Systems and methods for device discovery control

Abstract

A system and method for device discovery control are proposed. A first wireless communication device can send a first message to multiple second wireless communication devices. The first message can indicate one or more discovery filtering conditions. The second wireless communication devices can receive the first message from the first wireless communication device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to wireless communications, including but not limited to systems and methods for device discovery and control. Background Technology

[0002] Coverage is a critical consideration in cellular network deployment. With the rise of connected devices, there is a growing focus on efficient device communication. Current 3GPP standards (covering 3G to 5G and beyond) emphasize the importance of seamless communication between various devices, from smart home devices to wearables. In industrial environments, tasks are complex and often require collaboration. This necessitates several collaborative operations management systems designed to create working groups and manage different types of devices to accomplish the required tasks. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein relate to solving problems associated with one or more problems presented in the prior art and provide additional features that will readily become apparent when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description. Exemplary systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are disclosed herein according to various embodiments. However, it should be understood that these embodiments are presented by way of illustration rather than limitation, and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art who read this disclosure that various modifications can be made to the disclosed embodiments that still fall within the scope of this disclosure.

[0004] At least one aspect relates to a system, method, apparatus, or computer-readable medium. A first wireless communication device (e.g., a discoverer) may send / transmit / provide a first message to a plurality of second wireless communication devices (e.g., a plurality of discoverers). The first message may indicate / include one or more discovery filtering conditions.

[0005] In some implementations, the first wireless communication device may receive / obtain / acquire a second message from at least one second wireless communication device. The second message may indicate / include information about the discovered at least one second wireless communication device.

[0006] In some implementations, the first message may be an announcement message or a group member announcement message, wherein one or more discovery filtering conditions may include at least one of the following: in-coverage conditions, out-of-coverage conditions, and / or a list of permitted Public Land Mobile Networks (PLMNs).

[0007] In some implementations, the first message may be a probe message or a group member probe message, wherein one or more discovery filtering conditions may include at least one of the following: in-coverage conditions, out-of-coverage conditions, and / or a list of allowed PLMNs.

[0008] In some implementations, the first message may be a direct communication request message, wherein one or more discovery filtering conditions may include at least one of the following: in-coverage conditions, out-of-coverage conditions, a list of allowed PLMNs, and / or a list of expected PLMNs.

[0009] In some implementations, information about at least one second wireless communication device may include at least one of the following: in-coverage conditions, out-of-coverage conditions, and / or the contracted PLMN.

[0010] In some implementations, the first wireless communication device may receive / obtain / acquire a third message from a core network entity. The third message may include / indicate one or more discovery filtering conditions. In response to the core network entity receiving a registration message from the first wireless communication device, the core network entity may determine one or more discovery filtering conditions.

[0011] In some implementations, the first wireless communication device may receive / obtain / acquire a fourth message from a core network entity. The fourth message may include / indicate one or more discovery filtering conditions. In response to the core network entity receiving subscription data from a unified data management entity or policy data from a policy control function, the core network entity may update one or more discovery filtering conditions.

[0012] In some implementations, the second wireless communication device may receive / obtain / acquire a first message from the first wireless communication device. The first message may include / indicate one or more discovery filtering conditions.

[0013] In some implementations, the second wireless communication device may send / transmit / provide a second message to itself. The second message may include / indicate information about the discovered second wireless communication device.

[0014] In some implementations, the second message may include / indicate information including at least one of the following: in-coverage conditions, out-of-coverage conditions, and / or the contracted PLMN.

[0015] In some implementations, in response to receiving a registration message from a first wireless communication device, the core network entity may determine one or more discovery filtering conditions. In some implementations, the core network entity may send / transmit / provide a third message to the first wireless communication device. The third message may include / indicate one or more discovery filtering conditions.

[0016] In some implementations, one or more discovery filtering conditions may include at least one of the following: in-coverage conditions, out-of-coverage conditions, and / or a list of allowed PLMNs.

[0017] In some implementations, in response to receiving subscription data from a unified data management entity or policy data from a policy control function, the core network entity may update one or more discovery filtering conditions. The core network entity may send / transmit / provide a fourth message to the first wireless communication device. The fourth message may include / indicate the updated one or more discovery filtering conditions.

[0018] In some implementations, the network nodes of the disclosed technical solutions can perform device discovery control according to at least one of the following example configurations or solutions: • Example configuration 1: Override conditions.

[0019] • Example Configuration 2: Contracted PLMN. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The following description details various exemplary embodiments of this solution with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only and depict only exemplary embodiments of the solution to aid the reader's understanding. Therefore, the drawings should not be considered as limitations on the breadth, scope, or applicability of this solution. It should be noted that these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale for clarity and ease of explanation.

[0021] Figure 1 An example cellular communication network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, in which the techniques disclosed herein may be implemented; Figure 2 Block diagrams of example base stations and user equipment according to some embodiments of the present disclosure are shown; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a UE-to-UE communication system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 4 Example implementations of a 5GS architecture with a UE-to-UE communication system according to some embodiments of this disclosure are shown; Figure 5 Example implementations of UE discovery according to some embodiments of this disclosure are shown; Figure 6 Alternative example implementations of UE discovery according to some embodiments of this disclosure are shown; Figure 7 Example implementations of a direct communication establishment process according to some embodiments of this disclosure are shown; Figure 8 Example implementations of a UE registration process according to some embodiments of this disclosure are shown; Figure 9 Example implementations of a UE configuration update process according to some embodiments of this disclosure are shown; and Figure 10A flowchart illustrating an example method for device discovery control according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0022] 1. Mobile communication technology and environment Figure 1 An example cellular communication network and / or system 100 according to embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated, in which the techniques disclosed herein may be implemented. In the following discussion, wireless communication network 100 may be any wireless network, such as a cellular network or a narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) network, and is referred to herein as "network 100". Such an example network 100 includes base station 102 (hereinafter referred to as "BS 102"; also called a wireless communication node) and user equipment 104 (hereinafter referred to as "UE 104"; also called a wireless communication device) capable of communicating with each other via communication link 110 (e.g., a wireless communication channel), and a set of cells 126, 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and 140 covering a geographic area 101. Figure 1 In this context, BS 102 and UE 104 are contained within the corresponding geographical boundaries of cell 126. Each of the other cells 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and 140 may include at least one base station operating within its allocated bandwidth to provide sufficient radio coverage to its intended users.

[0023] For example, BS 102 can operate within its allocated channel transmission bandwidth to provide sufficient coverage to UE 104. BS 102 and UE 104 can communicate via downlink radio frame 118 and uplink radio frame 124, respectively. Each radio frame 118 / 124 can be further divided into subframes 120 / 127, which may include data symbols 122 / 128. In this disclosure, BS 102 and UE 104 are generally described herein as non-limiting examples of "communication nodes" that can practice the methods disclosed herein. According to various embodiments of this solution, such communication nodes may be capable of wireless and / or wired communication.

[0024] Figure 2 A block diagram of an example wireless communication system 200 for transmitting and receiving wireless communication signals (e.g., OFDM / OFDMA signals) according to some embodiments of this solution is shown. System 200 may include components and elements configured to support known or conventional operating characteristics that do not need to be described in detail herein. In one illustrative embodiment, as described above, system 200 can be used in applications such as... Figure 1The wireless communication environment 100 is a wireless communication environment in which communication (e.g., transmission and reception) data symbols are used.

[0025] System 200 typically includes a base station 202 (hereinafter referred to as "BS 202") and a user equipment 204 (hereinafter referred to as "UE 204"). BS 202 includes a BS (Base Station) transceiver module 210, a BS antenna 212, a BS processor module 214, a BS memory module 216, and a network communication module 218, each module being coupled and interconnected with each other via a data communication bus 220 when necessary. UE 204 includes a UE (User Equipment) transceiver module 230, a UE antenna 232, a UE memory module 234, and a UE processor module 236, each module being coupled and interconnected with each other via a data communication bus 240 when necessary. As described herein, BS 202 communicates with UE 204 via a communication channel 250, which can be any wireless channel or other medium suitable for data transmission.

[0026] Those skilled in the art will understand that system 200 may further include, in addition to Figure 2 Any number of modules other than those shown. Those skilled in the art will understand that the various illustrative blocks, modules, circuits, and processing logic described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in hardware, computer-readable software, firmware, or any practical combination thereof. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability and compatibility of hardware, firmware, and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are typically described according to their functionality. Whether this functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software can depend on the specific application and design constraints imposed on the system as a whole. Those skilled in the art, when learning the concepts described herein, can implement such functionality in a suitable manner for each specific application; however, such implementation decisions should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure.

[0027] According to some embodiments, UE transceiver 230, which may be referred to herein as "uplink" transceiver 230, includes a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and an RF receiver, each of which includes circuitry coupled to antenna 232. A duplex switch (not shown) may alternatively couple the uplink transmitter or receiver to the uplink antenna in a time-division duplex manner. Similarly, according to some embodiments, BS transceiver 210, which may be referred to herein as "downlink" transceiver 210, includes an RF transmitter and an RF receiver, each of which includes circuitry coupled to antenna 212. A downlink duplex switch may alternatively couple the downlink transmitter or receiver to downlink antenna 212 in a time-division duplex manner. The operation of the two transceiver modules 210 and 230 can be coordinated in time such that uplink receiver circuitry is coupled to uplink antenna 232 to receive transmissions via wireless transmission link 250 while downlink transmitter is coupled to downlink antenna 212. Conversely, the operation of the two transceivers 210 and 230 can be coordinated in time such that the downlink receiver is coupled to the downlink antenna 212 to receive transmissions via the wireless transmission link 250 simultaneously with the uplink transmitter being coupled to the uplink antenna 232. In some embodiments, there is tight time synchronization with a minimum guard time between changes in duplex direction.

[0028] UE transceiver 230 and base transceiver 210 are configured to communicate via wireless data communication link 250 and cooperate with RF antenna arrangements 212 / 232 that are appropriately configured to support specific wireless communication protocols and modulation schemes. In some illustrative embodiments, UE transceiver 210 and base transceiver 210 are configured to support industry standards such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) and emerging 5G standards. However, it should be understood that this disclosure is not necessarily limited to specific standards and associated protocols in application. Rather, UE transceiver 230 and base transceiver 210 may be configured to support alternative or additional wireless data communication protocols, including future standards or variations thereof.

[0029] According to various embodiments, BS 202 may be, for example, an evolved Node B (eNB), a serving eNB, a target eNB, a femtocell, or a picocell. In some embodiments, UE 204 may be implemented in various types of user devices, such as mobile phones, smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablet computers, laptop computers, wearable computing devices, etc. Processor modules 214 and 236 may be implemented or realized using a general-purpose processor, content-addressable memory, digital signal processor, application-specific integrated circuit, field-programmable gate array, any suitable programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof, designed to perform the functions described herein. In this way, the processor may be implemented as a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a state machine, etc. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a digital signal processor core, or any other such configuration.

[0030] Furthermore, the steps of the methods or algorithms described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be directly embodied in hardware, firmware, software modules executed by processor modules 214 and 236 respectively, or any actual combination thereof. Memory modules 216 and 234 can be implemented as RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, removable disk, CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. In this regard, memory modules 216 and 234 can be coupled to processor modules 210 and 230 respectively, such that processor modules 210 and 230 can read information from memory modules 216 and 234 and write information to memory modules 156 and 166 respectively. Memory modules 216 and 234 can also be integrated into their respective processor modules 210 and 230. In some embodiments, memory modules 216 and 234 may each include a cache memory for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during the execution of instructions executed by processor modules 210 and 230 respectively. Memory modules 216 and 234 may also include non-volatile memory for storing instructions executed by processor modules 210 and 230, respectively.

[0031] Network communication module 218 typically represents the hardware, software, firmware, processing logic, and / or other components of base station 202 that enable bidirectional communication between base station transceiver 210 and other network components and communication nodes configured to communicate with base station 102. For example, network communication module 218 may be configured to support Internet or WiMAX traffic. In a typical deployment, without limitation, network communication module 218 provides an 802.3 Ethernet interface, enabling base station transceiver 210 to communicate with conventional Ethernet-based computer networks. In this way, network communication module 218 may include a physical interface for connecting to a computer network (e.g., a mobile switching center (MSC)). As used herein with respect to a specified operation or function, the terms “configured for,” “configured to,” and variations thereof refer to means a means, component, circuit, structure, machine, signal, etc., physically constructed, programmed, formatted, and / or arranged to perform the specified operation or function.

[0032] The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model (referred to herein as the "OSI model") defines the conceptual and logical layout of network communications used by systems (e.g., wireless communication devices, wireless communication nodes) that are open to interconnection and communication with other systems. The model is divided into seven sub-components or layers, each representing a set of concepts providing services to the layers above and below it. The OSI model also defines logical networks and efficiently describes computer packet transmission using different layer protocols. The OSI model may also be referred to as the seven-layer OSI model or the seven-layer model. In some embodiments, the first layer may be the physical layer. In some embodiments, the second layer may be the Media Access Control (MAC) layer. In some embodiments, the third layer may be the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer. In some embodiments, the fourth layer may be the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer. In some embodiments, the fifth layer may be the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer. In some embodiments, the sixth layer may be the Non-Access Stratum (NAS) layer or the Internet Protocol (IP) layer, and the seventh layer may be another layer.

[0033] Various exemplary embodiments of this solution are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings to enable those skilled in the art to create and use this solution. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes or modifications can be made to the examples described herein without departing from the scope of this solution after reading this disclosure. Therefore, this solution is not limited to the exemplary embodiments and applications described and shown herein. Furthermore, the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the methods disclosed herein is merely an example method. Based on design preferences, the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the disclosed methods or processes can be rearranged while remaining within the scope of this solution. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that the methods and techniques disclosed herein present various steps or actions in an exemplary order, and unless otherwise expressly stated, this solution is not limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.

[0034] 2. Systems and methods for device discovery control In 4G and later versions, the importance of UE-to-UE direct communication has been recognized. To achieve this form of communication, it may be necessary to identify fundamental mechanisms that can facilitate UE discovery. UE discovery is crucial for effectively identifying suitable target UEs for subsequent communication. Therefore, one challenge may be identifying UEs that meet the necessary / required conditions. If, at a later stage, the UE determines that the found / discovered UE does not meet the required conditions, it can lead to efficiency issues. Furthermore, discovery filtering conditions may be unclear, and the network may not be able to manage discovery filtering conditions.

[0035] UE-to-UE direct communication (also known as device-to-device communication) is communication between two or more user equipments (UEs) that does not involve network infrastructure (such as base stations (BS)). Figure 3 As shown, data and signaling are transmitted directly between UEs. The PC5 interface can be used as a reference point for control plane and user plane communication between UEs. The PC5 control plane interface (PC5-C) can be used for at least one of the following: UE direct discovery, UE direct communication control, and / or UE-to-network relay control, etc. The PC5 user plane interface (PC5-U) can be used for at least one of the following: UE service packet transmission and / or carrying application layer (e.g., V2X, ProSe, ranging and positioning, sensing, etc.) signaling and data on the PC5-U.

[0036] In some implementations, the UE can access 5GS, obtain services via NG-RAN (through the Uu interface), and interact with the core network's Access and Mobility Control Function (AMF) via NAS signaling, such as... Figure 4As shown. The UE can perform direct UE-UE communication via the PC5 interface. In some implementations, when the UE is within the coverage area of ​​a cell, for example, if the UE can access the network through the serving cell of the RAN node (via the Uu interface), or if the UE can be paged by the RAN, the UE can be considered to be within coverage. In some implementations, when the UE cannot find any cell to connect to, the UE can be considered to be outside coverage.

[0037] In some implementations, the NG-RAN (5G Radio Access Network) can be responsible for air interface resource scheduling and air interface connection management of the network to which the UE is connected. In some implementations, the AMF (Active Information Function) can include at least one of the following functions: registration management, connection management, reachability management, and / or mobility management. In some implementations, the AMF can perform access authentication and access authorization. In some implementations, the Session Management Function (SMF) can include at least one of the following functions: session management (e.g., session establishment), modification and release, and / or UE IP address allocation and management. In some implementations, Unified Data Management (UDM) can manage the UE's subscription configuration. Subscriptions can include data used for mobility management, session management, and / or direct communication management. The AMF and SMF can obtain / retrieve subscriptions from the UDM. In some implementations, the Policy Control Function (PCF) can include at least one of the following functions: supporting a unified policy framework to manage network behavior, and / or providing policy rules to control plane functions to enforce policy rules. In some implementations, the Network Exposure Function (NEF) may be optionally deployed for exchanging information between the 5GC and external third parties. In some implementations, the Application Function / Application Server (AF / AS) can provide services through the 5G system. In some implementations, the Location Management Function (LMF) can manage the overall coordination and scheduling of resources required for the location of UEs registered or accessing the 5GCN. In some implementations, the LMF can calculate or verify the final location, estimate any speed, and estimate the achieved accuracy. In some implementations, the Sensing Function (SF) can receive sensing service requests from the NEF / AF or from the UE. The SF can manage the overall coordination and scheduling of resources required for sensing.

[0038] In some implementations, the first step in performing UE-to-UE communication may be to discover / find / identify neighboring UEs. Within a given area, UEs capable of performing UE-to-UE communication may be in different situations, such as UEs subscribed to the same operator and / or UEs subscribed to different operators. In some implementations, some UEs may have the same serving PLMN, while other UEs may have different serving PLMNs. Some UEs may be within coverage, while other UEs may be outside coverage. The applications running on the UEs may also differ, such as V2X, ProSe, ranging and positioning, sensing, etc.

[0039] As described herein, UE discovery is the process of effectively finding / identifying suitable target UEs for subsequent communication. In some implementations, the key lies in finding UEs with the same purpose or meeting the same conditions. If the UE subsequently determines / finds an unsuitable UE, it may lead to wasted resources (e.g., inefficiency). In some implementations, the UE discovery system may have limited capabilities in filtering coverage conditions (such as being in or out of coverage) and the intended PLMN (e.g., the subscribed PLMN). Furthermore, the network may lack the ability to dynamically configure UE discovery conditions.

[0040] In some implementations, when a UE (e.g., a discoverer) performs / discovers a UE discovery or communication request, the UE may indicate discovery filtering conditions in the message. Discovery filtering conditions may include coverage conditions and / or a subscribed PLMN. Coverage conditions may include discoverer coverage conditions (e.g., in-coverage or out-of-coverage) or expected discoverer coverage conditions (e.g., in-coverage or out-of-coverage). Subscribed PLMNs may include PLMNs subscribed to by the discoverer or expected PLMNs subscribed to by the discoverer. In some implementations, when a found / determined / discovered UE (e.g., a discoverer UE) responds to a discovery message / communication request, it may indicate discoverer coverage conditions (e.g., in-coverage or out-of-coverage) and / or the discoverer's subscribed PLMN. In some implementations, the network may configure discovery filtering conditions for the UE during UE registration or through a UE configuration update.

[0041] Now for reference Figure 5This document describes an example implementation of the UE discovery process in model "A". In this example, the discovering UE announces "I am here". As shown, the announcing UE (UE-1) can send an announcement message (or, in some implementations, a group member announcement message). The announcement message may include the type of discovery message, the type of discovery content, the user information ID of the announcing UE, and an optional group ID, etc. In some implementations, filtering information may be carried in the announcement message. The filtering information may include in-coverage conditions or out-of-coverage conditions and / or a list of allowed PLMNs (e.g., subscribed PLMNs, equivalent PLMN lists, expected PLMN lists, etc.). Monitoring UEs (e.g., UE-2, UE-3, UE-4) can select the announcing UE based on the information described herein (e.g., the filtering information).

[0042] Now for reference Figure 6 This diagram illustrates an example implementation of the UE discovery process in Model "B". In this example, the discovering UE queries "Who is there?" and / or "Are you there?", and the discovered UE responds "I am here". As shown, the discovering UE (UE-1) can send / transmit / provide a probe message (or a group membership probe message). The probe message may include the type of discovery message, the type of discovery content, an optional user information ID of the discovering UE, the user information ID of the discovering UE, and / or an optional group ID. In some implementations, filtering information may be carried in the probe message. The filtering information may include in-coverage or out-of-coverage conditions and / or a list of allowed PLMNs (e.g., subscribed PLMNs, equivalent PLMN lists, expected PLMN lists, etc.). In some implementations, the discovered UEs (e.g., UE-2, UE-3, UE-4) may match the probe message and the filtering conditions. If the conditions are met, the discovered UE can respond to the discovering UE with a response message. The response message may include the type of discovery message, the user information ID of the discovering UE, and / or the filtering conditions. Filtering criteria can include in-coverage or out-of-coverage conditions, contracted PLMNs, etc.

[0043] Now for reference Figure 7This document describes an example implementation of a UE direct communication request. In some implementations, UE-1 may send / transmit / provide a direct communication request message (for broadcast, multicast, or unicast purposes) to initiate a link establishment process. The direct communication request message may include source user information, service information, group ID, source layer-2 ID, and / or destination layer-2 ID. In some implementations, filtering information may be carried in the direct communication request message. The filtering information may include in-coverage or out-of-coverage conditions, a list of allowed PLMNs (e.g., subscribed PLMNs, discovered UEs (e.g., UE-2, UE-3, UE-4), a list of expected PLMNs, etc. If a UE (e.g., UE-2, UE-3) matches the filtering conditions in the direct communication request message, the UE responds with a direct communication acceptance message. The acceptance message may include the filtering conditions. The filtering information may include in-coverage or out-of-coverage conditions, subscribed PLMNs, etc.

[0044] Now for reference Figure 8 This diagram illustrates an example implementation of the UE configuration registration process. As shown, the UE can send a registration message to the AMF. The AMF can obtain / receive UE subscription data from the UDM, which may include filtering conditions. The AMF can determine, for example, based on local configuration or subscription data, whether the UE needs UE discovery filtering information. If needed, the AMF can send the UE discovery filtering information to the UE via a registration acceptance message.

[0045] Now for reference Figure 9 This paper describes an example implementation of the UE Configuration Update (UCU) process. In some implementations, changes to UE subscription data or UE policies may affect UE discovery filtering information. In this case, the AMF updates the UE with the changed filtering information. As shown in the figure, UE subscription data may change, and the UDM can use the Nudm_SDM_Notification service operation to notify the AMF of the changed subscription data. In some implementations, the PCF can update the UE policy by calling the Namf_Communication_N1N2MessageTransfer service operation to the AMF. This message may include a UE policy container. The AMF can determine that the UE discovery filtering information has changed, for example, based on local configuration, subscription data notification from the UDM, or UE policy data from the PCF. The AMF can then send a UE configuration update command including the UE discovery filtering information to the UE.

[0046] Now for reference Figure 10 The diagram illustrates a flowchart of a method 1000 for device discovery control. Method 1000 can utilize a combination of... Figure 1-9The method may be implemented using any of the detailed components and apparatus described. In summary, method 1000 may include (step 1002) sending / transmitting / providing a first message to a plurality of second wireless communication devices, the first message indicating one or more discovery filtering conditions. The method may also include (step 1004) receiving / obtaining / acquiring the first message, the first message indicating one or more discovery filtering conditions.

[0047] In step (1002), in some configurations, a first wireless communication device (e.g., a discoverer) may send / transmit / provide a first message to multiple second wireless communication devices (e.g., multiple discoverers). The first message may indicate / include one or more discovery filtering conditions.

[0048] In some configurations, a first wireless communication device can receive / obtain / acquire a second message from at least one second wireless communication device. The second message may indicate / include information about the discovered at least one second wireless communication device. In some configurations, the information about the at least one second wireless communication device may include at least one of the following: in-coverage conditions, out-of-coverage conditions, and / or the subscribed PLMN.

[0049] In some configurations, the first message can be an announcement message or a group member announcement message, where one or more discovery filtering conditions can include at least one of the following: in-coverage conditions, out-of-coverage conditions, and / or a list of allowed Public Land Mobile Networks (PLMNs). In some configurations, the first message can be an inquiry message or a group member inquiry message, where one or more discovery filtering conditions can include at least one of the following: in-coverage conditions, out-of-coverage conditions, and / or a list of allowed PLMNs. In some configurations, the first message can be a direct communication request message, where one or more discovery filtering conditions can include at least one of the following: in-coverage conditions, out-of-coverage conditions, a list of allowed PLMNs, and / or a list of expected PLMNs.

[0050] In some configurations, the first wireless communication device can receive / obtain / acquire a third message from the core network entity. The third message may include / indicate one or more discovery filtering conditions. In response to the core network entity receiving a registration message from the first wireless communication device, the core network entity may determine one or more discovery filtering conditions. In some configurations, the first wireless communication device can receive / obtain / acquire a fourth message from the core network entity. The fourth message may include / indicate one or more discovery filtering conditions. In response to the core network entity receiving subscription data from the unified data management entity or policy data from the policy control function, the core network entity may update one or more discovery filtering conditions.

[0051] (Step 1004) In some configurations, the second wireless communication device may receive / obtain / acquire a first message from the first wireless communication device, the first message indicating one or more discovery filtering conditions. In some configurations, the second wireless communication device may send / transmit / provide a second message to the first wireless communication device. The second message may include / indicate information about the discovered second wireless communication device. In some configurations, the second message may include / indicate information including at least one of the following: in-coverage conditions, out-of-coverage conditions, and / or the subscribed PLMN.

[0052] In some configurations, in response to receiving a registration message from a first wireless communication device, the core network entity may determine one or more discovery filtering conditions. In some implementations, the core network entity may send / transmit / provide a third message to the first wireless communication device. The third message may include / indicate one or more discovery filtering conditions. In some configurations, one or more discovery filtering conditions may include at least one of the following: in-coverage conditions, out-of-coverage conditions, and / or a list of allowed PLMNs. In some configurations, in response to receiving subscription data from a unified data management entity or policy data from a policy control function, the core network entity may update one or more discovery filtering conditions. The core network entity may send / transmit / provide a fourth message to the first wireless communication device. The fourth message may include / indicate one or more updated discovery filtering conditions.

[0053] While various embodiments / implementations of this solution have been described above, it should be understood that they are presented by way of example only and not by way of limitation. Similarly, various diagrams may depict example architectures or configurations, provided to enable those skilled in the art to understand the exemplary features and functionality of this solution. However, those skilled in the art will understand that this solution is not limited to the example architectures or configurations shown, but can be implemented using various alternative architectures and configurations. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that one or more features of one embodiment / implementation may be combined with one or more features of another embodiment / implementation described herein. Therefore, the breadth and scope of this disclosure should not be limited by any of the illustrative embodiments described above.

[0054] It should also be understood that any reference to elements using designations such as "first," "second," etc., herein does not generally limit the number or order of these elements. Rather, these designations are used herein as a convenient means of distinguishing between two or more elements or multiple instances of a single element. Therefore, references to first and second elements do not imply that only two elements can be used, nor do they imply that the first element must somehow precede the second element.

[0055] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that information and signals can be represented using any of a variety of different technologies. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, and symbols referenced in the above description can be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, light fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0056] Those skilled in the art will further understand that any of the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, processors, devices, circuits, methods, and functions described in conjunction with the aspects disclosed herein can be implemented by electronic hardware (e.g., digital implementation, analog implementation, or a combination of both), firmware, various forms of program or design code in conjunction with instructions (which may be referred to herein as "software" or "software module" for convenience), or any combination of these technologies. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware, firmware, and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of function. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software, or a combination of these technologies, depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the system as a whole. Those skilled in the art can implement the described functionality in various ways for each specific application, but such implementation decisions will not depart from the scope of this disclosure.

[0057] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, devices, components, and circuits described herein can be implemented within or executed by integrated circuits (ICs), including general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, or any combination thereof. Logic blocks, modules, and circuits may further include antennas and / or transceivers for communication with various components within a network or device. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but alternatively, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or any other suitable configuration to perform the functions described herein.

[0058] If implemented in software, the functionality can be stored as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Therefore, the steps of the methods or algorithms disclosed herein can be implemented as software stored on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media include computer storage media and communication media, with communication media including any medium capable of transferring a computer program or code from one place to another. Storage media can be any available medium accessible to a computer. By way of example and not limitation, such computer-readable media can include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and accessible to a computer.

[0059] In this document, the term "module" as used herein refers to software, firmware, hardware, and any combination of such elements for performing the relevant functions described herein. Furthermore, for the purposes of discussion, various modules are described as discrete modules; however, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that two or more modules can be combined to form a single module that performs the relevant functions according to embodiments of the present solution.

[0060] Additionally, in embodiments of this solution, memory or other storage devices and communication components may be employed. It should be understood that, for clarity, embodiments of this solution have been described above with reference to different functional units and processors. However, it will be apparent that any suitable functional distribution among different functional units, processing logic elements, or domains can be used without departing from this solution. For example, a function illustrated as being performed by a separate processing logic element or controller may be performed by the same processing logic element or controller. Therefore, references to specific functional units are merely references to suitable means of providing the described functionality and do not indicate a strict logical or physical structure or organization.

[0061] Various modifications to the embodiments described in this disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other embodiments without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the broadest scope consistent with the novel features and principles disclosed herein as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method, comprising: A first wireless communication device sends a first message to a plurality of second wireless communication devices, the first message indicating one or more discovery filtering conditions.

2. The wireless communication method as described in claim 1, further comprising: The first wireless communication device receives a second message from at least one second wireless communication device, the second message indicating information about the at least one second wireless communication device that has been discovered.

3. The wireless communication method as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein, The first message is an announcement message or a group member announcement message, wherein the one or more discovery filtering conditions include at least one of the following: in-coverage conditions, out-of-coverage conditions, or a list of permitted public land mobile networks (PLMNs).

4. The wireless communication method as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein, The first message is a query message or a group member query message, wherein the one or more discovery filtering conditions include at least one of the following: in-coverage conditions, out-of-coverage conditions, or a list of allowed PLMNs.

5. The wireless communication method as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein, The first message is a direct communication request message, wherein the one or more discovery filtering conditions include at least one of the following: in-coverage conditions, out-of-coverage conditions, a list of allowed PLMNs, or a list of expected PLMNs.

6. The wireless communication method as described in claim 2, wherein, Information regarding at least one of the second wireless communication devices includes at least one of the following: in-coverage conditions, out-of-coverage conditions, or a contracted PLMN.

7. The wireless communication method as described in claim 1, further comprising: The first wireless communication device receives a third message from the core network entity, the third message including the one or more discovery filtering conditions; In response to the core network entity receiving a registration message from the first wireless communication device, the core network entity determines one or more discovery filtering conditions.

8. The wireless communication method as described in claim 1, further comprising: The first wireless communication device receives a fourth message from the core network entity, the fourth message including the one or more discovery filtering conditions; In response to the core network entity receiving subscription data from the unified data management entity or policy data from the policy control function, the core network entity updates one or more discovery filtering conditions.

9. A wireless communication method, comprising: A second wireless communication device receives a first message from a first wireless communication device, the first message indicating one or more discovery filtering conditions.

10. The wireless communication method as described in claim 9, further comprising: The second wireless communication device sends a second message to the first wireless communication device, the second message indicating information about the discovered second wireless communication device.

11. The wireless communication method as described in claim 10, wherein, The second message of the instruction information includes at least one of the following: in-coverage conditions, out-of-coverage conditions, or a contracted PLMN.

12. A wireless communication method, comprising: In response to receiving a registration message from the first wireless communication device, the core network entity determines one or more discovery filtering conditions; as well as The core network entity sends a third message to the first wireless communication device, the third message including one or more discovery filtering conditions.

13. The wireless communication method as described in claim 12, wherein, The one or more discovery filtering conditions include at least one of the following: in-coverage conditions, out-of-coverage conditions, or a list of allowed PLMNs.

14. The wireless communication method as described in claim 12, further comprising: In response to receiving subscription data from the unified data management entity or policy data from the policy control function, the core network entity updates the one or more discovery filtering conditions. as well as The core network entity sends a fourth message to the first wireless communication device, the fourth message including the updated discovery filtering conditions.

15. A wireless communication device, comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the processor is configured to read code from the memory and implement the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. A computer program product comprising computer-readable program medium code stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 14.

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