Energy data collection system and method

Abstract

At least one aspect relates to the following system, method, apparatus, or computer readable medium. A method of wireless communication includes a first network entity configured to receive, from a second network entity, a first message for subscribing to energy consumption data associated with a user equipment (UE), a group of UEs, traffic of the UE, or traffic of the group of UEs. In some embodiments, the second network entity can receive a third message from a third network entity. In some embodiments, the second network entity can send a fourth message to the third network entity, the fourth message including the obtained energy consumption data. The first network entity can be an energy consumption and efficiency function (ECEF) entity, the second network entity is a network exposure function (NEF) entity or an application function (AF) entity, and the third network entity is an application function (AF) entity. The first network entity can obtain the energy consumption data. The first network entity can send a second message, the second message including the obtained energy consumption data.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to wireless communication, including but not limited to energy data acquisition systems and methods. Background Technology

[0002] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), a standards organization, is currently developing a new radio interface called 5G New Radio (5G NR) and a next-generation packet core network (NG-CN or NGC). 5G NR will consist of three main components: the 5G Access Network (5G-AN), the 5G Core Network (5GC), and the User Equipment (UE). To facilitate the implementation of different data services and requirements, the network elements (also known as network functions) in the 5GC have been simplified, with some elements implemented in software and others in hardware, allowing for flexible adaptation to specific needs.

[0003] Electricity consumption is a significant factor affecting the operating costs of mobile network operators (MNOs). Statistics show that electricity costs have become the largest component of operators' maintenance costs. Climate change and increasing energy consumption are driving mobile network operators to improve energy efficiency. Energy efficiency has become a strategic priority for telecom operators worldwide. In the future, energy use by user equipment or individual services may be limited to energy quotas. 3GPP has conducted research on energy efficiency and energy-saving improvement scenarios and requirements in 5G systems (5GS). The principle is to make energy efficiency a service standard, enabling services to transmit based on diverse energy efficiency and energy consumption strategies.

[0004] To achieve service transmission control or policy control based on energy utilization quotas and energy consumption, it is necessary to determine the energy consumption generated by one or more UEs or services in the 5G system. Energy consumption data generated by one or more UEs or services can be collected through the Operation Administration and Maintenance (OAM) system. A drawback of the OAM mechanism is its lack of real-time capability. Data collection via OAM typically involves delays on the order of hours. This disclosure proposes a method for real-time energy consumption data collection. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein are intended to address matters relating to one or more problems existing in the prior art, and to provide additional features that will become readily apparent upon reference to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. According to various embodiments, exemplary systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are disclosed herein. However, it should be understood that these embodiments are by way of example only and not as limiting descriptions, and that various modifications may be made to the disclosed embodiments by those skilled in the art who read this disclosure, while maintaining the scope of this disclosure.

[0006] At least one aspect relates to a system, method, apparatus, or computer-readable medium. A wireless communication method includes: a first network entity configured to receive a first message from a second network entity, the first message being for subscribing to energy consumption data associated with a user equipment (UE), a group of UEs, a service of the UE, or a service of the group of UEs. In some embodiments, the second network entity may receive a third message from a third network entity. In some embodiments, the second network entity may send a fourth message to the third network entity, the fourth message including the acquired energy consumption data. The first network entity may be an Energy Consumption and Efficiency Function (ECEF) entity, the second network entity may be a Network Exposure Function (NEF) entity or an Application Function (AF) entity, and the third network entity may be an Application Function (AF) entity. The first network entity can acquire the energy consumption data. The first network entity may send a second message including the acquired energy consumption data.

[0007] At least one aspect relates to the following systems, methods, apparatus, or computer-readable media. A wireless communication method includes a first network entity that can subscribe to energy consumption data from a fourth network entity. The first network entity is an Energy Consumption and Energy Efficiency Function (ECEF) entity, and the fourth network entity is a Session Management Function (SMF) entity. In some embodiments, the fourth network entity may serve a PDU session corresponding to the energy consumption data. In some embodiments, the fourth network entity may subscribe to / request energy consumption data from a User Plane Function (UPF) entity and a radio access network node, enabling the UPF entity and / or the radio access network node to obtain the energy consumption data and report the obtained energy consumption data to the fourth network entity. In some embodiments, the first network entity may be an Energy Consumption and Energy Efficiency Function (ECEF) entity, and the fourth network entity may be a Policy and Charging Function (PCF) entity. In some embodiments, the fourth network entity may create Policy and Charging Control (PCC) rules for monitoring energy consumption data and send the PCC rules to the SMF entity. The SMF entity can subscribe to / request energy consumption data from the UPF entity and / or the radio access network node, enabling the UPF entity and / or the radio access network node to obtain the energy consumption data and report the obtained energy consumption data to the fourth network entity.

[0008] In some implementations, a first network entity may receive a fifth message, including the acquired energy consumption data, from or through a fourth network entity. The first network entity may be an Energy Consumption and Energy Efficiency Function (ECEF) entity, and the fourth network entity may be a first PCF entity. The fourth network entity may subscribe to / request energy consumption data from a second PCF entity. In some implementations, the first PCF may be an Access and Mobility PCF or a UE PCF, and the second PCF may be a PCF for a PDU session. The second PCF may create PCC rules for monitoring energy consumption data and send these rules to the SMF entity. In some implementations, the SMF entity may subscribe to / request energy consumption data from a UPF entity and / or a radio access network node, enabling the UPF entity and / or the radio access network node to obtain the energy consumption data and report it to the fourth network entity. Attached Figure Description

[0009] The following detailed description of various exemplary embodiments of this solution is provided with reference to the accompanying images or figures. The figures are for illustrative purposes only and depict only exemplary embodiments of this solution to aid the reader's understanding. Therefore, the figures should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection, application, or applicability of this solution. It should be noted that, to ensure clarity and ease of explanation, these figures may not be drawn strictly to scale.

[0010] Figure 1 An example cellular communication network that implements the technology disclosed herein is shown according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0011] Figure 2 Block diagrams of example base stations and user equipment according to some embodiments of this disclosure are shown.

[0012] Figure 3 An example of a 5G energy efficiency architecture according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0013] Figure 4 An example of a method for configuring energy limits for a business according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0014] Figure 5 An example energy consumption data acquisition method according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0015] Figure 6 An example energy consumption data acquisition method according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0016] Figure 7 An example energy consumption data acquisition method according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0017] Figure 8 A flowchart of an energy control method according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0018] Mobile communication technology and environment Figure 1 An example wireless communication network and / or system 100 implementing the technologies disclosed herein is illustrated according to an embodiment of this disclosure. In the following discussion, the wireless communication network 100 can be any wireless network, such as a cellular network or a narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) network, referred to herein as "Network 100". Such an example network 100 includes a base station 102 (hereinafter referred to as "BS 102", also known as a wireless communication node) and a user equipment 104 (hereinafter referred to as "UE 104", also known as a wireless communication device), which can communicate with each other via a communication link 110 (e.g., a wireless communication channel); it also includes a cluster of cellular 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 on its allocated bandwidth to provide adequate radio coverage for its target users.

[0019] For example, BS 102 can operate on the allocated channel transmission bandwidth to provide sufficient coverage for 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 described herein as non-limiting examples of "communication nodes," which in general can practice the methods disclosed herein. According to various embodiments of this scheme, such communication nodes may be capable of wireless and / or wired communication.

[0020] 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, which do not need to be detailed herein. In one exemplary embodiment, system 200 can be used in wireless communication environments (e.g., those described above). Figure 1 In a wireless communication environment 100, data symbols are transmitted (e.g., sent and received).

[0021] 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 processing module 214, a BS storage module 216, and a network communication module 218. These modules are coupled and interconnected as needed via a data communication bus 220. UE 204 includes a UE (user equipment) transceiver module 230, a UE antenna 232, a UE storage module 234, and a UE processing module 236. These modules are coupled and interconnected as needed via a data communication bus 240. BS 202 communicates with UE 204 via a communication channel 250, which can be any wireless channel or other medium suitable for the data transmission described herein.

[0022] Those skilled in the art should understand that, except Figure 2 In addition to the modules shown, system 200 may also include any number of other modules. Those skilled in the art will also understand that the various exemplary blocks, modules, circuits, and processing logic described according to the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in hardware, computer-readable software, firmware, or any practical combination thereof. To clearly illustrate the interchangeability and compatibility of hardware, firmware, and software, various exemplary components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are described in general terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software may depend on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the system as a whole. Those skilled in the art, upon which the concepts described herein are skilled, can implement such functionality appropriately for each specific application, but such implementation decisions should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure.

[0023] According to some embodiments, UE transceiver 230, referred to herein as "uplink" transceiver 230, includes a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and an RF receiver, both of which include 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, referred herein as "downlink" transceiver 210, includes an RF transmitter and an RF receiver, both of which include 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 may be time-coordinated such that the uplink receiver circuitry is coupled to uplink antenna 232 to receive transmissions via wireless transmission link 250, while the downlink transmitter is coupled to downlink antenna 212. Conversely, the operation of the two transceiver modules 210 and 230 can be time-coordinated, such that the downlink receiver is coupled to the downlink antenna 212 to receive transmissions via the wireless transmission link 250, while the uplink transmitter is coupled to the uplink antenna 232. In some implementations, there is tight time synchronization between the duplex direction switching and a minimum guard interval is provided.

[0024] UE transceiver 230 and base transceiver 210 are configured to communicate via wireless data communication link 250 and to cooperate with RF antenna arrangements 212 / 232 in a suitable configuration that supports specific wireless communication protocols and modulation schemes. In some exemplary 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 the application of this disclosure is not necessarily limited to specific standards and related protocols. 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.

[0025] Depending on the implementation, BS 202 can be, for example, an evolved Node B (eNB), a serving eNB, a target eNB, a micro base station, or a pico base station. In some implementations, UE 204 can be embodied as various user equipment, such as mobile phones, smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablets, laptops, wearable computing devices, etc. Processing modules 214 and 236 can be implemented or realized by 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 can be implemented as a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a state machine, etc. The processor can 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.

[0026] Furthermore, the steps of the methods or algorithms described according to the embodiments disclosed herein can be directly embodied in hardware, firmware, software modules executed by processing modules 214 and 236 respectively, or any actual combination thereof. Storage 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, storage modules 216 and 234 can be coupled to processing modules 210 and 230 respectively, such that processing modules 210 and 230 can read information from and write information to storage modules 216 and 234 respectively. Storage modules 216 and 234 can also be integrated into their respective processing modules 210 and 230. In some embodiments, storage modules 216 and 234 may each include a cache memory for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during the execution of instructions by processing modules 210 and 230 respectively. Storage modules 216 and 234 may each include non-volatile memory for storing instructions to be executed by processing modules 210 and 230, respectively.

[0027] Network communication module 218 typically represents the hardware, software, firmware, processing logic, and / or other components in 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 202. For example, network communication module 218 may be configured to support Internet or WiMAX traffic. In a typical deployment (non-limiting), network communication module 218 provides an 802.3 Ethernet interface, allowing base station transceiver 210 to communicate with a traditional Ethernet-based computer network. 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)). The terms “configured for,” “configured as,” and variations thereof, used herein with respect to a particular operation or function, refer to a device, component, circuit, structure, machine, signal, etc., physically constructed, programmed, formatted, and / or arranged to perform that particular operation or function.

[0028] The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model (referred to herein as the "OSI model") is a conceptual and logical layout that defines the network communication methods by which systems (e.g., wireless communication devices, wireless communication nodes) openly interconnect and communicate with other systems. The model is divided into seven sub-components or layers, each representing a conceptual set of services provided 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 can also be referred to as the seven-layer OSI model or the seven-layer model. In some implementations, the first layer may be the physical layer. In some implementations, the second layer may be the Media Access Control (MAC) layer. In some implementations, the third layer may be the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer. In some implementations, the fourth layer may be the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer. In some implementations, the fifth layer may be the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer. In some implementations, the sixth layer may be the Non-Access Stratum (NAS) layer or the Internet Protocol (IP) layer, while the seventh layer is another layer.

[0029] Various exemplary embodiments of this solution are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings to enable those skilled in the art to implement and use this solution. Those skilled in the art will understand after reading this disclosure that various changes or modifications can be made to the examples described herein without departing from the scope of this solution. Therefore, this solution is not limited to the exemplary embodiments and applications described and illustrated herein. Furthermore, the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the methods disclosed herein is merely illustrative. Based on design preferences, the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the disclosed methods or processes can be rearranged without departing from the scope of this solution. Therefore, those skilled in the art should understand that the methods and techniques disclosed herein present steps or actions in an exemplary order, and unless otherwise expressly stated, this solution is not limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.

[0030] Energy data acquisition methods Figure 3 An example of a 5G energy efficiency architecture is illustrated. The system may include a next-generation radio access network (NG-RAN 322, such as a 5G radio access network), access and mobility control functions (referred to herein as AMF 314), session management functions (referred to herein as SMF 312), user plane functions (referred to herein as UPF 320), unified data management (referred to herein as UDM 304), policy control functions (referred to herein as PCF 302), and network openness functions (referred to herein as NEF 306). The system also includes application functions (referred to herein as AF 308), a non-unified data repository (referred to herein as UDR 310), a network repository function (referred to herein as NRF 318), and energy consumption and efficiency functions (referred to herein as ECEF 316).

[0031] UE 104 can access a 5G system (referred to herein as 5GS) and obtain services via NAS signaling through NG-RAN 322 (e.g., a 5G radio access network) and AMF 314 in the core network. For ease of description, AMF 314 may include registration management, connection management, reachability management, and mobility management. Furthermore, AMF 314 can perform authentication and authorization. NG-RAN 322 can perform air interface resource scheduling and connection management for the network interacting with UE 104.

[0032] SMF 312 may include session management (e.g., session establishment), modification and release, UE IP address allocation and management, UP function selection and control, and downlink data notification. UPF 320 may include intra / inter-anchor RAT mobility, packet routing and forwarding, traffic usage reporting, user plane QoS processing, downlink packet buffering, and downlink data notification triggering. UDM 304 may manage subscription profiles for one or more UEs 104. This subscription may include data for mobility management and session management. In some scenarios, AMF 314 and SMF 312 may receive subscriptions from UDM 304.

[0033] PCF 302 supports a unified policy framework for managing network behavior, providing policy rules to one or more control plane functions to enforce those rules. NEF 306 can be used for information exchange between 5GC and external third parties, while AF 308 and AS provide 5GS services. UDR 310 supports UDM 304 and PCF 302 for storing and retrieving subscription data and supports open access. NRF 318 supports the registration and service catalog of network function (NF) instance profiles. NRF 318 can receive NF discovery request tables from consumer NFs. Furthermore, NRF 318 can provide information about discovered NF instances to consumer NFs. ECEF 316 can store energy-related information in 5GS. Energy-related information can include energy consumption, energy efficiency, renewable energy, and carbon emissions. ECEF 316 can calculate and store energy usage status and transmit energy-related information to authorized consumers.

[0034] In some implementations, ECEF 316 can be a standalone NF, and all or part of ECEF 316 can be part of other 5G network functions (e.g., PCF 302, UDR 310, NEF 306). For example, ECEF 316 can be part of other 5G network functions. ECEF 316 can be replaced by other 5G network functions. In some implementations, ECEF 316 can be part of UDR 310. For example, if ECEF 316 is part of UDR 310, then ECEF 316 can be replaced by UDR 310, and the interaction between ECEF 316 and UDR 310 occurs within UDR 310. In some implementations, energy quota ranges (e.g., energy limits) can be set for UE104 or another specific service (e.g., internet services such as Facebook, Instagram, X). For example, if energy usage exceeds the energy quota, the network will stop the UE's service and the packet service for that specific service. 3GPP may not define ECEF 316 and other procedures defined in ECEF 316. Embodiments of this disclosure provide a method for dynamically configuring energy quotas (e.g., energy limits) for one or more UE 104s or specific services, and a method for controlling energy usage in 5GS. For ease of description, energy usage (in some embodiments, energy usage may be energy consumption) can be expressed in joules (J) or watt-hours (Wh).

[0035] In this disclosure, data (e.g., energy consumption, energy quotas, remaining energy quotas, etc.) can be collected from network entities (e.g., BS 102, UE 104), particularly from Radio Access Network (RAN) nodes 322 and UPF 320. The primary sources of energy consumption occur at said RAN nodes 322 and UPF 320. ECEF 316 can calculate total energy consumption by taking into account energy consumption in other network functions. For example, ECEF 316 can collect energy consumption from control plane network functions in the OAM system and distribute the energy consumption to each UE 104.

[0036] Figure 4 An example of method 400 for configuring energy limits for a service is depicted. AF 308 can subscribe to energy consumption data from 5GS. This subscription can be for at least one of the following: UE 104, UE 104 group, UE 104's service, or UE 104 group's service. Method 400 may include ECEF 316, UDR 310, UDM 304, NEF 306, and AF 308. In step 402, AF 308 subscribes to / requests energy consumption data from NEF 306. The subscription message indicates that the subscription is for UE 104 (identified by a Subscription Permanent Identifier (SUPI) or a Common Public Subscription Identifier (GPSI)) or UE 104 group (e.g., one or more UE 104s identified by an External Group ID), UE 104's service, or UE 104 group's service. Services can be identified by the following: application identifier, IP address information (e.g., IP address, FQDN, or IP port), data network name (DNN), or single network slice selection aid information (S-NSSAI). Messages may include timestamps (e.g., start time, end time, access time, etc.) and reporting conditions (e.g., periodic reporting, threshold reporting). The message may contain renewable energy indications or carbon emission information indications.

[0037] The renewable energy indicator can indicate the amount of energy consumed by the AF 308 request. The AF 308 can calculate the amount of renewable energy in the consumed energy. The carbon emission information indicator can indicate the amount of carbon emission information within the energy consumption cycle requested by the AF 308. In some scenarios, the target may include the service of UE 104 or the IP address of UE 104. In some scenarios, when service information is detected, the AF 308 can measure the energy consumption of the detected service. Conversely, when no service information is detected, the AF 308 can measure the total energy consumption of UE 104 or the group of UE 104.

[0038] In step 404, NEF 306 may approve AF 308's request. NEF 306 may convert (e.g., resolve, decrypt, extrapolate) the external group identifier to an internal group identifier via UDM 304 or UDR 310. This conversion may convert GPSI to SUPI. In some scenarios, if the target indicates UE 104 group, NEF 306 may convert the external group identifier to a list of UE 104. The list of UE 104 may be identified by SUPI. In step 406, NEF 306 subscribes to energy consumption data from ECEF 316. The message may include parameters of the energy consumption data. The subscription may include such parameters. The target UE 104 may be identified by SUPI, a list of SUPIs, or an internal group ID. In some scenarios, if UE 104 is identified by an internal group ID, ECEF 316 converts the internal group identifier to a list of UE 104.

[0039] In step 408, ECEF 316 can collect energy consumption data for each target UE 104 or the services of each target UE 104 received in step 406. ECEF 316 can calculate the energy consumption data and capture energy consumption in other network functions. In some scenarios, reporting conditions can be met. For example, if the reporting conditions are met, ECEF 316 can report the energy consumption data to NEF 306. The energy consumption data may include renewable energy consumption data and carbon emission information from the overall energy consumption data. In step 410, NEF 306 can report the energy consumption to AF 308.

[0040] ECEF 316 can collect energy data when it receives an energy consumption data subscription from one or more UEs 104. Figure 5 An example energy consumption data acquisition method 500 is described. Method 500 illustrates the process by which ECEF 316 acquires energy consumption data from SMF 312 serving a UE 104 PDU session. Method 500 may include NG-RAN 322, AMF 314, UPF 320, SMF 312, UDM 304, and ECEF 316. This method is targeted at... Figure 4 Each target UE 104 received in step 406 is executed.

[0041] In step 502, for each UE 104, ECEF 316 retrieves the SMF 312 information of UE 104 from UDM 304 using the Nudm_SDM_Get / Subscribe service operation. Each UE 104 may have one or more PDU sessions. The SMF 312 information may include the PDU session ID, SMF 312 ID, PCF 302 ID, DNN, and S-NSSAI for each PDU session. For each PDU session in UE 104, ECEF 316 may perform the subsequent steps of method 500. In step 504, for each PDU session in UE 104, ECEF 316 may subscribe to or request from SMF 312 to receive energy consumption data for the PDU session. The energy consumption data includes... Figure 4 The parameters received in step 406. Parameters may include business information, timestamp, reporting conditions, renewable energy indication, carbon emission information indication, and ECEF 316 information.

[0042] In step 506, SMF 312 can subscribe to or request UPF 320 to report energy consumption data and the parameters received in step 504. ECEF 316 information can be included in the message. In step 508, SMF 312 subscribes to NG-RAN 322 node to report energy consumption and the parameters from step 504 via AMF 314. In step 510, NG-RAN 322 can measure energy consumption data based on the parameters received in step 508. Furthermore, NG-RAN 322 can transmit a report to SMF 312 via AMF 314 when reporting conditions are met.

[0043] In step 512, UPF 320 can measure energy consumption data based on the parameters received in step 508. Furthermore, UPF 320 can transmit a report to SMF 312 when reporting conditions are met. In step 514, SMF 312 can report the energy consumption data to ECEF 316. In step 516, if ECEF 316 information has been obtained from step 506, UPF 320 can report the energy consumption data to ECEF 316.

[0044] ECEF 316 can receive energy consumption data subscriptions for each UE 104 in the subscription. Figure 6 An example energy consumption data acquisition method 600 is described. Method 600 may include NG-RAN 322, UPF 320, SMF 312, PCF 302, UDM 304, and ECEF 316. ECEF 316 can acquire energy consumption data from PCF 302 for a PDU session targeting a UE. Each step of method 600 can be targeted at... Figure 4Each target UE 104 received in step 406 is executed.

[0045] In step 602, for each UE 104, ECEF 316 can retrieve the SMF 312 information of UE 104 from UDM 304 using the Nudm_SDM_Get / Subscribe service operation. Each UE 104 may have one or more PDU sessions. The SMF 312 information may include the PDU session ID, SMF 312 ID, PCF 302 ID, DNN, and S-NSSAI for each PDU session. For each PDU session in UE 104, ECEF 316 may perform the subsequent steps of method 600.

[0046] In step 604, for each PDU session in UE 104, ECEF 316 can subscribe to energy consumption data from PCF 302 for that PDU session. The energy consumption data includes... Figure 4 The parameters received in step 406 are as follows. These parameters may include business information, timestamps, reporting conditions, renewable energy indications, carbon emission information indications, and ECEF 316 information. In step 606, PCF 302 can create PCC rules based on the parameters received in step 604. PCC rules can be used to monitor energy consumption. PCF 302 can send the energy consumption data monitoring rules to SMF 312, and can use the Npcf_SMPolicyControl_UpdateNotify request.

[0047] In step 608, SMF 312 can subscribe to / request UPF 320 to report energy consumption and the parameters received in the PCC rule of step 606. In step 610, SMF 312 can subscribe to / request NG-RAN 322 to report energy consumption data via AMF 314 according to the parameters received in the PCC rule of step 606. In step 612, NG-RAN 322 can measure energy consumption data according to the parameters received in step 610. NG-RAN 322 can send a report to SMF 312 when the reporting conditions are met. In step 614, UPF 320 can measure energy consumption data according to the parameters received in step 608. UPF 320 can send a report to SMF 312 when the reporting conditions are met. In step 616, SMF 312 can report energy consumption data to PCF 302. In step 618, PCF 302 can report energy consumption data to ECEF 316.

[0048] Figure 7An example energy consumption data acquisition method 700 is described. This method may include any of the functionalities described herein. ECEF316 can acquire energy consumption data from PCF 302 of UE 104 (referred to herein as AM-PCF 704). AM-PCF 704 can acquire energy consumption data from PCF 302 (referred to herein as SM-PCF 702) for each PDU session of UE 104. The steps of method 700 can be targeted at… Figure 4 Each target UE 104 received in step 406 is executed.

[0049] In step 708, AM-PCF 704 can generate an association of SM-PCF 702 with each PDU session of UE 104. In step 710, for each UE 104, ECEF 316 can use Nbsf_Management_Subscribe (SUPI as an input parameter) to search for AM-PCF 704 for the UE. This input parameter can instruct ECEF 316 to actively search for AM-PCF 704 associated with the UE's AM policy. BSF can notify ECEF 316 of the AM-PCF 704 for UE 104. In step 712, ECEF 316 can subscribe to energy consumption data for AM-PCF 704 for UE 104. The energy consumption data includes... Figure 4 The parameters received in step 406. Parameters may include business information, timestamp, reporting conditions, renewable energy indication, carbon emission information indication, and ECEF 316 information.

[0050] Subsequent steps of method 700 can be performed for each SM-PCF 702 of each PDU session of UE 104. In step 714, for each SM-PCF 702 of each PDU session of UE 104, AM-PCF 704 subscribes to or requests energy consumption data from the SM-PCF 702 of the PDU session. The parameters received in step 712 can be sent to SM-PCF 702 via a message. In step 716, SM-PCF 702 can create PCC rules based on the parameters received in step 714. PCC rules can be used to monitor energy consumption. SM-PCF 702 can send the energy consumption data monitoring rules to SMF 312 and can use an Npcf_SMPolicyControl_UpdateNotify request. In step 718, SMF 312 subscribes to UPF 320 to report energy consumption and the parameters received in the PCC rules of step 716. In step 720, SMF 312 subscribes to NG-RAN 322 to report energy consumption and the parameters received in the PCC rule of step 716 via AMF 314. In step 722, NG-RAN 322 measures energy consumption data according to the conditions received in step 720. NG-RAN 322 may send a report to SMF 312 via AMF 314 when the reporting conditions are met. In step 724, UPF 320 measures energy consumption data according to the conditions received in step 718. UPF 320 may send a report to SMF 312 when the reporting conditions are met. In step 726, SMF 312 may report energy consumption data to SM-PCF 702. In step 728, SM-PCF 702 may report energy consumption data to AM-PCF 704. In step 730, AM-PCF 704 may report energy consumption data to ECEF 316.

[0051] It should be understood that one or more features in the above / below implementation examples are not unique to a particular implementation example, but can be combined in any way (e.g., with any priority and / or order, concurrently or otherwise).

[0052] Figure 8 A flowchart of an energy control method 800 is shown. Method 800 can be described in conjunction with the methods described herein. Figures 1 to 7 The method may be performed by any one or more of the detailed components and devices. Generally, in some embodiments, method 800 may be performed by a wireless communication node (e.g., a base station (BS) or a radio access network (RAN) node). Depending on the embodiment, more, fewer, or different operations may be performed in method 800. At least one aspect of these operations relates to a system, method, apparatus, or computer-readable medium.

[0053] A wireless communication method includes: a second network entity sending a first message to a first network entity, the first message being for subscribing to energy consumption data associated with a user equipment (UE), a UE group, a service of the UE, or a service of the UE group. The second network entity can receive a third message from a third network entity. The second network entity can send a fourth message to the third network entity, the fourth message including the acquired energy consumption data. The first network entity may be an Energy Consumption and Energy Efficiency Function (ECEF 316) entity, the second network entity may be a Network Open Function (NEF 306) entity or an Application Function (AF 308) entity, and the third network entity may be an Application Function (AF 308) entity. The first network entity can obtain the energy consumption data. The first network entity can send a second message including the acquired energy consumption data.

[0054] A wireless communication method includes a first network entity that can subscribe to energy consumption data from a fourth network entity. The first network entity is an Energy Consumption and Energy Efficiency Function (ECEF 316) entity, and the fourth network entity is a Session Management Function (SMF 312) entity. The fourth network entity can serve a PDU session corresponding to the energy consumption data. The fourth network entity can subscribe to / request energy consumption data from a User Plane Function (UPF 320) entity and a Radio Access Network Node 322, enabling the UPF 320 entity and / or the Radio Access Network Node 322 to obtain the energy consumption data and report the obtained energy consumption data to the fourth network entity. The first network entity can be an Energy Consumption and Energy Efficiency Function (ECEF 316) entity, and the fourth network entity can be a Policy and Charging Function (PCF 302) entity. The fourth network entity can create a Policy and Charging Control (PCC) rule for monitoring the energy consumption data and send the PCC rule to the SMF 312 entity. The SMF 312 entity can subscribe to / request energy consumption data from the UPF 320 entity and / or the radio access network node 322, enabling the UPF 320 entity and / or the radio access network node 322 to obtain the energy consumption data and report the obtained energy consumption data to the fourth network entity.

[0055] The first network entity can receive a fifth message from or through the fourth network entity, the fifth message including the acquired energy consumption data. The first network entity may be an Energy Consumption and Energy Efficiency Function (ECEF 316) entity, and the fourth network entity is the first PCF 302 entity. The fourth network entity may subscribe to / request energy consumption data from the second PCF 302 entity. The first PCF 302 may be an Access and Mobility PCF 302 or a UE PCF 302, and the second PCF 302 is a PCF 302 for a PDU session. The second PCF 302 may create PCC rules for monitoring energy consumption data and send the PCC rules to the SMF 312 entity. The SMF 312 entity may subscribe to / request energy consumption data from the UPF 320 entity and / or the Radio Access Network Node 322, enabling the UPF 320 entity and / or the Radio Access Network Node 322 to obtain the energy consumption data and report the acquired energy consumption data to the fourth network entity.

[0056] Although various embodiments of this solution have been described above, it should be understood that these embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit it. Similarly, the accompanying drawings may depict exemplary architectures or configurations intended to help those skilled in the art understand the exemplary features and functionality of this solution. However, those skilled in the art should understand that this solution is not limited to the illustrated exemplary architectures or configurations, but can be implemented using various alternative architectures and configurations. Furthermore, as those skilled in the art will understand, one or more features of one embodiment may be combined with one or more features of another embodiment described herein. Therefore, the breadth and scope of this disclosure should not be limited to any of the exemplary embodiments described above.

[0057] It should also be understood that the use of designations such as "first" and "second" for elements in this document does not generally restrict the number or order of these elements. Rather, these designations serve as a convenient way to distinguish between two or more elements or multiple instances of the same element. Therefore, referring to the first and second elements does not imply that only two elements can be used, or that the first element must precede the second element in some way.

[0058] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that information and signals can be represented using any of a variety of different techniques and skills. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, and symbols that may be referenced in the above description can all be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, light fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0059] Those skilled in the art will also understand that any of the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, processors, devices, circuits, methods, and functions described in connection 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 containing instructions (which may be referred to herein as "software" or "software module" for convenience), or any combination of these technologies. To clearly illustrate the interchangeability of hardware, firmware, and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above in general terms of functionality. 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 should not lead to a departure from the scope of this disclosure.

[0060] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, devices, components, and circuits described herein can be implemented within or executed by integrated circuits (ICs), which may include 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 also include antennas and / or transceivers for communicating with various components within a network or device. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but alternatively, it may be any conventional processor, controller, or state machine. A 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 for performing the functions described herein.

[0061] If implemented in software, these functions 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 both computer storage media and communication media, with communication media including any medium capable of enabling the transfer of computer programs 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 the required program code in the form of instructions or data structures and is accessible to a computer.

[0062] In this document, the term "module" as used herein refers to software, firmware, hardware, and any combination of these elements used to perform the associated functions described herein. Furthermore, for ease of discussion, various modules are described as discrete modules; however, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, two or more modules can be combined into a single module that performs the associated functions according to the embodiments of this solution.

[0063] Furthermore, implementations of this solution may employ memory or other storage devices, as well as communication components. It should be understood that, for clarity, implementations of this solution have been described above with reference to different functional units and processors. However, it is apparent that any suitable allocation of functions among different functional units, processing logic elements, or domains can be employed without affecting this solution. For example, functions illustrated as being performed by separate processing logic elements or controllers can be performed by the same processing logic element or controller. Therefore, references to specific functional units refer only to suitable means of providing said functions and not to indicating a strict logical or physical structure or organization.

[0064] Those skilled in the art will readily understand that various modifications can be made to the embodiments described in this disclosure, and that 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 widest scope consistent with the novel features and principles disclosed herein, as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method, comprising: The first network entity receives a first message from the second network entity, the first message being used to subscribe to energy consumption data associated with a user equipment (UE), a UE group, a UE's service, or a UE group's service; The first network entity obtains the energy consumption data; and The first network entity sends a second message to the second network entity, the second message including the obtained energy consumption data.

2. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, wherein, The second network entity receives a third message from the third network entity for subscribing to the energy consumption data, and sends a fourth message to the third network entity including the obtained energy consumption data.

3. The wireless communication method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The first network entity is the Energy Consumption and Energy Efficiency Function (ECEF) entity, the second network entity is the Network Openness Function (NEF) entity or the Application Function (AF) entity, and the third network entity is the Application Function (AF) entity.

4. A wireless communication method, comprising: The first network entity subscribes to energy consumption data from the fourth network entity; as well as The first network entity receives a fifth message from or through the fourth network entity, the fifth message including the obtained energy consumption data.

5. The wireless communication method according to claim 4, wherein, The first network entity is the Energy Consumption and Energy Efficiency Function (ECEF) entity, and the fourth network entity is the Session Management Function (SMF) entity.

6. The wireless communication method according to claim 5, wherein, The fourth network entity serves the PDU session corresponding to the energy consumption data.

7. The wireless communication method according to claim 6, wherein, The fourth network entity subscribes to / requests the energy consumption data from the User Plane Function (UPF) entity and the radio access network node, so that the UPF entity and / or the radio access network node obtain the energy consumption data and report the obtained energy consumption data to the fourth network entity.

8. The wireless communication method according to claim 4, wherein, The first network entity is the Energy Consumption and Energy Efficiency Function (ECEF) entity, and the fourth network entity is the Policy and Accounting Function (PCF) entity.

9. The wireless communication method according to claim 8, wherein, The fourth network entity creates a Policy and Billing Control (PCC) rule for monitoring the energy consumption data and sends the PCC rule to the SMF entity.

10. The wireless communication method according to claim 9, wherein, The SMF entity subscribes to / requests the energy consumption data from the UPF entity and / or the radio access network node, enabling the UPF entity and / or the radio access network node to obtain the energy consumption data and report the obtained energy consumption data to the fourth network entity.

11. The wireless communication method according to claim 4, wherein, The first network entity is the Energy Consumption and Energy Efficiency Function (ECEF) entity, and the fourth network entity is the first PCF entity.

12. The wireless communication method according to claim 11, wherein, The fourth network entity subscribes to / requests the energy consumption data from the second PCF entity.

13. The wireless communication method according to claim 12, wherein, The first PCF is the Access and Mobility PCF or the UE PCF, and the second PCF is the PCF for the PDU session.

14. The wireless communication method according to claim 12 or 13, wherein, The second PCF creates a PCC rule for monitoring the energy consumption data and sends the PCC rule to the SMF entity.

15. The wireless communication method according to claim 14, wherein, The SMF entity subscribes to / requests the energy consumption data from the UPF entity and / or the radio access network node, enabling the UPF entity and / or the radio access network node to obtain the energy consumption data and report the obtained energy consumption data to the fourth network entity.

16. 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 of any one of claims 1 to 15.

17. 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 of any one of claims 1 to 15.

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