Methods and apparatus for enhanced mac address privacy in wireless communications

Abstract

A wireless transmit and receive unit (WTRU) may trigger the establishment of a protocol data unit (PDU) session. The WTRU may be implementing randomized and changing MAC addresses (RCM). The WTRU may be configured to use a plurality of MAC addresses simultaneously. The WTRU may send, to a network, a request to establish the PDU session, wherein the request includes a first set of MAC addresses to be used over the PDU session. The WTRU may receive a response including a second set of MAC addresses. The WTRU may use one or more MAC addresses from the first set, or from the second set, if the second set was sent by the network. The WTRU may determine a change in one or more MAC addresses being used over the PDU session. The WTRU may send, to the network, an indication of the change.

Description

METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR ENHANCED MAC ADDRESS PRIVACY IN WIRELESSCOMMUNICATIONSCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 536,224, filed September 01 , 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND

[0002] Internet privacy (e.g., user tracking) affects all layers of the protocol stack, from the lower layers involved in the actual access to the network (e.g., the Layer-2 and Layer-3 addresses can be used to obtain the location of a user) to higher layer protocol identifiers and user applications. In an example, IEEE 802 Medium Access Control (MAC) addresses have historically been an easy target for tracking users. Attackers who are equipped with surveillance equipment can monitor Wi-Fi packets (e.g., IP packets) and track the activity of Wi-Fi devices. Once the association between a device and its user is made, identifying the device and its activity is sufficient to deduce information about what the user is doing, without the user consent.

[0003] In current implementations, MAC addresses can be easily observed by a third party, such as a passive device listening to communications in the same network. In an 802.11 network, for example, a station may expose its MAC address while unassociated and actively scanning for available networks, as the MAC address is used in the Probe Request frames sent by the device (aka IEEE 802.11 STA). Once associated with a given Access Point (AP), the MAC address is used in frame transmission and reception, as one of the addresses used in the address fields of an IEEE 802.11 frame.

[0004] To reduce the risk of correlation between a device activity and its owner, multiple vendors (e.g., service providers) have started to implement Randomized and Changing MAC addresses (RCM). With this scheme, an end-device implements a different RCM over time when exchanging traffic over a wireless network. By randomizing the MAC address, the persistent association between a given traffic flow and a single device is made more difficult, assuming no other visible unique identifiers are in use.SUMMARY

[0005] In current 3GPP systems, only one MAC address per device or WTRU is supported. The 3GPP network is reactive in learning the MAC address(es) in use by a WTRU. From network point of view, each WTRU has a single MAC address, and different MAC addresses belong to different WTRUs A WTRU is not able to proactively signal multiple MAC addresses that are or may be in use simultaneously. The WTRU is not able to notify the network of any change of a MAC address in use.

[0006] With randomized and changing MAC addresses (RCM) a device may use different MAC addresses over time when exchanging traffic over a wireless network. Even if RCM is not in use, the device may use multiple MAC addresses simultaneously. However, there is no mechanism in place to securely and selectivelyexpose MAC addresses being used by the device in such cases. A need for new or improved methods, procedures and architectures was identified. It is desired to enable a WTRU to make use of RCM and / or multiple MAC addresses simultaneously in coordination with a mobile / cellular network.

[0007] In this invention, methods to enable the use of RCM and / or multiple MAC addresses in a cellular / mobile network are disclosed. Additionally, methods to enable an application function (AF) to subscribe to the network for an event exposure associated with a change of a device MAC address(es) are disclosed.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] A more detailed understanding may be had from the following description, given by way of example in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals in the figures indicate like elements, and wherein:

[0009] A more detailed understanding may be had from the detailed description below, given by way of example in conjunction with drawings appended hereto. Figures in such drawings, like the detailed description, are examples. As such, the Figures (FIGs.) and the detailed description are not to be considered limiting, and other equally effective examples are possible and likely. Furthermore, like reference numerals ("ref.") in the FIGs. indicate like elements, and wherein:

[0010] FIG. 1A is a system diagram illustrating an example communications system in which one or more disclosed embodiments may be implemented;

[0011] FIG. 1 B is a system diagram illustrating an example wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU) that may be used within the communications system illustrated in FIG. 1A according to an embodiment;

[0012] FIG. 1C is a system diagram illustrating an example radio access network (RAN) and an example core network (CN) that may be used within the communications system illustrated in FIG. 1A according to an embodiment;

[0013] FIG. 1D is a system diagram illustrating a further example RAN and a further example CN that may be used within the communications system illustrated in FIG. 1A according to an embodiment;

[0014] FIG. 2 depicts an example of a MAC address format;

[0015] FIG. 3 depicts an example scenario with multiple WTRUs and hosts connected to a same 3GPP network;

[0016] FIG. 4 depicts an example of a scenario of a proactive MAC address monitoring;

[0017] FIG. 5 illustrates an example call flow of a proactive MAC address monitoring procedure;

[0018] FIG. 6 depicts an example of a scenario of an extended network exposure functionality to support MAC address change;

[0019] FIG. 7 illustrates an example call flow of an extended network exposure functionality to support MAC address change;

[0020] FIG. 8 depicts an example of a scenario of selective MAC address monitoring;

[0021] FIG. 9 illustrates an example call flow of a selective MAC address monitoring;

[0022] FIG. 10 illustrates an example flow chart of the RCM process from the WTRU point of view; and

[0023] FIG. 11 illustrates an example flow chart of the RCM process from the network point of view.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] FIG. 1A is a diagram illustrating an example communications system 100 in which one or more disclosed embodiments may be implemented. The communications system 100 may be a multiple access system that provides content, such as voice, data, video, messaging, broadcast, etc., to multiple wireless users. The communications system 100 may enable multiple wireless users to access such content through the sharing of system resources, including wireless bandwidth. For example, the communications systems 100 may employ one or more channel access methods, such as code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), singlecarrier FDMA (SC-FDMA), zero-tail unique-word discrete Fourier transform Spread OFDM (ZT-UW-DFT-S- OFDM), unique word OFDM (UW-OFDM), resource block-filtered OFDM, filter bank multicarrier (FBMC), and the like.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 1A, the communications system 100 may include wireless transmit / receive units (WTRUs) 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d, a radio access network (RAN) 104, a core network (ON) 106, a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 108, the Internet 110, and other networks 112, though itwill be appreciated that the disclosed embodiments contemplate any number of WTRUs, base stations, networks, and / or network elements. Each of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d may be any type of device configured to operate and / or communicate in a wireless environment By way of example, the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d, any of which may be referred to as a station (STA), may be configured to transmit and / or receive wireless signals and may include a user equipment (UE), a mobile station, a fixed or mobile subscriber unit, a subscription-based unit, a pager, a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a smartphone, a laptop, a netbook, a personal computer, a wireless sensor, a hotspot or Mi-Fi device, an Internet of Things (loT) device, a watch or other wearable, a head-mounted display (HMD), a vehicle, a drone, a medical device and applications (e.g., remote surgery), an industrial device and applications (e.g., a robot and / or other wireless devices operating in an industrial and / or an automated processing chain contexts), a consumer electronics device, a device operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, and the like. Any of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c and 102d may be interchangeably referred to as a UE.

[0026] The communications systems 100 may also include a base station 114a and / or a base station 114b. Each of the base stations 114a, 114b may be any type of device configured to wirelessly interface with at least one of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d to facilitate access to one or more communication networks, such as the ON 106, the Internet 110, and / or the other networks 112. By way of example, the base stations 114a, 114b may be a base transceiver station (BTS), a NodeB, an eNode B (eNB), a Home Node B, a Home eNodeB, a next generation NodeB, such as a gNode B (gNB), a new radio (NR) NodeB, a site controller, an access point (AP), a wireless router, and the like. While the base stations 114a, 114b are each depicted as a single element, it will be appreciated that the base stations 114a, 114b may include any number of interconnected base stations and / or network elements.

[0027] The base station 114a may be part of the RAN 104, which may also include other base stations and / or network elements (not shown), such as a base station controller (BSC), a radio network controller (RNC), relay nodes, and the like. The base station 114a and / or the base station 114b may be configured to transmit and / or receive wireless signals on one or more carrier frequencies, which may be referred to as a cell (not shown). These frequencies may be in licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, or a combination of licensed and unlicensed spectrum A cell may provide coverage for a wireless service to a specific geographical area that may be relatively fixed or that may change over time. The cell may further be divided into cell sectors. For example, the cell associated with the base station 114a may be divided into three sectors. Thus, in one embodiment, the base station 114a may include three transceivers, i.e., one for each sector of the cell. In an embodiment, the base station 114a may employ multiple-input multiple output (MIMO) technology and may utilize multiple transceivers for each sector of the cell. For example, beamforming may be used to transmit and / or receive signals in desired spatial directions.

[0028] The base stations 114a, 114b may communicate with one or more of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d over an air interface 116, which may be any suitable wireless communication link (e.g., radio frequency (RF), microwave, centimeter wave, micrometer wave, infrared (IR), ultraviolet (UV), visible light, etc.). The air interface 116 may be established using any suitable radio access technology (RAT).

[0029] More specifically, as noted above, the communications system 100 may be a multiple access system and may employ one or more channel access schemes, such as CDMA, TDMA, FDMA, OFDMA, SC-FDMA, and the like. For example, the base station 114a in the RAN 104 and the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may implement a radio technology such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA), which may establish the air interface 116 using wideband CDMA (WCDMA). WCDMA may include communication protocols such as High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA) and / or Evolved HSPA (HSPA+). HSPA may include High-Speed Downlink (DL) Packet Access (HSDPA) and / or High-Speed Uplink (UL) Packet Access (HSUPA).

[0030] In an embodiment, the base station 114a and the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may implement a radio technology such as Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA), which may establish the air interface 116 using Long Term Evolution (LTE) and / or LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) and / or LTE-Advanced Pro (LTE-A Pro).

[0031] In an embodiment, the base station 114a and the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may implement a radio technology such as NR Radio Access , which may establish the air interface 116 using NR.

[0032] In an embodiment, the base station 114a and the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may implement multiple radio access technologies. For example, the base station 114a and the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may implement LTE radio access and NR radio access together, for instance using dual connectivity (DC) principles.Thus, the air interface utilized by WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may be characterized by multiple types of radio access technologies and / or transmissions sent to / from multiple types of base stations (e.g , an eNB and a gNB).

[0033] In other embodiments, the base station 114a and the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may implement radio technologies such as IEEE 802.11 (i.e , Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), IEEE 802.16 (i.e., Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX)), CDMA2000, CDMA2000 1X, CDMA2000 EV-DO, Interim Standard 2000 (IS-2000), Interim Standard 95 (IS-95), Interim Standard 856 (IS-856), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), GSM EDGE (GERAN), and the like.

[0034] The base station 114b in FIG 1A may be a wireless router, Home Node B, Home eNode B, or access point, for example, and may utilize any suitable RAT for facilitating wireless connectivity in a localized area, such as a place of business, a home, a vehicle, a campus, an industrial facility, an air corridor (e.g., for use by drones), a roadway, and the like. In one embodiment, the base station 114b and the WTRUs 102c, 102d may implement a radio technology such as IEEE 802.11 to establish a wireless local area network (WLAN). In an embodiment, the base station 114b and the WTRUs 102c, 102d may implement a radio technology such as IEEE 802.15 to establish a wireless personal area network (WPAN). In yet another embodiment, the base station 114b and the WTRUs 102c, 102d may utilize a cellular-based RAT (e.g., WCDMA, CDMA2000, GSM, LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A Pro, NR etc.) to establish a picocell or femtocell. As shown in FIG. 1A, the base station 114b may have a direct connection to the Internet 110. Thus, the base station 114b may not be required to access the Internet 110 via the CN 106.

[0035] The RAN 104 may be in communication with the CN 106, which may be any type of network configured to provide voice, data, applications, and / or voice over internet protocol (VoIP) services to one or more of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d. The data may have varying quality of service (QoS) requirements, such as differing throughput requirements, latency requirements, error tolerance requirements, reliability requirements, data throughput requirements, mobility requirements, and the like. The CN 106 may provide call control, billing services, mobile location-based services, pre-paid calling, Internet connectivity, video distribution, etc., and / or perform high-level security functions, such as user authentication. Although not shown in FIG. 1A, it will be appreciated that the RAN 104 and / or the CN 106 may be in direct or indirect communication with other RANs that employ the same RAT as the RAN 104 or a different RAT. For example, in addition to being connected to the RAN 104, which may be utilizing a NR radio technology, the CN 106 may also be in communication with another RAN (not shown) employing a GSM, UMTS, CDMA 2000, WiMAX, E-UTRA, or WiFi radio technology.

[0036] The CN 106 may also serve as a gateway for the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d to access the PSTN 108, the Internet 110, and / or the other networks 112. The PSTN 108 may include circuit-switched telephone networks that provide plain old telephone service (POTS). The Internet 110 may include a global system of interconnected computer networks and devices that use common communication protocols, such as the transmission control protocol (TCP), user datagram protocol (UDP) and / or the internet protocol (IP) in theTCP / IP internet protocol suite. The networks 112 may include wired and / or wireless communications networks owned and / or operated by other service providers. For example, the networks 112 may include another CN connected to one or more RANs, which may employ the same RAT as the RAN 104 or a different RAT.

[0037] Some or all of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d in the communications system 100 may include multi-mode capabilities (e.g., the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d may include multiple transceivers for communicating with different wireless networks over different wireless links). For example, the WTRU 102c shown in FIG. 1 A may be configured to communicate with the base station 114a, which may employ a cellularbased radio technology, and with the base station 114b, which may employ an IEEE 802 radio technology.

[0038] FIG. 1 B is a system diagram illustrating an example WTRU 102. As shown in FIG. 1B, the WTRU 102 may include a processor 118, a transceiver 120, a transmit / receive element 122, a speaker / microphone 124, a keypad 126, a display / touchpad 128, non-removable memory 130, removable memory 132, a power source 134, a global positioning system (GPS) chipset 136, and / or other peripherals 138, among others. It will be appreciated that the WTRU 102 may include any sub-combination of the foregoing elements while remaining consistent with an embodiment.

[0039] The processor 118 may be a general purpose processor, a special purpose processor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in association with a DSP core, a controller, a microcontroller, Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), any other type of integrated circuit (IC), a state machine, and the like. The processor 118 may perform signal coding, data processing, power control, input / output processing, and / or any other functionality that enables the WTRU 102 to operate in a wireless environment. The processor 118 may be coupled to the transceiver 120, which may be coupled to the transmit / receive element 122. While FIG. 1 B depicts the processor 118 and the transceiver 120 as separate components, it will be appreciated that the processor 118 and the transceiver 120 may be integrated together in an electronic package or chip.

[0040] The transmit / receive element 122 may be configured to transmit signals to, or receive signals from, a base station (e.g., the base station 114a) over the air interface 116. For example, in one embodiment, the transmit / receive element 122 may be an antenna configured to transmit and / or receive RF signals. In an embodiment, the transmit / receive element 122 may be an emitter / detector configured to transmit and / or receive IR, UV, or visible light signals, for example. In yet another embodiment, the transmit / receive element 122 may be configured to transmit and / or receive both RF and light signals. It will be appreciated that the transmit / receive element 122 may be configured to transmit and / or receive any combination of wireless signals.

[0041] Although the transmit / receive element 122 is depicted in FIG. 1 B as a single element, the WTRU 102 may include any number of transmit / receive elements 122. More specifically, the WTRU 102 may employ MIMO technology. Thus, in one embodiment, the WTRU 102 may include two or more transmit / receive elements 122 (e g., multiple antennas) for transmitting and receiving wireless signals over the air interface 116.

[0042] The transceiver 120 may be configured to modulate the signals that are to be transmitted by the transmit / receive element 122 and to demodulate the signals that are received by the transmit / receive element 122. As noted above, the WTRU 102 may have multi-mode capabilities. Thus, the transceiver 120 may include multiple transceivers for enabling the WTRU 102 to communicate via multiple RATs, such as NR and IEEE 802.11 , for example.

[0043] The processor 118 of the WTRU 102 may be coupled to, and may receive user input data from, the speaker / microphone 124, the keypad 126, and / or the display / touchpad 128 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) display unit or organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display unit) The processor 118 may also output user data to the speaker / microphone 124, the keypad 126, and / or the display / touchpad 128. In addition, the processor 118 may access information from, and store data in, any type of suitable memory, such as the non-removable memory 130 and / or the removable memory 132. The non-removable memory 130 may include random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), a hard disk, or any other type of memory storage device. The removable memory 132 may include a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, a memory stick, a secure digital (SD) memory card, and the like. In other embodiments, the processor 118 may access information from, and store data in, memory that is not physically located on the WTRU 102, such as on a server or a home computer (not shown).

[0044] The processor 118 may receive power from the power source 134, and may be configured to distribute and / or control the power to the other components in the WTRU 102. The power source 134 may be any suitable device for powering the WTRU 102. For example, the power source 134 may include one or more dry cell batteries (e.g., nickel-cadmium (NiCd), nickel-zinc (NiZn), nickel metal hydride (NiMH), lithium-ion (Li- ion), etc.), solar cells, fuel cells, and the like.

[0045] The processor 118 may also be coupled to the GPS chipset 136, which may be configured to provide location information (e.g., longitude and latitude) regarding the current location of the WTRU 102. In addition to, or in lieu of, the information from the GPS chipset 136, the WTRU 102 may receive location information over the air interface 116 from a base station (e.g., base stations 114a, 114b) and / or determine its location based on the timing of the signals being received from two or more nearby base stations. It will be appreciated that the WTRU 102 may acquire location information by way of any suitable location-determination method while remaining consistent with an embodiment

[0046] The processor 118 may further be coupled to other peripherals 138, which may include one or more software and / or hardware modules that provide additional features, functionality and / or wired or wireless connectivity. For example, the peripherals 138 may include an accelerometer, an e-compass, a satellite transceiver, a digital camera (for photographs and / or video), a universal serial bus (USB) port, a vibration device, a television transceiver, a hands free headset, a Bluetooth® module, a frequency modulated (FM) radio unit, a digital music player, a media player, a video game player module, an Internet browser, a Virtual Reality and / or Augmented Reality (VR / AR) device, an activity tracker, and the like. The peripherals 138 may include one or more sensors. The sensors may be one or more of a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a hall effect sensor,a magnetometer, an orientation sensor, a proximity sensor, a temperature sensor, a time sensor; a geolocation sensor, an altimeter, a light sensor, a touch sensor, a magnetometer, a barometer, a gesture sensor, a biometric sensor, a humidity sensor and the like.

[0047] The WTRU 102 may include a full duplex radio for which transmission and reception of some or all of the signals (e g., associated with particular subframes for both the UL (e.g., for transmission] and DL (e.g., for reception) may be concurrent and / or simultaneous. The full duplex radio may include an interference management unit to reduce and or substantially eliminate self-interference via either hardware (e.g., a choke) or signal processing via a processor (e.g., a separate processor (not shown) or via processor 118). In an embodiment, the WTRU 102 may include a half-duplex radio for which transmission and reception of some or all of the signals (e.g., associated with particular subframes for either the UL (e g., for transmission) or the DL (e g., for reception)).

[0048] FIG. 1C is a system diagram illustrating the RAN 104 and the CN 106 according to an embodiment. As noted above, the RAN 104 may employ an E-UTRA radio technology to communicate with the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c over the air interface 116. The RAN 104 may also be in communication with the CN 106.

[0049] The RAN 104 may include eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, 160c, though it will be appreciated that the RAN 104 may include any number of eNode-Bs while remaining consistent with an embodiment. The eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, 160c may each include one or more transceivers for communicating with the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c over the air interface 116. In one embodiment, the eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, 160c may implement MIMO technology. Thus, the eNode-B 160a, for example, may use multiple antennas to transmit wireless signals to, and / or receive wireless signals from, the WTRU 102a.

[0050] Each of the eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, 160c may be associated with a particular cell (not shown) and may be configured to handle radio resource management decisions, handover decisions, scheduling of users in the UL and / or DL, and the like. As shown in FIG. 1 C, the eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, 160c may communicate with one another over an X2 interface.

[0051] The CN 106 shown in FIG. 1C may include a mobility management entity (MME) 162, a serving gateway (SGW) 164, and a packet data network (PDN) gateway (PGW) 166. While the foregoing elements are depicted as part of the CN 106, it will be appreciated that any of these elements may be owned and / or operated by an entity other than the CN operator.

[0052] The MME 162 may be connected to each of the eNode-Bs 162a, 162b, 162c in the RAN 104 via an S1 interface and may serve as a control node. For example, the MME 162 may be responsible for authenticating users of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, bearer activation / deactivation, selecting a particular serving gateway during an initial attach of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, and the like. The MME 162 may provide a control plane function for switching between the RAN 104 and other RANs (not shown) that employ other radio technologies, such as GSM and / or WCDMA

[0053] The SGW 164 may be connected to each of the eNode Bs 160a, 160b, 160c in the RAN 104 via the S1 interface. The SGW 164 may generally route and forward user data packets to / from the WTRUs 102a,102b, 102c. The SGW 164 may perform other functions, such as anchoring user planes during inter-eNode B handovers, triggering paging when DL data is available for the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, managing and storing contexts of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, and the like.

[0054] The SGW 164 may be connected to the PGW 166, which may provide the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c with access to packet-switched networks, such as the Internet 110, to facilitate communications between the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c and IP-enabled devices.

[0055] The CN 106 may facilitate communications with other networks For example, the CN 106 may provide the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c with access to circuit-switched networks, such as the PSTN 108, to facilitate communications between the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c and traditional land-line communications devices. For example, the CN 106 may include, or may communicate with, an IP gateway (e.g., an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) server) that serves as an interface between the CN 106 and the PSTN 108. In addition, the CN 106 may provide the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c with access to the other networks 112, which may include other wired and / or wireless networks that are owned and / or operated by other service providers.

[0056] Although the WTRU is described in FIGS. 1A-1 D as a wireless terminal, it is contemplated that in certain representative embodiments that such a terminal may use (e.g., temporarily or permanently) wired communication interfaces with the communication network.

[0057] In representative embodiments, the other network 112 may be a WLAN.

[0058] A WLAN in Infrastructure Basic Service Set (BSS) mode may have an Access Point (AP) for the BSS and one or more stations (STAs) associated with the AP. The AP may have access or an interface to a Distribution System (DS) or another type of wired / wireless network that carries traffic in to and / or out of the BSS. Traffic to STAs that originates from outside the BSS may arrive through the AP and may be delivered to the STAs. Traffic originating from STAs to destinations outside the BSS may be sent to the AP to be delivered to respective destinations. Traffic between STAs within the BSS may be sent through the AP, for example, where the source STA may send traffic to the AP and the AP may deliver the traffic to the destination STA The traffic between STAs within a BSS may be considered and / or referred to as peer-to-peer traffic. The peer-to- peer traffic may be sent between (e.g., directly between) the source and destination STAs with a direct link setup (DLS). In certain representative embodiments, the DLS may use an 802.11e DLS or an 802.11z tunneled DLS (TDLS). A WLAN using an Independent BSS (IBSS) mode may not have an AP, and the STAs (e.g., all of the STAs) within or using the IBSS may communicate directly with each other. The IBSS mode of communication may sometimes be referred to herein as an “ad-hoc” mode of communication.

[0059] When using the 802.11 ac infrastructure mode of operation or a similar mode of operations, the AP may transmit a beacon on a fixed channel, such as a primary channel. The primary channel may be a fixed width (e.g., 20 MHz wide bandwidth) or a dynamically set width. The primary channel may be the operating channel of the BSS and may be used by the STAs to establish a connection with the AP. In certain representative embodiments, Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA / CA) may be implemented, for example in 802.11 systems. For CSMA / CA, the STAs (e.g., every STA), including the AP,may sense the primary channel. If the primary channel is sensed / detected and / or determined to be busy by a particular STA, the particular STA may back off. One STA (e.g., only one station) may transmit at any given time in a given BSS.

[0060] High Throughput (HT) STAs may use a 40 MHz wide channel for communication, for example, via a combination of the primary 20 MHz channel with an adjacent or nonadjacent 20 MHz channel to form a 40 MHz wide channel.

[0061] Very High Throughput (VHT) STAs may support 20MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, and / or 160 MHz wide channels The 40 MHz, and / or 80 MHz, channels may be formed by combining contiguous 20 MHz channels. A 160 MHz channel may be formed by combining 8 contiguous 20 MHz channels, or by combining two noncontiguous 80 MHz channels, which may be referred to as an 80+80 configuration. For the 80+80 configuration, the data, after channel encoding, may be passed through a segment parser that may divide the data into two streams. Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) processing, and time domain processing, may be done on each stream separately The streams may be mapped on to the two 80 MHz channels, and the data may be transmitted by a transmitting STA. At the receiver of the receiving STA, the above described operation for the 80+80 configuration may be reversed, and the combined data may be sent to the Medium Access Control (MAC).

[0062] Sub 1 GHz modes of operation are supported by 802.11 af and 802.11 ah. The channel operating bandwidths, and carriers, are reduced in 802.11 af and 802.11ah relative to those used in 802.11n, and 802.11ac. 802.11 af supports 5 MHz, 10 MHz, and 20 MHz bandwidths in the TV White Space (TVWS) spectrum, and 802.11 ah supports 1 MHz, 2 MHz, 4 MHz, 8 MHz, and 16 MHz bandwidths using non-TVWS spectrum. According to a representative embodiment, 802.11 ah may support Meter Type Control / Machine- Type Communications (MTC), such as MTC devices in a macro coverage area. MTC devices may have certain capabilities, for example, limited capabilities including support for (e.g , only support for) certain and / or limited bandwidths The MTC devices may include a battery with a battery life above a threshold (e.g., to maintain a very long battery life).

[0063] WLAN systems, which may support multiple channels, and channel bandwidths, such as 802 11 n, 802.11ac, 802.11 af, and 802.11 ah, include a channel which may be designated as the primary channel. The primary channel may have a bandwidth equal to the largest common operating bandwidth supported by all STAs in the BSS. The bandwidth of the primary channel may be set and / or limited by a STA, from among all STAs in operating in a BSS, which supports the smallest bandwidth operating mode. In the example of 802.11 ah, the primary channel may be 1 MHz wide for STAs (e.g., MTC type devices) that support (e.g., only support) a 1 MHz mode, even if the AP, and other STAs in the BSS support 2 MHz, 4 MHz, 8 MHz, 16 MHz, and / or other channel bandwidth operating modes. Carrier sensing and / or Network Allocation Vector (NAV) settings may depend on the status of the primary channel. If the primary channel is busy, for example, due to a STA (which supports only a 1 MHz operating mode) transmitting to the AP, all available frequency bands may be considered busy even though a majority of the available frequency bands remains idle.

[0064] In the United States, the available frequency bands, which may be used by 802.11 ah, are from 902 MHz to 928 MHz. In Korea, the available frequency bands are from 917.5 MHz to 923.5 MHz. In Japan, the available frequency bands are from 916.5 MHz to 927.5 MHz. The total bandwidth available for 802.11 ah is 6 MHz to 26 MHz depending on the country code.

[0065] FIG. 1 D is a system diagram illustrating the RAN 104 and the CN 106 according to an embodiment. As noted above, the RAN 104 may employ an NR radio technology to communicate with the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c over the air interface 116. The RAN 104 may also be in communication with the CN 106.

[0066] The RAN 104 may include gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c, though it will be appreciated that the RAN 104 may include any number of gNBs while remaining consistent with an embodiment. The gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c may each include one or more transceivers for communicating with the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c over the air interface 116. In one embodiment, the gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c may implement MIMO technology. For example, gNBs 180a, 108b may utilize beamforming to transmit signals to and / or receive signals from the gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c. Thus, the gNB 180a, for example, may use multiple antennas to transmit wireless signals to, and / or receive wireless signals from, the WTRU 102a. In an embodiment, the gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c may implement carrier aggregation technology. For example, the gNB 180a may transmit multiple component carriers to the WTRU 102a (not shown). A subset of these component carriers may be on unlicensed spectrum while the remaining component carriers may be on licensed spectrum. In an embodiment, the gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c may implement Coordinated Multi-Point (CoMP) technology. For example, WTRU 102a may receive coordinated transmissions from gNB 180a and gNB 180b (and / or gNB 180c).

[0067] The WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may communicate with gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c using transmissions associated with a scalable numerology. For example, the OFDM symbol spacing and / or OFDM subcarrier spacing may vary for different transmissions, different cells, and / or different portions of the wireless transmission spectrum. The WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may communicate with gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c using subframe or transmission time intervals (TTIs) of various or scalable lengths (e.g., containing a varying number of OFDM symbols and / or lasting varying lengths of absolute time).

[0068] The gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c may be configured to communicate with the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c in a standalone configuration and / or a non-standalone configuration. In the standalone configuration, WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may communicate with gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c without also accessing other RANs (e.g., such as eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, 160c). In the standalone configuration, WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may utilize one or more of gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c as a mobility anchor point. In the standalone configuration, WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may communicate with gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c using signals in an unlicensed band. In a non-standalone configuration WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may communicate with / connect to gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c while also communicating with / connecting to another RAN such as eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, 160c. For example, WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may implement DC principles to communicate with one or more gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c and one or more eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, 160c substantially simultaneously. In the non- standalone configuration, eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, 160c may serve as a mobility anchor for WTRUs 102a, 102b,102c and gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c may provide additional coverage and / or throughput for servicing WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c.

[0069] Each of the gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c may be associated with a particular cell (not shown) and may be configured to handle radio resource management decisions, handover decisions, scheduling of users in the UL and / or DL, support of network slicing, DC, interworking between NR and E-UTRA, routing of user plane data towards User Plane Function (UPF) 184a, 184b, routing of control plane information towards Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) 182a, 182b and the like. As shown in FIG. 1D, the gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c may communicate with one another over an Xn interface.

[0070] The CN 106 shown in FIG. 1 D may include at least one AMF 182a, 182b, at least one UPF 184a, 184b, at least one Session Management Function (SMF) 183a, 183b, and possibly a Data Network (DN) 185a, 185b. While the foregoing elements are depicted as part of the CN 106, it will be appreciated that any of these elements may be owned and / or operated by an entity other than the CN operator.

[0071] The AMF 182a, 182b may be connected to one or more of the gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c in the RAN 104 via an N2 interface and may serve as a control node. For example, the AMF 182a, 182b may be responsible for authenticating users of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, support for network slicing (e.g., handling of different protocol data unit (PDU) sessions with different requirements), selecting a particular SMF 183a, 183b, management of the registration area, termination of non-access stratum (NAS) signaling, mobility management, and the like. Network slicing may be used by the AMF 182a, 182b in order to customize CN support for WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c based on the types of services being utilized WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c. For example, different network slices may be established for different use cases such as services relying on ultra-reliable low latency (URLLC) access, services relying on enhanced massive mobile broadband (eMBB) access, services for MTC access, and the like The AMF 182a, 182b may provide a control plane function for switching between the RAN 104 and other RANs (not shown) that employ other radio technologies, such as LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A Pro, and / or non-3GPP access technologies such as WiFi.

[0072] The SMF 183a, 183b may be connected to an AMF 182a, 182b in the CN 106 via an N11 interface. The SMF 183a, 183b may also be connected to a UPF 184a, 184b in the CN 106 via an N4 interface. The SMF 183a, 183b may select and control the UPF 184a, 184b and configure the routing of traffic through the UPF 184a, 184b. The SMF 183a, 183b may perform other functions, such as managing and allocating UE IP address, managing PDU sessions, controlling policy enforcement and QoS, providing DL data notifications, and the like. A PDU session type may be IP-based, non-IP based, Ethernet-based, and the like.

[0073] The UPF 184a, 184b may be connected to one or more of the gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c in the RAN 104 via an N3 interface, which may provide the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c with access to packet-switched networks, such as the Internet 110, to facilitate communications between the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c and IP-enabled devices. The UPF 184, 184b may perform other functions, such as routing and forwarding packets, enforcing user plane policies, supporting multi-homed PDU sessions, handling user plane QoS, buffering DL packets, providing mobility anchoring, and the like.

[0074] The CN 106 may facilitate communications with other networks For example, the CN 106 may include, or may communicate with, an IP gateway (e.g., an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) server) that serves as an interface between the CN 106 and the PSTN 108. In addition, the CN 106 may provide the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c with access to the other networks 112, which may include other wired and / or wireless networks that are owned and / or operated by other service providers In one embodiment, the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may be connected to a local DN 185a, 185b through the UPF 184a, 184b via the N3 interface to the UPF 184a, 184b and an N6 interface between the UPF 184a, 184b and the DN 185a, 185b.

[0075] In view of FIGs. 1A-1 D, and the corresponding description of FIGs. 1A-1 D, one or more, or all, of the functions described herein with regard to one or more of: WTRU 102a-d, Base Station 114a-b, eNode-B 160a-c, MME 162, SGW 164, PGW 166, gNB 180a-c, AMF 182a-b, UPF 184a-b, SMF 183a-b, DN 185a-b, and / or any other device(s) described herein, may be performed by one or more emulation devices (not shown). The emulation devices may be one or more devices configured to emulate one or more, or all, of the functions described herein. For example, the emulation devices may be used to test other devices and / or to simulate network and / or WTRU functions.

[0076] The emulation devices may be designed to implement one or more tests of other devices in a lab environment and / or in an operator network environment. For example, the one or more emulation devices may perform the one or more, or all, functions while being fully or partially implemented and / or deployed as part of a wired and / or wireless communication network in order to test other devices within the communication network. The one or more emulation devices may perform the one or more, or all, functions while being temporarily implemented / deployed as part of a wired and / or wireless communication network The emulation device may be directly coupled to another device for purposes of testing and / or performing testing using over-the-air wireless communications.

[0077] The one or more emulation devices may perform the one or more, including all, functions while not being implemented / deployed as part of a wired and / or wireless communication network. For example, the emulation devices may be utilized in a testing scenario in a testing laboratory and / or a non-deployed (e.g., testing) wired and / or wireless communication network in order to implement testing of one or more components. The one or more emulation devices may be test equipment. Direct RF coupling and / or wireless communications via RF circuitry (e.g., which may include one or more antennas) may be used by the emulation devices to transmit and / or receive data.

[0078] Internet privacy (e.g., user tracking) affects all layers of the protocol stack, from the lower layers involved in the actual access to the network (e.g., the Layer-2 and Layer-3 addresses can be used to obtain the location of a user) to higher layer protocol identifiers and user applications. In an example, IEEE 802 Medium Access Control (MAC) addresses have historically been an easy target for tracking users. Attackers who are equipped with surveillance equipment can monitor Wi-Fi packets (e.g , IP packets sent using Wi-Fi) and track the activity of Wi-Fi devices. Once the association between a device and its user is made, identifyingthe device and its activity is sufficient to deduce information about what the user is doing, without the user consent.

[0079] IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi) interfaces, as any other kind of IEEE 802-based network interface, like Ethernet (e g., IEEE 802.3) have a Layer-2 address also referred to as a MAC address, which can be seen by anybody who can receive the signal transmitted by the network interface.

[0080] In current implementations, MAC addresses can be easily observed by a third party, such as a passive device listening to communications in the same network. In an 802.11 network, for example, a station exposes its MAC address in two different situations. In one example is the exposure while unassociated and actively scanning for available networks. In this case, the MAC address is used in the Probe Request frames sent by the device (aka IEEE 802.11 STA). Another example is the exposure once the device is associated with a given Access Point (AP). In this case, the MAC address is used in frame transmission and reception, as one of the addresses used in the address fields of an IEEE 802.11 frame.

[0081] FIG. 2 depicts an example of a MAC address format.

[0082] MAC addresses can either be universally administered or locally administered. A MAC address is identified as being locally administered when the second-last significant bit of the most significant octet 2001 of the address is set 2002. The MAC address is identified as globally unique when the U / L bit is unset.

[0083] A universally administered address is uniquely assigned to a device by its manufacturer (and is called the burned-in address) Most physical devices are provided with a universally administered address, which is composed of two parts: (i) the Company Identifier (CID) 2003, which are the first three octets in transmission order and identify the organization that issued the identifier, and (ii) Network Interface Controller (NIC) 2004 specific, which are the following three octets, assigned by the organization that manufactured the NIC, in such a way that the resulting MAC address is globally unique. Since universally administered MAC addresses are by definition globally-un ique, when a device uses this MAC address to transmit data -especially over the air- it is relatively easy to track this device by simple medium observation This traceability poses a privacy concern when the device is directly associated to a single user (e.g., smartphones etc.).

[0084] Locally administered addresses can override the burned-in address, and they can either be set-up by the network administrator, or by the Operating System (OS) of the device to which the address pertains. This allows generating local addresses without the need for any global coordination mechanism to ensure that the generated address is still unique within the local network. This feature can be used to generate random addresses, which decouple the globally-unique identifier from the device and therefore make it more difficult to track a user device from its MAC / L2 address. There are initiatives at the IEEE 802 and other organizations to specify ways in which these locally administered addresses should be assigned, depending on the use case.

[0085] To reduce the risk of correlation between a device activity and its owner, multiple vendors (e.g., service providers) have started to implement randomized and changing MAC addresses (RCM). With this scheme, an end-device implements a different RCM over time when exchanging traffic over a wireless network.By randomizing the MAC address, the persistent association between a given traffic flow and a single device is made more difficult, assuming no other visible unique identifiers are in use.

[0086] In one example, there may be a one-to-one mapping between a MAC address and a network interface, e.g., there may be a mapping between the MAC address and a device (unless there is a MA PDU session). This type of mapping may be a limitation if devices perform RCM and / or use multiple MAC addresses simultaneously. For instance, an application function (AF), identified by a MAC address, may request special traffic steering. In this case, the AF may need additional extensions to support devices executing RCM / multiple addresses. In addition, the use of RCM may come with new enabling requirements, such as enabling selective exposure of additional MAC addresses (and historic) to authorized AFs. For instance, considering a 3GPP system, such as LTE or 5G-NR system, some procedures may be limited to up to sixteen devices addresses per WTRU, e.g., if secondary authentication is in use. In some cases, functionality to respond to IPv4 ARP or to IPv6 NS (by the SMF) may be limited to one single MAC address per IP address.

[0087] In one example, in a 3GPP system, a globally unique 5G subscription permanent identifier (SUPI) may be allocated to each subscriber in the system and provisioned in a unified data management (UDM) or unified data repository (UDR). The SUPI may be used within the 3GPP system to identify the device. A SUPI is just one non-limiting example of a permanent identifier.

[0088] An external identifier may be needed for addressing a 3GPP device in different data networks outside of the 3GPP system. In one example, in a 3GPP system, a generic public subscription identifier (GPSI) may be used. GPSIs are public identifiers and may be used both inside and outside of the 3GPP system. A GPSI is just one non-limiting example of an external identifier The external identifier may be an application function (AF) specific identifier, and may be different for different AFs.

[0089] There may be a direct association between a permanent identifier and a corresponding AF-specific or external identifier (e.g., a direct association between a SUPI and a GPSI).

[0090] In a 3GPP system, during an initial protocol data unit (PDU) session establishment, a WTRU / device may provide its MAC address to the network. When a network (e.g., network exposure function (NEF)) later receives a request from an external AF, the AF may provide the MAC address to identify the WTRU. The NEF may then map the MAC address to the device permanent identifier (e.g., SUPI), and allocate an external / AF- specific identifier (e.g., GPSI) and provide this identifier to the AF The external / AF-specific identifier may then be used for communication between the AF and the network (e.g , NEF).

[0091] In current 3GPP systems, only one MAC address per device or WTRU is supported. The 3GPP network is reactive in learning the MAC address(es) in use by a WTRU (or by a device bridged by a WTRU) A WTRU cannot signal a change of a MAC address (either used by the WTRU or by a terminal bridged by the WTRU) to the network proactively. From network point of view, different MAC addresses mean different WTRUs or different devices bridged by a WTRU.

[0092] There is no mechanism in place to securely and selectively expose MAC addresses used / in-use by a device when RCM and / or multiple MAC addresses are in use. As such, new or improved methods,procedures and architectures may be desired to enable a WTRU (or device(s) bridged by the WTRU) to make use of RCM and / or multiple MAC addresses simultaneously in coordination with a mobile / cellular network.

[0093] In one example, new or improved methods, procedures and architectures may be desired to address the signal(s) and information sent from a WTRU to the network to enable use of RCM and / or multiple MAC addresses, either by the WTRU itself or a device bridged by the WTRU. In another example, new or improved methods, procedures and architectures may be desired to address proper actions for a mobile / cellular network to enable selectively exposing to other entities (e.g., AFs / NFs / WTRUs) the MAC address(es) used by the WTRU (or a device bridged by the WTRU), including past and predicted future history.

[0094] In one example, WTRUs or connected devices may be bridged by a WTRU can establish an Ethernet-type PDU session and engage into communication with other devices. In an example, these WTRUs may attach to a same 3GPP network (e.g., as part of a 5G LAN). In another example, other hosts may communicate with (or connect to) the same 3GPP network via an external data network (DN). Either a WTRU or a device bridged by another WTRU (or both) can then make use of RCM and / or multiple MAC addresses when communicating with other devices.

[0095] FIG. 3 depicts an example scenario with multiple WTRUs and hosts connected to a same 3GPP network.

[0096] In the example in FIG. 3, the devices connected to the 3GPP network 3001 may be WTRUs connected to the same LAN 3002, devices connected to the 3GPP network via a WTRU 3003, or WTRUs communicating directly with other WTRUs using a sidelink channel 3004, 3005 and also communicating with the 3GPP network via a WTRU, e.g., a relay WTRU 3006.

[0097] In various embodiments, one or more new (or improved) extensions are provided for a WTRU to make the network (e.g., a base station, a gNB, or a network entity) aware and in-sync of (or coordinate) the MAC address(es) used by the WTRU and / or devices bridged by the WTRU. In some examples, the network and the WTRU are enabled to consistently handle traffic, regardless of the potential change(s) of MAC address(es). This also includes extensions to support authorized and selected entities to get exposure (to a configurable extent) of the addresses used by a WTRU or a device bridged by a WTRU.

[0098] One or more methods and procedures discussed herein are to ensure that one or more MAC addresses used by a WTRU and / or device(s) bridged by the WTRU are kept in synchronization (in-sync) with the knowledge of MAC address(es) held by the network. To achieve this, one or more methods and procedures discussed herein include coordinating MAC address allocations between the WTRU and the network. Therefore, in various embodiments, the terms “synchronization”, “in-sync”, and “coordination” are used or applied interchangeably.

[0099] In one example, from a WTRU point of view, a proactive MAC address(es) update procedure may be used to keep a WTRU and the network in-sync. In another example, from a network point of view, an extended AF controlled exposure procedure may be used to keep the network and an external AF in-sync. Inanother example, an AF may subscribe to a selective and proactive MAC address(es) update / exposure procedure.

[0100] In one example, a proactive MAC address(es) update procedure may be used to keep a WTRU and the network in-sync. A WTRU or a device bridged by a WTRU may be using changing and randomized MAC address(es). The WTRU may notify the network about changes of addresses. The network may then keep an updated mapping of the MAC address(es) used (or bridged) by the WTRU at any given time, and properly steer traffic applying per WTRU policies.

[0101] The WTRU may be attached to the network. Either the WTRU or terminal bridged by the WTRU may be capable of changing its MAC address or using multiple addresses simultaneously. The WTRU or terminal bridged by the WTRU may decide to change its MAC address(es). This behavior might be triggered by an application in the WTRU. The WTRU may notify the network (e.g., SMF) the new address(es). The WTRU may receive an acknowledgment of the notified address(es), after the network updates all relevant network components (e.g., UPF). The WTRU / terminal may start using the new MAC address(es), with both the WTRU / terminal and the network applying consistent policies per WTRU / terminal and updating internal control and data plane tables (e.g., ARP, IPv6 ND).

[0102] In another example, an extended AF controlled exposure procedure may be used to keep the network and an AF in-sync during WTRU-RCM. A WTRU or a terminal bridged by a WTRU may be using changing and randomized MAC address(es). An authorized AF may be capable of requesting, to the network, the WTRU identification, by providing any of the currently (or recently) in use MAC address.

[0103] The WTRU may be attached to the network. Either the WTRU or terminal bridged by the WTRU may be capable of changing its MAC address or using multiple addresses simultaneously An AF may request, to the network (e.g., via the network exposure function (NEF), the Event Exposure or the parameter provisioning targeting an individual WTRU) identifying the target WTRU / device bridged by the WTRU by providing device identification. The event exposure may have policies associated to it. The policies may be dictated by the network, or by a combination of network policies with device-provided policies (e.g., the WTRU / device bridged by the WTRU may provide preferred policies to the network).

[0104] The type of policies may include, for example, device identification policies and / or authorization policies.

[0105] One example of a device identification policy may be that the device identification should be a MAC address. As the WTRU may be using several MAC addresses, or may be changing MAC addresses via RCM, the identification policy may also include the number and / or type of MAC addresses that should be provided. For instance, the identification policy may be that the AF should provide one of the MAC addresses. In one example, the selection of which MAC address to provide may be a random selection among all MAC addresses in use. In another example, the selection may be to select the latest MAC address used In another example, the selection may be to select the MAC address that last changed (e g., if a first MAC address changed to asecond MAC address, and that was the last change in MAC addresses for that device, the AF provides the second MAC address to the network (e.g., NEF).

[0106] In one example, the identification policy may be to provide all currently in use MAC address(es). In another example, the policy may be to provide all the MAC addresses used within a time window, W. In another example, the policy may be to provide one of the recently used MAC addresses within a time window, W.

[0107] Authorization policies may determine whether the AF may receive information associated with that device. In another example, the authorization policies may determine what type of external identifier the AF is allowed to receive.

[0108] In one example, the authorization policies may be AF-specific, and the same device may have different policies set up for different AFs. In another example, the authorization policies may be device-specific, and all AFs will follow the same policies for that specific device. It may also be a combination of both each AF may have a device-specific policy and the policies may be different for different AFs. The authorization policy may be the same for all devices registered with the network. The network may inform the AF of the identification and authorization policies.

[0109] WTRU’s traffic may then be steered according to policies requested by the AF.

[0110] In another example, an AF may subscribe to a selective and proactive MAC address(es) update procedure. An external authorized entity, such as an AF, an NF or WTRU, may obtain information associated to current in-use MAC address(es) by another WTRU / device bridged by the WTRU (which is using changing and randomized MAC address(es)).

[0111] The external authorized entity may subscribe to WTRU / device bridged by the WTRU MAC address change notifications. The authorized entities may be notified when the WTRU / device bridged by the WTRU changes its MAC address(es) The authorized entity may then minimize impact on ongoing communications with the WTRU / device bridged by the WTRU, or minimize delay in establishing new communications.

[0112] Example of a proactive MAC address(es) update procedure.

[0113] In one embodiment, an example of operation and signaling is provided for a WTRU to keep the network in sync about the address(es) used by device bridged by the WTRU, and this device may use RCM and multiple addresses.

[0114] FIG. 4 depicts an example of a scenario of a proactive MAC address monitoring

[0115] The device 4001 is initially using MAC 1 address and it changes to use MAC2 and MAC3 addresses. . When the device switches from using MAC1 to use MAC2 and MAC3, the WTRU 4002 may detect the change. This detection may be enabled, for example by mechanisms at IEEE 802.11 level, if both the device and the WTRU are connected by an IEEE 802.11 link.

[0116] The WTRU may signal the address change to the network, namely to the SMF 4003 through forwarding of the AMF 4004. The SMF 4003 may propagate that information to other (core) network entities, such as the UPF(s) 4005 anchoring the Ethernet-type PDU session, the NEF and the PCF (not shown in thefigure). These procedures enable the WTRU and the network to be coordinated at any given time, allowing the use of consistent traffic steering policies for WTRU (or WTRU-bridged) traffic.

[0117] In one example of a proactive MAC address monitoring procedure to support WTRU performing RCM, the WTRU may send a request to the network to establish a first PDU session. The WTRU may include a first set of MAC addresses in the request. The first set of MAC addresses are the MAC addresses the WTRU may use during the PDU session. The first set may include a single MAC address. The request may be sent in a NAS message.

[0118] The AMF may receive the request and select an SMF to service the request. The AMF may send a request for the creation of a PDU session to the SMF. The request may include the WTRU permanent identifier (e g., SUPI). The request may also include the first set of MAC addresses if it was provided by the WTRU. The SMF may choose an UPF and request the creation the PDU session, including the first set of MAC addresses if it was provided by the WTRU.

[0119] Upon reception of the request, the UPF may verify if the MAC addresses provided are already in use or reserved If they are, the UPF may assign different MAC addresses or select a sub-set of the MAC addresses provided in the first set, thus creating a second set of MAC addresses. If all MAC addresses in the first set are available, the second set of MAC addresses is the same as the first set of MAC addresses. If no MAC addresses were provided, the UPF may select MAC addresses from the available MAC addresses and create the second set of MAC addresses using those. The second set of MAC addresses may include MAC addresses from the first set and MAC addresses that are not included in the first set. The fourth set may include a single MAC address. The UPF may send a confirmation of the successful establishment of the PDU session, including the second set of MAC addresses, to the SMF. The second set may include a single MAC address.

[0120] The SMF may send a confirmation to the AMF, including the second set of MAC addresses. If the second set of MAC addresses is the same as the first set of MAC addresses, the second set may not be included in the confirmation message to the AMF The SMF may store the association between the permanent identifier (e g., SUPI) and the MAC addresses associated with it (e.g , the second set of MAC addresses) in the UDR.

[0121] The AMF sends a response to the WTRU indicating the successful establishment of the PDU session. The response may include the second set of MAC addresses. If the second set of MAC addresses is the same as the first set of MAC addresses, the second set may not be included in the response to the WTRU. The MAC addresses may be used to communicate with an external AF.

[0122] The external AF may query the NEF, using one or more of the MAC addresses assigned to the WTRU (e.g., one or more of the MAC addresses from the second set of MAC addresses) and request an external identifier for the WTRU. The NEF may obtain the permanent identifier of the WTRU (e.g., SUPI) based on the one or more MAC addresses provided by the AF. Based on the permanent identifier, the NEF may query the UDM / UDR and obtain an external address for the WTRU. The NEF then provides the external address to the AF. The external address may be an AF-specific address. The external address may be a GPSI. Theexternal address may now be used by the AF to obtain information about the WTRU from the network, via the NEF.

[0123] The WTRU may decide to change the set of MAC addresses being used during the PDU session. The WTRU may send to the network a NAS message to the AMF requesting for the change and including a third set of MAC addresses. The third set may include a single MAC address The AMF may send the request to the SMF, which then forwards to the UPF that is holding the session. The UPF may verify if the MAC addresses included in the third set are allowed / available, and respond with a fourth set. The fourth set may include MAC addresses included in the third set and MAC addresses that are not included in the third set. The fourth set may include a single MAC address. The UPF sends the response to the SMF, including the fourth set of MAC addresses. The SMF send the respond to the AMF. The SMF updates the UDM / UDR with the new set of MAC addresses (e.g., the fourth set).

[0124] The AMF sends a confirmation of change of MAC addresses to the WTRU. The confirmation may include the fourth set of MAC addresses. If the fourth set of MAC addresses is the same as the third set of MAC addresses sent by the WTRU, the fourth set may not be included in the confirmation message to the WTRU

[0125] The external AF may subscribe to the NEF to receive notifications of a change in MAC address(es) of the WTRU. The request may include the external identifier of the WTRU. The NEF may subscribe for the change of MAC address with UDM. Upon detecting a change of MAC address(es), the UDM may notify the NEF. The NEF notifies the AF. The NEF updates the UDR with the new MAC addresses.

[0126] FIG. 5 illustrates an example call flow of a proactive MAC address monitoring procedure.

[0127] This example enables synchronization of MAC address(es) used by a terminal bridged by the WTRU The procedure exemplified in FIG 5 may be performed to keep the WTRU and the network in-sync or coordinated. The same procedure may also be used to synchronize the MAC address(es) used by the WTRU itself. Signaling extensions are shown. Existing 3GPP procedures are not elaborated in detail but summarized for context. Extensions and new behavior are highlighted. Note that variations are possible (e.g., for roaming scenarios) over this exemplary signaling diagram. We assume that the WTRU has already registered on the AMF.

[0128] In this example, in step 0, a device bridged by the WTRU is performing RCM and switches from using MAC1 to use MAC2 and MAC3 5000a. This may be detected by the WTRU 5000b. Alternatively, the WTRU itself may be perform the RCM.

[0129] In step 1 , from WTRU to AMF 5001 : PDU Session Establishment Request message including a list of active MAC addresses in use The list of active MAC addresses in use may contain the MAC address(es) currently being used by the WTRU (or a device bridged by the WTRU) and the ones that may be used in the future. In this example, it contains MAC2, MAC3.

[0130] In some scenarios, the PDU Session Establishment / Modification message may indicate that the WTRU will send or is sending the list of MAC addresses in use or will be used in the future to the network, either in this message or in another message in the future (e.g., through a PDU Session Modification message).

[0131] Alternatively, the PDU Session Establishment / Modification message may contain an index value to indicate the MAC address currently in use, from a previously agreed upon list of MAC addresses (e.g., provided through the initial PDU Session Establishment or provided by an Application Function / Application Server).

[0132] The Request Type may indicate "Initial request" if the PDU Session Establishment is a request to establish a new PDU Session. Requested PDU Session Type may be set to Ethernet.

[0133] In step 2, the AMF may determine that the message corresponds to a request for a new PDU Session based on that Request Type indicates "initial request" and that the PDU Session ID is not used for any existing PDU Session of the WTRU. The AMF may select the SMF to establish the PDU session 5002.

[0134] In step 3, from AMF to SMF 5003: Nsmf_PDUSession_CreateSMContext Request, including the list of active MAC addresses in use This message is invoked when the AMF does not have an association with an SMF for the PDU Session ID provided by the WTRU (e g. when Request Type indicates "initial request").

[0135] In step 4, subscription retrieval 5004: if session management subscription data for the corresponding SUPI, DNN and S-NSSAI of the HPLMN is not available, then the SMF may retrieve the session management subscription data from the UDM. Subscription data may include the allowed RCM mode(s). Allowed RCM mode(s) may include which types of RCM the WTRU is allowed.

[0136] For example, RCM mode “none” may mean that RCM is not allowed. If the WTRU or a device bridged by the WTRU performs RCM, the network will not be in sync with the WTRU and will only reactively learn of new MAC addresses, assuming that each address belongs to a different WTRU / device.

[0137] For example, RCM mode “rotating single address" may mean that RCM is in use and that the address used by the WTRU / device bridge by the WTRU may rotate during the lifetime of the PDU session.

[0138] For example, RCM mode “rotating multiple addresses” may mean that RCM is in use and that multiple addresses may be used by the WTRU / device bridge by the WTRU during the lifetime of the PDU session.

[0139] In some scenarios, if the request from the WTRU may contains an indication that WTRU is providing a list of MAC addresses associated with the session for RCM, and if the user’s above subscription data allows, the SMF may disable MAC address learning for this session.

[0140] In step 5, from SMF to AMF 5005: Nsmf_PDUSession_CreateSMContext Response. If the SMF is able to process the PDU Session establishment request, the SMF may create an SM context and respond to the AMF by providing an SM context ID

[0141] In step 6, 5006, a secondary authentication / authorization may be performed.

[0142] In step 7a, 5007a: if dynamic PCC is to be used for the PDU Session, the SMF performs PCF selection.

[0143] In step 7b, 5007b, the SMF may perform an SM Policy Association Establishment procedure to establish an SM policy association with the PCF and get the default PCC rules for the PDU session.

[0144] In step 8, 5008, the SMF may select a session service and continuity (SSC) mode for the PDU session and one or more UPFs. For Ethernet PDU session type, neither a MAC nor an IP address is allocated by the SMF to the WTRU for this PDU session. Instead, the list of active MAC addresses provided by the WTRU may be considered by the network. In case the request did not contain the list of MAC addresses, the SMF may allocate a temporary MAC address, that will be overridden upon reception of the new MAC addresses provided by the UPF.

[0145] In step 9, 5009, the SMF may perform an SMF initiated SM Policy Association Modification procedure to provide information on the Policy Control Request Trigger condition(s) that have been met If dynamic PCC is deployed, SMF may notify the PCF with the list of active MAC address(es).

[0146] In step 10a, 5010a, the SMF may initiate an N4 Session Establishment procedure with the selected UPF(s), and provide packet detection, enforcement and reporting rules to be installed on the UPF for this PDU. The SMF includes the list of active MAC address(es) in the message.

[0147] In step 10b, 5010b, the UPF may acknowledge by sending an N4 Session Establishment / Modification Response. It includes the list of active MAC address(es) acknowledged by the UPF. This allows the UPF to notify potential issues, such as a duplicated or unsupported MAC address back to the WTRU

[0148] In step 11, 5011 , SMF to AMF: Namf_Communication_N1 N2MessageTransfer.

[0149] In step 12, 5012, AMF to (R)AN: N2 PDU Session Request.

[0150] In step 13, 5013, (R)AN to WTRU: The (R)AN may issue AN specific signaling exchange with the WTRU that is related with the information received from SMF. This message may specify if RCM is enabled for this session, and therefore, if the MAC addresses sent by the WTRU will be used by the network (i.e., if the network does not enable RCM, the WTRU may decide not to send MAC addresses to the network) It may also include the mode of RCM enabled for this session.

[0151] In step 14, 5014, (R)AN to AMF: N2 PDU Session Response (PDU Session ID, Cause, N2 SM information (PDU Session ID, AN Tunnel Info, List of accepted / rejected QFI(s), User Plane Enforcement Policy Notification, TL-Container)).

[0152] At this point, traffic may flow between the WTRU / device bridged by the WTRU and the DN. The WTRU / bridged device may use the new MAC address(es) with both the WTRU / device and the network applying consistent policies per WTRU / device and updating internal control and data plane tables (e.g. , ARP, IPv6 ND).

[0153] In one example, the list of allowed MAC addresses may be maintained by the UPF (in case secondary authentication / authorization by a DN-AAA server is used) to support more than 16 addresses.

[0154] In various embodiments, similar extensions can be performed to the PDU Session Modification procedure.- 72 -

[0155] In some scenarios, the network may enable RCM, and request the WTRU (e.g., through a network initiated PDU Session Modification request) to send the list of MAC addresses (e.g , by sending a PDU Session Modification Request). An exemplary trigger for such a message may be; when the subscription data allows RCM (in step 4), and the WTRU did not indicate the use of RCM. Another example may be when AF requests RCM through the NEF.

[0156] Example of an extended AF controlled update / exposure procedure.

[0157] With devices that do not perform RCM, an AF may only be able to identify the target WTRU in an AF request for external exposure of 5GC capabilities (e.g., Data Provisioning or for Event Exposure for a specific WTRU) by providing the MAC WTRU's address information. In this case, the NEF may need to retrieve the permanent identifier (e.g., SUPI) of the WTRU before trying to fulfil the AF request. The NEF may determine the permanent identifier (e.g., SUPI) of the WTRU based on the MAC address of the WTRU as provided by the AF. This permanent identifier of the WTRU may then be used by the AF to, for example, request special traffic steering of the WTRU / bridged-device traffic.

[0158] In one example, existing network exposure mechanisms may be extended to support RCM for a WTRU (or a device bridged by a WTRU). For instance, the network may support a combination of any of the currently (or recently) in use MAC address(es), according to configurable policies.

[0159] FIG. 6 depicts an example of a scenario of an extended network exposure functionality to support MAC address change.

[0160] In this example, a device 6001 bridged by a WTRU 6002 is using 3 MAC addresses: MAC1 , MAC2, and MAC3 6003. An external AF 6004 may provide any one of the known MAC addresses 6003 of the device to identify the WTRU 6002. In this example, the AF 6004 provides MAC3 6005, to the NEF 6006. The NEF 6006 may then use the known MAC address, MAC3, 6005 to determine a permanent identifier of the WTRU, e.g., SUPI1 6007. The NEF then assigns an AF-specific / external identifier, e.g., WTRU1 6008. The NEF provides the AF-specific / external identifier WTRU 1 to the AF 6009. When the NEF and AF may use the WTRU1 identifier to send requests and responses between each other.

[0161] FIG. 7 illustrates an example call flow of an extended network exposure functionality to support MAC address change. In step 1, 7001, AF may request to retrieve WTRU ID via the Nnef_UEId_Get service operation. The request message may include a WTRU MAC address and an AF Identifier.

[0162] Depending on the policies configured in the network and the authorization level of the AF, the provided MAC address may include other information. In one example, it may include one of the currently in- use MAC addresses used by the WTRU / device bridged by the WTRU. In another example, it may include one of the MAC addresses used by the WTRU / device bridged by the WTRU in the last time window W. In another example, it may include all of the MAC addresses used by the WTRU / device bridged by the WTRU.

[0163] In step 2, 7002, the NEF may authorize the AF request. As part of the authorization process, NEF may check if the MAC addressing information provided by the WTRU matches what is expected / authorized bythe requesting AF. If the authorization is not granted, the NEF may reply to the AF with a result value indicating authorization failure; otherwise the NEF may proceed with the following steps.

[0164] In step 3, 7003, the NEF may use the Nbsf_Management_Discovery_Request service operation with WTRU address to retrieve the session binding information of the WTRU from a biding support function (BSF).

[0165] In step 4, 7004, the session binding information of the WTRU may be included in the response If no SUPI is received in the session binding information in the Nbsf_Management_Discovery_Response from the BSF, the NEF may reply to the AF with a result value indicating that the WTRU ID is not available.

[0166] In step 5, 7005, the NEF may interact with a unified data management (UDM) to retrieve the AF specific WTRU Identifier via the Nudm_SDM_Get service operation. The request message may include SUPI and at least an AF Identifier

[0167] In step 6, 7006, the UDM may respond to the NEF with an AF specific WTRU Identifier represented as an external identifier for the WTRU, which may be uniquely associated with the application port ID, machine type communication (MTC) provider information and / or AF identifier.

[0168] In step 7, 7007, the NEF may respond to the AF with the information (including the AF specific WTRU identifier represented as an external identifier) received from the UDM.

[0169] The AF may now request specific traffic steering policies using the obtained identifier. These policies would apply to WTRU / WTRU-bridged device traffic, regardless of which MAC address is used from the current set of active addresses.

[0170] Example of a selective and proactive MAC address(es) exposure procedure.

[0171] In one embodiment, extended exposure capabilities are provided, so an external authorized entity, such as an AF, an NF or another WTRU, can get information about current in-use MAC address(es) by a WTRU / device bridged by the WTRU.

[0172] In the following, an exemplary procedure to enable selective MAC address monitoring is provided. This requires a new type of event for monitoring capabilities, such as indicated in Table 1 below. The network exposure capability enables a function to subscribe to (and modify) event notifications.

[0173] Table 1 : Example of an event of MAC address change and the event detection criteria.

[0174] FIG. 8 depicts an example of a scenario of selective MAC address monitoring. Once an AF has received an AF-specific / external identifier for a device, as illustrated in FIG 6, e.g , WTRU1 6008, the AF may subscribe to an event using the external identifier 8001. Upon change of MAC address of WTRU1, the NEF may notify the new MAC addresses to the AF 8002

[0175] FIG. 9 illustrates an example call flow of a selective MAC address monitoring.

[0176] In step 1, 9001, the AF may subscribe to one or several event(s) (each event is identified by an event ID) and provide the associated notification endpoint of the AF by sending Nnef_EventExposure_Subscribe request. In this example, the AF subscribes to the “MAC address(es) change” event. If the reporting event subscription is authorized by the NEF, the NEF may record the association of the event trigger and the requester identity. The subscription may also include a maximum number of reports and / or a maximum duration of reporting IE.

[0177] In step 2, 9002, the NEF may subscribe to received event(s) (identified by event ID) and provide the associated notification endpoint of the NEF to UDM by sending Nudm_EventExposure_Subscribe request.

[0178] In step 3, 9003, the UDM may send the Nsmf_EventExposure_Subscribe_Request message to each SMF where at least one WTRU identified in step 2 has a PDU session established. The NEF notification endpoint received in step 2 is included in the message.

[0179] In step 4, 9004, the SMF may acknowledge the execution of Nsmf_EventExposure_Subscribe.

[0180] In step 5, 9005, the UDM may acknowledge the execution of Nudm_EventExposure_Subscribe.

[0181] In step 6, 9006, the NEF may acknowledge the execution of Nnef_EventExposure_Subscribe to the requester that initiated the request, in this case the AF. If the NEF has received the first event report already in step 4, the NEF may include the event report in the acknowledgement.

[0182] In step 7a, 9007a, the UDM may detect the event of change of MAC address(es) and send the event report, by means of Nudm_EventExposure_Notify message, to the associated notification endpoint of the NEF, along with a time stamp.

[0183] In step 7b, 9007b, the NEF may store the information associated with the change of MAC address in the UDR, along with the time stamp, using either Nudr_DM_Create or Nudr_DM_Update service operation, as appropriate.

[0184] In step 8a, 9008a, when the SMF detects a subscribed event, the SMF may send the event report, by means of Nsmf_EventExposure_Notify message, to the associated notification endpoint of the NEF provided in step 3.

[0185] In step 8b, 9008b, the NEF may store the information in the UDR along with the time stamp using either Nudr_DM_Create or Nudr_DM_Update service operation as appropriate.

[0186] In step 9, 9009, the NEF may forward, to the AF, the reporting event received by either Nudm_EventExposure_Notify and / or Namf_EventExposure_Notify. In the case of the PDU Session Status event, the NEF maps it to an PDN Connectivity Status notification when reporting to the AF.

[0187] The monitoring event enables an external, authorized, function (e.g., external AF) that is communicating with a WTRU / bridged device, to be notified of changes of MAC addresses being used by the WTRU / bridged device, facilitating the maintenance of the ongoing communication without (significant) disruptions during RCM.

[0188] The monitoring event also enables an external, authorized, function (e.g., external AF) that might potentially need to communicate with the WTRU / bridged device to be notified of changes of MAC addresses being used by the WTRU / bridged device, minimizing the delay when initiating communication with the WTRU / bridged device.

[0189] FIG. 10 illustrates an example flow chart of the RCM process from the WTRU point of view. A WTRU or a bridged device may send, to a network, a request to establish a PDU session, including a first set of MAC addresses 1001. The WTRU may receive a response including a second set of MAC addresses 1002. The WTRU may utilize one or more MAC addresses from the second set of MAC addresses in any communication over the PDU session that may require a MAC address 1003. The WTRU may determine a change in a MAC address being used into a new MAC address, and send, to the network, an indication of the change 1004 The indication may include a third set of MAC addresses. The new MAC address may be included in the third set. The WTRU may receive, from the network, an acknowledgement indicating a successful change of the MAC address 1005

[0190] FIG. 11 illustrates an example flow chart of the RCM process from the network point of view. An NEF may receive, from an AF, a request for an identifier for a device. The request may include a MAC address 1101. The NEF may determine, based on the MAC address, a permanent identifier for the device 1102. The permanent identifier may be a SUPI. The NEF may assig an external identifier to the device 1103. The external identifier may be an AF-specific identifier; the external identifier may be a GPSI. The NEF may send, to the AF, a response including the external identifier 1104. The NEF may receive, from the AF, a request to subscribe to a change of MAC address in a device, including the external identifier of the device 1105. The NEF may determine, based on the external identifier, a permanent identifier associated with the device 1006. The NEF may monitor the MAC address of the device associated with the permanent identifier and, upon detection of a change of MAC address in the device, send a notification of the change of MAC address to the AF 1107.

[0191] Although features and elements are provided above in particular combinations, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that each feature or element can be used alone or in any combination with the other features and elements The present disclosure is not to be limited in terms of the particular embodiments described in this application, which are intended as illustrations of various aspects. Many modifications and variations may be made without departing from its spirit and scope, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. No element, act, or instruction used in the description of the present application should be construed as critical or essential to the invention unless explicitly provided as such. Functionally equivalent methods and apparatuses within the scope of the disclosure, in addition to those enumerated herein, will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing descriptions. Such modifications and variations are intended to fallwithin the scope of the appended claims. The present disclosure is to be limited only by the terms of the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to particular methods or systems.

[0192] In addition, the methods provided herein may be implemented in a computer program, software, or firmware incorporated in a computer-readable medium for execution by a computer or processor. Examples of computer-readable media include electronic signals (transmitted over wired or wireless connections) and computer-readable storage media. Examples of computer-readable storage media include, but are not limited to, a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a register, cache memory, semiconductor memory devices, magnetic media such as internal hard disks and removable disks, magneto-optical media, and optical media such as CD-ROM disks, and digital versatile disks (DVDs). A processor in association with software may be used to implement a radio frequency transceiver for use in a WTRU, UE, terminal, base station, RNC, or any host computer.

[0193] Moreover, in the embodiments provided above, processing platforms, computing systems, controllers, and other devices that include processors are noted. These devices may include at least one Central Processing Unit ("CPU") and memory. In accordance with the practices of persons skilled in the art of computer programming, reference to acts and symbolic representations of operations or instructions may be performed by the various CPUs and memories Such acts and operations or instructions may be referred to as being "executed," "computer executed" or "CPU executed."

[0194] One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the acts and symbolically represented operations or instructions include the manipulation of electrical signals by the CPU. An electrical system represents data bits that can cause a resulting transformation or reduction of the electrical signals and the maintenance of data bits at memory locations in a memory system to thereby reconfigure or otherwise alter the CPU's operation, as well as other processing of signals. The memory locations where data bits are maintained are physical locations that have particular electrical, magnetic, optical, or organic properties corresponding to or representative of the data bits. It should be understood that the embodiments are not limited to the above-mentioned platforms or CPUs and that other platforms and CPUs may support the provided methods.

[0195] The data bits may also be maintained on a computer readable medium including magnetic disks, optical disks, and any other volatile (e.g., Random Access Memory (RAM)) or non-volatile (e.g., Read-Only Memory (ROM)) mass storage system readable by the CPU. The computer readable medium may include cooperating or interconnected computer readable medium, which exist exclusively on the processing system or are distributed among multiple interconnected processing systems that may be local or remote to the processing system. It should be understood that the embodiments are not limited to the above-mentioned memories and that other platforms and memories may support the provided methods.

[0196] In an illustrative embodiment, any of the operations, processes, etc. described herein may be implemented as computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable medium. The computer--7J -readable instructions may be executed by a processor of a mobile unit, a network element, and / or any other computing device.

[0197] There is little distinction left between hardware and software implementations of aspects of systems. The use of hardware or software is generally (but not always, in that in certain contexts the choice between hardware and software may become significant) a design choice representing cost versus efficiency tradeoffs. There may be various vehicles by which processes and / or systems and / or other technologies described herein may be affected (e g., hardware, software, and / orfirmware), and the preferred vehicle may vary with the context in which the processes and / or systems and / or other technologies are deployed. For example, if an implementer determines that speed and accuracy are paramount, the implementer may opt for a mainly hardware and / or firmware vehicle. If flexibility is paramount, the implementer may opt for a mainly software implementation. Alternatively, the implementer may opt for some combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware.

[0198] The foregoing detailed description has set forth various embodiments of the devices and / or processes via the use of block diagrams, flowcharts, and / or examples. Insofar as such block diagrams, flowcharts, and / or examples include one or more functions and / or operations, it will be understood by those within the art that each function and / or operation within such block diagrams, flowcharts, or examples may be implemented, individually and / or collectively, by a wide range of hardware, software, firmware, or virtually any combination thereof. In an embodiment, several portions of the subject matter described herein may be implemented via Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), digital signal processors (DSPs), and / or other integrated formats. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that some aspects of the embodiments disclosed herein, in whole or in part, may be equivalently implemented in integrated circuits, as one or more computer programs running on one or more computers (e.g., as one or more programs running on one or more computer systems), as one or more programs running on one or more processors (e.g., as one or more programs running on one or more microprocessors), as firmware, or as virtually any combination thereof, and that designing the circuitry and / or writing the code for the software and or firmware would be well within the skill of one of skill in the art in light of this disclosure In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the mechanisms of the subject matter described herein may be distributed as a program product in a variety of forms, and that an illustrative embodiment of the subject matter described herein applies regardless of the particular type of signal bearing medium used to actually carry out the distribution. Examples of a signal bearing medium include, but are not limited to, the following: a recordable type medium such as a floppy disk, a hard disk drive, a CD, a DVD, a digital tape, a computer memory, etc., and a transmission type medium such as a digital and / or an analog communication medium (e.g., a fiber optic cable, a waveguide, a wired communications link, a wireless communication link, etc.).

[0199] Those skilled in the art will recognize that it is common within the art to describe devices and / or processes in the fashion set forth herein, and thereafter use engineering practices to integrate such described devices and / or processes into data processing systems. That is, at least a portion of the devices and / or processes described herein may be integrated into a data processing system via a reasonable amount ofexperimentation Those having skill in the art will recognize that a typical data processing system may generally include one or more of a system unit housing, a video display device, a memory such as volatile and nonvolatile memory, processors such as microprocessors and digital signal processors, computational entities such as operating systems, drivers, graphical user interfaces, and applications programs, one or more interaction devices, such as a touch pad or screen, and / or control systems including feedback loops and control motors (e.g., feedback for sensing position and / or velocity, control motors for moving and / or adjusting components and / or quantities). A typical data processing system may be implemented utilizing any suitable commercially available components, such as those typically found in data computing / communication and / or network computing / communication systems.

[0200] The herein described subject matter sometimes illustrates different components included within, or connected with, different other components. It is to be understood that such depicted architectures are merely examples, and that in fact many other architectures may be implemented which achieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense, any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality is effectively "associated" such that the desired functionality may be achieved. Hence, any two components herein combined to achieve a particular functionality may be seen as "associated with" each other such that the desired functionality is achieved, irrespective of architectures or intermedial components. Likewise, any two components so associated may also be viewed as being "operably connected", or "operably coupled", to each other to achieve the desired functionality, and any two components capable of being so associated may also be viewed as being "operably couplable" to each other to achieve the desired functionality. Specific examples of operably couplable include but are not limited to physically mateable and / or physically interacting components and / or wirelessly interactable and / or wirelessly interacting components and / or logically interacting and / or logically interactable components.

[0201] With respect to the use of substantially any plural and / or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and / or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and / or application. The various sin gu I ar / plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is Claimed:

1. A method implemented by a wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU), the method comprising: sending, to a network, an initial request to establish a protocol data unit (PDU) session, wherein the initial request includes a first set of medium access control (MAC) addresses to be used by the WTRU over the PDU session; receiving, from the network, a response confirming the establishment of the PDU session; sending, to the network, an indication of a change of one or more MAC addresses being used by the WTRU over the PDU session; and receiving, from the network, an acknowledgement indicating a successful change of the one or more MAC addresses being used by the WTRU over the PDU session.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the response confirming the establishment of the PDU session comprises a second set of MAC addresses to be used by the WTRU over the PDU session3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second set of MAC addresses comprises a sub-set of the first set of MAC addresses4. The method of claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the second set of MAC addresses comprises a single MAC address.

5. The method of any one of claims 1 -4, further comprising: implementing randomized and changing MAC addresses (RCM).

6. The method of any one of claims 1 -5, further comprising: using, simultaneously, a plurality of MAC addresses over the PDU session.

7. The method of any one of claims 1-6, wherein the MAC addresses to be used over the PDU session are associated with devices bridged by the WTRU.

8. The method of any one of claims 1-7, wherein the acknowledgement indicating a successful change of the one or more MAC addresses comprises a third set of MAC addresses.

9. A wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU), the WTRU comprising: at least one processor; and a transceiver, wherein the at least one processor and transceiver are configured to: send, to a network, an initial request to establish a protocol data unit (PDU) session, wherein the initial request includes a first set of medium access control (MAC) addresses and wherein the first set of MAC addresses comprises MAC addresses to be used by the WTRU over the PDU session;receive, from the network, a response confirming the establishment of the PDU session; send, to the network, an indication of a change of one or more MAC addresses; and receive, from the network, an acknowledgement indicating a successful change of the one or more MAC addresses.

10. The WTRU of claim 9, wherein the response confirming the establishment of the PDU session comprises a second set of MAC addresses to be used by the WTRU over the PDU session11. The WTRU of claim 10, wherein the second set of MAC addresses comprises a sub-set of the first set of MAC addresses12. The WTRU of claimIO or claim 11, wherein the second set of MAC addresses comprises a single MAC address.

13. The WTRU of any one of claims 9-12, wherein the at least one processor and transceiver are further configured to: implement randomized and changing MAC addresses (RCM).

14. The WTRU of any one of claims 9-13, wherein the at least one processor and transceiver are further configured to:Use, simultaneously, a plurality of MAC addresses over the PDU session.

15. The WTRU of any one of claims 9-14, wherein the MAC addresses to be used over the PDU session are associated with devices bridged by the WTRU.

16. The WTRU of any one of claims 9-15, wherein the acknowledgement indicating a successful change of the one or more MAC addresses comprises a third set of MAC addresses.

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