Method and apparatus for supporting deterministic network in wireless communication system

Abstract

A method and apparatus for stably supporting a deterministic network (DetNet) in a wireless communication system are provided. There is provided a method performed by a network entity supporting a deterministic network (DetNet) in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: receiving configuration information from a DetNet controller of the deterministic network, the configuration information comprising a requirement of the deterministic network; identifying a protocol data unit (PDU) session associated with an Internet Protocol (IP) address of a user equipment (UE) based on the configuration information; and transmitting, to a policy control function (PCF), a quality of service (QoS) parameter obtained based on the requirement in the configuration information, the QoS parameter for updating a policy to be applied to the PDU session.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for providing a delay guarantee service in a wireless communication system. Background Art

[0002] The fifth generation (5G) mobile communication technology defines a wide frequency band to enable fast transmission and new services, which can be implemented at frequencies below 6 GHz such as 3.5 GHz (referred to as "below 6 GHz"), and ultra-high frequency bands such as 28 GHz and 39 GHz ("above 6 GHz") known as millimeter waves (mmWave). In addition, 6G mobile communication technology, known as a super 5G system, is expected to be implemented in the terahertz frequency band (e.g., 95 GHz to 3 THz) to achieve a transmission speed 50 times faster than 5G mobile communication technology, and ultra-low latency reduced to one-tenth of the original.

[0003] In the early stages of 5G mobile communication technology, standardization work is being carried out in the following areas: beamforming and massive MIMO to mitigate propagation path loss in ultra-high frequency bands and increase propagation distance, support for various digital signal processing techniques for efficient use of ultra-high frequency resources (e.g., operation of multiple subcarrier gaps), dynamic slot format operation, initial access technology to support multi-beam transmission and broadband, definition and operation of bandwidth part (BWP), new channel coding (such as low-density parity check (LDPC) codes for large data transmission and polar codes for highly reliable transmission of control information), L2 pre-processing, and network slicing that provides dedicated networks for specific services to meet performance requirements and support services such as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC), and massive machine type communication (mMTC).

[0004] Currently, discussions are underway to improve and enhance the performance of initial 5G mobile communications technologies in light of the services they support. Standardization work is also underway on physical layer technologies, including: vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technologies, which are designed to improve user convenience and assist autonomous vehicles in making driving decisions based on location and status information from Voice over New Radio (VoNR) transmissions; New Radio over Unlicensed (NR-U) technologies, which are designed to enable system operation in compliance with various regulatory requirements; NR UE energy saving technologies; Non-terrestrial Network (NTN) technologies, which are direct communications between UEs and satellites to ensure coverage in areas where communications with terrestrial networks are not possible; and positioning technologies.

[0005] In addition, the standardization work in progress includes: standardization of wireless interface architecture / protocols for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) to support new services through association and integration with other industries; standardization of comprehensive integrated access and backhaul (IAB) technology that provides nodes for extending the network service area by supporting the connection of wireless backhaul links with access links; standardization of mobility enhancement including conditional handover and dual active protocol stack (DAPS) handover; standardization of NR two-step random access channel (RACH) to simplify the random access process; and standardization in the system architecture / service area of ​​5G baseline architecture (e.g., service-based architecture or service-based interface) for combining network function virtualization (NFV) and software defined network (SDN) technologies and mobile edge computing (MEC) to receive services based on the UE's location.

[0006] With the commercialization of 5G mobile communication systems, a large number of connected devices will be connected to the communication network. Therefore, it is expected that the functions and performance of 5G mobile communication systems will need to be enhanced and the integrated operation of connected devices will need to be realized. To this end, new research work will be carried out, such as: to effectively support extended reality (XR) such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR); to improve 5G performance and reduce complexity using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML); support for AI services; support for metaverse services; and, drone communications.

[0007] In addition, the development of such 5G mobile communication systems may serve as the basis for multi-antenna transmission technologies, such as new waveform technologies to ensure coverage of the terahertz band for 6G mobile communication, full-dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antennas and massive antenna technologies, full-duplex technologies for improving system network and frequency efficiency of 6G mobile communication technologies, as well as reconfigurable smart surfaces (RIS), high-dimensional spatial multiplexing technologies using orbital angular momentum (OAM), metamaterial-based lens and antenna technologies to enhance the coverage of terahertz band signals, AI-based communication technologies that achieve system optimization by embedding end-to-end AI support functions in the design and utilizing satellites and artificial intelligence, and next-generation distributed computing technologies that enable complex services that exceed the limits of UE operating capabilities through ultra-high-performance communication and computing resources. Summary of the invention

[0008] Technical issues

[0009] When interacting with IP-based wide-area Delay Deterministic Network (DetNet) technology to provide delay guarantee services in 5G systems, DetNet provides end-to-end (E2E) requirements. However, since 5G systems provide inter-link QoS guarantee functions, the requirements of DetNet need to be converted into corresponding per-link requirements in 5G systems.

[0010] The present disclosure provides a method and apparatus for stably supporting DetNet in a wireless communication system.

[0011] The present disclosure also provides a method and apparatus for converting an end-to-end (E2E) requirement related to QoS into a per-link requirement related to QoS in order to perform DetNet interactive collaboration in a wireless communication system.

[0012] The present disclosure also provides a method and apparatus for stably supporting DetNet in a wireless communication system providing a delay guarantee service.

[0013] Solutions to the problem

[0014] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method performed by a network entity supporting a deterministic network (DetNet) in a wireless communication system is provided, the method comprising: receiving configuration information from a DetNet controller of the deterministic network, the configuration information comprising requirements of the deterministic network; based on the configuration information, identifying a protocol data unit (PDU) session associated with an Internet Protocol (IP) address of a user equipment (UE); and sending a quality of service (QoS) parameter obtained based on the requirement in the configuration information to a policy control function (PCF), the QoS parameter being used for a policy update to be applied to the PDU session.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a network entity supporting a deterministic network (DetNet) in a wireless communication system is provided, the network entity including a transceiver and a processor, the processor being configured to: receive configuration information from a DetNet controller of the deterministic network through the transceiver, the configuration information including requirements of the deterministic network; identify a protocol data unit (PDU) session associated with an Internet Protocol (IP) address of a user equipment (UE) based on the configuration information; and send a message including quality of service (QoS) parameters obtained based on the requirements in the configuration information to a policy control function (PCF) through the transceiver, the QoS parameters being used for a policy update to be applied to the PDU session.

[0016] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a deterministic network (DetNet) controller for communicating with a network entity supporting DetNet in a wireless communication system is provided, the DetNet controller comprising a transceiver and a processor, the processor being configured to: send configuration information to the network entity through the transceiver, the configuration information comprising quality requirements of the deterministic network; and receive a response message from the network entity in response to the sending of the configuration information through the transceiver, wherein a protocol data unit (PDU) session associated with an Internet Protocol (IP) address of a user equipment (UE) is identified based on the configuration information, and wherein a quality of service (QoS) parameter based on the requirement in the configuration information is used to update a policy applied to the PDU session.

[0017] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a policy control function (PCF) in a wireless communication system is provided, the PCF comprising a transceiver and a processor, the processor being configured to: receive quality of service (QoS) parameters corresponding to requirements of a deterministic network (DetNet) from a network entity supporting the deterministic network; and update a policy to be applied to a protocol data unit (PDU) session associated with an Internet Protocol (IP) address of a user equipment (UE) based on the QoS parameters.

[0018] Before beginning the following detailed description, it may be helpful to clarify the definitions of certain words and phrases used in this patent document: the terms "include" and "comprising" and their derivatives mean including but not limited to; the term "or" is inclusive, meaning and / or; the phrases "associated with..." and "associated with..." and their derivatives may mean including, being included within, interconnected with, containing, being contained within, connected to or connected with, coupled to or coupled with, communicable with, cooperating with, intertwined, parallel, adjacent to, bound to or bound with, having, having a certain attribute, etc.; the term "controller" refers to any device, system or part thereof that controls at least one operation, which device may be implemented in the form of hardware, firmware or software, or some combination of at least two of these forms. It should be noted that the functionality associated with any particular controller may be centralized or distributed, whether locally or remotely.

[0019] In addition, the various functions described below can be implemented or supported by one or more computer programs, which are composed of computer-readable program code and embodied in computer-readable media. The terms "application" and "program" refer to one or more computer programs, software components, instruction sets, procedures, functions, objects, classes, instances, related data or parts thereof, which are adapted to be implemented in appropriate computer-readable program code. The phrase "computer-readable program code" includes any type of computer code, such as source code, object code and executable code. The phrase "computer-readable medium" includes any type of medium that can be accessed by a computer, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), hard drive, compact disk (CD), digital video disk (DVD) or any other type of memory. "Non-transitory" computer-readable media excludes wired, wireless, optical or other communication links for transmitting transient electrical signals or other signals. Non-transitory computer-readable media include media that can permanently store data and media that can store data and then be overwritten, such as rewritable optical disks or erasable storage devices.

[0020] Definitions for certain words and phrases are provided in this patent document, those of skill in the art should understand that in many, if not most cases, such definitions apply to both prior and future uses of such defined words and phrases. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] A more comprehensive appreciation and better understanding of the present disclosure and its attendant aspects will be obtained by referring to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 The information flow of interactive collaboration between the 5G system and TSN based on Ethernet according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 2 The information flow of interactive collaboration between the 5G system and DetNet based on the IP network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 3 The requirements for DetNet interactive collaboration are shown when DetNet provides QoS-related E2E requirements and the 5G system provides QoS-related per-link requirements according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 4 It shows how the DetNet AF (or TSCTSF / NEF) of the 5G system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure derives the per-link QoS requirements of the 5G system from the E2E requirements of the DetNet; Figure 5 It shows that when the 5G system interacts with DetNet according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the application Figure 4 The network process of the method shown; Figure 6 The configuration of a network entity in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The following discussion Figures 1 to 6 , and the various embodiments used in this patent document to describe the principles of the present disclosure are merely examples and should not be interpreted in any way to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of the present disclosure can be implemented in any appropriately arranged system or device.

[0023] The operating principle of the present disclosure will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. When it is clear that the subject matter of the present disclosure is unclear, the detailed description of known functions or configurations can be omitted. The terms used in this article are defined according to the functions of the present disclosure and can be replaced with other terms according to the intention or practice of the user or operator. Therefore, these terms should be defined based on the entire content of the present disclosure.

[0024] The effects, features and methods for achieving these effects and features of the present disclosure can be understood through the following embodiments to be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments disclosed herein, but may also include embodiments in which these embodiments are variously modified. The embodiments disclosed herein are merely intended to inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is defined solely by the appended claims. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals represent the same components.

[0025] It should be understood that each block in each flowchart and combinations between the flowcharts can be executed by computer program instructions.

[0026] In addition, each box can represent a module, a code segment or a code portion, and the code includes one or more executable instructions for performing one or more specified logical functions. In addition, it should also be noted that in some alternative embodiments, the functions mentioned in the box can occur in different orders. For example, two boxes displayed in succession can be executed almost simultaneously or in reverse order according to the corresponding functions.

[0027] As used herein, the term "unit" refers to a software element or a hardware element, such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). A unit performs a specific function. However, a "unit" is not limited to software or hardware. A "unit" may be configured in an addressable storage medium or may be configured to execute on one or more processors. Thus, for example, a "unit" includes elements such as software elements, object-oriented software elements, class elements and task elements, processes, functions, attributes, programs, subroutines, program code segments, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuits, data, databases, data architectures, tables, arrays, and variables. The functions provided within components and "units" may be combined into a smaller number of components and "units", or further separated into more components and "units". In addition, components and "units" may be implemented in a device or a secure multimedia card to execute one or more CPUs. According to an embodiment, a "unit" may include one or more processors.

[0028] Herein, each of phrases such as "A or B", "at least one of A and B", "at least one of A or B", "A, B or C", "at least one of A, B and C", and "at least one of A, B or C" may include all possible combinations of items listed together in the corresponding phrases. Herein, terms such as "first" and "second" or "first" and "second" may be used only to distinguish one corresponding component from another, and do not limit the components in other aspects (e.g., importance or order).

[0029] In this article, the terms used to identify access nodes, the terms representing network entities, the terms representing messages, the terms representing interfaces between network entities, and the terms representing various identification information are only used as examples to facilitate description. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to these terms, and these terms can be replaced with other terms indicating objects of equivalent technical meanings.

[0030] In the present disclosure, a base station (BS) is a network entity that allocates resources to a UE and can communicate with the UE, which may be at least one of an eNode B, a Node B, a gNB, a radio access network (RAN), an access network (AN), a RAN node, an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, a radio access unit, a base station controller, a network node, or a transmit receive point (TRP). A user equipment (UE) may be at least one of a terminal, a mobile station (MS), a cellular phone, a smart phone, a computer, or a multimedia system capable of performing a communication function.

[0031] For ease of description, this document uses the terms and names defined in the latest 3GPP 5G and NR standards in current communication standards. However, the present disclosure is not limited by these terms and names, and the present disclosure is also applicable to wireless communication networks that comply with other standards. In particular, the present disclosure can be applied to 3GPP GS / NR (fifth generation mobile communication standard).

[0032] In the present disclosure, network technology may refer to standards defined by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) or 3GPP (e.g., TS 23.501, TS 23.502, TS 23.503, etc.), and the components included in the network architecture described below may refer to physical entities or may refer to software that performs corresponding functions or hardware combined with software.

[0033] 3GPP standards standardize the 5G network system architecture and procedures. Mobile network operators can provide a variety of services in 5G networks. To provide each service, mobile network operators need to meet different service requirements for each service (e.g., latency, communication range, data rate, bandwidth, reliability, etc.). To this end, the 5G system can support slicing of the network (or can be called network slicing), and the traffic of different network slices can be handled by different PDU sessions. A PDU session can refer to the association between a data network that provides a PDU connection service and a UE. Network slicing can be understood as a technology that logically configures a set of network functions (NFs) for a network to support various services with different characteristics and separates different network slices. The various services supported may include, for example, broadband communication services, massive Internet of Things (IoT), V2X, or other mission-critical services. Therefore, even if a communication failure occurs in one network slice, the communication of other network slices will not be affected, so that stable communication services can be provided. To this end, mobile network operators can build network slices and allocate network resources suitable for specific services to each network slice or each group of network slices. Network resources can refer to network functions (NFs) or logical resources provided by NFs or wireless resources allocated by base stations. For example, a mobile network operator can configure network slice A to provide mobile broadband services, configure network slice B to provide vehicle communication services, and configure network slice C to provide IoT services. In other words, the 5G system can efficiently provide corresponding services to UEs through dedicated network slices suitable for the characteristics of each service.

[0034] In the accompanying drawings, the reference numbers N1, N2, N3, ... Nxxx shown represent known interfaces between network functions in the 5G system. The 3GPP system defines the conceptual links connecting NFs in the 5G system as reference points. As an example, the reference points in the 5G system structure are described below.

[0035] - N1: reference point between UE and access and mobility management function (AMF); - N2: reference point between base station AN or RAN and AMF; - N3: reference point between the base station AN or RAN and the user plane function (UPF); - N4: Reference point between the Session Management Function (SMF) and the UPF; - N5: Reference point between the Policy Control Function (PCF) and the Application Function (AF); - N6: Reference point between UPF and data network (DN); - N7: reference point between SMF and PCF; - N8: Reference point between User Data Management (UDM) and AMF; - N9: reference point between two core UPFs; - N10: reference point between UDM and SMF; and / or - N11: Reference point between AMF and SMF.

[0036] The 5G system may include a 5G core network (5GC), a base station, and a user equipment (UE). The 5GC may include: an AMF for managing the mobility of the UE, an SMF for managing sessions, a UPF connected to a data network (DN) and responsible for data transmission, a network open function (NEF) for sending or receiving events occurring within the 5G system and the ability to provide support to the outside, a PCF that provides policy control functions for network operators, a UDM that provides management functions such as user data and policy control data, and an AF that provides application services and can communicate with the 5GC. The AMF is a network entity that manages the access and mobility of the UE. The AMF may perform network functions such as UE registration, connection, reachability, mobility management, access identification, authentication, and generation of mobility events. The SMF may perform management functions for the protocol data unit (PDU) session of the UE.

[0037] For example, SMF can perform network functions, such as: session management functions for establishing, modifying or releasing sessions and maintaining channels between UPF and base stations, functions for allocating and managing Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of UEs, and selection and control of user planes. UPF can perform data processing functions, including: transmitting data sent by UE to an external network DN, or transmitting data received from DN back to UE. In addition, UPF can also perform network functions including, for example: acting as an anchor point between radio access technologies (RATs), providing connections to PDU sessions and AFs, packet routing and forwarding, packet inspection, application of user plane policies, creation of traffic usage reports, or buffering. PCF can manage operator policy information for providing services in a 5G system, and UDM can perform functions such as generating authentication information for 3GPP security, managing a list of NFs supporting UEs, and managing subscription information.

[0038] The functions that can be performed by the unified data repository (UDR) include: storing and providing subscription information managed by the UDM, structured data for openness, and application data related to the NEF or service. At the same time, during the UE registration process, the UE can send the identification information of the network slice to be requested (requested single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI)) to the AMF, and the AMF can provide the UE with available network slice information (allowed NSSAI) based on the requested S-NSSAI and subscriber information. In order to send and receive data with a specific data network (DN) through the allowed slices (allowed NSSAI), the UE can select one from the allowed slices, request the data network name (DNN) of the network slice selected from the allowed network slices to generate a PDU session, and send and receive data through the generated PDU session. Figures 1 to 5 In the embodiment, the basic functions of network entities such as NEF, UDM 145, UPF 140, PCF 135, SMF 130, AMF 125 and (R)AN 120 are the same as described above.

[0039] Figure 1 The information flow when a 5G system interacts and collaborates with a time-sensitive network (TSN) based on Ethernet according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0040] Reference Figure 1, a centralized network configuration (CNC) server 155 (or AF) connected to a TSN node 160 in a network outside the 5G system may deliver quality of service (QoS) related requirements of TSN for TSN interworking collaboration to a TSN AF 150 (or TSC TSF / NEF) in the 5G system, and the TSN AF 150 may configure necessary information in a TSN converter (device-side TSN converter DS-TT) 111 on the UE 110 side and a TSN converter (network-side TSN converter NW-TT) 141 on the network side according to the QoS related requirements sent by the CNC server 155. Conversely, the TSN AF 150 may collect 5G system information from the DS-TT 111 and the NW-TT 141 and deliver the collected information to the CNC server 155.

[0041] For example, when the 5G system provides time synchronization for the UE 110, the TSN AF 150 in the 5G system can configure the NW-TT 141 and the DS-TT 111 based on the information provided by the CNC server 155, convert the synchronization message provided by the external network based on the internal time of the 5G system and transmit the synchronization message, and when the synchronization message is transmitted from the 5G system to the external network again, the 5G system can convert the synchronization message again based on the external time of the external TSN node. Figure 1 In the example of , the synchronization message converted by DS-TT 111 can be delivered to the device (TSN node) connected to UE 110 via, for example, Wi-Fi. Figure 1 In the example of , when using an AF connected to a TSN node 160 in an external network instead of a CNC server 155 for TSN interactive collaboration, the 5G system may use a time-sensitive communication and time synchronization function (or NEF) instead of the TSN AF 150 to receive requirements from the AF connected to the TSN node 160, and the TSCTSF may configure the DS-TT 111 and the NW-TT 141 according to the requirements.

[0042] On the contrary, the TSCTSF 150 may collect 5G system information from the DS-TT 111 and the NW-TT 141, and transmit the collected information to the AF connected to the TSN node 160. In addition, depending on whether the AF belongs to the 5G system, the NEF and the TSCTSF may be required at the same time. For example, when the AF does not belong to the 5G system, the NEF and the TSCTSF may be required at the same time. Figure 1The operation when TSN interworking and cooperating based on Ethernet to pass TSN requirements to the 5G system is shown, where Ethernet is used to transmit information by hop by hop and NFs participating in the operation. For example, when the TSN AF 150 (or TSCTSF / NEF) receives the required TSN from the CNC server 155 (or AF) and sets the 5G system as the time synchronization source, the NW-TT 141 creates a synchronization message, where the current time is recorded in the timestamp field, the correction field is set to 0, and the synchronization message is sent to the DS-TT 111. The DS-TTT 111 adds the residence time in the correction field and sends the synchronization message to the next TSN node 105, where the residence time is the time that the DS-TTT 111 stays in the 5G system.

[0043] Figure 2 The information flow when the 5G system and DetNet interact and collaborate based on the IP network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. DetNet is a delay-deterministic network technology that ensures lossless transmission of data streams and end-to-end (E2E) (ultra-low) latency through explicit path configuration and resource reservation. Figure 1 The TSN interaction and collaboration based on Ethernet by processing information hop by hop is shown. Figure 2 The examples can handle E2E DetNet interaction collaboration. In addition, Figure 2 The example can also interact and collaborate with IP-based wide-area DetNet technology and 5G systems to overcome the spatial limitations of TSN technology.

[0044] and Figure 1 The operation of the CNC server 155 when the 5G system interacts and cooperates with TSN as described in the example of Figure 2 In the example of , when the 5G system interacts and cooperates with the IP network, the DetNet controller 255 can transmit the QoS-related requirements of the DetNet that interacts and cooperates with the DetNet AF 250 (or TSCTSF / NEF) of the 5G system, and the DetNet AF 250 (or TSCTSF / NEF) can configure the necessary information in the DetNet translator (DS-DT) 211 on the UE 110 side of the device side and the DetNet translator (NW-DT) 241 on the network side. The DetNet controller 255 can be implemented as a server (e.g., a DetNet server) connected to an external network of the 5G system. Conversely, the DetNet AF 250 (or TSCTSF / NEF) can collect 5G information from the DS-DT 211 and the NW-DT 241 and pass the collected information to the DetNet controller 255.

[0045] For example, when the 5G system provides time synchronization for the UE 110, the DetNet AF 250 (or TSCTSF / NEF) in the 5G system may configure the NW-DT 241 and the DS-DT 211 based on the QoS-related requirement information provided by the DetNet controller 255, convert the synchronization message provided from the external network based on the internal time of the 5G system and transmit the synchronization message, and, when the synchronization message is transmitted from the 5G system to the external network again, the 5G system may convert the synchronization message again based on the external time of the external DetNet node 260. Figure 2 In the example of FIG. 1 , the synchronization message converted by DS-DT 211 may be delivered to a device (DetNet node) connected to UE 110 via, for example, Wi-Fi.

[0046] Figure 3 The requirements for DetNet interactive collaboration are shown when DetNet provides QoS-related E2E requirements and the 5G system provides QoS-related per-link requirements according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0047] exist Figure 1 In the example of , since the CNC server 155 of TSN is based on Ethernet, the QoS-related per-link requirements can be derived and provided to the 5G system. Figure 2 In the example of , the DetNet controller 255 of DetNet may provide E2E requirements related to QoS. In contrast, the 5G system provides per-link QoS. When interacting and collaborating with TSN, the information provided by the CNC server 155 also has per-link requirements, and the 5G system also provides per-link QoS, which makes information interaction and collaboration easy. However, since the information provided by the DetNet controller 255 provides the E2E DetNet requirements 320 to the 5G system, this information may not be able to directly interact and collaborate with the per-link QoS 310 of the 5G system. A method is needed to derive the per-link QoS requirements of the 5G system based on the E2E requirements of DetNet.

[0048] Figure 4 It shows how the DetNet AF (or TSCTSF / NEF) of the 5G system according to an embodiment derives the per-link QoS requirements of the 5G system from the end-to-end (E2E) requirements of the DetNet.

[0049] Reference Figure 4For example, when the DetNet controller 255 provides the 5G system with QoS-related E2E requirements 410 (e.g., delay, BW, source / destination IP information, etc.), the DetNet AF 250 (or TSCTSF / NEF) of the 5G system can derive QoS-related per-link requirements 420 (e.g., maximum delay, minimum data rate, UE IP, PDU session ID, DNN / S-NSSAI, etc.) in the 5G system based on the E2E requirements 410. The specific method is as described in 1) to 3) below.

[0050] 1) The DetNet controller (250) (or TSCTSF / NEF) passes QoS-related E2E requirements (Src IP, Dst IP, E2E requirements (e.g., latency, BW), etc.) to the 5G system. The parameters included in the QoS-related E2E requirements include the following A-1 and B-1.

[0051] A-1) Src IP and Dst IP: The IP address and port information of the source node in the end-to-end flow, and the IP address and port information of the destination node in the end-to-end flow.

[0052] B-1) The maximum end-to-end delay that can be guaranteed and the minimum end-to-end bandwidth (BW) that can be guaranteed.

[0053] 2) The DetNet AF 250 (or TSCTSF / NEF) of the 5G system converts the QoS-related E2E requirements into the QoS-related per-link requirements of the 5G system (e.g., UE IP, DNN / S-NSSAI, PDU session ID, maximum delay, minimum data rate, etc.). The parameters included in the QoS-related per-link requirements include the following A-2) to C-2).

[0054] A-2) Derivation of UE IP, DNN / S-NSSAI: Based on the Src IP and Dst IP information and routing information, discover / identify the UE IP, data network name (DNN) and network slice information S-NSSAI that can provide the corresponding path.

[0055] B-2) Derive PDU Session ID: Use UE IP to discover / identify the PDU session connected to DNN / S-NSSAI.

[0056] C-2) Select PDU Session: By comparing the maximum delay and minimum data rate that each PDU Session can provide with the QoS-related E2E requirements, the optimal PDU Session is selected according to the following C-2-1) to C-2-3): C-2-1) Provide a packet delay budget (PDB) that satisfies the PDU session ID and is less than the minimum PDB required by E2E. PDB refers to the maximum delay that satisfies the E2E requirement for each PDU session (i.e., the PDB is less than the E2E requirement (delay)). When there are multiple PDU sessions, the PDB with the smallest delay among the multiple PDBs is selected.

[0057] C-2-2) Provides a minimum data rate that satisfies the PDU Session ID greater than the Maximum Guaranteed Bit Rate (GBR) required by the E2E requirement (BW).

[0058] C-2-3) When the results of C-2-1) and C-2-2) are different, the requirement of C-2-1) shall be prioritized.

[0059] 3) Configure and modify the QoS of the PDU session specified by the PDU session ID: Configure the core network (CN), RAN and UE to guarantee the maximum delay and minimum data rate configured in step 2) above.

[0060] Figure 5 It shows that when the 5G system interacts with DetNet according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the application Figure 4 Network process of the method shown.

[0061] exist Figure 5 In step 500, UE 110 performs a registration process in the 5G system. In this case, the registration request message sent by UE 110 to the network may include capability information of UE 110, and the capability information of UE 110 indicates whether UE 110 is capable of operating according to the request of DetNet. In addition, the subscriber information of UE 110 may include information indicating whether a low-latency service can be provided according to the request from DetNet.

[0062] In step 500a, UE 110 performs a PDU session establishment procedure in the 5G system. In this case, the PDU session establishment request message sent by UE 110 to the network may include capability information of UE 110, and the capability information of UE 110 indicates whether UE 110 can operate according to the request of DetNet. In addition, the subscriber information of UE 110 may include information indicating whether a low-latency service can be provided according to the request from DetNet. For example, the capability information of UE 110 may be included in at least one of a registration request message and a PDU session establishment request message.

[0063] In step 501, the DetNet controller 255 (or external AF) transmits QoS-related end-to-end (E2E) requirements to the DetNet AF 250 (or TSCTSF / NEF) of the 5G system. The information of the QoS-related E2E requirements may include source IP and port information and destination IP and port information as information indicating the end-to-end flow. The information about the E2E requirements may include at least one of the end-to-end maximum delay that needs to be guaranteed and the end-to-end minimum bandwidth that needs to be guaranteed.

[0064] In step 502, the DetNet AF 250 (or TSCTSF / NEF) of the 5G system can derive / acquire / generate information about the QoS-related per-link requirements in the 5G system based on the information about the E2E requirements. Specifically, the DetNet AF 250 (or TSCTSF / NEF) can derive the QoS-related per-link requirement information based on the source IP / port information, the destination IP / port information, and the routing information in the E2E requirement information, including at least one of the UE IP and DNN / S-NSSAI that are determined to be able to provide the corresponding path. In addition, the DetNet AF 250 (or TSCTSF / NEF) can subscribe to notify the UDM / UDR 145 that the PDU session meets the QoS-related per-link requirements.

[0065] In step 503, DetNet AF 250 (or TSCTSF / NEF) may derive a PDU session ID that matches the UE IP and DNN / S-NSSAI information. In addition, PCF 135 subscribes to UDM / UDR 145 to be notified when a PDU session that meets QoS-related per-link requirements is generated.

[0066] In step 504, the DetNet AF 250 (or TSCTSF / NEF) may select at least one optimal PDU session from the candidate PDU sessions that meet the QoS-related per-link requirements selected in step 503 by comparing the maximum delay and minimum data rate that each PDU session can provide with the E2E requirements related to QoS. For example, the DetNet AF 250 (or TSCTSF / NEF) may select the PDU session that provides the minimum PDB from the PDU sessions that can provide a PDU that is less than the E2E delay requirement. In addition, the DetNet AF 250 (or TSCTSF / NEF) may select the PDU session that provides the minimum data rate that satisfies the PDU session and the maximum GBR that is greater than the E2E bandwidth requirement. When both the delay condition and the bandwidth (BW) condition are met and another PDU session is selected, either the delay condition or the bandwidth (BW) condition may be given priority. For example, the delay condition may be given priority.

[0067] In step 505, the DetNet AF 250 (or TSCTSF / NEF) requests the PCF to configure a policy related to the QoS per-link requirement. In this case, the policy configuration request may include at least one of the UE information and the QoS requirement (maximum delay, minimum data rate), and the PDU session ID. In addition, the DetNet AF 250 (or TSCTSF / NEF) may derive a subscription public identifier (SUPI) or subscription hidden identifier (SUCI) as UE ID information used inside the 5G system based on the UE IP information, and use the UE ID information as the UE information.

[0068] In step 505a, PCF 135 requests SMF 130 to update policy information related to QoS. In this case, the policy information update request may include at least one of UE information and QoS requirements (maximum delay, minimum data rate), and PDU session ID.

[0069] In step 505b, SMF 130 transmits a PDU session modification request to UE 110 via AMF 125. In this case, the PDU session modification request may include at least one of UE information and QoS requirements (maximum delay, minimum data rate), and PDU session ID. Through the PDU session modification request, the QoS parameters of RAN (e.g., gNB) 120 may be updated.

[0070] In step 505c, SMF 130 may configure the user plane QoS of the core network (CN) for UPF 140 through an N4 session update request. In this case, the N4 session update request may include at least one of UE information and QoS requirements (maximum delay, minimum data rate), and a PDU session ID.

[0071] When there is no PDU session satisfying the QoS-related per-link requirement among the candidate PDU sessions and a new PDU session may be found in steps 500a to 505, the operations of steps 506 to 507c may be performed. Therefore, the operations of steps 506 to 507c below may be selectively performed.

[0072] In step 506, the UE 110 may perform a PDU session establishment procedure for a new PDU session in the 5G system. In this case, the PDU session establishment request message sent by the corresponding UE 110 to the network may include capability information indicating whether the corresponding UE 110 can operate according to the request of the DetNet. In addition, the subscriber information about the UE 110 may include information indicating whether a low-latency service can be provided according to a request from the DetNet.

[0073] In step 506 a , the UDM / UDR 145 may notify the DetNet AF 250 (or TSCTSF / NEF) that a new PDU session has been established according to the subscription condition in step 502 .

[0074] In step 506b, the DetNet AF 250 (or TSCTSF / NEF) requests the PCF 135 to configure policies related to QoS requirements. In this case, the policy configuration request may include at least one of the UE information and QoS requirements (maximum delay, minimum data rate), and the PDU session ID. The DetNet AF 250 (or TSCTSF / NEF) may derive a subscription public identifier (SUPI) or subscription hidden identifier (SUCI) as UE ID information used within the 5G system based on the UE IP information, and use the UE ID information as the UE information.

[0075] In step 506c, UDM / UDR 145 may request PCF 135 to update the policy according to the subscription condition in step 503. In this case, the policy update request may include at least one of UE information and QoS requirements (maximum delay, minimum data rate), and PDU session ID.

[0076] In step 507a, PCF 135 requests SMF 130 to update policy information related to QoS. In this case, the policy information update request may include at least one of UE information and QoS requirements (maximum delay, minimum data rate), and PDU session ID.

[0077] In step 507b, SMF 130 transmits a PDU session modification request to UE 110 via AMF 125. In this case, the PDU session modification request may include at least one of UE information and QoS requirements (maximum delay, minimum data rate), and PDU session ID. Through the PDU session modification request, the QoS parameters of RAN (e.g., gNB) 120 may be updated.

[0078] In step 507c, SMF 130 may configure the user plane QoS of CN for UPF 140 through an N4 session update request. In this case, the N4 session update request may include at least one of UE information and QoS requirements (maximum delay, minimum data rate), and a PDU session ID.

[0079] In step 508, the DetNet AF 250 (or TSCTSF / NEF) delivers a response to the request in step 501, or a notification of the result of execution after steps 506 and 506a, to the DetNet controller 255 (or external AF). In this case, the response or notification may include at least one of the following: E2E requirements (delay, BW, source / destination information), UE IP, and QoS requirements (maximum delay, minimum data rate).

[0080] In the above embodiments, the DetNet AF 250 (or TSCTSF / NEF) and the DetNet controller 255 (or external AF) may exist as independent network entities or may be included in one network entity.

[0081] According to the above embodiments, when interacting and collaborating with an IP-based wide-area delay deterministic network (DetNet) technology to provide a delay guarantee service in a 5G system, the required functions can be provided for the 5G system by providing QoS-related end-to-end (E2E) requirements provided by DetNet to the 5G system and converting these QoS-related end-to-end (E2E) requirements into per-link QoS requirements in the 5G system.

[0082] Figure 6 The configuration of a network entity in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 6 The network entities in can be Figures 1 to 6 One of the network entities such as DetNet controller, DetNet AF, AF, TSCTSF, NEF, UDM, PCF, SMF, AMF, UPF, (R)AN, UE and DetNet node described in the embodiments.

[0083] Figure 6 The network entity in the embodiment may include a processor 600, a transceiver 605, and a memory 610. The processor 600, the transceiver 605, and the memory 610 of the network entity may be configured to: Figures 1 to 5 The communication method of the network entity described in the embodiment is operated. However, the components of the network entity are not limited thereto. For example, the network entity may include more or fewer components than the above components. The processor 600, the transceiver 605 and the memory 610 may be implemented in the form of a single chip.

[0084] The transceiver 605 collectively refers to a receiver and a transmitter of a network entity, and may send a signal to a UE or other network entity, or receive a signal from a UE or other network entity. The sent / received signal may include at least one of control information and data. To this end, the transceiver 605 may include a wired / wireless transceiver, and may include various components for sending / receiving signals. The transceiver 605 may receive a signal through a predetermined communication interface, output the signal to the processor 600, and send a signal output from the processor 600. In addition, the transceiver 605 may receive a communication signal and output it to the processor 600, and send a signal output from the processor 600 to the UE or other network entity through a network. The memory 610 may store information according to the communication interface. Figures 1 to 5 In addition, the memory 610 can store control information or data contained in the signal obtained by the network entity. The memory 610 can include a storage medium such as ROM, RAM, hard disk, CD-ROM, DVD, or a combination thereof. In addition, the processor 1001 can control a series of processes so that the network entity can Figures 1 to 5 to operate with at least one embodiment of the present invention.

[0085] For example, for deterministic network (DetNet) interaction and collaboration in a wireless communication system, the processor 600 may receive information about QoS-related end-to-end requirements from an IP-based DetNet server (i.e., DetNet controller 255) (or an external application function AF) through the transceiver 605, obtain information about QoS-related per-link requirements in the wireless communication system based on the information about QoS-related end-to-end requirements, and select at least one PDU session that meets the QoS-related per-link requirements. The processor 600 may include at least one processor.

[0086] The methods according to the embodiments described in the specification or claims of the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0087] When implemented in software, a computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs (software modules) may be provided. The one or more programs stored in the computer-readable storage medium are configured to be executed by one or more processors in an electronic device. The one or more programs include instructions that enable the electronic device to perform the method according to the embodiment described in the specification or claims of the present disclosure.

[0088] The program (software module or software) may be stored in a random access memory, a non-volatile memory including a flash memory, a read-only memory (ROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a magnetic disk storage device, a compact disk ROM (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD) or other types of optical storage devices or a tape cassette. Alternatively, the program may be stored in a memory composed of a combination of all or part of these storage media. As each constituent memory, a plurality of memories may be included.

[0089] The program may be stored on an additional storage device accessible via a communication network (such as the Internet, an intranet, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WLAN), a storage area network (SAN), or a communication network configured in combination thereof). The storage device may be connected to the device executing the embodiment via an external port. A separate storage device may be connected to the device executing the embodiment via a communication network.

[0090] In the above specific embodiments, the components included in the present disclosure are expressed in singular or plural form according to the specific embodiments provided. However, the selection of singular or plural form is to fit the context for ease of description, and the present disclosure is not limited to singular or plural components. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are also intended to include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0091] Although specific embodiments of the present disclosure have been described, various modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure should not be limited to the above embodiments, but should be defined by the following claims and their equivalents.

[0092] Although the present disclosure has been described with various embodiments, various changes and modifications may be suggested to one skilled in the art. The present disclosure is intended to encompass such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method performed by a network entity supporting a deterministic network DetNet in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: receiving configuration information from a DetNet controller of the deterministic network, the configuration information including requirements of the deterministic network; Based on the configuration information, identifying a protocol data unit (PDU) session associated with an Internet Protocol (IP) address of a user equipment (UE); as well as Sending a quality of service QoS parameter obtained based on the requirement in the configuration information to a policy control function PCF, where the QoS parameter is used for a policy update to be applied to the PDU session.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The QoS parameter includes at least one of a maximum delay to be guaranteed or a minimum bandwidth to be guaranteed.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The requirements in the configuration information are used to support interaction and cooperation between the wireless communication system and the deterministic network, and The network entity includes a time-sensitive communication and time synchronization function TSCTSF for DetNet interactive collaboration.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: In response to receiving the configuration information, a response message is sent to the DetNet controller.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The QoS parameters sent to the PCF include: Send a message to the PCF, the message including the QoS parameters and at least one of the following items associated with the PDU session: the IP address of the UE, the data network name DNN, or the single network slice selection auxiliary information S-NSSAI.

6. A network entity supporting a deterministic network DetNet in a wireless communication system, the network entity comprising: Transceiver; as well as Processor, configured as: receiving configuration information from a DetNet controller of a deterministic network through the transceiver, the configuration information including requirements of the deterministic network, Based on the configuration information, identifying a protocol data unit (PDU) session associated with an Internet Protocol (IP) address of a user equipment (UE), and A message including a quality of service (QoS) parameter obtained based on the requirement in the configuration information is sent to a policy control function (PCF) through the transceiver, where the QoS parameter is used for policy update to be applied to the PDU session.

7. The network entity according to claim 6, adapted to operate according to any one of claims 2 to claim 5.

8. A deterministic network Detnet controller of a deterministic network, used to communicate with a network entity supporting DetNet in a wireless communication system, the Detnet controller comprising: Transceiver; as well as Processor, configured as: sending configuration information to the network entity through the transceiver, the configuration information including quality requirements of the deterministic network, and receiving, by the transceiver, a response message from the network entity in response to the sending of the configuration information, wherein a protocol data unit (PDU) session associated with an Internet Protocol (IP) address of a user equipment (UE) is identified based on the configuration information, and The required quality of service (QoS) parameters in the configuration information are used to update the policy applied to the PDU session.

9. The Detnet controller according to claim 8, wherein: The QoS parameter includes at least one of a maximum delay to be guaranteed or a minimum bandwidth to be guaranteed.

10. The Detnet controller according to claim 8, wherein: The requirement in the configuration information is used to support interaction and cooperation between the wireless communication system and the deterministic network.

11. The Detnet controller according to claim 8, wherein: The network entity includes a time sensitive communication and time synchronization function TSCTSF for DetNet interactive collaboration.

12. The Detnet controller according to claim 8, wherein: At least one of the following items associated with the PDU session is identified based on the configuration information: the IP address of the UE, the data network name DNN, or the single network slice selection auxiliary information S-NSSAI.

13. A policy control function (PCF) in a wireless communication system, the PCF comprising: Transceiver; as well as Processor, configured as: receiving, from a network entity supporting the deterministic network DetNet, quality of service (QoS) parameters corresponding to requirements of the deterministic network, and Based on the QoS parameters, a policy to be applied to a protocol data unit (PDU) session associated with the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the user equipment (UE) is updated.

14. The PCF according to claim 13, wherein: The QoS parameter includes at least one of a maximum delay to be guaranteed or a minimum bandwidth to be guaranteed.

15. The PCF according to claim 13, wherein: The requirements in the deterministic network are used to support interaction and cooperation between a wireless communication system and the deterministic network, and The network entity includes a time-sensitive communication and time synchronization function TSCTSF for DetNet interactive collaboration.

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