Setting up gnb specific LAN

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method of a radio base station (112) in a wireless communication network (100) of enabling communication among a plurality of wireless communication devices (110, 111) being served by the radio base station (112), and a radio base station (112) performing the method. In an aspect the method comprises setting up (S101) a local area network (113) connecting the plurality of wireless communication devices (110, 111), receiving (S102) data from one (110) of the plurality of wireless communication devices intended for another one (111) of the plurality of wireless communication devices, and sending (S103), in response to receiving said data, the data from said one (110) of the plurality of wireless communication devices directly from the radio base station (112) to said another one (111) of the plurality of wireless communication devices via the local area network (113).

Description

SETTING UP GNB SPECIFIC LANTECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method of a radio base station in a wireless communication network of enabling communication among a plurality of wireless communication devices being served by the radio base station, and a radio base station performing the method.BACKGROUND

[0002] In the art, when user equipment (UE) such as a smart phone is communicating with an opposing endpoint, for instance an Internet server, Internet protocol (IP) data packets of the UE are sent tunnelled via a radio base station (RBS) to the server.

[0003] In fifth generation (5G) wireless communication networks, the RBS is referred to as a gNodeB (gNB) and the data packets of the UE passes via the gNB through a so-called User Plane Function (UPF), where the IP address of a data packet is used for routing the packet towards its destination, being the server.

[0004] If the destination is another UE, the packet is routed to the gNB and UPF that serves the UE sending the data packet, and in case both UEs are served by the same gNB and UPF, the UPF tunnels the packet back towards the destination UE via the gNB serving both the destination UE and the UE sending the packet. In case the UEs are served by different gNBs, the UPF that serves the UE sending the data packet will route the packet to the UPF and gNB serving the destination UE.

[0005] Direct UE-to-UE (D2D) communication can be achieved by utilizing so- called proximity services (ProSe). ProSe is initially targeting public safety use cases, such as fire brigade personnel being able to attain device-to-device communication at the scene of a fire.

[0006] Hence, more and more use cases are emerging that could benefit from device-to device communication, e.g., related to advanced vehicle-to-everything (V2X) scenarios.SUMMARY

[0007] One objective is to provide an improved method of a radio base station of enabling communication of at least two wireless communication devices being served by the radio base station.

[0008] This objective is attained in a first aspect by a method of a radio base station in a wireless communication network of enabling communication among a plurality of wireless communication devices being served by the radio base station. The method comprises setting up a local area network connecting the plurality of wireless communication devices, receiving data from one of the plurality of wireless communication devices intended for another one of the plurality of wireless communication devices, and sending, in response to receiving said data, the data from said one of the plurality of wireless communication devices directly from the radio base station to said another one of the plurality of wireless communication devices via the local area network.

[0009] This objective is attained in a second aspect by a radio base station configured to enable communication among a plurality of wireless communication devices being served by the radio base station in a wireless communication network, the radio base station comprising a processing unit and a memory, said memory containing instructions executable by said processing unit, whereby the radio base station is operative to set up a local area network connecting the plurality of wireless communication devices, receive data from one of the plurality of wireless communication devices intended for another one of the plurality of wireless communication devices, and to send, in response to receiving said data, the data from said one of the plurality of wireless communication devices directly from the radio base station to said another one of the plurality of wireless communication devices via the local area network.

[0010] Advantageously, to avoid data packets having to travel via one or more UPFs, the radio base station sets up a local area network (LAN) connecting wireless communication devices. Any data sent from a first wireless communication device to a second wireless communication device will thus be sent to the radio base station which directly sends the data to the a second wireless communication device via the LAN, thereby avoiding data transport via the UPF.[oon] In an embodiment, the data received from said one of the plurality of wireless communication devices addresses said another one of the plurality of wireless communication devices to which the data is intended.

[0012] In an embodiment, the data received from said one of the plurality of wireless communication devices comprises a request of said one of the plurality of wireless communication devices for a data processing service to be performed by said another one of the wireless communication devices, wherein the sending of the data directly from the radio base station to said another one of the plurality of wireless communication devices via the local area network further comprises sending an instruction to said another one of the plurality of wireless communication devices to perform said requested data processing service.

[0013] In an embodiment, the data received from said one of the plurality of wireless communication devices comprises a request of said one of the plurality of wireless communication devices for a data processing service to be performed by any other one of the plurality of wireless communication devices connected to the local area network, the method further comprising identifying a wireless communication device of the plurality of wireless communication devices being capable of performing the requested data processing service; wherein the sending of the data directly from the radio base station to said another one of the plurality of wireless communication devices via the local area network further comprises sending an instruction to the identified wireless communication device being capable of performing the requested data processing service to perform said requested data processing service.

[0014] In an embodiment, the request of said one of the plurality of wireless communication devices for a data processing service to be performed by any other one of the plurality of wireless communication devices connected to the local area network comprises specific requirements to be complied with by said any other one of the plurality of wireless communication devices, wherein the identifying of a wireless communication device of the plurality of wireless communication devices being capable of performing the requested data processing service further comprises notifying said one of the plurality of wireless communication devices when said any other one of the plurality of wireless communication device which complies with the specific requirements has been identified.

[0015] In an embodiment, the request of said one of the plurality of wireless communication devices for a data processing service to be performed by any other one of the plurality of wireless communication devices connected to the local area network comprises specific requirements to be complied with by said any other one of the plurality of wireless communication devices, wherein the identifying of a wireless communication device of the plurality of wireless communication devices being capable of performing the requested data processing service further comprises sending data to be processed by the data processing service to said any other one of the plurality of wireless communication device only if the specific requirements are complied with.

[0016] In an embodiment, the method further comprises receiving resulting data of the requested data processing service from the wireless communication device performing said requested data processing service, and sending the received resulting data of the requested data processing service being performed directly from the radio base station to said one of the plurality of wireless communication devices via the local area network.

[0017] In an embodiment, the setting up of a local area network connecting the plurality of wireless communication devices further comprises sending, to a core network function, a request received from one of the wireless communication devices to establish a communication session, sending, to said one of the wireless communication devices, a communication address received from the core network function in response to the request, which communication address is to be utilized by said one of the wireless communication devices upon participating in the established communication session, and receiving a registration request from said one of the wireless communication devices, which registration request connects said one of the wireless communication devices to the local area network.

[0018] In an embodiment, the method further comprises assigning a local area network communication address to the registered wireless communication device, and associating the local area network communication address of the registered wireless communication device with the communication address to be utilized by the registered wireless communication device upon participating in the established communication session.

[0019] In an embodiment, the method further comprises, upon receiving data from one of the plurality of wireless communication devices intended for another one of the plurality of wireless communication devices, performing network address translation of the received communication address to be utilized by the registered wireless communication device upon participating in the established communication session into the local area network communication address of the registered wireless communication device, wherein the local area network communication address is used when communicating with other wireless communication devices in the local area network.

[0020] In an embodiment, the method further comprises, upon receiving data from one of the plurality of wireless communication devices intended for another one of the plurality of wireless communication devices, performing network address translation of a local area network communication address of the wireless communication device that the registered wireless communication deice is to communicate with into a communication address to be utilized by said wireless communication device upon participating in the established communication session.

[0021] In an embodiment, the method further comprises informing a wireless communication device connecting to the local area network which data processing services are available in the local area network.

[0022] In an embodiment, the further comprises allowing a wireless communication device connecting to the local area network to register with the local area network one or more data processing services that the connecting wireless communication device is capable of performing.

[0023] In an embodiment, the method further comprises paging one or more of the plurality of wireless communication devices, wherein in case no acknowledgement is received in response to the paging, said one or more of the plurality of wireless communication devices is removed from the local area network.

[0024] In a third aspect, a computer program is provided comprising computerexecutable instructions for causing a radio base station to perform steps recited in the method of the first aspect when the computer-executable instructions are executed on a processing unit included in the radio base station.

[0025] In a fourth aspect, a computer program product is provided comprising a computer readable medium, the computer readable medium having the computer program according to the third aspect embodied thereon.

[0026] Generally, all terms used in the claims are to be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the technical field, unless explicitly defined otherwise herein. All references to "a / an / the element, apparatus, component, means, step, etc." are to be interpreted openly as referring to at least one instance of the element, apparatus, component, means, step, etc., unless explicitly stated otherwise. The steps of any method disclosed herein do not have to be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless explicitly stated.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Aspects and embodiments are now described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0028] Figure 1 illustrates a wireless communication system 100 in which embodiments maybe implemented;

[0029] Figure 2 illustrates a radio base station implementing a local area network in an embodiment;

[0030] Figure 3 shows a signalling diagram illustrating a method according to an embodiment;

[0031] Figure 4 shows a signalling diagram illustrating collaborative edge computing according to an embodiment;

[0032] Figure 5 illustrates a core network of a 5G communication system;

[0033] Figure 6 shows a signalling diagram illustrating the setting up of a local area network according to an embodiment;

[0034] Figure 7 shows a signalling diagram illustrating collaborative edge computing utilizing network address translation according to an embodiment; and

[0035] Figure 8 illustrates a radio base station according to an embodiment.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The aspects of the present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which certain embodiments of the invention are shown.

[0037] These aspects may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limiting; rather, these embodiments are provided by way of example so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and to fully convey the scope of all aspects of invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the description.

[0038] Figure 1 illustrates a wireless communication system 100 in which embodiments maybe implemented.

[0039] Thus, user equipment (UE) no, 111 in the form e.g. smart phones, tablets, desktops, gaming consoles, connected vehicles, etc., are served by a radio base station 112 (RBS) forming a radio access network (RAN) to which the UEs no, 111 are connected. The RBS 112 is connected to a core network 130, such as e.g., a 3rdGeneration Partnership Project (3GPP) 5thgeneration core (5GC) network. The radio base station is in 5G commonly referred to as a gNodeB (gNB), and the radio access technology (RAT) in 5G commonly is referred to as New Radio (NR).

[0040] As previously mentioned, when the UEs no, 111 are communicating with an opposing endpoint, for instance an Internet server 150, data packets of the UEs no, 111 are sent tunnelled via the gNB 112 and passes over a so-called User Plane Function (UPF) 140 forming part of the 5GC network 130 as indicated by the continuous communication path of Figure 1, where the IP address of a data packet is used for routing the packet towards its destination.

[0041] If first UE 110 sends data packets to second UE 111, the packet is routed to the gNB 112 and the UPF 140 as indicated by the dashed communication path, wherein the UPF 140 tunnels the packet back towards the second UE 111 via the gNB 112 (assuming that the gNB 112 serves both the UEs no, 111).

[0042] In another example, direct UE-to-UE (D2D) communication can be achieved by utilizing so-called proximity services (ProSe) as indicated by the dash-dot communication path. ProSe is initially targeting public safety use cases, such as firebrigade personnel being able to attain device-to-device communication at the scene of a fire.

[0043] Upon the UEs no, 111 communicating with each other via the gNB 112, all data packets must also pass through the UPF 140 in the wireless communication system 100 of Figure 1, which greatly increases latency in the communication between the two UEs no, 111.

[0044] Figure 2 illustrates a gNB 112 in an embodiment for resolving this issue. Reference will further be made to the signalling diagram of Figure 3 illustrating the method of enabling communication among the UEs no, 111 performed by the gNB 112 in an embodiment.

[0045] To avoid data packets having to travel via the UPF 140, the gNB 112 will advantageously set up a local area network (LAN) 113 connecting the first UE 110 and the second UE 111. As is understood, Figure 2 is exemplifying only and in practice, tens, hundreds or even thousands of UEs may be served by the gNB 112 and all or just a subset of the many UEs may be connected to the LAN 113.

[0046] Thus, in S101, the gNB 112 sets up the LAN 113 connecting the UEs no, 111 as illustrated by the dashed double-arrows.

[0047] Thereafter, upon receiving data from one of the UEs intended for another one of the UEs, in this example data from the first UE 110 in S102 addressed to the second UE 111, the gNB sends the data in S103 from the first UE 110 directly to the second UE 111 via the LAN 113.

[0048] In this particular example, the intent of the first UE 110 is indeed to communicate specifically with the second UE 111 (out of all potential UEs being connected to the LAN 113) and thus explicitly addresses the second UE 111 as being the destination of the data being sent in S102. However, as will be described with reference to other embodiments in the following introducing edge computing, that is not necessarily always the case and it may be that the data is sent to the gNB 112 for further routing to another one of the UEs in the LAN without specifically addressing this other UE.

[0049] Advantageously, the setting up of the LAN 113 by the gNB 112 in S101 allows data to be sent directly to the second UE 111 via the LAN 113 in S103. There is thus no need to have the data pass through the UPF 140 being located upstream ofthe gNB 112 and then downstream via the gNB 112 to the second UE 111, as illustrated with reference to the prior art approach of Figure 1, and the latency in data communicated between the two UEs no, 111 is greatly reduced.

[0050] As is understood, the first UE no may simultaneously send messages aimed for other UEs and services not currently present on the LAN 113 by using a separate packet data unit (PDU) context. In such case, the gNB 112 forwards said messages to the UPF 140 as the gNB normally would. Further, it is also possible that there is only one PDU context, and the destination (or even source - the UE 110 could use a different source IP when it wants the packet to go to the LAN 113) address of the packet sent by the first UE 110 determines whether the packet goes to the LAN 113 or to the UPF 140.

[0051] For instance, the LAN 113 may have a private address space, in which case the gNB 112 can - based on the destination address belonging to the private address space of the LAN 113 - deduce that the packet is for the LAN. Other alternatives include the LAN 113 having certain reserved public IP addresses (the IP address being owned by the mobile network operator) for LAN specific services; it could be that each gNB has reserved the same IP (e.g. 1.2.3.4) for the same service, so each gNB hosts e.g. a registration service on a well-known IP address (e.g. 1.2.3.4). Another possibility could be that some multicast address is assigned for the LAN 113.

[0052] Further, even if a LAN 113 is setup as proposed by embodiments herein, it may nevertheless be possible for the first UE no and the second UE 111 to perform D2D communication using ProSe.

[0053] In communication systems such as the system 100 illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, computational offloading mechanisms maybe provided to delegate processing of data from one device to another with more suitable data processing capabilities.

[0054] This is commonly referred to as collaborative edge computing (CEC) and is an emerging paradigm enabling sharing of data, computation, and networking resources among geo-distributed edge nodes.

[0055] A common aim is to transfer the task of processing data from a device with limited resources to a device with great resources in terms of computational power, such as an edge server. These resources include battery, storage, processing capacity and network capabilities and performance objectives include e.g. reducedcomputation times, minimizing network resource usage, maximizing battery life, decreasing device heating, etc.

[0056] It has even been envisaged that parked vehicles may support offloading of computation tasks, typically during peak hours. Temporarily or semi-permanently adding additional computing power is required by several current and upcoming use cases and is essential for many Extended Reality (XR) use cases where XR rendering devices are not powerful enough to perform an entire image recognition and rendering process themselves. Collaborative edge compute is also needed for constrained Internet-of-Things (loT) devices which may not have the hardware, software and / or battery power to perform the necessary computations.

[0057] As the name implies, edge servers are located upstream - but close to an edge - of the 5GC network 130. Thus, in contrast to e.g. a cloud server such as the Internet server 150, the edge servers are closer to the end-users (i.e. the UEs no, 111). This facilitates shorter response time, higher data security due to shorter data travel distances and lower power consumption. A great advantage in using edge servers is that processing-heavy tasks normally performed at the UEs no, 111, e.g. different types of data processing and computation, may be offloaded from the UEs 110, 111 to the edge servers.

[0058] However, similar to the scenario discussed with reference to Figures 1 and 2, rather than having data from the first UE 11 pass in uplink through the gNB 112 to the UPE 140 and further on to an edge server (not shown) in connection to but upstream of the 5GC network, where the data is processed and then sent back to the first UE 110 in downlink through the UPF 140 and the gNB 112, the first UE no will in an embodiment send data to another UE connected to the LAN 113 (in this example the second UE 111), wherein the second UE 111 will process the data and send the desired output resulting from the processing of the data back to the first UE 110 via the LAN 113. Again, this provides for more efficient processing in terms of network latency and resource and / or capacity utilization.

[0059] Figure 4 shows a signalling diagram illustrating collaborative edge computing being applied in the wireless communication system 100 of Figure 2 according to an embodiment.

[0060] Now, after the LAN 113 has been set up in S101, the gNB 112 receives in S102 the data from the first UE no intended for another UE connected to the LAN 113.

[0061] With the data, a request is included for a data processing service to be performed by another one of the UEs connected to the LAN 113 on behalf of the first UE no. In an example, it maybe that the first UE 110 requests a set of data to be encrypted since the first UE 110 may not have resources and / or capacity to perform the encryption. For instance, it may be that the first UE 110 does not have access to required credentials in the form of cryptographic keys or simply that the first UE 110 does not have the processing power required for performing the encryption, and therefore request the second UE 111 to perform the encryption. As is understood, a destination node subsequently receiving the encrypted data needs to be in possession of a correct decryption key corresponding to the encryption key being utilized, in order to perform the decryption to attain a clear text version of the encrypted set of data.

[0062] In this embodiment, the first UE no does not specifically address a UE connected to the LAN 113 for performing the data processing service. Rather, the gNB 112 receives the request in S102 and identifies in Si02a, e.g. from a database to which the gNB 112 has access, one or more UEs connected to the LAN 113 being capable of providing the requested data processing service, i.e. encrypting the set of data.

[0063] Hence, the gNB 112 holds information specifying computing capability of UEs no, 111 connected to the LAN 113. This information may include various types of computing capabilities, such as processing power, storage capacity, computing services being offered, such as e.g. encryption and / or decryption of data, capacity to stream data from upstream devices such as the Internet server 150, offer access to a specific application or to communicate with other devices on behalf of the requesting UE, the ability to provide geographical or environmental information in the form of coordinates, atmospheric pressure, ambient temperature, etc.

[0064] As is understood, this may include distributing the performing of the requested data processing service over a number of UEs, where one UE performs one part of the service while another UE performs another part.

[0065] Assuming that in Si02a, the gNB 112 identifies the second UE 111 as being capable of providing the requested data processing service. The gNB 112 will thus in S103 along with sending the set of data via the LAN 113 to the second UE 111 further instruct the second UE 111 to perform the requested service, i.e. to encrypt the received set of data.

[0066] The second UE 111 hence encrypts the set of data in S104 and sends the result of the data processing service being performed - i.e. the encrypted set of data - to the gNB 112 in S105, which in its turn sends the encrypted set of data to the first UE no via the LAN 113 in S106.

[0067] Again, rather than having data packets travel uplink via the UPF 140 to an edge server (not shown) upstream of the 5GC network 130 and then having the resulting data of the data processing service being performed travel downlink back to the first UE no, the gNB 112 will advantageously communicate via the LAN 113 set up by the gNB 112 and exploit resources of the second UE 111 to enable collaborative edge computing.

[0068] Further advantageous is that in the collaborative edge compute use case described with reference to Figure 4 - in addition to decreasing latency - unutilized resources and / or capacity hosted by the second UE 111 may be exploited by the first UE 110. It may even be envisaged that an owner of the second UE 111 can monetize from unused resources and / or capacity and a network operator can offer this as a premium service for customers.

[0069] While in the embodiment of Figure 4, the first UE no requests a data processing service being performed which requires the second UE 111 to return resulting data, i.e. the encrypted data set, in S105 to the gNB 112 which further routes the encrypted data set directly to the first UE 110 via the LAN 113 in S106, it maybe envisaged that no resulting data is returned in S105 (at least not at this stage).

[0070] For instance, it may be envisaged that the first UE 110 requests the gNB 112 to store a large amount of data at one or more other UEs connected to the LAN 113, such as e.g. at the second UE 111. If so, the data is delivered to the second UE 11 in S103 with an instruction to store the data, where no resulting data typically is sent in S105 until much later.

[0071] In another example, assuming e.g. an industrial setting where a great number of low-capacity loT devices (in practice hundreds or even thousands devices, e.g. being embodied by sensors monitoring an industrial process) connects to the LAN 113 set up by the gNB 112.

[0072] In an embodiment, it may be that one or a few more processing-powerful devices is utilized for processing data on behalf of the many low-capacity loT devices, for instance collecting measurement and / or sensor data relating to the industrial process to be used by the monitoring loT devices. As discussed hereinabove, the processing-powerful devices may either be explicitly addressed by the loT devices upon sending the request in S101 or identified by the gNB 112 as being capable of providing the requested data processing service.

[0073] As is understood, in the use case of collaborative edge computing, if the first UE no explicitly addresses the second UE 111 (or any other UE) upon sending the request in S101 the gNB 112 is not required to perform the identification of Si02a, but will simply route the request to the addressed UE in S103.

[0074] Further, as is understood, the gNB 112 may not send the received data of S102 as is to the second UE 111 in S103, but may appropriately reformat the data if required. For instance, while the first UE 110 maybe embodied by a connected vehicle, the second UE 11 may be a gaming console, in which case the communication data format of the two may not be in conformity.

[0075] In a further embodiment, the first UE no may send specific requirements (as a part of S102) to the gNB indicating that a second UE should have a specific setup complying with the specific requirements. These requirements include e.g. ability to provide a trusted execution environment (TEE) and / or network interface component (NIC) configuration, and can be communicated to the second UE 111 as a part of S103. The second UE 111 may be required to send a message indicating compliance prior to any data being exchanged. In other words, it maybe that the gNB 112 forwards data (to be processed by the data processing service) from the first UE no to the second UE 111 only if the second UE 11 complies with the specific requirement, such as e.g. being capable of providing a TEE.

[0076] Further, as is understood, the gNB 112 may as a part of Si02a indicate to the first UE no that the requested service is not currently available and subsequently,when the service has become available, notify the first UE no that the service indeed is available (upon a second UE in having the capabilities needed to perform the service connecting to the LAN 113), wherein S103 can be proceed with.

[0077] With the approach proposed by embodiments herein, the UEs 110, 111 served by the gNB 112 have an opt-in alternative to be part of the LAN 113 and register capabilities for computational offloading (e.g., hardware components to be shared) which can be rented to another UE currently being served by the same gNB 112. As part of service discovery, a UE can detect that there indeed exists a service for computational offload and can select to connect to that discovered service and register its capabilities for sharing. The gNB 112 registers said offered capabilities in a database and defines a specific identifier, which may take the form of e.g. an IP address or IP address and port pair, for each UE (or even for each specific capability).

[0078] A UE wishing for a data processing service to be performed thus makes a request for, and subsequently connects to, the discovered service. The service may have various ways of categorizing available resources, e.g., resource type and performance, cost, predicted availability time (e.g., based on historical UE mobility data), etc.

[0079] If the capabilities of the service are available, the first UE no may select to utilize the service whereby the gNB no may inform the first UE 110 of the second UE 111 providing the service, and may also inform the second UE 111 of the first UE 110 wishing to utilize the service, or may straightforwardly connect the first UE 110 to the second UE 111 upon the service being available.

[0080] In the following, a more detailed description will be outlined for the setting up of the LAN 113 by the gNB 112.

[0081] Figure 5 illustrates a core network of a 5G communication system being connected to a Radio Access Network (RAN) 114 comprising a plurality of gNBs (not shown) serving a UE no via Uu interface. The 5GC network and the RAN together forms what is commonly referred to as the 5G system (5GS). The RAN 114 is connected to a data network (DN) 160 such as the Internet. The 5GC network comprises a number of entities referred to as Network Functions (NFs) which will be described in the following.

[0082] Control plane signal paths are illustrated with dotted lines while user plane signal paths are illustrated with continuous lines.

[0083] The previously discussed UPF 140 is a service function that processes user plane packets; processing may include altering the packet’s payload and / or header, interconnection to data network(s), packet routing and forwarding, etc. A number of UPFs 140, 141 maybe utilized being interconnected via N9 interface. As can be seen, the RAN 114 is connected to the UPF 140 via N3 interface and further to the data network 160 via N6 interface.

[0084] Further, the 5GC network comprises a Network Exposure Function (NEF) 131 for exposing capabilities and events, an NF (Network Function) Repository Function (NRF) 132 for providing discovery and registration functionality for NFs, a Policy Control Function (PCF) 133, Unified Data Management (UDM) 134 for storing subscriber data and profiles, and an Application Function (AF) 135 for supporting application influence on traffic routing.

[0085] Moreover, the 5GC network comprises an Authentication Server Function (AUSF) 136 storing data for authentication of the UE no, an Access and Mobility Function (AMF) 137 for providing UE-based authentication, authorization, mobility management, etc., a Session Management Function (SMF) 138 configured to perform session management, e.g. session establishment, modify and release, etc., and a Network Slice Selection Functions (NSSF) 139 which allows an improved isolation and separation between slices.

[0086] As shown, all core network NFs except the UPFs 140, 141 are connected using a service bus architecture.

[0087] Figure 6 shows a signalling diagram illustrating the setting up of the LAN 113 by the gNB 112 in an embodiment. Hence, in a first step Sioia, a UE (e.g. the first UE no) wishing to connect to the LAN 113 connects to the 5G network via the gNB 112 and requests establishment of a LAN packet data unit (PDU) session, e.g. implemented as a gNB specific network slice. This establishment request is sent from the gNB 112 uplink to the 5GC network to the AMF 137 which in its turn sends the establishment request to the SMF 138, which effectively establishes the LAN PDU session for the first UE 110 in Sioib.

[0088] Through the LAN PDU session established for the first UE no, the SMF 138 assigns to the first UE no an IP address (UEi_IP, e.g. 192.168.0.1), just as for any PDU context in the art, and sends a request confirmation including the IP address downlink to the first UE 110 via the gNB 110 in Sioic.

[0089] The first UE 110 is aware that the PDU session is for the LAN 113 and thereafter performs a service discovery and / or registration exchange towards the LAN 113 in Sioid, by which the first UE 110 may obtain information from the gNB 112 about services available via the LAN 113, and implicitly also is made aware of the LAN, e.g. utilizing IP addresses 10.1.0.0 / 16). The exchange in Sioid registers the first UE as having connected to the LAN 113.

[0090] In an embodiment where the gNB 112 via the LAN 113 offers collaborative edge computing, the registration step in Sioid may further include the first UE no registering various resources and / or capabilities that the first UE no can provide, and even include the gNB 112 assigning a unique LAN IP address to each offered resource and / or capability. The registration can also be used for other purposes than collaborative edge computing, for instance if D2D communication is to be setup. The UEs no, 111 would register to the LAN 113 so that the gNB 112 is aware of the UEs and thus can assist in discovering UEs and route packets between them.

[0091] Each available resource in the UEs may be given a unique address to align with the addressing scheme used for the registered capabilities in the UEs.

[0092] A 5G Global Unique Temporary Identifier (5G-GUTI) may be used by the first UE 110 in Sioid to identify with the gNB 112. The 5G-GUTI is a core network temporary identifier allocated by the AMF 137 (and may thus have been received in Sioic. The gNB 112 also learns and records (in Sioic or Sioid) the IP address previously allocated to the first UE 110 by the SMF 138 via the AMF 137.

[0093] In an embodiment, the gNB 112 assigns in Sioie a LAN specific IP address (IP_Li, e.g., 10.1.0.1) to the first UE no which is to be used by the gNB 112, i.e. first UE no does not need to be aware of it (even if it indeed can be aware of it). The gNB 112 stores in Sioif the mapping between UEi_IP and IP_Li to be able to subsequently translate - i.e. performing so-called network address translation (NAT) - between the two in a scenario where the first UE 110 does not want other UEs to be able to identify the IP address of the first UE 110.

[0094] As is understood, if IP_Li is not allocated, the first UE no will openly use its assigned network IP address UEi_IP. This means that other UEs will see the actual IP address of the first UE no, which typically is not desirable.

[0095] Advantageously, the gNB 112 is able to distinguish LAN specific traffic from other traffic based on the LAN specific traffic being mapped to the LAN PDU session and / or the source or destination IP address UEi_IP of the data traffic originating from or to the first UE 110.

[0096] Further, while the setting up of the LAN 113 and the routing of data among UEs no, 111 in the LAN 113 is described herein as being performed by the gNB 112, it maybe envisaged that a specific routing service is configured for the purpose. Such routing service may thus be performed by a device being separate from, but colocated with, the gNB 112.

[0097] The setting up of the gNB LAN 113 enables low-latency communication for UEs no, 111 served by the gNB 112 and further enabled collaborative edge deployment where the UE 110, 111 are able to request additional services. For instance, the gNB 112 may have access to a database of currently available resources at the UEs 110, 111 currently being served by the gNB 112.

[0098] As is understood, the process illustrated throughout steps Sioia-Sioid with reference to Figure 6 is performed for any UE wishing to connect to the gNB LAN 113.

[0099] Moreover, while the UEs no, 111 are illustrated as offering resources and / or capabilities for collaborative edge computing, it may also be envisaged that the gNB 112 itself provides such resources and / or capabilities. For instance, the gNB may allocate a certain share of its available processing power to be utilized as external hardware depending on computational load. Also, the gNB 112 may provide credentials in the form of e.g. cryptographic keys to any UEs no, 111 wishing to communicate securely with each other.

[0100] Figure 7 shows a signalling diagram illustrating collaborative edge computing where UE addressing is performed by utilizing NAT at the gNB 112.

[0101] Hence, after having connected to the LAN 113 in S101 (i.e. after the LAN registering is complete as illustrated in Sioid of Figure 6), the first UE 110 requests tohave a data processing service performed, exemplified in the form of the previously described encryption of a data set.

[0102] In this particular exemplifying embodiment, it is assumed that the first UE no is aware of the second UE 111 and that the second UE 111 can provide the requested data processing service of encrypting a data set. For instance, the first UE 110 may have been informed by the gNB 112 during the LAN registering in Sioid of the second UE 111 or at a later occasion during e.g. resource discovery exchange with the gNB 112 (e.g. when the second UE 111 connects to the LAN 113 should that have occurred after the first UE 110 connected to the LAN 113).

[0103] Thus, with the request for the data processing service, the first UE no includes its IP address UEi_IP and the LAN IP address of the second UE 111 denoted IP_L2. In other words, the first UE 110 sends the request in the form of an IP packet to the second UE 111 where the source IP address is UEi_IP and the destination IP address is IP_L2. As is understood, it maybe that that a specific service is addressed at the second UE 111, such as e.g. IP_L2A for service A at the second UE 111, IP_L2B for service B at the second UE 111, etc. In Figure 7, “src” is utilized for indicating source addresses while “dsf ’ indicate destination addresses.

[0104] The gNB 112 will thus in Si02b perform the NAT for the second UE 111 that is being addressed and conclude from the translation that the LAN IP address of IP_L2 designates the second UE 111 (initially assigned IP address UE2_IP by the SMF 138 as correspondingly discussed with reference to Sioic for the first UE no) and further that the IP address of the first UE no corresponds to LAN IP address IP_L1.

[0105] The gNB 112 sends via the LAN 113 in S103 the request (including the set of data to be encrypted) having undergone NAT, the request now having as source address the LAN IP address IP_Li of the first UE 110 and as destination address UE2_IP.

[0106] The second UE 111 hence encrypts the set of data in S104 and sends the result of the data processing service being performed - i.e. the encrypted set of data - with source address UE2_IP and destination address IP_L1 indicating the gNB 112 the recipient of the data, i.e. the first UE no, in S105.

[0107] As is understood, it may be that no further requests for the service is sent from the gNB 112 to the second UE 111 as long as the processing of the requested service is ongoing at the second UE 112 in order to avoid overloading the second UE 112.

[0108] It may also be envisaged that the second UE 111 requests to withdraw the permission to use the service (or even to disconnect from the LAN 113), in which case the second UE 111 may inform the gNB 112 accordingly in S105.

[0109] The gNB 112 will in 8105a again perform NAT, in this case by translating the destination address, i.e. LAN IP address IP_Li of the first UE no, to the IP address UEi_IP of the assigned PDU session, and the source address UE2_IP of the second UE 111 to IP_L2, and finally send the encrypted set of data to the first UE no via the LAN 113 in S106.

[0110] While in above described embodiments the UEs 110, 111 receives an IP address from the AMF 137 and SMF 138 for the PDU session and the gNB 112 allocates a LAN specific IP address for the UEs 110, 112 to be used in the LAN 112, it may be envisaged that the LAN specific IP addresses are not provided to the UEs 110, 111 but instead are used by the gNB 112 to completely hide the UEs 110, 111 from each other. This results in the NAT acting as a firewall, which only allows communication to occur between UEs whose LAN IP addresses have been configured in the LAN 113 by the gNB 112. In other words, a UE may or may not know its own LAN IP address (e.g. IP_L1 for the first UE 110) depending on the approach utilized at the gNB 112.

[0111] A benefit of a UE not knowing its LAN specific IP addresses, e.g. the first UE no not knowing IP_L1, is that the first UE 110 in such case would not process a packet destined to IP_Li even if the packet reaches the first UE no. However, regardless of if a UE knows its LAN specific IP addresses or not, the NAT / firewall can still work in the same way; the gNB 112 may be required to install NAT rules to enable communication between a pair of UEs. If a packet for which there is not a NAT rule (i.e. a source and destination address translation pair) reaches the NAT function, the packet will be dropped. If there is a rule, the IP addresses of the packet will be translated and the packet is forwarded according to the new addresses.

[0112] In a further embodiment, UEs connecting to the LAN 113 for collaborative edge computing may have a pre-defined policy which contains preferred types of UEswith which to collaborate. The policy may further stipulate requirements on how long UE must have been connected to the gNB and / or how long the UE historically has remained connected at the gNB 112.

[0113] In still a further embodiment, the first UE no and the second UE 111 may negotiate terms and conditions under which resources and / or capabilities may be used for collaborative edge computing, e.g., that the first UE 110 attains exclusive access to a central processing unit (CPU) of the second UE 111 during a set time period or until the first UE 110 explicitly ends the utilization.

[0114] Such a negotiation may further be used to determine billing of the capability utilization sage. The billing maybe solved by users of the UEs directly, or by the network operator; by a separate billing solution for the collaborative edge compute service; or by the 5G LAN correlating this with regular billing.

[0115] In another embodiment, the gNB 112 triggers a paging procedure when activity of a UE which is relevant for the gNB LAN 113 and / or its services has not been observed for a given time period. The gNB 112 sends a paging request aimed at a UE to have it to confirm that it is still active. This is especially relevant for the cooperative edge service wherein the gNB triggered paging can be performed prior to allocating a capability or when observing that ACKs are no longer received on the data traffic between the first UE no and the second UE 111. If a paged UE does not answer, it may be removed from the LAN 113 and any service it has been registered to.

[0116] Figure 8 illustrates a radio base station 112, such as a gNB, configured to enable communication among a plurality of wireless communication devices being served by the radio base station 112 according to an embodiment, where the steps of the method performed by the radio base station 112 in practice are performed by a processing unit 211 embodied in the form of one or more microprocessors arranged to execute a computer program 212 downloaded to a storage medium 213 associated with the microprocessor, such as a Random Access Memory (RAM), a Flash memory or a hard disk drive. The processing unit 211 is arranged to cause the radio base station 112 to carry out the method according to embodiments when the appropriate computer program 212 comprising computer-executable instructions is downloaded to the storage medium 213 and executed by the processing unit 211. The storage medium 213 may also be a computer program product comprising the computerprogram 212. Alternatively, the computer program 212 maybe transferred to the storage medium 213 by means of a suitable computer program product, such as a Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) or a memory stick. As a further alternative, the computer program 212 maybe downloaded to the storage medium 213 over a network. The processing unit 211 may alternatively be embodied in the form of a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field- programmable gate array (FPGA), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), etc. The radio base station 112 further comprises a communication interface 214 (wired and / or wireless) over which the radio base station 112 is configured to transmit and receive data.

[0117] The aspects of the present disclosure have mainly been described above with reference to a few embodiments and examples thereof. However, as is readily appreciated by a person skilled in the art, other embodiments than the ones disclosed above are equally possible within the scope of the invention, as defined by the appended patent claims.

[0118] Thus, while various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. Method of a radio base station (112) in a wireless communication network (100) of enabling communication among a plurality of wireless communication devices (no, 111) being served by the radio base station (112), comprising: setting up (S101) a local area network (113) connecting the plurality of wireless communication devices (no, 111); receiving (S102) data from one (no) of the plurality of wireless communication devices intended for another one (111) of the plurality of wireless communication devices; and sending (S103), in response to receiving said data, the data from said one (110) of the plurality of wireless communication devices directly from the radio base station (112) to said another one (111) of the plurality of wireless communication devices via the local area network (113).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data received (S102) from said one (110) of the plurality of wireless communication devices addresses said another one (111) of the plurality of wireless communication devices to which the data is intended.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the data received (S102) from said one (110) of the plurality of wireless communication devices comprises a request of said one (110) of the plurality of wireless communication devices for a data processing service to be performed by said another one (111) of the wireless communication devices, wherein the sending (S103) of the data directly from the radio base station (112) to said another one (111) of the plurality of wireless communication devices via the local area network (113) further comprises: sending an instruction to said another one (111) of the plurality of wireless communication devices to perform said requested data processing service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data received (S102) from said one (110) of the plurality of wireless communication devices comprises a request of said one (110) of the plurality of wireless communication devices for a data processing service to be performed by any other one (111) of the plurality of wireless communication devices connected to the local area network (113), the method further comprising: identifying (Si02a) a wireless communication device (111) of the plurality of wireless communication devices being capable of performing the requested dataprocessing service; wherein the sending (S103) of the data directly from the radio base station (112) to said another one (111) of the plurality of wireless communication devices via the local area network (113) further comprises: sending an instruction to the identified (Si02a) wireless communication device (111) being capable of performing the requested data processing service to perform said requested data processing service.

5. The method of claim 4, the request of said one (110) of the plurality of wireless communication devices for a data processing service to be performed by any other one (111) of the plurality of wireless communication devices connected to the local area network (113) comprising specific requirements to be complied with by said any other one (111) of the plurality of wireless communication devices, wherein the identifying (Si02a) of a wireless communication device (111) of the plurality of wireless communication devices being capable of performing the requested data processing service further comprises: notifying said one (110) of the plurality of wireless communication devices when said any other one (111) of the plurality of wireless communication device which complies with the specific requirements has been identified.

6. The method of claims 4 or 5, the request of said one (110) of the plurality of wireless communication devices for a data processing service to be performed by any other one (111) of the plurality of wireless communication devices connected to the local area network (113) comprising specific requirements to be complied with by said any other one (111) of the plurality of wireless communication devices, wherein the identifying (Si02a) of a wireless communication device (111) of the plurality of wireless communication devices being capable of performing the requested data processing service further comprises: sending data to be processed by the data processing service to said any other one (111) of the plurality of wireless communication device only if the specific requirements are complied with.

7. The method of any one of claims 2-6, further comprising: receiving (S105) resulting data of the requested data processing service from the wireless communication device (111) performing said requested data processing service; and sending (S106) the received resulting data of the requested data processingservice being performed directly from the radio base station (112) to said one (110) of the plurality of wireless communication devices via the local area network (113).

8. The method of any one of the preceding claims, the setting up (S101) of a local area network (113) connecting the plurality of wireless communication devices (110, 111) further comprising: sending (Sioia), to a core network function (137), a request received from one (no) of the wireless communication devices to establish a communication session; sending (Sioic), to said one (no) of the wireless communication devices, a communication address (UE1_IP) received from the core network function (137) in response to the request, which communication address (UEi_IP) is to be utilized by said one (no) of the wireless communication devices upon participating in the established communication session; and receiving (Sioid) a registration request from said one (110) of the wireless communication devices, which registration request connects said one (110) of the wireless communication devices to the local area network (113).

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising: assigning (Sioie) a local area network communication address (IP_Li) to the registered wireless communication device (110), and associating (Sioif) the local area network communication address (IP_Li) of the registered wireless communication device (110) with the communication address (UEi_IP) to be utilized by the registered wireless communication device (110) upon participating in the established communication session.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising, upon receiving (S102) data from one (no) of the plurality of wireless communication devices intended for another one (111) of the plurality of wireless communication devices: performing (Si02b) network address translation of the received communication address (UEi_IP) to be utilized by the registered wireless communication device (110) upon participating in the established communication session into the local area network communication address (IP_L1) of the registered wireless communication device (110), wherein the local area network communication address (IP_Li) is used when communicating with other wireless communication devices (111) in the local area network.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising, upon receiving (S102) data from one (110) of the plurality of wireless communication devices intended for another one(111) of the plurality of wireless communication devices: performing (Si02b) network address translation of a local area network communication address (IP_L2) of the wireless communication device (111) that the registered wireless communication deice (110) is to communicate with into a communication address (UE2_IP) to be utilized by said wireless communication device (111) upon participating in the established communication session.

12. The method of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: informing a wireless communication device (110) connecting to the local area network (113) which data processing services are available in the local area network (113)-13. The method of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: allowing a wireless communication device (110) connecting to the local area network (113) to register with the local area network (113) one or more data processing services that the connecting wireless communication device (110) is capable of performing.

14. The method of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: paging one or more of the plurality of wireless communication devices, wherein in case no acknowledgement is received in response to the paging, said one or more of the plurality of wireless communication devices is removed from the local area network (113).

15. A computer program (212) comprising computer-executable instructions for causing a radio base station (112) to perform steps recited in any one of claims 1-14 when the computer-executable instructions are executed on a processing unit (211) included in the radio base station (112).

16. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium (213), the computer readable medium having the computer program (212) according to claim 15 embodied thereon.

17. Radio base station (112) configured to enable communication among a plurality of wireless communication devices (no, 111) being served by the radio base station(112) in a wireless communication network (100), the radio base station (112)comprising a processing unit (211) and a memory (213), said memory containing instructions (212) executable by said processing unit (211), whereby the radio base station (112) is operative to: set up a local area network (113) connecting the plurality of wireless communication devices (110, 111); receive data from one (110) of the plurality of wireless communication devices intended for another one (111) of the plurality of wireless communication devices; and to send, in response to receiving said data, the data from said one (110) of the plurality of wireless communication devices directly from the radio base station (112) to said another one (111) of the plurality of wireless communication devices via the local area network (113).

18. The radio base station (112) of claim 17, wherein the data received from said one (no) of the plurality of wireless communication devices is configured to address said another one (111) of the plurality of wireless communication devices to which the data is intended.

19. The radio base station (112) of claim 18, wherein the data received from said one (no) of the plurality of wireless communication devices comprises a request of said one (110) of the plurality of wireless communication devices for a data processing service to be performed by said another one (111) of the wireless communication devices, the radio base station (112) further being operative to, when sending the data directly from the radio base station (112) to said another one (111) of the plurality of wireless communication devices via the local area network (113): send an instruction to said another one (111) of the plurality of wireless communication devices to perform said requested data processing service.

20. The radio base station (112) of claim 17, wherein the data received from said one (no) of the plurality of wireless communication devices comprises a request of said one (no) of the plurality of wireless communication devices for a data processing service to be performed by any other one (111) of the plurality of wireless communication devices connected to the local area network (113), the radio base station (112) further being operative to: identify a wireless communication device (111) of the plurality of wireless communication devices being capable of performing the requested data processingservice; and further, when sending the data directly from the radio base station (112) to said another one (111) of the plurality of wireless communication devices via the local area network (113): send an instruction to the identified wireless communication device (111) being capable of performing the requested data processing service to perform said requested data processing service.

21. The radio base station (112) of claim 17, the request of said one (110) of the plurality of wireless communication devices for a data processing service to be performed by any other one (111) of the plurality of wireless communication devices connected to the local area network (113) comprising specific requirements to be complied with by said any other one (111) of the plurality of wireless communication devices, the radio base station (112) further being operative to, when identifying a wireless communication device (111) of the plurality of wireless communication devices being capable of performing the requested data processing service: notify said one (110) of the plurality of wireless communication devices when said any other one (111) of the plurality of wireless communication device which complies with the specific requirements has been identified.

22. The radio base station (112) of claims 20 or 21, the request of said one (110) of the plurality of wireless communication devices for a data processing service to be performed by any other one (111) of the plurality of wireless communication devices connected to the local area network (113) comprising specific requirements to be complied with by said any other one (111) of the plurality of wireless communication devices, the radio base station (112) further being operative to, when identifying a wireless communication device (111) of the plurality of wireless communication devices being capable of performing the requested data processing service: send data to be processed by the data processing service to said any other one (111) of the plurality of wireless communication device only if the specific requirements are complied with.

23. The radio base station (112) of any one of claims 18-22, further being operative to: receive resulting data of the requested data processing service from the wireless communication device (111) performing said requested data processing service; and tosend the received resulting data of the requested data processing service being performed directly from the radio base station (112) to said one (110) of the plurality of wireless communication devices via the local area network (113).

24. The radio base station (112) of any one of claims 17-23, further being operative to, when setting up a local area network (113) connecting the plurality of wireless communication devices (110, 111): send, to a core network function (137), a request received from one (110) of the wireless communication devices to establish a communication session; send, to said one (110) of the wireless communication devices, a communication address (UE1_IP) received from the core network function (137) in response to the request, which communication address (UEi_IP) is to be utilized by said one (110) of the wireless communication devices upon participating in the established communication session; and to receive a registration request from said one (110) of the wireless communication devices, which registration request connects said one (110) of the wireless communication devices to the local area network (113).

25. The radio base station (112) of claim 24, further being operative to: assign a local area network communication address (IP_Li) to the registered wireless communication device (110), and to associate the local area network communication address (IP_Li) of the registered wireless communication device (110) with the communication address (UEi_IP) to be utilized by the registered wireless communication device (110) upon participating in the established communication session.

26. The radio base station (112) of claim 25, further being operative to, when receiving data from one (110) of the plurality of wireless communication devices intended for another one (111) of the plurality of wireless communication devices: perform network address translation of the received communication address (UEi_IP) to be utilized by the registered wireless communication device (110) upon participating in the established communication session into the local area network communication address (IP_L1) of the registered wireless communication device (no), wherein the local area network communication address (IP_Li) is used when communicating with other wireless communication devices (111) in the local area network.•17. The radio base station (112) of claim 26, further being operative to, when receiving data from one (110) of the plurality of wireless communication devices intended for another one (111) of the plurality of wireless communication devices: perform network address translation of a local area network communication address (IP_L2) of the wireless communication device (111) that the registered wireless communication deice (110) is to communicate with into a communication address (UE2_IP) to be utilized by said wireless communication device (111) upon participating in the established communication session.

28. The radio base station (112) of any one of claims 17-27, further being operative to: inform a wireless communication device (110) connecting to the local area network (113) which data processing services are available in the local area network (113)-29. The radio base station (112) of any one of claims 17-28, further being operative to: allow a wireless communication device (110) connecting to the local area network (113) to register with the local area network (113) one or more data processing services that the connecting wireless communication device (110) is capable of performing.

30. The radio base station (112) of any one of claims 17-29, further being operative to: page one or more of the plurality of wireless communication devices, wherein in case no acknowledgement is received in response to the paging, said one or more of the plurality of wireless communication devices is removed from the local area network (113).

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