the extended CAG configuration information indicates validity conditions under which the CAG configuration should be considered valid or invalid by the UE (504).

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the extended CAG configuration information includes a duration during which the received CAG configuration should be considered valid by the UE.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the CAG configuration comprises a plurality of CAG IDs, and wherein the duration is common to all CAG IDs received by the UE.

20. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 19, wherein the duration is measured by a one-shot timer, wherein the CAG configuration is invalid after expiration of the one-shot timer.

21. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 20, wherein the duration is measured by a timer, the timer is started by the UE when the CAG configuration is first received, and when the timer expires, the timer is restarted again after an indication from the network.

22. A method according to any one of claims 18 to 21, wherein the duration is measured by a timer, the timer being started only following an indication from the network.

23. The method according to claim 17, wherein the extended CAG configuration information comprises at least one of the following: a geographical location in which the CAG configuration received should be considered valid by the UE; a tracking area TA or a list of TAs, in which the received CAG configuration shall be considered valid by the UE; a registration area RA or a list of RAs, where the received CAG configuration shall be considered valid by the UE; the radio access node RAN notifies the area RNA or a list of RNAs, in which the received CAG configuration shall be considered valid by the UE; or An indication to the UE as to whether the received CAG configuration should be considered valid or invalid by the UE.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the geographic locations comprise a list of geographic coordinates.

25. The method of claim 23 or 24, wherein the geographic location comprises a set of geographic coordinates representing a particular area.

26. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 25, wherein the extended CAG configuration information is applied to a single CAG ID configured at the UE.

27. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 26, wherein the CAG configuration comprises a plurality of CAG IDs, and wherein the extended CAG configuration information is common to all CAG IDs received by the UE.

28. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 27, further comprising: Get user data; as well as The user data is forwarded to a host or a user device.

29. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 28, wherein the extended CAG configuration information is sent to the UE in non-access stratum (NAS) signaling.

30. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 28, wherein the extended CAG configuration information is sent to the UE in radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

31. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 30, wherein the network node comprises a Mobile Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) node.

32. A unified data management (UDM) function of a core network of a wireless communication system, configured to provide extended CAG configuration information and subscription data related to a user equipment (UE), wherein the extended CAG configuration information indicates validity conditions under which a closed access group (CAG) configuration should be considered valid or invalid by the UE.

33. An access and mobility management function AMF of a core network of a wireless communication system, configured to: receiving extended CAG configuration information and subscription data related to a user equipment UE from a unified data management (UDM) function, the extended CAG configuration information indicating validity conditions under which a closed access group (CAG) configuration should be considered valid or invalid by the UE; and Sending the extended CAG configuration information to the UE.

34. The AMF node according to claim 33, wherein the AMF node is configured to send the extended CAG configuration information to the UE in non-access stratum NAS signaling.

35. The AMF node according to claim 33, wherein the AMF node is configured to send the extended CAG configuration information to the UE in radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

36. An AMF node according to any one of claims 33 to 35, wherein the extended CAG configuration information includes geographic coordinate information, and wherein the AMF node is configured to convert the geographic coordinate information into tracking area update TAI or cell information before sending the extended CAG configuration information to the UE.

37. A user equipment UE, comprising: Processing circuit; a transceiver coupled to the processing circuit; as well as a memory coupled to the processing circuit, the memory comprising computer-readable programming instructions that, when executed by the processing circuit, cause the UE to perform operations comprising: Receiving a closed access group (CAG) configuration from a wireless communication network (402); receiving extended CAG configuration information, the extended CAG configuration information indicating validity conditions under which the CAG configuration should be considered valid or invalid by the UE (404); and The CAG configuration is applied based on the indicated validity condition (406).

38. The UE of claim 37, wherein the computer-readable programming instructions cause the UE to perform operations according to any one of claims 2 to 16.

39. A network node, comprising: Processing circuit; a transceiver coupled to the processing circuit; as well as a memory coupled to the processing circuit, the memory comprising computer-readable programming instructions that, when executed by the processing circuit, cause the network node to perform operations comprising: Sending a closed access group CAG configuration to a user equipment UE (502); as well as Extended CAG configuration information is sent to the UE, where the extended CAG configuration information indicates validity conditions under which the CAG configuration should be considered valid or invalid by the UE (504).

40. A network node according to claim 39, wherein the computer readable programming instructions cause the network node to perform operations according to any one of claims 18 to 36.

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