Relay connection in communication network

Abstract

A user equipment (UE) performs a method that includes preparing an advertisement message for transmission, the advertisement message including an indication of a capability of the user equipment to act as a relay in a UE-to-UE (U2U) connection, and an indication that a network-based security protocol is available to establish security for the U2U connection in response to determining that the UE is connected to a radio communications network.

Description

Background Art

[0001] 5G Proximity Services (ProSe) UE-to-Network Relay is a User Equipment (UE) that provides (one or more) 5G ProSe Remote UEs with the functionality to support connectivity with the network. Figure 1 The architecture of such a connection is shown in .

[0002] Both can be used for 5G ProSe UE to network relay authorization and security establishment in PC5 interface. The UP based procedure uses UP connection with 5G PKMF in 5GC, while the CP based procedure uses ProSe authentication vehicle over NAS procedure towards AMF and AUSF in 5GC.

[0003] exist Figure 2 and Figure 3 A high-level flow for UE to network relay security is shown in FIG. Figure 2 The authorization and secure link establishment process based on UP is shown. Figure 3 The CP-based authorization and secure link establishment process is shown.

[0004] 3GPP is now studying support for UE-to-UE relay. 5G ProSe UE-to-UE relay is a UE that provides functionality to support connections between 5G ProSe UE-to-UE (U2U) UEs. Figure 4 The example schema in .

[0005] For the UE-to-UE relay use case, any one or more (or all) of the source UE, target UE, and UE-to-UE relay may be within or outside the 3GPP coverage. Summary of the invention

[0006] The disclosed subject matter was developed in view of certain shortcomings of existing systems, such as the following.

[0007] 3GPP has not yet determined how to establish a connection between a source UE and a target UE via a UE-to-UE relay and / or how to establish the security of such a connection. The UE-to-UE relay as a relay entity has many similarities to the UE-to-network relay. It is expected that the security process of establishing a PC5 connection between a UE and a UE-to-UE relay can be largely similar to the process of establishing a PC5 connection between a UE and a UE-to-network relay, such as described above. Figure 2 and Figure 3 The process described in .

[0008] However, the procedures defined for UE-to-network relay are premised on the UE-to-network relay being connected to the 5GC network and utilizing the services / functions provided by the network to perform the required security procedures. In this document, these procedures may be referred to as network-based security.

[0009] One issue with these procedures is that the UE-to-UE relay may be inside or outside the 3GPP coverage, ie it may or may not be connected to the network.

[0010] Therefore, it is unclear how, whether and when a network-based authentication and authorization process may be used for PC5 connection security between the UE and the UE-to-UE relay in the case of a UE-to-UE relay and / or how to select an appropriate method if multiple security methods are available.

[0011] Certain aspects of the present disclosure and embodiments thereof may provide solutions to these and other problems.Embodiments of the disclosed subject matter propose that a UE-to-UE relay may advertise whether a network-based security method is supported and available for a certain UE-to-UE relay service based on its connection status toward the network.

[0012] Additionally or alternatively, the UE-to-UE relay may advertise its preference to support a specific security method if more than one method is supported.

[0013] Certain embodiments may provide technical advantage(s): Providing a clean, robust, and reliable method for selecting a security method in a UE-to-UE relay scenario.

[0014] In some embodiments of the disclosed subject matter, a method performed by a user equipment includes: preparing an announcement message for transmission, the announcement message including: (a) an indication of the user equipment's ability to act as a relay in a UE-to-UE U2U connection, and (b) an indication that, in response to determining that the UE is connected to a radio communications network, a network-based security protocol can be used to establish security for the U2U connection. The method also includes: sending the announcement message.

[0015] In certain related embodiments, the UE periodically determines the status of its connection with the radio communications network.

[0016] In certain related embodiments, a UE determines its connection status with the radio communications network upon receiving a discovery message from another UE.

[0017] In certain related embodiments, in response to determining that the UE is not connected to the radio communications network, an indication that a network-based security protocol is available is omitted from the notification message.

[0018] In certain related embodiments, an indication that a network-based security protocol is available is included in a list of available security protocols for establishing security for the U2U connection. In some such embodiments, the list of available security protocols includes an indication of a preference order of the available security protocols for establishing security for the U2U connection. In some such embodiments, the available security protocols for establishing security for the U2U connection include one or more peer-based security protocols.

[0019] In certain related embodiments, the announcement message is broadcast to enable the UE to be discovered by one or more other UEs.

[0020] In certain related embodiments, the announce message is sent in response to receiving a discovery message from another UE.

[0021] In certain related embodiments, the method further includes sending a discovery key request message to a core network node, and in response, receiving a relay service code authorizing the UE to act as a relay in the U2U connection.

[0022] In certain related embodiments, the announce message includes an indication of a relay service code.

[0023] In certain related embodiments, the discovery key request message also includes an indication of the UE's capability to act as a relay in the U2U connection.

[0024] In certain related embodiments, the method further includes: establishing a U2U connection with the source UE and the target UE. In some such embodiments, the method further includes establishing the U2U connection, which includes receiving a connection request message from one or more of the source UE and the target UE, the connection request message including an indication of a security protocol selected for establishing security for the U2U connection.

[0025] In some embodiments of the disclosed subject matter, a method performed by a first user equipment UE includes: detecting a notification message sent by a second UE, the notification message including: an indication of the second UE's ability to act as a relay in a U2U connection, and an indication that a network-based security protocol can be used to establish security for the U2U connection in response to determining that the second UE is connected to a radio communications network; and establishing a U2U connection with a target UE via the second UE acting as a relay.

[0026] In certain related embodiments, establishing the U2U connection includes sending a connection request message to the second UE, the connection request message including an indication of a security protocol selected for establishing security for the U2U connection.

[0027] In certain related embodiments, an indication that a network-based security protocol is available is included in a list of available security protocols for establishing security for the U2U connection.

[0028] In certain related embodiments, the list of available security protocols includes an indication of an order of preference of the available security protocols for establishing security for the U2U connection.

[0029] In certain related embodiments, available security protocols for establishing security for the U2U connection include one or more peer-based security protocols.

[0030] In certain related embodiments, the announcement message is broadcast by the second UE to enable discovery of the second UE.

[0031] In certain related embodiments, the method further includes sending a discovery message, and in response, receiving an announcement message from the second UE.

[0032] In certain related embodiments, the method further comprises: sending a discovery key request message to the core network node, and in response, receiving a relay service code authorizing the first UE to act as a source or target UE in the U2U connection. In some such embodiments, the discovery key request message further comprises an indication of the first UE's ability to act as a source or target UE in the U2U connection. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] The accompanying drawings illustrate selected embodiments of the disclosed subject matter. In the accompanying drawings, like reference numerals indicate like features.

[0034] Figure 1 A reference architecture for 5G ProSe layer 3 UE to network relay is shown.

[0035] Figure 2 The authorization and secure PC5 link establishment procedure for 5G ProSe UE to network relay is shown.

[0036] Figure 3 The 5G ProSe UE to Network Relay security procedure is shown, with the network ProSe security context set up during PC5 link establishment.

[0037] Figure 4 An example architecture for UE-to-UE relay is shown.

[0038] Figure 5 Processing and / or signaling flows according to some embodiments of the disclosed subject matter are shown.

[0039] Figure 6 Processing and / or signaling flows according to some embodiments of the disclosed subject matter are shown.

[0040] Figure 7 is a flow chart illustrating a method according to some embodiments of the disclosed subject matter.

[0041] Figure 8 is a flow chart illustrating a method according to some embodiments of the disclosed subject matter.

[0042] Fig. 9 An example of a communication system according to some embodiments of the disclosed subject matter is shown.

[0043] Fig.10 A UE according to some embodiments of the disclosed subject matter is shown.

[0044] Fig.11 A network node according to some embodiments of the disclosed subject matter is shown.

[0045] Fig.12 It is a block diagram of the host.

[0046] Fig.13 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment in which functionality implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized.

[0047] Fig.14 A communication diagram showing a host communicating with a UE via a network node over a partially wireless connection according to some embodiments of the disclosed subject matter. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] Some of the 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.

[0049] Figure 5 Processing and / or signaling flows for network-based security when one or more of a source UE, a UE-to-UE relay, and a target UE are within coverage according to an embodiment of the disclosed subject matter are shown.

[0050] 0. When 5G ProSe source / target UEs and UE-to-UE relays are in coverage, discovery security material and / or PRUK are provided to them.

[0051] 1. Based on the relay service code for UE-to-UE relay, the 5G ProSe source UE performs a discovery procedure for UE-to-UE relay using discovery parameters and discovery security material. If the UE-to-UE relay is within 3GPP coverage, it also indicates in the discovery notification message whether network-based relay service authentication and authorization are supported for the UE-to-UE relay.

[0052] 2. If the discovered UE-to-UE relay supports network-based relay service authentication and authorization, the 5G ProSe source UE sends an initial request message for network-based security. For example, the initial request message may include a direct communication request (DCR) containing a ProSe relay user key (PRUK) ID or a subscription concealed identifier (SUCI), a relay service code (RSC) for the 5G ProSe UE-to-UE relay service, and a K to the 5G ProSe UE-to-UE relay. NRP Freshness parameter 1.

[0053] 3.5G ProSe UE to UE relay sends a packet containing PRUK ID or SUCI, RSC and K to 5GC NRP Key request message with freshness parameter 1.

[0054] Note: For brevity, 5GC NF and internal signaling are not discussed here. Security procedures similar to 5G ProSe communication security via 5G ProSe Layer 3 UE to network relay as defined in TS 33.503 can be reused.

[0055] 4.5GC sends a key response message to the 5G ProSe UE-to-UE relay, which includes K NRP , K NRP Freshness parameter 2.

[0056] 5a.5G ProSe UE-to-UE relay should start from K NRP Export the session key (K NRP-SESS ), and then derives the confidentiality key (NRPEK) (if applicable) and integrity key (NRPIK) based on the PC5 security policy as specified in TS33.536v17.1.0. The 5G ProSe UE-to-UE Relay sends a Direct Security Mode Command message to the 5G ProSe Source UE and includes K NRP Freshness parameter 2.

[0057] 5b.5G ProSe source UE shall obtain the following information from its PRUK, RSC, K NRP Freshness parameter 1 and the received K NRP Freshness parameter 2 derives K NRP , and then derive the session key (K) based on the PC5 security policy in the same way as the 5G ProSe UE-to-UE relay. NRP-SESS ), confidentiality key (NRPEK) (if applicable) and integrity key (NRPIK), and processes the Direct Security Mode Command. Successful verification of the Direct Security Mode Command assures the 5G ProSe Source UE that the 5G ProSe UE-to-UE Relay is authorized to provide UE-to-UE relay service.

[0058] 5c. The 5G ProSe Source UE responds to the 5G ProSe UE-to-UE Relay with a Direct Security Mode Complete message.

[0059] 5d. After receiving the Direct Security Mode Complete message, the 5G ProSe UE-to-UE Relay shall verify the Direct Security Mode Complete message. Successful verification of the Direct Security Mode Complete message assures the 5G ProSe UE-to-UE Relay that the 5G ProSe Source UE is authorized to obtain the UE-to-UE relay service.

[0060] 6.5G ProSe source UE and 5G ProSe UE-to-UE relay continue the remaining procedures for UE-to-UE relay service over the secure PC5 link.

[0061] 7. Repeat steps 1-6 for PC5 security establishment between the 5G ProSe target UE and the 5G ProSe UE-to-UE relay.

[0062] 8.5G ProSe source UE and 5G ProSe target UE can establish end-to-end security via 5G ProSe UE-to-UE relay. The details are not described in this solution.

[0063] Figure 6 A process and / or signaling flow for discovery according to an embodiment of the disclosed subject matter is shown. Figure 5 This processing and / or signaling flow is utilized in step 0 and / or step 1 described.

[0064] 1-4. When the 5G ProSe UE-to-UE relay is within coverage, the UE-to-UE relay sends a Discovery Key Request message to the 5GDDNMF in its HPLMN to obtain authorization for the relay service code to announce and obtain associated security materials.

[0065] In addition, the UE-to-UE relay shall include its UE-to-UE relay capabilities, which include: the security methods supported for U2U relay (e.g., network-based security, peer-based security, etc.). It may also include (monitor / announce) the role(s) that the UE can play in the U2U relay process for the indicated U2U RSC (e.g., as source UE, target UE, U2U relay UE, or a combination of these roles), the number of hops supported for U2U relay, layer 2 or layer 3 U2U relay,

[0066] U2U relay capabilities are authorized and negotiated during the discovery key request process.

[0067] 5-10. When a 5G ProSe source UE or target UE is within coverage, the UE sends a Discovery Key Request message to the 5G DDNMF in its HPLMN in order to obtain authorization to relay the service code to announce and obtain the associated security material.

[0068] Additionally, the UE shall include its UE-to-UE relay capabilities in the Discovery Key Request.

[0069] U2U relay capabilities are authorized and negotiated during the discovery key request process.

[0070] 11. The ProSe 5G UE-to-UE relay periodically sends a relay announcement message to its neighbors to announce its availability as a UE-to-UE relay.

[0071] In the notification message, it includes its user information ID, relay service code (RSC), a list of UEs reachable through the relay, and also includes the available security methods for U2U relay (e.g., network-based security, peer-based security, etc.).

[0072] The 5G ProSe UE-to-UE relay shall check its connection status with the network periodically or based on a request message (discovery message from other UEs). If the connection with the network is available, the UE-to-UE relay shall include network-based security as an available security method for U2U relay in the notification message. Otherwise, the UE-to-UE relay shall remove network-based security from the available security methods for U2U relay in the notification message.

[0073] Furthermore, if multiple security methods for U2U relaying are available, the UE-to-UE relay may advertise its preference of supported security methods, for example, listing the available security methods in order.

[0074] 12.5G ProSe (source or target) UE discovery UE to UE relay.

[0075] Based on the available security methods for U2U relay announced by the UE-to-UE relay, the 5G ProSe (source or target) UE decides the security method to be used for PC5 link establishment with the UE-to-UE relay and performs a security establishment procedure with the UE-to-UE relay.

[0076] Figure 7Methods according to some embodiments are depicted. Method VV1 may be performed by a UE or wireless device (e.g., UE QQ112 or UE QQ200 as described later with reference to FIG. QQ1 and FIG. QQ2 , respectively). In one embodiment, the UE is configured or configurable as a U2U relay (e.g., the UE has the capability to act as a relay between a source UE and a target UE in a U2U relay connection). In some aspects, method VV1 may correspond to Figure 5 UE-to-UE relay and Figure 6 Signaling of one or more of the "Announcement UE (A-UE, also known as U2U relay)".

[0077] The method starts at step VV102, where the UE communicates with a core network node, for example, to obtain authorization to act as a relay in a U2U connection.

[0078] For example, step VV102 may include: the UE sending a discovery key request message to the core network node, and in response, receiving a relay service code authorizing the UE to act as a relay in the U2U connection. The discovery key request message may further include an indication of the UE's ability to act as a relay in the U2U connection.

[0079] In some embodiments, step VV102 may correspond to the above description of Figure 5 Step 0 described above and / or Figure 6 Steps 1 and 4 as described.

[0080] In step VV104, the UE prepares a notification message for transmission. The notification message includes an indication of the user equipment's ability to act as a relay in the U2U connection, and, in response to determining that the UE is connected to the radio communications network, an indication that a network-based security protocol is available for establishing security for the U2U connection. Conversely, in response to determining that the UE is not connected to the radio communications network (e.g., out of coverage), an indication that a network-based security protocol is available may be omitted from the notification message.

[0081] For example, the UE may determine its connection status with the radio communication network periodically or upon (eg, in response to) receiving a discovery message from another UE (eg, a monitoring UE wishing to establish a U2U connection as a source or target UE).

[0082] The notification message may include a list of available security protocols for establishing security for the U2U connection, such as the network-based security protocols discussed above (e.g., UP-based or CP-based security establishment procedures) or peer-based security protocols. The available security protocols may be associated with an order of preference, for example, by using an index or an order of presentation indicating that one security protocol is more preferred than another. For example, network-based security may be preferred over peer-based security, or vice versa. Within a network-based security protocol, UP-based security procedures may be preferred over CP-based security procedures (or vice versa). One or more available security protocols may be set to default values, for example, in a previous configuration of a node of the radio communications network, or as specified in a radio technical specification implemented by the UE.

[0083] The announce message may further include an indication of the relay service code received in step VV102.

[0084] In step VV106, the UE sends a notification message. For example, the notification message may be broadcast so that the UE can be discovered by one or more other UEs (eg, those UEs that are nearby and can detect the notification message), or may be sent in response to receiving a discovery message from another UE.

[0085] In some embodiments, steps VV104 and VV106 may correspond to the above description of Figure 6 Steps 11a and 11b are described.

[0086] In step VV108, the UE establishes a U2U relay connection between the source UE and the target UE. For example, the UE may receive a connection request message from one or more of the source UE and the target UE, the message including an indication of a security protocol selected for establishing security for the U2U connection. Step VV108 may correspond to the above description of Figure 5 Steps 2 and later are described.

[0087] Figure 8 Methods according to certain embodiments are depicted. Method VV2 may be performed by a UE or wireless device (e.g., UE QQ112 or UE QQ200 as described later with reference to FIG. QQ1 and FIG. QQ2 , respectively). In one embodiment, the UE is configured or configurable as a source UE or a target UE in a U2U relay connection (e.g., the UE has the capability to act as a source UE or a target UE in a U2U relay connection via a U2U relay). In some aspects, method VV2 may correspond to Figure 5 The source UE and / or target UE in Figure 6Method VV2 may be read in conjunction with method VV1, which in some aspects describes a corresponding method in a U2U relay.

[0088] The method starts at step VV202, where the UE communicates with a core network node, for example, to obtain authorization to act as a source UE or a target UE in a U2U connection.

[0089] For example, step VV202 may include: the UE sending a discovery key request message to the core network node, and in response, receiving a relay service code authorizing the UE to act as a source UE or a target UE in a U2U connection. The discovery key request message may further include an indication of the UE's ability to act as a source UE or a target UE in a U2U connection.

[0090] In some embodiments, step VV202 may correspond to the above description of Figure 5 Step 0 described above and / or Figure 6 Steps 5 and 10 as described.

[0091] In step VV204, the UE detects a notification message sent by the second UE. The notification message includes an indication of the second UE's ability to act as a relay in a U2U connection, and an indication that a network-based security protocol can be used to establish security for the U2U connection in response to determining that the second UE is connected to the radio communications network.

[0092] The notification message may include a list of available security protocols for establishing security for the U2U connection, such as the network-based security protocols discussed above (e.g., UP-based or CP-based security establishment procedures) or peer-based security protocols. The available security protocols may be associated with an order of preference, for example, by using an index or an order of presentation indicating that one security protocol is more preferred than another. For example, network-based security may be preferred over peer-based security, or vice versa. Within a network-based security protocol, UP-based security procedures may be preferred over CP-based security procedures (or vice versa). One or more of the available security protocols may be set to default values, for example, in a previous configuration of a node of the radio communications network, or as specified in a radio technical specification implemented by the UE.

[0093] The announce message may further include an indication of a relay service code (eg, as received in step VV102 of method VV1 described above) authorizing the second UE to act as a relay in the U2U connection.

[0094] The announcement message may be broadcast to enable the second UE to be discovered by one or more other UEs (eg, a UE executing method VV2), or may be sent in response to receiving a discovery message from a UE executing method VV2 or a different UE.

[0095] In some embodiments, step VV204 may correspond to the above description of Figure 6 as described in step 12.

[0096] In step VV206, the UE establishes a U2U connection with the target UE via the second UE acting as a relay. For example, step VV206 may include the UE sending a connection request message to the second UE, the connection request message including an indication of a security protocol selected for establishing security for the U2U connection. Step VV206 may correspond to the above description of Figure 5 Steps 2 and later are described.

[0097] Fig. 9 An example of a communication system QQ 100 is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0098] In the example, the communication system QQ100 includes a telecommunication network QQ102, which includes an access network QQ104 such as a radio access network (RAN) and a core network QQ106, which includes one or more core network nodes QQ108. The access network QQ104 includes one or more access network nodes, such as network nodes QQ110a and QQ110b (one or more of which may be generally referred to as network nodes QQ110), or any other similar third generation partnership project (3GPP) access nodes or non-3GPP access points. The network node QQ110 facilitates direct or indirect connection of user equipment (UE), such as by connecting UE QQ112a, QQ112b, QQ112c, and QQ112d (one or more of which may be generally referred to as UE QQ112) to the core network QQ106 through one or more wireless connections.

[0099] 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. Moreover, in different embodiments, the communication system QQ100 may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, UEs, and / or any other components or systems that may facilitate or participate in the communication of data and / or signals, whether via a wired or wireless connection. The communication system QQ100 may include and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunications, data, cellular, radio network, and / or other similar types of systems.

[0100] UE QQ 112 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 QQ 110 and other communication devices. Similarly, network node QQ 110 is arranged, capable, configured and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with UE QQ 112 and / or with other network nodes or devices in telecommunication network QQ 102 to enable and / or provide network access (such as wireless network access) and / or perform other functions, such as management in telecommunication network QQ 102.

[0101] In the depicted example, the core network QQ106 connects the network node QQ110 to one or more hosts, such as the host QQ116. These connections can be direct or indirect via one or more intermediate networks or devices. In other examples, the network node can be directly coupled to the host. The core network QQ106 includes one or more core network nodes (e.g., core network node QQ108) constructed with hardware and software components. The features of these components can be substantially similar to the features described with respect to UE, network nodes and / or hosts, so that their description is generally applicable to the corresponding components of the core network node QQ108. The example core network node includes one or more functions 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 agent (SEPP), a network open function (NEF) and / or a user plane function (UPF).

[0102] The host QQ 116 may be under the ownership or control of a service provider other than the operator or provider of the access network QQ 104 and / or the telecommunications network QQ 102, and may be operated by or on behalf of the service provider. The host QQ 116 may host various applications to provide one or more services. Examples of such applications include providing live and pre-recorded audio / video content, data collection services (e.g., retrieving and compiling data of various environmental conditions detected by multiple UEs), analysis functions, social media, functions for controlling or otherwise interacting with remote devices, functions for alarm and monitoring centers, or any other such functions performed by the server.

[0103] As a whole, Fig. 9The communication system QQ100 enables connections between UEs, network nodes, and hosts. In this sense, the communication system can be configured to operate according to predefined rules or procedures, such as specific standards including but not limited to the following: 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 appropriate wireless communication standards, such as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Near Field Communication (NFC) ZigBee, LiFi, and / or any Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) standards, such as LoRa and Sigfox.

[0104] In some examples, telecommunication network QQ 102 is a cellular network that implements 3GPP standardized features. Therefore, telecommunication network QQ 102 can support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices connected to telecommunication network QQ 102. For example, telecommunication network QQ 102 can provide ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) services to some UEs, while providing enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) services to other UEs, and / or providing massive machine type communication (mMTC) / massive IoT services to additional UEs.

[0105] In some examples, UE QQ112 is configured to send and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, the UE may be designed to send information to access network QQ104 on a predetermined schedule when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to a request from access network QQ104. 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., configured for multi-radio dual connectivity (MR-DC), such as e-UTRAN (Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network) New Radio-Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).

[0106] exist Fig. 9In the example shown, the hub QQ114 communicates with the access network QQ104 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UE QQ112c and / or QQ112d) and a network node (e.g., network node QQ110b). In some examples, the hub QQ114 can be a controller, a router, a content source, and an analysis node, or any other communication device described herein about the UE. For example, the hub QQ114 can be a broadband router that enables the UE to access the core network QQ106. As another example, the hub QQ114 can be a controller that sends commands or instructions to one or more actuators in the UE. The command or instruction can be received from the UE, the network node QQ110, or received by an executable code, a script, a process, or other instructions in the hub QQ114. As another example, the hub QQ114 can be a data collector that acts as a temporary storage for UE data, and in some embodiments, analysis or other processing of data can be performed. As another example, the hub QQ114 can be a content source. For example, for a UE that is a VR headset, display, speaker, or other media delivery device, the hub QQ 114 can retrieve VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to sensory information via a network node, and then the hub QQ 114 provides it directly to the UE after performing local processing and / or after adding additional local content. In yet another example, the hub QQ 114 acts as a proxy server or orchestrator for the UE, particularly when one or more of the UEs are low-energy IoT devices.

[0107] Hub QQ114 can have constant / persistent or intermittent connection to network node QQ110b. Hub QQ114 can also allow different communication schemes and / or scheduling between hub QQ114 and UE (e.g., UE QQ112c and / or QQ112d) and hub QQ114 and core network QQ106. In other examples, hub QQ114 is connected to core network QQ106 and / or one or more UE via wired connection. Moreover, hub QQ114 can be configured to be connected to M2M service provider and / or connected to another UE by direct connection through access network QQ104. In some scenes, UE can establish wireless connection with network node QQ110, while still connected via hub QQ114 via wired or wireless connection. In some embodiments, hub QQ114 can be a dedicated hub--that is, its main function is to route communication from network node QQ110b to UE / route from UE to the hub of network node QQ110b. In other embodiments, hub QQ 114 may be a non-dedicated hub—that is, a device operable to route communications between UEs and network node QQ 110b, but additionally operable as a communications origin and / or endpoint for certain data channels.

[0108] Fig.10 UE QQ200 according to some embodiments is shown. As used herein, UE refers to a device capable of, configured, arranged and / or operable to wirelessly communicate with a network node and / or other UEs. Examples of UEs include, but are not limited to, smart phones, mobile phones, mobile 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 mounted devices (LMEs), smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPEs), vehicle-mounted or vehicle-mounted 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 communications (MTC) UEs, and / or enhanced MTC (eMTC) UEs.

[0109] 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 owning and / or operating the associated device. Rather, a UE may represent a device that is intended to be sold to or operated by a human user, but the device may not be associated with a particular human user, or the device may not initially be associated with a particular human user (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller). Alternatively, a UE may represent a device that is not intended to be sold to or operated by an end user, but may be associated with or operated for the benefit of a user (e.g., a smart meter).

[0110] UE QQ200 includes processing circuitry QQ202, which is operatively coupled to input / output interface QQ206, power supply QQ208, memory QQ210, communication interface QQ212, and / or any other components, or any combination thereof, via bus QQ204. Some UEs may utilize Fig.10 All or a subset of the components shown. The level of integration between components may vary from one UE to another. Further, some UEs may contain multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0111] The processing circuit QQ202 is configured to process instructions and data, and may be configured to implement any sequential state machine operable to execute instructions stored in the memory QQ210 as a machine-readable computer program. The processing circuit QQ202 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 together with appropriate firmware; one or more stored computer programs, general-purpose processors, such as microprocessors or digital signal processors (DSPs), together with appropriate software; or any combination of the above. For example, the processing circuit QQ202 may include multiple central processing units (CPUs). The processing circuit QQ202 may be used to provide UE QQ2200 functionality alone or in combination with other UE QQ200 components (such as the memory QQ210). For example, the processing circuit QQ202 may be configured to cause the UE QQ202 to perform a method as described in one or more of reference figures VV1 and VV2.

[0112] In an example, the input / output interface QQ206 can be configured to provide one or more interfaces 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 QQ200. Examples of input devices include touch-sensitive or presence displays, cameras (e.g., digital cameras, digital video cameras, web cameras, etc.), microphones, sensors, mice, trackballs, direction keys, trackpads, rollers, smart cards, etc. The presence display can include capacitive or resistive touch sensors to sense input from the 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.

[0113] In some embodiments, the power supply QQ208 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., an electrical socket), a photovoltaic device, or a power supply battery. The power supply QQ208 may also include a power supply circuit for delivering power from the power supply QQ208 itself and / or an external power supply to various parts of the UE QQ200 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 QQ208. The power supply circuit may perform any formatting, conversion, or other modification on the power from the power supply QQ208 to make the power suitable for the corresponding components of the UE QQ200 being powered.

[0114] The memory QQ 210 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 tape cartridge, a flash drive, etc. In one example, the memory QQ 210 includes one or more application programs QQ 214, such as an operating system, a web browser application, a gadget, a gadget engine, or other application, and corresponding data QQ 216. The memory QQ 210 may store any of a variety of different operating systems or a combination of operating systems for use by the UE QQ 200.

[0115] The memory 210 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 disc (HD-DVD) optical drive, an internal hard drive, a Blu-ray disc 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), including one or more user identity modules (SIMs), such as USIM and / or ISIM, other memories, or any combination thereof. The UICC may be, for example, an embedded UICC (eUICC), an integrated UICC (iUICC), or a removable UICC commonly referred to as a "SIM card". The memory QQ210 may allow the UE QQ200 to access instructions, applications, etc. stored on a transient or non-transient memory medium to unload data or upload data. An article of manufacture, such as an article of manufacture utilizing a communication system, may be tangibly embodied as or in the memory QQ 210 , which may be or include a device-readable storage medium.

[0116] The processing circuit QQ202 may be configured to communicate with an access network or other network using a communication interface QQ212. The communication interface QQ212 may include one or more communication subsystems and may include an antenna QQ222 or be communicatively coupled to the antenna QQ222. The communication interface QQ212 may include one or more transceivers for communication, 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 QQ218 and / or a receiver QQ220 suitable for providing network communications (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocation, etc.). Moreover, the transmitter QQ218 and the receiver QQ220 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., antenna QQ222) and may share circuit components, software or firmware, or may be implemented separately alternatively.

[0117] In some embodiments, the communication function of the communication interface QQ212 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, LPWAN communication, data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communication (such as Bluetooth), near field communication, location-based communication (such as using a global positioning system (GPS) to determine location), another similar communication function, or any combination thereof. Communication can 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.

[0118] Regardless of the type of sensor, the UE can provide an output of the data captured by its sensor via a wireless connection to a network node through its communication interface QQ212. The data captured by the UE's sensor can be delivered to the network node via another UE via a wireless connection. The output can be periodic (e.g., once every 15 minutes if it reports the sensed temperature), random (e.g., to balance the load of reports from several sensors), in response to a trigger event (e.g., when moisture is detected, an alarm is sent), in response to a request (e.g., a user-initiated request), or a continuous stream (e.g., a live video feed of a patient).

[0119] 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 controls a robotic arm that performs a medical procedure based on the received input.

[0120] When in the form of an Internet of Things (IoT) device, a UE may be a device used in one or more application areas including, but not limited to, urban wearable technology, extended industrial applications, and healthcare. Non-limiting examples of such IoT devices are devices that are or are embedded in: a connected refrigerator or freezer, a television, connected lighting, 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 like 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 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 equipment such as a heart rate monitor or a teleoperated surgical robot. In addition to the above, Figure 8 In addition to the other components described for the illustrated UE QQ200 , a UE in the form of an IoT device includes circuitry and / or software depending on the intended application of the IoT device.

[0121] 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 sends 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.

[0122] In practice, any number of UEs may be used together for a single use case. For example, a first UE may be in or integrated into a drone and provide the drone's speed information (obtained by a speed sensor) to a second UE that is a remote controller for operating the drone. When the user makes changes from the remote controller, the first UE may adjust the throttle on the drone (e.g., by controlling an actuator) to increase or decrease the speed of the drone. The first and / or second UE may also include more than one of the functions described above. For example, the UE may include sensors and actuators and handle the communication of data for the speed sensor and actuator.

[0123] Fig.11A network node QQ300 according to some embodiments is shown. As used herein, a network node refers to a device capable of, configured, arranged and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with a UE and / or with 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)).

[0124] Base stations may be classified based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, in other words, their transmit 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. Portions of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS).

[0125] Other examples of network nodes include a multi-transmission point (multi-TRP) 5G access node, a multi-standard radio (MSR) device such as an MSR BS, a network controller such as a radio network controller (RNC) or a base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a transmission point, a transmission node, a multi-cell / multicast coordination entity (MCE), an operation and maintenance (O&M) node, an operation support system (OSS) node, a self-organizing network (SON) node, a positioning node (e.g., an evolved serving mobile positioning center (e-SMLC)), and / or minimization of drive tests (MDT).

[0126] The network node QQ300 includes a processing circuit QQ302, a memory QQ304, a communication interface QQ306 and a power supply QQ308, and / or any other components, or any combination thereof. The network node QQ300 may include multiple physically separated components (e.g., NodeB components and RNC components, or BTS components and BSC components, etc.), which may each have their own corresponding components. In certain scenarios where the network node QQ300 includes multiple separate components (e.g., BTS and BSC components), one or more of the separate components may be shared between several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple NodeBs. In such a scenario, each unique NodeB and RNC pair may be considered as a single separate network node in some instances. In some embodiments, the network node QQ300 may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs). In such an embodiment, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate memories QQ304 for different RATs), and some components may be reused (e.g., the same antenna QQ310 may be shared by different RATs). The network node QQ300 may also include multiple sets of various components shown for different wireless technologies integrated into the network node QQ300, such as GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, Zigbee, Z-wave, LoRaWAN, radio frequency identification (RFID), or Bluetooth wireless technologies. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chips or chipsets and other components within the network node QQ300.

[0127] The processing circuit QQ302 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 that can operate alone or in combination with other network node QQ300 components (such as memory QQ304) to provide network node QQ300 functions.

[0128] In some embodiments, the processing circuit QQ302 includes a system on a chip (SOC). In some embodiments, the processing circuit QQ302 includes one or more of a radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuit QQ312 and a baseband processing circuit QQ314. In some embodiments, the radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuit QQ312 and the baseband processing circuit QQ314 may be on separate chips (or chipsets), boards, or units, such as a radio unit and a digital unit. In other alternative embodiments, part or all of the RF transceiver circuit QQ312 and the baseband processing circuit QQ314 may be on the same chip or chipset, board, or unit.

[0129] The memory QQ304 may include any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory, including but not limited to permanent storage devices, 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 memory device and / or computer executable memory device that stores information, data and / or instructions that can be used by the processing circuit QQ302. The memory QQ304 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 QQ302 and used by the core network node QQ300. The memory QQ304 may be used to store any calculations performed by the processing circuit QQ302 and / or any data received via the communication interface QQ306. In some embodiments, the processing circuit QQ302 and the memory QQ304 are integrated.

[0130] The communication interface QQ306 is used in the 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 QQ306 includes, for example, (one or more) ports / (one or more) terminals QQ316 for sending data to the network and receiving data from the network through a wired connection. The communication interface QQ306 also includes a radio front-end circuit QQ318, which can be coupled to the antenna QQ310 or is a part of the antenna QQ310 in some embodiments. The radio front-end circuit QQ318 includes a filter QQ320 and an amplifier QQ322. The radio front-end circuit QQ318 can be connected to the antenna QQ310 and the processing circuit QQ302. The radio front-end circuit can be configured to adjust the signal transmitted between the antenna QQ310 and the processing circuit QQ302. The radio front-end circuit QQ318 can receive digital data to be sent to other network nodes or UEs via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuit QQ318 can use a combination of a filter QQ320 and / or an amplifier QQ322 to convert the digital data into a radio signal with appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters. The radio signal may then be transmitted via antenna QQ310. Similarly, when receiving data, antenna QQ310 may collect the radio signal, which is then converted into digital data by radio front end circuit QQ318. The digital data may be passed to processing circuit QQ302. In other embodiments, the communication interface may include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0131] In some alternative embodiments, the network node QQ300 does not include a separate radio front end circuit QQ318, instead the processing circuit QQ302 includes the radio front end circuit and is connected to the antenna QQ310. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF transceiver circuit QQ312 is part of the communication interface QQ306. In other embodiments, the communication interface QQ306 includes one or more ports or terminals QQ316, the radio front end circuit QQ318 and the RF transceiver circuit QQ312 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the communication interface QQ306 communicates with the baseband processing circuit QQ314, which is part of the digital unit (not shown).

[0132] Antenna QQ310 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to send and / or receive wireless signals. Antenna QQ310 may be coupled to radio front end circuit QQ318 and may be any type of antenna capable of wirelessly sending and receiving data and / or signals. In some embodiments, antenna QQ310 is separate from network node QQ300 and may be connected to network node QQ300 via an interface or port.

[0133] Antenna QQ310, communication interface QQ306 and / or processing circuit QQ302 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 QQ310, communication interface QQ306 and / or processing circuit QQ302 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.

[0134] The power supply QQ308 provides power to the various components of the network node QQ300 in a form suitable for the respective components (e.g., at the voltage and current levels required for each respective component). The power supply QQ308 may also include or be coupled to a power management circuit to provide power to the components of the network node QQ300 for performing the functions described herein. For example, the network node QQ300 may be connected to an external power source (e.g., a power 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 QQ308. As another example, the power supply QQ308 may include a power source in the form of a battery or a battery pack, which is connected to the power circuit or integrated in the power circuit. If the external power source fails, the battery may provide backup power.

[0135] Embodiments of the network node QQ300 may include, in addition to Fig.11Additional components other than those shown are used to provide certain aspects of the functionality of the network node, including any functionality described herein and / or any functionality required to support the subject matter described herein. For example, the network node QQ300 may include a user interface device to allow information to be input into the network node QQ300 and to allow information to be output from the network node QQ300. This may allow a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other management functions for the network node QQ300.

[0136] Fig.12 is a block diagram of a host QQ400 according to various aspects described herein, and the host QQ400 may be Fig. 9 116. As used herein, host QQ 400 may be or include various combinations of hardware and / or software, including processing resources in a standalone server, blade server, cloud-enabled server, distributed server, virtual machine, container, or server cluster. Host QQ 400 may provide one or more services to one or more UEs.

[0137] The host QQ400 includes a processing circuit QQ402, which is operably coupled to an input / output interface QQ406, a network interface QQ408, a power supply QQ410, and a memory QQ412 via a bus QQ404. Other components may be included in other embodiments. The features of these components may be substantially similar to the features described with respect to the devices of the previous figures (such as Figures QQ2 and QQ3), so that their description is generally applicable to the corresponding components of the host QQ400.

[0138] The memory QQ412 may include one or more computer programs, including one or more host applications QQ414 and data QQ416, which may include user data, for example, data generated by the UE for the host QQ400 or data generated by the host QQ400 for the UE. An embodiment of the host QQ400 may utilize only a subset or all of the components shown. The host application QQ414 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, and G.711), including code conversion for multiple different categories, types, or implementations of UE (e.g., mobile phones, desktop computers, wearable display systems, head-up display systems). The host application QQ414 may also provide user authentication and license checks, and may periodically report health status, routing, and content availability to a central node (such as a device in a core network or on the edge). Thus, the host QQ 400 may select and / or indicate different hosts for over-the-top services for the UE. The host application QQ 414 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.

[0139] Fig.13 It is a block diagram showing a virtualized environment QQ500 that can virtualize the functions implemented by some embodiments. In the present context, virtualization means creating a virtual version of a device or equipment, which may include a virtualized hardware platform, a storage device, and a network resource. As used herein, virtualization can be applied to any device described herein or its components, and relates to an implementation method in which at least a portion of a function is implemented as one or more virtual components. Some or all of the functions described herein may be implemented as virtual components performed by one or more virtual machines (VMs) implemented in one or more virtual environments QQ500 hosted by one or more hardware nodes, such as a hardware computing device operated as a network node, UE, a core network node, or a host. In addition, in an embodiment in which a virtual node does not require a radio connection (e.g., a core network node or a host), then the node may be fully virtualized.

[0140] Application QQ502 (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.

[0141] Hardware QQ504 includes processing circuitry, memory storing software and / or instructions 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 QQ506 (also referred to as hypervisors or virtual machine monitors (VMMs)), provide VM QQ508a and QQ508b (one or more of which may be generally referred to as VM QQ508), and / or perform any of the functions, features, and / or benefits described in connection with some of the embodiments described herein. Virtualization layer QQ506 may present a virtual operating platform that looks like network hardware to VM QQ508.

[0142] VM QQ508 includes virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual network or interface, and virtual storage, and can be run by the corresponding virtualization layer QQ506. Different embodiments of instances of virtual device QQ502 can be implemented on one or more of VM QQ508, and can be implemented in different ways. Virtualization of hardware is referred to as network function virtualization (NFV) in some contexts. NFV can be used to merge many network device types onto industry standard high-volume server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage, which can be located in data centers and customer premises equipment.

[0143] In the context of NFV, VM QQ 508 can be a software implementation of a physical machine that runs programs as if they were executed on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each of the VM QQ 508 and the portion of the hardware QQ 504 on which the VM is executed (i.e., software dedicated to the VM and / or software shared by the VM with other VMs in the VM) form a separate virtual network element. Still in the context of NFV, a virtual network function is responsible for handling specific network functions that run in one or more VM QQ 508 on top of the hardware QQ 504 and correspond to an application QQ 502.

[0144] Hardware QQ504 can be implemented in an independent network node with general or specific components. Hardware QQ504 can implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, hardware QQ504 can be a larger hardware cluster (for example, such as in a data center or CPE), where many hardware nodes work together and are managed via management and orchestration QQ510, which especially supervises the life cycle management of application QQ502. In some embodiments, hardware QQ504 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 combined 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 using a control system QQ512, which can alternatively be used for communication between a hardware node and a radio unit.

[0145] Fig.14 A communication diagram is shown in which a host QQ 602 communicates with a UE QQ 606 via a network node QQ 604 over a partially wireless connection according to some embodiments. Fig.14 Describes the UE discussed in the preceding paragraphs according to various embodiments (such as Fig. 9 UE QQ 112a and / or Fig.10 UE QQ200), network nodes (such as Fig. 9 The network node QQ110a and / or Fig.11 network nodes QQ300) and hosts (such as Fig. 9 Host QQ116 and / or Fig.12 An example implementation of a host QQ400).

[0146] Similar to the host QQ400, an embodiment of the host QQ602 includes hardware, such as a communication interface, a processing circuit, and a memory. The host QQ602 also includes software, which is stored in the host QQ602 or can be accessed by the host QQ602 and can be executed by the processing circuit. The software includes a host application, which is operable to provide services to remote users, such as UE QQ606 connected via an over-the-top (OTT) connection QQ650 extending between the UE QQ606 and the host QQ602. When providing services to remote users, the host application can provide user data sent using the OTT connection QQ650.

[0147] The network node QQ 604 includes hardware that enables it to communicate with the host QQ 602 and the UE QQ 606. The connection QQ 660 may be direct or through a core network (e.g. Fig. 9The core network QQ106 of the present invention) and / or one or more other intermediate networks, such as one or more public, private or managed networks. For example, the intermediate network can be a backbone network or the Internet.

[0148] UE QQ606 includes hardware and software, which is stored in UE QQ606 or accessible by UE QQ606 and can be executed by the processing circuit of UE. The software includes a client application, such as a web browser or an operator-specific "app", which is operable to provide services to human or non-human users via UE QQ606 with the support of host QQ602. In host QQ602, the executed host application can communicate with the executed client application via the OTT connection QQ650 terminated at UE QQ606 and host QQ602. When providing services to users, the client application of UE can receive request data from the host application of the host and provide user data in response to the request data. OTT connection QQ650 can transmit request data and user data. The client application of UE can interact with the user to generate user data that it provides to the host application through OTT connection QQ650.

[0149] The OTT connection QQ650 may extend via a connection QQ660 between the host QQ602 and the network node QQ604 and via a wireless connection QQ670 between the network node QQ602 and the UE QQ606 to provide connectivity between the host QQ602 and the UE QQ606. The connection QQ660 and the wireless connection QQ670 through which the OTT connection QQ650 may be provided are abstractly drawn to illustrate communications between the host QQ602 and the UE QQ606 via the network node QQ604 without explicitly referencing any intermediate devices and the precise routing of messages via these devices.

[0150] As an example of sending data via OTT connection QQ650, in step QQ608, host QQ602 provides user data, which can be performed by executing a host application. In some embodiments, user data is associated with a specific human user interacting with UE QQ606. In other embodiments, user data is associated with UE QQ606, and UE QQ606 shares data with host QQ602 without explicit human interaction. In step QQ610, host QQ602 initiates a transmission carrying user data to UE QQ606. Host QQ602 can initiate transmission in response to a request sent by UE QQ606. The request can be caused by human interaction with UE QQ606 or by the operation of a client application executed on UE QQ606. According to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, the transmission can be transmitted via network node QQ604. Therefore, in step QQ612, according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, network node QQ604 sends user data carried in the transmission initiated by host QQ602 to UE QQ606. In step QQ614 , UE QQ606 receives user data carried in a transmission, which may be performed by a client application executing on UE QQ606 , which is associated with a host application executed by host QQ602 .

[0151] In some examples, UE QQ606 executes a client application that provides user data to host QQ602. User data can be provided as a reaction or response to data received from host QQ602. Therefore, in step QQ616, UE QQ606 can provide user data, which can be performed by executing the client application. When providing user data, the client application can also consider user input received from the user via the input / output interface of UE QQ606. Regardless of the specific manner of providing user data, in step QQ618, UE QQ606 initiates the transmission of user data to host QQ602 via network node QQ604. In step QQ620, according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, network node QQ604 receives user data from UE QQ606, and initiates the transmission of received user data to host QQ602. In step QQ622, host QQ602 receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by UE QQ606.

[0152] One or more of the various embodiments improve the performance of OTT services provided to UE QQ 606 using OTT connection QQ 650, where wireless connection QQ 670 forms the final segment. More precisely, the teachings of these embodiments can improve the security of the connection.

[0153] In an example scenario, plant status information may be collected and analyzed by host QQ602. As another example, host QQ602 may process audio and video data that may have been retrieved from the UE for creating a map. As another example, host QQ602 may collect and analyze real-time data to help control vehicle congestion (e.g., control traffic lights). As another example, host QQ602 may store surveillance videos uploaded by the UE. As another example, host QQ602 may store or control access to media content such as video, audio, VR, or AR, which may be broadcast, multicast, or unicast to the UE. As other examples, host QQ602 may be used for energy pricing, remote control of non-time-critical power loads to balance power generation demand, positioning services, demonstration services (such as compiling charts based on data collected from remote devices, etc.), or any other function for collecting, retrieving, storing, analyzing, and / or sending data.

[0154] In some examples, the measurement process may be provided for the purpose of monitoring the data rate, latency and other factors improved by one or more embodiments. There may also be an optional network function for reconfiguring the OTT connection QQ650 between the host QQ602 and the UE QQ606 in response to changes in the measurement results. The measurement process and / or the network function for reconfiguring the OTT connection may be implemented in the software and hardware of the host QQ602 and / or the UE QQ606. In some embodiments, sensors (not shown) may be deployed in other communication devices passed through by the OTT connection QQ650 or associated with other devices passed through by the OTT connection QQ650; the sensors may participate in the measurement procedure by supplying the values ​​of the monitoring quantities exemplified above or supplying software, other physical quantities that can calculate or estimate the monitoring quantities. The reconfiguration of the OTT connection QQ650 may include message formats, retransmission settings, preferred routes, etc.; the reconfiguration does not require direct changes to the operation of the network node QQ604. Such processes and functions may be known and practiced in the art. In some embodiments, the measurement results may involve proprietary UE signaling that facilitates the measurement results of throughput, propagation time, delay, etc. by the host QQ602. Measurement can be achieved because the software enables messages (especially empty messages or "dummy" messages) to be sent using the OTT connection QQ650, while monitoring propagation time, errors, etc.

[0155] 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 a combination of different 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 make a determination as a result of the processing. Moreover, although the components are depicted as a single box located within a larger box or nested within multiple boxes, in fact, the computing device may include multiple different physical components that make up a single shown component, and the functions may be divided between separate components. For example, a communication interface may be configured to include any component described herein, and / or the functions of the components may be divided between the processing circuit and the 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.

[0156] 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 an alternative embodiment, some or all of the functions may be provided by a processing circuit that does not execute instructions stored on a separate or discrete device-readable medium, such as in a hardwired manner. In any of these specific embodiments, whether or not instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium are executed, the processing circuit may be configured to perform the described functions. The benefits provided by such functions are not limited to other components of the processing circuit alone, but are enjoyed by computing devices and / or generally by end users and wireless networks as a whole.

Claims

1. A method performed by a user equipment UE, comprising: preparing a notification message for transmission, the notification message comprising: (a) an indication of the ability of the user equipment to act as a relay in a UE-to-UE (U2U) connection, and (b) in response to determining that the UE is connected to a radio communications network, an indication that a network-based security protocol can be used to establish security for the U2U connection; and The notification message is sent.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The UE periodically determines its connection status with the radio communications network.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The UE determines its connection status with the radio communication network upon receiving a discovery message from another UE.

4. The method according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein: In response to determining that the UE is not connected to the radio communications network, the indication that a network-based security protocol is available is omitted from the notification message.

5. The method according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein: The indication that a network-based security protocol is available is included in a list of available security protocols for establishing security for the U2U connection.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein: The list of available security protocols includes an indication of an order of preference of the available security protocols for establishing security for the U2U connection.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein: The available security protocols for establishing security for the U2U connection include one or more peer-based security protocols.

8. The method according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein: The announcement message is broadcast to enable the UE to be discovered by one or more other UEs.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The announcement message is sent in response to receiving a discovery message from another UE.

10. The method according to any one of the preceding embodiments, further comprising: A discovery key request message is sent to a core network node, and in response, a relay service code is received that authorizes the UE to act as a relay in a U2U connection.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein: The announce message includes an indication of the relay service code.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, wherein: The discovery key request message also includes an indication of the UE's capability to act as a relay in a U2U connection.

13. The method according to any one of the preceding embodiments, further comprising: Establish a U2U connection with the source UE and the target UE.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein: Establishing the U2U connection includes receiving a connection request message from one or more of the source UE and the target UE, the connection request message including an indication of a security protocol selected for establishing security for the U2U connection.

15. A method performed by a first user equipment UE, comprising: detecting a notification message sent by a second UE, the notification message comprising: an indication of a capability of the second UE to act as a relay in a U2U connection, and, in response to determining that the second UE is connected to a radio communications network, an indication that a network-based security protocol is available for establishing security for the U2U connection; and A U2U connection is established with the target UE via the second UE acting as a relay.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein: Establishing the U2U connection includes sending a connection request message to the second UE, the connection request message including an indication of a security protocol selected for establishing security for the U2U connection.

17. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 16, wherein: The indication that a network-based security protocol is available is included in a list of available security protocols for establishing security for the U2U connection.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein: The list of available security protocols includes an indication of an order of preference of the available security protocols for establishing security for the U2U connection.

19. The method according to claim 17 or 18, wherein: The available security protocols for establishing security for the U2U connection include one or more peer-based security protocols.

20. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 19, wherein: The announcement message is broadcast by the second UE to enable discovery of the second UE.

21. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 19, further comprising: A discovery message is sent, and in response, the announcement message is received from the second UE.

22. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 21, further comprising: sending a discovery key request message to a core network node, and in response receiving a relay service code authorizing the first UE to act as a source or target UE in a U2U connection.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein: The discovery key request message also includes an indication of the first UE's capability to act as a source or target UE in a U2U connection.

24. A user equipment, configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 23.

25. A user equipment comprising a processing circuit and a memory, which are jointly configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 23.

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