Communication method and apparatus using UE information

Abstract

A communication method using member user equipment (UE) information includes: a first network function (NF) subscribes to or unsubscribes to member UE selection information at a second NF or a third NF; the first NF receives a notification associated with the member UE selection information from the second NF or the third NF; and the first NF making a policy decision based on a notification associated with the member UE selection information.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of communication systems, and more specifically, to communication methods and apparatuses using member user equipment (UE) information (e.g., member UE list) as input for network function (NF) decision. BACKGROUND

[0002] Currently, in the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP), there is a standardization activity on member user equipment (UE) selection assistance function under study. However, in the current technology and / or standardization, aspects on additional network function awareness are still open issues.

[0003] Therefore, there is a need for communication methods and apparatuses using member user equipment (UE) information that can address these and other issues. SUMMARY

[0004] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide communication methods and apparatuses using member user equipment (UE) information that can address these and other issues in the prior art.

[0005] In a first aspect of the present disclosure, a communication method using member user equipment (UE) information comprises: subscribing or unsubscribing, by a first network function (NF), to member UE selection information at a second NF or a third NF; receiving, by the first NF, a notification associated with the member UE selection information from the second NF or the third NF; and making, by the first NF, a policy decision based on the notification associated with the member UE selection information.

[0006] In a second aspect of the present disclosure, a communication device comprises: a subscriber configured to subscribe or unsubscribe to member UE selection information at a network function (NF); a receiver configured to receive a notification associated with the member UE selection information from the NF; and an executor configured to make a policy decision based on the notification associated with the member UE selection information.

[0007] In a third aspect of the present disclosure, a network device comprises: a memory, a transceiver, and a processor coupled to the memory and the transceiver. The network device is configured to perform the above method.

[0008] In a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium has stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the above method.

[0009] In a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a chip includes a processor configured to invoke and run a computer program stored in a memory to enable a device installed with the chip to perform the above method.

[0010] In a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer readable storage medium has a computer program stored therein, which enables a computer to perform the above method.

[0011] In a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product includes a computer program, which enables a computer to perform the above method.

[0012] In an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program enables a computer to perform the above method. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0013] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments or related technologies of the present disclosure, the following drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced. Obviously, the drawings are only some of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and one of ordinary skill in the art can obtain other drawings from these drawings without paying creative labor.

[0014] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a non-roaming 5G system architecture configured to implement some embodiments presented herein.

[0015] Figure 2 is a block diagram of a roaming 5G system architecture configured to implement some embodiments presented herein.

[0016] Figure 3 is a block diagram of a roaming 5G system architecture configured to implement some embodiments presented herein.

[0017] Figure 4 is a block diagram of a network device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method using member user equipment (UE) information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 6 is a block diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating a process of updating member UE selection information in a policy control function (PCF) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] Figure 8FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a 5G core network (5GC) assisted member UE selection and update according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 9 FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of updating member UE selection information in a PCF according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 10 FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an example of a computing device according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 11 FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a communication system according to embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The technical problems, structural features, implementation purposes and effects of the embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Specifically, the terms in the embodiments of the present disclosure are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0026] According to current 3GPP artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML) standardization, a 5G system can support a member UE selection assistance function to assist an AF in selecting member UEs that can be used for application operations (e.g., AI / ML based applications like federated learning) based on the input of the AF. The member UE selection assistance function can be carried by a NEF. In some examples, as defined in 3GPP specifications, the AF provides a list of target UEs and at least one member UE filter criterion as part of the service operation parameters to assist candidate UE selection. Upon receiving the AF request, the NEF triggers corresponding 5GC procedures to retrieve information of the UEs in the list of target UEs from 5GC NFs. Before sending the list of candidate UEs to the AF, the NEF consolidates all the information collected from other 5GC NFs and derives one or more lists of candidate UEs and possibly additional information according to the member UE filter criterion requested by the AF. Once the list is derived, the NEF sends it back to the AF, so those member UEs can participate in AI / ML operations, e.g., federated learning operations. However, the current standardization does not support additional network function awareness, e.g., PCF awareness of member UE selection. Thus, due to the lack of PCF awareness, the PCF can make its policy decisions, e.g., due to expenditure limit control, usage monitoring threshold overrun, day / night change of policy, which can degrade the quality of service (QoS) of the corresponding UE / PDU session / application, for example. Eventually, if QoS is one of the member UE filter criteria, the NEF will be aware of such degradation through the information received from SMF / UPF or UDM and can exclude the specific UE from the list of member UEs. However, such exclusion can not be beneficial and can be prevented if, for example, the PCF is aware that such UE becomes part of the member UE selection. This is just one example of a problem that can be solved after NF (e.g., PCF) awareness of member UE selection. Some embodiments of the present disclosure can solve these and other problems.

[0027] Some embodiments of the present disclosure take advantage of the following related technologies: 1. Usage monitoring: Usage monitoring: The usage monitoring control requires both traffic usage and time usage to be monitored and to report the cumulative usage of network resources, and this usage monitoring control requirement applies to both IP and Ethernet type of PDU sessions. Usage monitoring can be applied on a per session and per user basis for the cumulative usage of network resources. This capability is necessary for real-time dynamic policy decision based on total network usage. PCF making dynamic policy decisions with usage monitoring can set and send applicable thresholds to SMF for monitoring. Usage monitoring thresholds can be based on time or traffic. PCF can send both thresholds to SMF. When the threshold is reached, SMF can notify PCF and report the cumulative usage since the last usage monitoring report. If both time threshold and traffic threshold are provided to SMF, when either time threshold or traffic threshold is reached, the cumulative usage since the last report can be reported. The usage monitoring capability can be for a single or a group of traffic data flows, or for all traffic of a PDU session in SMF. When usage monitoring for all traffic of a PDU session is enabled, a single SDF or a group of traffic data flows can be excluded from usage monitoring for all traffic of the PDU session. Usage monitoring can be activated for traffic data flows associated with both pre-defined PCC rules and dynamic PCC rules, which includes activating usage monitoring when the rules are in active state for PCC rules with delay activation and / or deactivation time. If a traffic data flow needs to be excluded from PDU session level usage monitoring and PDU session level usage monitoring is enabled, PCF can provide an indication associated with the corresponding PCC rule to exclude from session level monitoring. Different usage monitoring can be applied according to the access type for the bearer traffic data flow.

[0028] Usage monitoring: PCF supports usage monitoring control per PDU session or per monitoring key. Usage is defined as traffic or time of user plane traffic flow. PCF can receive from UDR usage monitoring related information per DNN and S-NSSAI combination and UE, i.e., total amount of allowed resources (based on traffic volume and / or traffic duration) to be monitored for a user's PDU session, and corresponding remaining allowed usage related information. In addition, usage monitoring related information per monitoring key and corresponding remaining allowed usage related information per DNN and S-NSSAI combination and UE can also be received from UDR. For the purpose of usage monitoring per access type, PCF receives from UDR separate monitoring keys per access type. UDR provides detailed information related to usage monitoring related information and remaining allowed usage related information. For the purpose of usage monitoring control, PCF can request usage reporting triggers and provide necessary usage thresholds (volume threshold, time threshold, or both volume and time thresholds) based on which SMF can report to PCF. PCF can decide whether and when to activate usage monitoring towards SMF. PCF can provide monitoring time corresponding to a monitoring key to SMF and optionally specify a subsequent threshold for usage after the monitoring time. If SMF reports usage before the monitoring time is reached, SMF does not preserve the monitoring time. Thus, PCF can provide the monitoring time again in the response and optionally provide a subsequent threshold for usage after the monitoring time. PCF can request usage reporting from SMF. PCF ensures that the number of requests / subsequent policy decisions provided to SMF does not result in excessive signaling load by, for example, allocating the same reporting time for only a preconfigured number of PDU sessions. Once PCF receives usage reporting from SMF, PCF can deduct the value of the usage reporting from the remaining allowed usage for that DNN and S-NSSAI combination and UE (if usage per PDU session is reported). If usage is reported from SMF, PCF can deduct the value of the usage reporting from the remaining allowed usage for each monitoring key for that DNN and S-NSSAI combination and UE (if usage corresponding to one or more monitoring keys is reported). PCF maintains usage thresholds per monitoring key and per PDU session (that is active for a particular DNN and S-NSSAI combination and UE). Updating the remaining allowed usage after SMF reporting can minimize the risk of exceeding usage limits. If the remaining allowed usage reaches zero (or below), PCF can apply other policy decisions and interact with SMF accordingly. If usage corresponding to a particular monitoring key is reported by SMF and if monitoring can continue for that monitoring key, PCF can provide new thresholds in the response to SMF, respectively. If monitoring time and subsequent threshold are used, PCF provides them to SMF as well.The PCF can provide new traffic thresholds and / or new time thresholds to the SMF, which override existing thresholds in the SMF. The PCF can not provide new thresholds in the response to the SMF if monitoring for this monitoring key can no longer continue. The PCF can store the remaining allowed usage (i.e., information about the total number of remaining resources) in the UDR if the last PDU session for the DNN and S-NSSAI combination by the user is terminated. The PCF can reset the remaining allowed usage to the value indicated in the usage monitoring related information if the end date of the usage monitoring related information is reached, and can then interact with the SMF to revoke any policy decisions previously applied related to the remaining allowed usage being zero (or below zero).

[0029] 2. Spending limit control: Policies can be enforced based on user spending limits. The CHF can maintain policy counters to track spending of subscriptions. These policy counters can be available in the CHF before use over the N28 interface. The PCF can request information related to spending of a user from the CHF for use as input to dynamic policy decisions for the user with a subscription to spending limit reports. The CHF can provide information related to spending of a user to the PCF using spending limit reports.

[0030] 3. Member UE selection assistance.

[0031] Some embodiments of the present disclosure can utilize member UE awareness implemented by a network function (e.g., PCF) to make more sophisticated policy decisions, such that: QoS of the respective UE is not degraded; charging keys (i.e., tariffs) can change to benefit the UEs participating in the operation; spending limit control and / or usage monitoring thresholds are changed and / or not enforced. This helps the most suitable members in the member UE selection list to not be impacted by policy degrading decisions, and in some cases even benefit from participating in AI / ML operations (e.g., participating in federated learning operations).

[0032] Figure 1 A non-roaming 5G system architecture configured to implement some embodiments presented herein is shown. Figure 2 A roaming 5G system architecture configured to implement some embodiments presented herein is shown. Figure 3 A roaming 5G system architecture configured to implement some embodiments presented herein is shown. In this example, the network function PCF is configured to implement some embodiments presented herein. Figures 1 to 3In the illustrated system architectures, network functions communicate with each other over service-based interfaces. The 5G system architecture includes the following network functions (NFs): user plane function (UPF), access and mobility management function (AMF), session management function (SMF), unified data repository (UDR), network exposure function (NEF), network data analytics function (NWDAF), application function (AF), policy control function (PCF), charging function (CHF), and others.

[0033] The following description focuses on some capabilities of network functions (NFs) that are involved in control signaling. Figure 1

[0034] Access and mobility management function (AMF): The UE sends N1 messages to the AMF through the RAN node to perform control plane signaling, such as registration, connection management, mobility management, access authentication and authorization, and others.

[0035] Session management function (SMF): The SMF is responsible for session management related to establishing a PDU session to allow the UE to send data to a data network (DN) (e.g., the Internet) or to an application server, as well as other session management related functions.

[0036] Policy control function (PCF): The PCF provides a policy framework to govern network behavior, accesses subscription information to make policy decisions, and others.

[0037] Network exposure function (NEF): The NEF supports the exposure of capabilities and events in the core network to third parties, application functions (AFs), edge computing, and others.

[0038] ​The PCF / NEF stores / retrieves information related to policy subscription data or application data. In addition, the PCF in the visited public land mobile network (VPLMN) can interact with the AF to generate policy and charging control (PCC) rules for services delivered through the VPLMN. The PCC rules can refer to a set of information that enables detection of traffic data flows and provides parameters for policy control and / or charging control and / or provides other control or support information. The PCF in the VPLMN uses policies configured locally according to roaming agreements with the HPLMN operator as input for generating PCC rules. The PCF in the VPLMN has no access to user policy information from the HPLMN for generating PCC rules. The PCF in the VPLMN can provide access and mobility policy information without contacting the PCF in the HPLMN. AF requests to provide routing information for roaming users targeting a DNN and S-NSSAI (for all roaming users) or roaming users specified by an External-Group-Identifier (identifying a group of roaming users) are stored by the NEF (in the VPLMN) as application data in the UDR (in the VPLMN). AF requests affecting AM policies for any visiting roaming UE and roaming users targeting a combination of DNN and S-NSSAI or an external application identifier are stored by the NEF (in the VPLMN) as application data in the UDR (in the VPLMN). Visiting roaming users are identified by their home public land mobile network (PLMN) ID.

[0039] Figure 4An example of a network device 400 according to embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The network device 400 is configured to implement some embodiments of the present disclosure. Some embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in the network device 400 using any suitably configured hardware and / or software. The network device 400 can include a memory 401, a transceiver 402, and a processor 403 coupled with the memory 401 and the transceiver 402. The processor 403 can be configured to implement proposed functions, procedures, and / or methods described in this specification. Wireless interface protocol layers can be implemented in the processor 403. The memory 401 is operatively coupled with the processor 403 and stores various information for operating the processor 403. The transceiver 402 is operatively coupled with the processor 403, and the transceiver 402 transmits and / or receives radio signals. The processor 403 can include an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), other chip sets, logic circuit, and / or a data processing device. The memory 401 can include read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), flash memory, memory cards, storage media and / or other storage devices. The transceiver 402 can include a baseband circuit for processing radio frequency signals. When the embodiments are implemented in software, the techniques described herein can be implemented using a module or a function (e.g., a procedure, a function, etc.) that performs the functions described herein. The module can be stored in the memory 401 and executed by the processor 403. The memory 401 can be implemented either within the processor 403 or external to the processor 403 in which case it can be communicatively coupled to the processor 403 via various means as is known in the art.

[0040] In some embodiments, the memory 401 stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor 403 to perform operations comprising: a first network function (NF) subscribing or unsubscribing to member UE selection information at a second NF or a third NF; the first NF receiving a notification associated with the member UE selection information from the second NF or the third NF; and the first NF making a policy decision based on the notification associated with the member UE selection information.

[0041] Figure 5 A communication method using member user equipment (UE) information according to embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 5is an example of a communication method 500 using member user equipment (UE) information according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The communication method 500 using member user equipment (UE) information is configured to implement some embodiments of the present disclosure. Some embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in the communication method 500 using member user equipment (UE) information using any suitably configured hardware and / or software. In some embodiments, the communication method 500 using member user equipment (UE) information includes: operation 502, a first network function (NF) subscribes or unsubscribes to member UE selection information at a second NF or a third NF; operation 504, the first NF receives a notification associated with the member UE selection information from the second NF or the third NF; and operation 506, the first NF makes a policy decision based on the notification associated with the member UE selection information.

[0042] In some embodiments, the first NF is a policy control function (PCF), the second NF is a network exposure function (NEF), and the third NF is an application function (AF). In some embodiments, the method further includes: selecting and / or updating the member UE selection information. In some embodiments, selecting and / or updating the member UE selection information includes: the first NF subscribing to the notification about the member UE selection information from the second NF or the third NF by sending a subscription request. In some embodiments, selecting and / or updating the member UE selection information further includes: the second NF or the third NF detecting that the member UE selection information has changed. In some embodiments, selecting and / or updating the member UE selection information further includes: the second NF or the third NF notifying the first NF of the changed member UE selection information if the first NF subscribes to the notification about the member UE selection information.

[0043] In some embodiments, selecting and / or updating the member UE selection information further includes: the first NF storing the updated member UE selection information. In some embodiments, selecting and / or updating the member UE selection information further includes: the first NF initiating an initial / intermediate spending limit report retrieval if the updated member UE selection information requires a status of a policy counter available at a charging function (CHF); the first NF initiating the initial / intermediate spending limit report retrieval to unsubscribe if the updated member UE selection information indicates that the status of the policy counter is not required; or the first NF initiating a final spending limit report retrieval if the updated member UE selection information is the last status of the policy counter.

[0044] In some embodiments, selecting and / or updating the member UE selection information further comprises the first NF making authorization and policy decisions. In some embodiments, selecting and / or updating the member UE selection information further comprises the first NF providing session management related policy decisions to a session management function (SMF) using policy related interactions in a protocol data unit (PDU) session modification procedure; providing access and mobility related policy information to an access and mobility management function (AMF) using an access and mobility (AM) policy association modification procedure; or providing UE policy information to the AMF using a UE policy association modification procedure.

[0045] In some embodiments, selecting and / or updating the member UE selection information comprises at least one of: the third NF subscribing to member UE selection assistance by sending a subscription request comprising a list of target UEs, one or more UE member filter criteria, and / or one or more time windows; the third NF updating the one or more UE member filter criteria; the third NF providing a subscription association identifier (ID). In some embodiments, selecting and / or updating the member UE selection information further comprises the first NF subscribing to the member UE selection information by sending a first subscription request. In some embodiments, selecting and / or updating the member UE selection information further comprises at least one of: the second NF verifying authorization for the third NF request; the second NF identifying information that needs to be collected for each UE in the list of target UEs; the second NF performing a service operation based on the member UE filter criteria provided by the third NF; the second NF associating a second subscription request with an existing subscription according to the subscription association ID.

[0046] In some embodiments, selecting and / or updating the member UE selection information further comprises the second NF interacting with NFs to collect information for each UE in the list of target UEs. In some embodiments, selecting and / or updating the member UE selection information further comprises the second NF consolidating all information collected from the NFs based on the information collected from the NFs to derive a list of one or more candidate UEs that satisfy the member UE filter criteria in the third NF request. In some embodiments, selecting and / or updating the member UE selection information further comprises the second NF sending a notification request to the third NF and / or to the first NF if the first NF has previously subscribed to the member UE selection information by including the list of one or more candidate UEs and / or additional information.

[0047] Figure 6 A communication device is shown in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 6It is shown that, in some embodiments, the communication device 600 includes a subscriber 601 configured to subscribe or unsubscribe to member UE selection information at a network function (NF), a receiver 602 configured to receive a notification associated with the member UE selection information from the NF, and an enforcer 603 configured to make a policy decision based on the notification associated with the member UE selection information.

[0048] In some embodiments, the communication device 600 further includes a policy control function (PCF) and the NF. The subscriber 601, the receiver 602, and the enforcer 603 are components of the PCF, and the NF is a network exposure function (NEF) or an application function (AF). In some embodiments, the enforcer 603 is further configured to select and / or update the member UE selection information. In some embodiments, the enforcer 603 is further configured to subscribe to the NF for notifications about the member UE selection information by sending a subscription request. In some embodiments, the NF is further configured to detect that the member UE selection information has changed. In some embodiments, if the subscriber 601 subscribes to the notifications about the member UE selection information, the NF notifies the subscriber of the changed member UE selection information.

[0049] In some embodiments, the enforcer 603 is further configured to store the updated member UE selection information. In some embodiments, if the updated member UE selection information requires a state of a policy counter available at a charging function (CHF), the subscriber 601 initiates an initial / intermediate spending limit report retrieval; if the updated member UE selection information indicates that the policy counter state is not required, the subscriber 601 initiates an initial / intermediate spending limit report retrieval to unsubscribe; or if the updated member UE selection information is the last policy counter state, the subscriber 601 initiates a final spending limit report retrieval. In some embodiments, the enforcer 603 is further configured to make authorization and policy decisions. In some embodiments, the enforcer 603 is further configured to provide session management related policy decisions to a session management function (SMF) using policy related interactions in a protocol data unit (PDU) session modification procedure; provide access and mobility related policy information to an access and mobility management function (AMF) using an access and mobility (AM) policy association modification procedure; or provide UE policy information to the AMF using a UE policy association modification procedure.

[0050] In some embodiments, the AF is configured to subscribe to member UE selection assistance by sending a subscription request including a list of target UEs, one or more UE member filter criteria, and / or one or more time windows; wherein the AF is configured to update the one or more UE member filter criteria; the AF is configured to provide a subscription association identifier (ID). In some embodiments, the subscriber 601 is further configured to subscribe to member UE selection information by sending a first subscription request. In some embodiments, the NEF is configured to verify authorization for the AF request, identify information that needs to be collected for each UE in the list of target UEs, and perform service operations based on the member UE filter criteria provided by the AF; and / or the NEF is configured to associate a second subscription request with an existing subscription according to the subscription association ID. In some embodiments, the NEF is configured to interact with NFs to collect information for each UE in the list of target UEs. In some embodiments, based on the information collected from the NFs, the NEF is configured to consolidate all the information collected from the NFs to derive a list of one or more candidate UEs that satisfy the member UE filter criteria in the AF request. In some embodiments, the NEF is configured to send a notification request to the AF and / or to the subscriber if the subscriber has previously subscribed to member UE selection information by including the list of one or more candidate UEs and / or additional information.

[0051] Examples: According to current 3GPP AI / ML standardization, a 5G system can support a member UE selection assistance function to assist an AF to select member UEs that can be used for application operations (e.g., AI / ML based applications like federated learning) according to the input of the AF. The member UE selection assistance function can be carried by the NEF. As defined in 3GPP specifications, the AF provides a list of target UEs and at least one member UE filter criterion as part of the service operation parameters to assist in the candidate UE selection. Upon receiving the AF request, the NEF triggers corresponding 5GC procedures to retrieve information of the UEs in the list of target UEs from 5GC NFs. Before sending the list of candidate UEs to the AF, the NEF consolidates all the information collected from other 5GC NFs and derives a list of one or more candidate UEs according to the member UE filter criteria in the AF request and possible additional information. Some member UE filter criteria and corresponding procedures can be defined in 3GPP specifications.

[0052] Therefore, it is proposed to additionally define the following enhancement functions: The selection of the following solutions can be based on pre-configuration and / or operator policy and / or NEF capability / suggestion and / or AF capability / suggestion.

[0053] Alternative solution 1: NEF provides member UE information.

[0054] The final decision of the member UE list can be made by the AF after getting the information from the NEF. It is assumed in this solution that the AF can fully adopt the suggestion from the NEF.

[0055] 1. The NF (e.g. PCF) subscribes / unsubscribes the member UE list at the NEF.

[0056] 2. Once the NEF determines the member UE list after interacting with the NFs etc. as defined in the existing specifications, it sends it to the AF, and, in case the e.g. PCF has subscribed to the member UE list, also to the e.g. PCF by using the Notify message.

[0057] 3. The NF (e.g. PCF), by using the operator policies and its own internal algorithms, can now take this information into account as an input for its policy decision when, for example, applying the spending limit control and / or the usage monitoring threshold overrun enforcement, and / or updating the charging keys (i.e. tariffs) and / or any related policy enforcement that can impact / degrade the QoS of the corresponding application / PDU session / UE, etc.

[0058] It can be understood that the rationale behind the actions of the e.g. PCF is to keep the member UE selection list decided by the NEF (as any QoS degradation decision can eventually lead to the exclusion of a specific UE from the member UE list, for example, if QoS is defined as one of the member UE filtering criteria). Moreover, the UEs selected in the member UE selection can benefit from some advantages, such as improving their tariff conditions, not degrading their QoS for a considerable amount of time (even if they can be close to their pre-defined spending limit), etc.

[0059] Some specific points that can impact the standard in some embodiments: Interaction between NEF and PCF Npcf and Nnef enable the negotiation of policy and charging control behavior between PCF and NEF by supporting the following functions: - Service-specific policy and charging control; - Sponsored data connectivity, including usage monitoring; - Application function impact on traffic flow routing; - Application function impact on service function chaining; - Event subscription and reporting for event exposure; - Future background data transfer negotiation; - Scheduled data transfer negotiation with QoS requirements; - Member UE selection information.

[0060] In the reference point representation, N30 reference point is defined for the interaction between PCF and NEF.

[0061] Some embodiments newly define a service between NEF and PCF to notify the PCF when member UE information changes.

[0062] Nnef_MemberUESelectionInformation service SUMMARY This service provides the ability to subscribe, unsubscribe or notify member UE selection information from NEF.

[0063] Nnef_MemberUESelectionInformation_Subscribe service operation Service operation name: Nnef_MemberUESelectionInformation_Subscribe Description: NF consumer subscribes to receive member UE selection information.

[0064] Input, mandatory: None.

[0065] Input, conditionally mandatory: None.

[0066] Input, optional: None.

[0067] Output, mandatory: When the subscription is accepted: subscription associated ID, expiry time (if the subscription can expire according to operator policy).

[0068] Nnef_MemberUESelectionInformation_Unsubscribe service operation Service operation name: Nnef_MemberUESelectionInformation_Unsubscribe Description: NF consumer removes a subscription for member UE selection information that has been created in NEF.

[0069] Input, mandatory: subscription associated ID.

[0070] Output, mandatory: Operation execution result indication.

[0071] Nnef_MemberUESelectionInformation_Notify service operation Service operation name: Nnef_MemberUESelectionInformation_Notify Description: NEF reports member UE selection information to the previously subscribed consumer.

[0072] Input, Mandatory: Notify associated information.

[0073] Input, Conditional Mandatory: At least one of the following inputs is needed: - One or more candidate UE list.

[0074] Input, Optional: Recommended time window for the execution of the application operation per candidate UE list as described in clause 4.15.13.1, specific parameter values collected by the NEF for the member UE filter criteria per candidate UE.

[0075] Input, Optional: None.

[0076] Output, Mandatory: Operation execution result indication.

[0077] Some embodiments provide new procedures that once the PCF is notified by the NEF of the member UE information change, the PCF can make appropriate policy decisions.

[0078] Updating member UE selection information in the PCF Figure 7 A procedure for updating member UE selection information in a policy control function (PCF) according to embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 7 At least one of the following operations is shown: 0. The PCF subscribes to the NEF for notifications about the member UE selection information function by sending a Nnef_MemberUESelectionInformation_subscribe request.

[0079] 1. The NEF detects that the relevant member UE list has changed.

[0080] 2. If the PCF has subscribed, the NEF notifies the PCF of the changed list by invoking Nnef_MemberUESelectionInformation_Notify (including the member UE list).

[0081] 3. The PCF stores the updated list.

[0082] 4. If the updated list requires the status of new policy counters available at the CHF, the PCF initiates an initial / interim spending limit report retrieval. If the updated user profile indicates that no policy counter status is required, the PCF initiates an interim spending limit report request retrieval to unsubscribe, or if this is the last policy counter status, the PCF initiates a final spending limit report retrieval.

[0083] 5. The PCF makes authorization and policy decisions.

[0084] 6. The PCF uses the policy related interaction in PDU session modification procedure to provide new session management related policy decisions to the SMF; uses the AM policy association modification procedure to provide new access and mobility related policy information to the AMF; or uses the UE policy association modification procedure to provide new UE policy information to the AMF.

[0085] Some embodiments relate to the modification of the generic information flow for member UE selection, so the PCF obtains this information, e.g., if subscribed.

[0086] Member UE selection generic information flow Some embodiments describe a universally applicable procedure independent of the member UE filter criteria sent by the AF.

[0087] Figure 8 5G core network (5GC) assisted member UE selection and update is shown in accordance with embodiments of the disclosure. Figure 8 At least one of the following operations is shown: 1. The AF subscribes to the member UE selection assistance function by sending a Nnef_MemberUESelectionAssistance_subscribe request including a list of target UEs, one or more UE member filter criteria, and optionally a time window. Subsequently, the AF can update the filter criteria of the subscription by invoking Nnef_UEMemberSelectionAssistance_subscribe and providing the subscription association ID.

[0088] 1a. The PCF can also subscribe to the member UE selection information function by sending a Nnef_MemberUESelectionInformation_subscribe request.

[0089] 2a. [Optional] The NEF verifies the authorization for the AF request, identifies which information needs to be collected for each UE in the list of target UEs, and performs the corresponding service operation based on the member UE filter criteria (e.g., events, analytics, and / or notifications) provided by the AF.

[0090] 2b. [Optional] The NEF associates the Nnef_MemberUESelectionAssistance_Subscribe request with an existing subscription according to the subscription association ID. The NEF uses the target UEs received in step 1 to perform member UE updates with updated filter criteria.

[0091] 3. The NEF interacts with different 5GC network functions to collect the required information per UE in the target UE list. The set of interactions between the NEF and the 5GC NFs depends on the member UE filtering criteria provided by the AF.

[0092] 4. Based on the information collected from other 5GC NFs, the NEF consolidates all the information collected from other 5GC NFs to derive a list of candidate UEs that satisfy the member UE filtering criteria in the AF request. The NEF can take into account the validity period for the analytics of the member UE selection criteria to derive a recommendation time window, which is a subset of the time window received from the AF.

[0093] 5. The NEF sends the Nnef_MemberUESelectionAssistance_Notify request to the AF, and optionally to the PCF if the PCF has previously subscribed to the member UE selection information, by including the list of candidate UEs and possibly additional information.

[0094] Note: The PCF and its communication with the NEF are not shown in the figure.

[0095] Alternative solution 2: AF provides member UE information.

[0096] In this solution, the AF, once it has made its final decision after getting assistance information from the NEF, informs the selected UEs (member UE selection information).

[0097] 1. The NF (e.g. PCF) subscribes / unsubscribes to the member UE list at the AF.

[0098] 2. Once the AF has determined the final list of member UEs, in case the PCF has subscribed to the member UE list, the AF sends it to the PCF, e.g. by using a Notify message.

[0099] 3. The NF (e.g. PCF), by using the operator policies and its own internal algorithms, can now take this information into account as input for its policy decisions when, for example, applying spending limit control and / or usage monitoring threshold overrun enforcement, and / or updating charging keys (i.e. tariffs) and / or any related policy enforcement that can impact the QoS of the corresponding application / PDU session / UE, etc.

[0100] Some specific points that can impact the standard in some embodiments: Interaction between PCF and AF Npcf and Naf enable the transfer of application level session information and Ethernet / IP port management information from the AF to the PCF. Such information includes, but is not limited to: - IP filter information or Ethernet packet filter information for identifying traffic data flows for policy control and / or differentiated charging; - Media / application bandwidth requirements for QoS control; - Additionally, for sponsored data connectivity: - Sponsor identification; - Optionally, usage thresholds and whether the PCF reports these events to the AF; - Information identifying the application service provider and the application (e.g. SDF, application identifier, etc.); - Information needed to enable the application function to exert influence on traffic flow routing; - Information needed to enable the application function to exert influence on service function chaining; - Information needed to enable the establishment of an AF session with required QoS; - Information needed to enable the establishment of an AF session that supports time sensitive networking (TSN).

[0101] - Information needed to enable the establishment of an AF session that supports time sensitive communication.

[0102] - Information needed to enable the establishment of an AF session that supports deterministic networking (DetNet).

[0103] - Information about member UE selection.

[0104] The Npcf also enables the AF to request influence on access and mobility related policies for a UE and enables the AF to provide guidance for UE URSP rule determination. The Npcf and Naf enable the AF to subscribe to notifications about PDU session events (i.e. AF requested events and changes to DNAI).

[0105] In the reference point representation, the N5 reference point is defined for the interaction between the PCF and the AF.

[0106] AF services Overview The following table illustrates the AF services.

[0107] Table 1: Services provided by the AF Naf_EventExposure service Overview Service description: This service enables a consumer NF to subscribe and get notifications of events.

[0108] Events can be subscribed by NF consumers.

[0109] The following service operations are defined for the Naf_EventExposure service: - Naf_EventExposure_Subscribe.

[0110] - Naf_EventExposure_Unsubscribe.

[0111] - Naf_EventExposure_Notify.

[0112] The following events can be subscribed by NF consumers (Event ID): - Service experience information.

[0113] - Performance data information.

[0114] - Collective behavior information.

[0115] - UE mobility information.

[0116] - UE communication information.

[0117] - Exception information.

[0118] - User data congestion information.

[0119] - UE data volume dispersion information.

[0120] - DN performance information.

[0121] - End-to-end data volume transfer time information.

[0122] - Member UE information.

[0123] Event filters are used to specify the conditions to be matched (i.e. "list of parameter values to be matched") for event notification. If there is no condition to be matched for a specific event ID, no event filter is provided. The following table provides some examples on how to specify the conditions to be matched for event reporting for various event IDs exposed to the AF.

[0124] Table 2: Event filter examples for AF exposed events Naf_EventExposure_Subscribe service operation Service operation name: Naf_EventExposure_Subscribe Description: Consumer NF subscribes to collect AF data for a UE, a UE group, a list of UEs, or any UE, or updates a subscription that has already been defined in the AF.

[0125] Input, mandatory: Event reporting target (UE ID, or UE IPv4 address, or UE IPv6 prefix, or internal / external group identifier, or indication about targeting any UE), (set of) Event ID(s), notification target address (+ notification correlation ID) and event reporting information.

[0126] NOTE 1: UE ID includes GPSI or SUPI.

[0127] Input, optional: NF ID, event filter associated with each Event ID, (set of) external application identifier, subscription correlation ID (in case of modification of an existing subscription), expiry time.

[0128] NOTE 2: In case of untrusted AF, use NEF ID as NF ID.

[0129] Output, mandatory: Operation execution result indication. When the subscription is accepted: subscription correlation ID, expiry time (mandatory if the subscription can expire according to local policy).

[0130] Output, optional: Include first corresponding event report if available.

[0131] Naf_EventExposure_Unsubscribe service operation.

[0132] Service operation name: Naf_EventExposure_Unsubscribe.

[0133] Description: Consumer NF unsubscribes from specific events.

[0134] Input, mandatory: Subscription correlation ID.

[0135] Input, optional: None.

[0136] Output, mandatory: Operation execution result indication.

[0137] Output, optional: None.

[0138] Naf_EventExposure_Notify service operation.

[0139] Service operation name: Naf_EventExposure_Notify.

[0140] Description: The AF provides the previously subscribed event information to the consumer NF, which the consumer NF has previously subscribed to the event.

[0141] Input, mandatory: notification correlation information, event ID, corresponding UE ID (external UE ID, or internal / external group identifier, or UE IPv4 address or UE IPv6 prefix), timestamp.

[0142] Note: UE ID includes GPSI or SUPI.

[0143] Input, optional: list of event-specific parameters.

[0144] Output, mandatory: none.

[0145] Output, optional: none.

[0146] Some embodiments relate to a new procedure that once the PCF is notified by the AF of the member UE information change, the PCF can make appropriate policy decisions.

[0147] Update of member UE selection information in PCF Figure 9 A procedure for updating member UE selection information in PCF according to embodiments of the disclosure is shown. Figure 9 At least one of the following operations is shown: 0. The PCF subscribes to the AF for notifications about the member UE selection information function by sending a Naf_EventExposure_Subscribe request with event ID equal to "member UE information".

[0148] 1. The AF decides that the relevant list of member UEs has changed.

[0149] 2. If the PCF has subscribed, the AF notifies the PCF of the changed list by invoking Naf_EventExposure_Notify (including the list of member UEs).

[0150] 3. The PCF stores the updated list.

[0151] 4. If the updated list requires the status of new policy counters available at the CHF, the PCF initiates an initial / interim spending limit report retrieval. If the updated user profile indicates that no policy counter status is required, the PCF initiates an interim spending limit report request retrieval to unsubscribe, or if this is the last policy counter status, the PCF initiates a final spending limit report retrieval.

[0152] 5. The PCF makes authorization and policy decisions.

[0153] 6. The PCF uses the policy related interaction in the PDU session modification procedure to provide the SMF with new session management related policy decisions; uses the AM policy association modification procedure to provide the AMF with new access and mobility related policy information; or uses the UE policy association modification procedure to provide the AMF with new UE policy information.

[0154] In summary, some embodiments of the present disclosure disclose the awareness of the member UE selection by any network function in 5GC or 6G. By exploiting this awareness, the network function can make more sophisticated decisions for different UE functions. In particular in 5G, it is emphasized that the PCF benefits from this awareness by applying the following operations: 1. The PCF subscribes / unsubscribes to the member UE selection information at the NEF or AF. 2. Once a member UE selection decision is made, the list of member UEs and additional available information is transmitted to e.g. the PCF (notification message from NEF / AF to PCF or to any additional NF). 3. With such information, the PCF becomes able to make appropriate policy decisions as described in the corresponding procedures.

[0155] The commercial benefits of some embodiments are as follows. 1. Solving the problems in the prior art and other problems. 2. Improving federated learning operations in terms of selecting the most suitable UEs (i.e. member UE selection assistance). 3. Some embodiments of the present disclosure can be used in many applications. Some embodiments of the present disclosure can be used by chip set vendors, video system development vendors, car manufacturers (including cars, trains, trucks, buses, bicycles, motorcycles, helmets, etc.), drones (unmanned aerial vehicles), smartphone manufacturers, communication devices for public safety use, AR / VR / MR device manufacturers (e.g. for gaming, conferences / seminars, educational purposes). Some embodiments of the present disclosure are combinations of “technologies / processes” that can be adopted in video standards to create end products. Some embodiments of the present disclosure propose technical mechanisms. At least one proposed solution, method, system and apparatus of some embodiments of the present disclosure can be used in current and / or new / future standards regarding communication systems (e.g. UEs, base stations, network devices and / or communication systems). Compatible products follow at least one proposed solution, method, system and apparatus of some embodiments of the present disclosure. The proposed solution, method, system and apparatus are widely used in UEs, base stations, network devices and / or communication systems. With the implementation of at least one proposed solution, method, system and apparatus of some embodiments of the present disclosure, at least one modification / improvement is considered to the method and apparatus for billing report of AI / ML operations to be standardized.

[0156] Moreover, the business interest behind some embodiments of the present innovation can be in being able to improve federated learning operation in terms of selecting the most suitable UEs (i.e. member UE selection assistance). Since some embodiments of the present innovation can make any network function (e.g. PCF) aware of member UE selection, i.e. aware of the UEs selected to participate in e.g. AI / ML operation (e.g. to participate in federated learning operation), the e.g. PCF can make more complex policy decisions based on operator policies, thus making the “best” list of most suitable UEs to participate in the operation. The same applies to decisions performed by any additional network function. Moreover, those UEs / specific applications run by those UEs can benefit from participating in AI / ML operation by e.g. PCF doing the following: e.g. changing their charging keys (tariffs), not reducing their QoS due to service plan changes, changing spending limit control, usage monitoring thresholds, etc. Some embodiments of the present innovation are not “end products”, but rather technologies that facilitate creating end products with more advanced member UE selection methods (i.e. more advanced for AI / ML operation, e.g. for federated learning operation).

[0157] Figure 10 is an example of a computing device 1100 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Any suitable computing device can be used to perform the operations described herein. For example, Figure 10 An example of a computing device 1100 is shown that can be implemented using any suitable configuration of hardware and / or software Figures 1 to 9 shown in FIG. 11. In some embodiments, the computing device 1100 can include a processor 1112 that is communicatively coupled to a memory 1114 and that executes computer executable program code and / or accesses information stored in the memory 1114. The processor 1112 can include a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a state machine, or other processing means. The processor 1112 can include any number of processing devices, including the case of one processing device. Such a processor can include or can be in communication with a computer-readable medium that stores instructions that, when executed by the processor 1112, cause the processor to perform operations described herein.

[0158] Memory 1114 can include any suitable non-transitory computer-readable media. Computer-readable media can include any electrical, optical, magnetic, or other storage devices capable of providing processor with computer-readable instructions or other programming code. Non-limiting examples of computer-readable media include magnetic disks, memory chips, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), configured processor, optical storage devices, magnetic tape, or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium capable of storing or carrying instruction that can be read by a computer processor. Instructions can include a compiler and / or an interpreter to generate processor-specific instructions from code written in any suitable computer programming language, including, for example, C, C++, C#, visual basic, java, python, perl, javascript, and actionscript.

[0159] Computing device 1100 can also include a bus 1116. Bus 1116 can communicatively couple one or more components of computing device 1100. Computing device 1100 can also include several external or internal devices that can provide input to or output from computing device 1100. For example, computing device 1100 is shown with an input / output (I / O) interface 1118 that can receive input from or provide output to one or more input devices 1120 or one or more output devices 1122. The one or more input devices 1120 and the one or more output devices 1122 can be communicatively coupled to I / O interface 1118. The communicative coupling can be achieved through any suitable means (e.g., through a printed circuit board connection, through a cable connection, through wireless transmission communication, etc.). Non-limiting examples of input devices 1120 include a touchscreen (e.g., one or more cameras to image a touch area, or a pressure sensor to detect pressure changes caused by a touch), a mouse, a keyboard, or any other device that can be used to generate input events in response to physical actions of a user of the computing device. Non-limiting examples of output devices 1122 include a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen, an external monitor, a speaker, or any other device that can be used to display or otherwise present output generated by the computing device.

[0160] Computing device 1100 can execute program code that configures processor 1112 to perform any of the above-described methods, processes, or operations. Figures 1 to 9Some embodiments illustrated describe one or more operations. The program code can reside in the memory 1114 or any suitable computer readable medium, and can be executed by the processor 1112 or any other suitable processor.

[0161] The computing device 1100 can also include at least one network interface device 1124. The network interface device 1124 can include any device or group of devices suitable for establishing a wired or wireless data connection to one or more data networks 1128. Non-limiting examples of network interface devices 1124 include Ethernet network adapters, modems, etc. The computing device 1100 can transmit messages in the form of electronic or optical signals through the network interface device 1124.

[0162] Figure 11 is a block diagram of an example of a communication system 1200 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Embodiments described herein can be implemented in the communication system 1200 using any suitably configured hardware and / or software. Figure 11 The communication system 1200 is shown to include radio frequency (RF) circuitry 1210, baseband circuitry 1220, application circuitry 1230, memory / storage 1240, a display 1250, a camera 1260, a sensor 1270, and an input / output (I / O) interface 1280 coupled together at least as shown.

[0163] The application circuitry 1230 can include circuitry such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core or multi-core processors. The processors can include any combination of general-purpose processors and dedicated processors (e.g., graphics processors, application processors). The processors can be coupled with memory / storage and configured to execute instructions stored in the memory / storage to enable various applications and / or operating systems to run on the system. The communication system 1200 can execute program code that configures the application circuitry 1230 to perform one or more operations described above with respect to Figures 1 to 9 The application circuitry 1230 can include circuitry such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core or multi-core processors. The processors can include any combination of general-purpose processors and dedicated processors (e.g., graphics processors, application processors). The processors can be coupled with memory / storage and configured to execute instructions stored in the memory / storage to enable various applications and / or operating systems to run on the system. The communication system 1200 can execute program code that configures the application circuitry 1230 to perform one or more operations described above with respect to

[0164] The baseband circuitry 1220 can include circuitry such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core or multi-core processors. The processors can include a baseband processor. The baseband circuitry can handle various radio control functions. Radio control functions can include, but are not limited to, signal modulation, coding, encoding, radio frequency shifting, and so on. In some embodiments, the baseband circuitry can provide for communication compatible with one or more radio technologies. For example, in some embodiments, the baseband circuitry can support communication with an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (EUTRAN) and / or other wireless metropolitan area networks (WMAN), wireless local area networks (WLANs), and / or wireless personal area networks (WPANs). Embodiments in which the baseband circuitry is configured to support radio communications of more than one wireless protocol can be referred to as multi-mode baseband circuitry.

[0165] In various embodiments, the baseband circuitry 1220 can include circuitry to operate strictly on signals that are not considered to be in a baseband frequency. For example, in some embodiments, the baseband circuitry can include circuitry to operate on signals having an intermediate frequency (between a baseband frequency and a radio frequency). The RF circuitry 1210 can use modulated electromagnetic radiation through a non-solid medium to communicate with wireless networks. In various embodiments, the RF circuitry can include switches, filters, amplifiers, etc. to facilitate the communication with the wireless network. In various embodiments, the RF circuitry 1210 can include circuitry to operate strictly on signals that are not considered to be in a radio frequency. For example, in some embodiments, the RF circuitry can include circuitry to operate on signals having an intermediate frequency (between a baseband frequency and a radio frequency).

[0166] In various embodiments, the above with respect to Figures 1 to 9The transmitter circuitry, control circuitry, or receiver circuitry of the illustrated apparatus and / or methods can be embodied in whole or in part in one or more of the RF circuitry, the baseband circuitry, and / or the application circuitry. As used herein, “circuitry” can refer to, be part of, or include an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (shared, dedicated, or group), and / or a memory (shared, dedicated, or group) that execute one or more software or firmware programs, a combinational logic circuit, and / or other suitable hardware components that provide the described functionality. In some embodiments, the electronic device circuitry can be implemented in, or functions

[0167] In various embodiments, the I / O interface 1280 can include one or more user interfaces designed to enable user interaction with the system, and / or peripheral component interfaces designed to enable peripheral component interaction with the system. User interfaces can include, but are not limited to, physical keyboards or keypads, touch pads, speakers, microphones, etc. Peripheral component interfaces can include, but are not limited to, non-volatile memory port, a universal serial bus (USB) port, an audio jack, and a power supply interface. In various embodiments, the sensors 1270 can include one or more sensing devices for determining environmental conditions and / or location information related to the system. In some embodiments, the sensors can include, but are not limited to, a gyroscope sensor, an accelerometer, a proximity sensor, an ambient light sensor, and a positioning unit. The positioning unit can also be part of, or interact with, the baseband circuitry and / or RF circuitry to communicate with components of a positioning network, such as the global positioning system (GPS) satellites.

[0168] In various embodiments, display 1250 can include a display device such as a liquid crystal display and a touch screen display. In various embodiments, communication system 1200 can be a mobile computing device such as, but not limited to, a laptop computing device, a tablet computing device, a netbook, an ultrabook, a smartphone, AR / VR glasses, etc. In various embodiments, the system can have more or fewer components, and / or different architectures. The methods described herein can be implemented as a computer program, if appropriate. The computer program can be stored on a storage medium, e.g., a non-transitory storage medium.

[0169] Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that each unit, algorithm, and step described and disclosed in the embodiments of the present disclosure is implemented using electronic hardware or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. The function is run in hardware or software, depending on the application conditions and design requirements of the technical solution. Those of ordinary skill in the art can use different ways to implement the function for each specific application, but such implementation should not exceed the scope of the present disclosure. Those of ordinary skill in the art can understand that he / she can refer to the working process of the system, device and unit in the above embodiments, because the working process of the above system, device and unit is basically the same. For the convenience of description and brevity, these working processes will not be described in detail.

[0170] It should be understood that the system, device and method disclosed in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in other ways. The above embodiments are only exemplary. The division of units is only based on logical functions, and there are other divisions in implementation. Multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system. It is also possible to omit or skip some features. On the other hand, the mutual coupling, direct coupling or communication coupling shown or discussed, whether indirectly or communicatively, is operated in electrical, mechanical or other forms through some ports, devices or units.

[0171] The units described as separate components can be physically separate or not physically separate. The displayed units can be physical units or not physical units, i.e., located in one place or distributed on multiple network units. Some or all units can be used according to the purpose of the embodiment. In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment can be integrated in one processing unit, physically independent, or integrated in a processing unit with two or more units.

[0172] If the software function unit is implemented and used and sold as a product, it can be stored in a readable storage medium in a computer. Based on this understanding, the technical solutions proposed in the disclosure can be substantially or partially implemented in the form of a software product. Alternatively, part of the technical solutions beneficial to the conventional technology can be implemented in the form of a software product. The software product in the computer is stored in a storage medium, including a plurality of commands for causing a computing device (such as a personal computer, a server, or a network device) to run all or part of the steps disclosed in the embodiments of the disclosure. The storage medium includes a USB disk, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a floppy disk, or other types of media capable of storing program codes.

[0173] Although the present disclosure has been described in conjunction with the embodiments considered to be the most practical and preferred, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but is intended to cover various arrangements made without departing from the scope of the appended claims under the broadest interpretation.

Claims

1. A communication method using member user equipment (UE) information, comprising: The first network function (NF) at the second or third NF allows for the subscription or unsubscription of member UE selection information; The first NF receives a notification associated with the member UE selection information from the second NF or the third NF; and The first NF makes a policy decision based on the notification associated with the member UE selection information.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The first NF is the Policy Control Function (PCF), the second NF is the Network Open Function (NEF), and the third NF is the Application Function (AF).

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: Select and / or update the member UE selection information.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein, Selecting and / or updating the member UE selection information includes: The first NF subscribes to the second NF or the third NF for notifications regarding the member UE selection information by sending a subscription request.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, Selecting and / or updating the member UE selection information also includes: The second NF or the third NF detects that the member UE selection information has changed.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein, Selecting and / or updating the member UE selection information also includes: If the first NF has already subscribed, the second NF or the third NF notifies the first NF of the changed member UE selection information.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, Selecting and / or updating the member UE selection information also includes: The first NF stores updated member UE selection information.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, Selecting and / or updating the member UE selection information also includes: If the updated member UE selection information requires the status of a policy counter available at the Charging Function (CHF), then the first NF initiates an initial / intermediate expenditure limit report retrieval; If the updated member UE selection information indicates that the policy counter state is not needed, the first NF initiates an initial / intermediate expenditure limit report retrieval to unsubscribe; or If the updated member UE selection information is the last policy counter state, then the first NF initiates a final expenditure limit report retrieval.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, Selecting and / or updating the member UE selection information also includes: The first NF makes authorization and strategy decisions.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein, Selecting and / or updating the member UE selection information also includes: The first NF uses policy-related interactions during the Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session modification process to provide session management-related policy decisions to the Session Management Function (SMF); it uses the Access and Mobility (AM) policy association modification process to provide access and mobility-related policy information to the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF); or it uses the UE policy association modification process to provide UE policy information to the AMF.

11. The method according to claim 3, wherein, Selecting and / or updating the member UE selection information includes at least one of the following: The third NF subscribes to member UE selection assistance by sending a subscription request that includes a target UE list, one or more UE member filtering criteria, and / or one or more time windows; The third NF updates the filtering criteria for one or more UE members; The third NF provides a subscription association identifier (ID).

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, Selecting and / or updating the member UE selection information also includes: The first NF subscribes to the member UE selection information by sending a first subscription request.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein, Selecting and / or updating the member UE selection information also includes at least one of the following: The second NF verifies the authorization of the request to the third NF, the second NF identifies the information that needs to be collected for each UE in the target UE list, and the second NF performs service operations based on the member UE filtering criteria provided by the third NF; The second NF associates the second subscription request with an existing subscription based on the subscription association ID.

14. The method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein, Selecting and / or updating the member UE selection information also includes: The second NF interacts with the NF to collect information about each UE in the target UE list.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein, Selecting and / or updating the member UE selection information also includes: Based on the information collected from the NF, the second NF integrates all the information collected from the NF to derive one or more candidate UE lists that meet the member UE filtering criteria in the third NF request.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein, Selecting and / or updating the member UE selection information also includes: The second NF sends a notification request to the third NF and / or to the first NF if the first NF has previously subscribed to the member UE selection information, by including the list of one or more candidate UEs and / or additional information.

17. A communication device, comprising: The subscriber is configured to subscribe to or unsubscribe from member UE selection information at the network function (NF); The receiver is configured to receive a notification associated with the member UE selection information from the NF; as well as The actuator is configured to make policy decisions based on the notification associated with the member UE selection information.

18. The communication device according to claim 17, further comprising a policy control function (PCF) and the NF, wherein, The subscriber, the receiver, and the actuator are components of the PCF, and the NF is a Network Open Function (NEF) or Application Function (AF).

19. The communication device according to claim 17 or 18, wherein, The actuator is also configured to select and / or update the member UE selection information.

20. The communication device according to claim 19, wherein, The actuator is also configured to subscribe to notifications about the member UE selection information from the NF by sending a subscription request.

21. The communication device according to claim 20, wherein, The NF is also configured to detect that the member UE selection information has changed.

22. The communication device according to claim 21, wherein, If the subscriber has already subscribed, the NF notifies the subscriber of the changed member UE selection information.

23. The communication device according to claim 22, wherein, The actuator is also configured to store updated member UE selection information.

24. The communication device according to claim 23, wherein, If the updated member UE selection information requires the status of a policy counter available at the Charging Function (CHF), the subscriber initiates an initial / intermediate expenditure limit report retrieval; If the updated member UE selection information indicates that the policy counter state is not required, the subscriber initiates the initial / intermediate expenditure limit report retrieval to unsubscribe; or If the updated member UE selection information is the last policy counter state, then the subscriber initiates a final expenditure limit report retrieval.

25. The communication device according to claim 24, wherein, The actuator is also configured to make authorization and policy decisions.

26. The communication device according to claim 25, wherein, The actuator is also configured to perform the following operations: provide session management-related policy decisions to the Session Management Function (SMF) using policy-related interactions during the Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session modification process; The Access and Mobility (AM) policy association modification process is used to provide access and mobility-related policy information to the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF); or, the UE policy association modification process is used to provide UE policy information to the AMF.

27. The communication device according to claim 19, wherein, The AF is configured to subscribe to member UE selection assistance by sending a subscription request that includes a target UE list, one or more UE member filtering criteria, and / or one or more time windows; wherein the AF is configured to update the one or more UE member filtering criteria; The AF is configured to provide a subscription association identifier (ID).

28. The communication device according to claim 27, wherein, The subscriber is also configured to subscribe to the member UE selection information by sending a first subscription request.

29. The communication device according to claim 28, wherein, The NEF is configured to perform the following operations: verify authorization for AF requests, identify information that needs to be collected for each UE in the target UE list, and perform service operations based on the member UE filtering criteria provided by the AF; And / or The NEF is configured to associate a second subscription request with an existing subscription based on the subscription association ID.

30. The communication device according to claim 27 or 28, wherein, The NEF is configured to interact with the NF to collect information about each UE in the target UE list.

31. The communication device according to claim 30, wherein, Based on the information collected from the NF, the NEF is configured to integrate all the information collected from the NF to derive one or more candidate UE lists that meet the member UE filtering criteria in the AF request.

32. The communication device according to claim 31, wherein, The NEF is configured to perform the following operations: send a notification request to the AF and / or to the subscriber if the subscriber has previously subscribed to the member UE selection information, by including the one or more candidate UE lists and / or additional information.

33. A network device, comprising: Memory; transceiver; as well as A processor, coupled to the memory and the transceiver; The network device is configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

34. A non-transient machine-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

35. A chip, comprising: The processor is configured to invoke and run a computer program stored in memory to cause a device on which the chip is mounted to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

36. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, wherein, The computer program causes the computer to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

37. A computer program product comprising a computer program, wherein, The computer program causes the computer to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

38. A computer program, wherein, The computer program causes the computer to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

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