Network node, information processing system, information processing method and computer program

Abstract

To provide a technology in which whether or not a user terminal is included in a designated position or area can be easily determined.SOLUTION: A network node that constitutes a wireless communication network comprises a processor which executes receiving an inquiry request for positional information of a user terminal (UE) and transmitting a response including the positional information of the user terminal in response to the inquiry request, and the positional information included in the response is represented by a bit string based on a space filling curve.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a network node, an information processing system, an information processing method, and a computer program. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses converting spatiotemporal information into a one-dimensional bit string, dividing it, storing at least the front bit string of the converted one-dimensional bit string in a key, and storing the rear bit string and corresponding data in the value of the key in a destination node. Patent Document 1 also discloses converting the range condition of the spatiotemporal information to be searched into a one-dimensional bit string, searching for a key from the search destination node using at least the divided front bits, searching for a value corresponding to the divided rear bit string from the value of the searched key, and outputting the corresponding data included in the searched value as a search result. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-13539 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] One aspect of the present disclosure aims to provide a technique for enabling a user terminal to easily determine whether or not it is included in a specified position or area. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure is A network node constituting a wireless communication network, Receiving a user equipment (UE) location information query request; In response to the inquiry request, transmitting a response including location information of the user terminal; a processor for executing The location information included in the response is represented by a bit string based on a space-filling curve. The present invention relates to a network node.

[0006] Another aspect of the present disclosure is An information processing system including a network node and a client, The client sends a user terminal location information query request to the network node; the network node, in response to the inquiry request, transmits a response to the client, the response including location information of the user terminal; The location information included in the response is represented by a bit string based on a space-filling curve. The information processing system is characterized in that:

[0007] Yet another aspect of the present disclosure is An information processing method executed by a network node constituting a wireless communication network, comprising: Receiving a user equipment (UE) location information query request; In response to the inquiry request, transmitting a response including location information of the user terminal; Including, The location information included in the response is represented by a bit string based on a space-filling curve. The information processing method is characterized in that: Effect of the Invention

[0008] One aspect of the present disclosure makes it possible to easily determine whether a user terminal is included in a specified location or area. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1]1 is a diagram illustrating components of a wireless communication system. [Diagram 2] 1 is a diagram illustrating components of a wireless communication system. [Figure 3A] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of an information processing device capable of operating as an NF, an OAM terminal, and an external server. [Figure 3B] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing device capable of operating as a user terminal. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a sequence diagram relating to location services. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a code representation of position information based on a space-filling curve. [Figure 6] 11 is a flowchart showing a process flow for a position inquiry request. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of a process for obtaining and storing location information of a UE. [Figure 8] 1A and 1B are diagrams for explaining the designation of an arbitrary shaped area in a code representation based on a space-filling curve. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] (overview) 3GPP standard TS 29.572 defines a mechanism for providing location services according to UE (User Equipment) in the Location Service. The Location Service defines an interface for querying the LMF (Location Management Function) for UE location information.

[0011] The location information used in the response is expressed in a format called GAD (Geographical Area Description) in TS 23.032. GAD uses latitude and longitude information as A position (point) is expressed by directly writing it, and an area is expressed by listing multiple points that form the area.

[0012] When using the location information of a UE, for example, there are cases where it is necessary to determine whether the location of the UE is included in a specific area. However, the area and the UE location are expressed in the GAD format. In this case, the process for making this determination becomes complicated.

[0013] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a technique for enabling a simple determination of whether or not a UE is included in a specified location or area.

[0014] One aspect of the present disclosure is a network node constituting a wireless communication network, the network node having a processor that executes the following: receiving a query request for location information of a user equipment (UE); and transmitting a response including location information of the user equipment in response to the query request, the location information included in the response being represented by a bit string based on a space-filling curve.

[0015] In this disclosure, the term "position" is a concept that includes a point and an area of ​​any shape. A point may include a certain uncertainty, and the uncertainty may be, for example, a circle, an ellipse, or a rectangle. An example of an area of ​​an arbitrary shape may be a polygon (including any quadrilateral such as a rectangle, parallelogram, or trapezoid, as well as a triangle or a polygon with pentagons or more), a circle, an ellipse, or at least a combination of these. In this disclosure, at least any of the information representing these positions and information related to the positions corresponds to "position information."

[0016] In this embodiment, the network node transmits location information represented as a bit string based on a space-filling curve, so that the node (which may also be referred to as a client) receiving this information can easily determine whether the UE is contained within an area represented in a similar format.

[0017] The space-filling curve in this embodiment may be, for example, a Hilbert curve or a Z-order curve. Therefore, the position information included in the response may be represented by a bit string based on the Hilbert curve or the Z-order curve.

[0018] In this aspect, the location information included in the response may represent an area and may have a number of bits according to the size of the area. Typically, the larger the area, the shorter the number of bits used to represent the location information, and the narrower the area, the longer the number of bits used to represent the location information.

[0019] In this aspect, the location information included in the response is a first bit string specifying a first direction and a second bit string specifying a second direction, each bit being a predetermined number of bits (for example, 1 bit). The first direction and the second direction may be represented by a bit string in which the first and second directions are alternately arranged (each bit being a latitudinal bit). Here, the first direction and the second direction are different directions, and as an example, the first direction and the second direction are orthogonal to each other. For example, the first direction may be the latitude direction and the second direction may be the longitude direction.

[0020] The network node in this aspect may further execute the steps of acquiring location information from the user terminal, and storing the location information of the user terminal in a bit string format based on a space-filling curve. Here, the network node may acquire the location information in the bit string format based on a space-filling curve from the user terminal. Alternatively, the network node may store the location information in the bit string format based on a space-filling curve from the user terminal, in a format other than the latitude and longitude format or the GAD format. and converting the obtained position information into a bit string format based on a space-filling curve.

[0021] In this aspect, the inquiry request includes a request for confirmation as to whether the user terminal is located in a specified area, and the response includes information as to whether the user terminal is located in the specified area, and the processor may further execute confirming whether the user terminal is located in the specified area by comparing a bit string based on a space-filling curve representing the specified area with a bit string based on the stored space-filling curve.

[0022] According to this configuration, the network node can return a response indicating whether or not the user terminal is included in a predetermined area, and since the representation based on the space-filling curve is adopted, the inclusion relationship can be determined quickly. Since the network node according to this aspect can quickly determine the inclusion relationship of locations, it can be used particularly effectively in location information services that target a large number of user terminals.

[0023] In this aspect, the predetermined area is expressed in the inquiry request as a bit string based on a space-filling curve, and confirmation of whether the user terminal is located in the predetermined area can be performed by comparing the bit string included in the inquiry request with the stored bit string. For example, the predetermined area and the location information bit string representing the location of the user terminal are compared from the most significant bit, and if the bit string representing the predetermined area matches the most significant bit string of the user terminal location, It can be determined that the user terminal location is included in the predetermined area, and not included otherwise.

[0024] In this aspect, the predetermined area may be an area formed by combining a plurality of rectangles, and the inquiry request may include a bit string that represents each of the plurality of rectangles based on a space-filling curve. Since the predetermined area is represented as a combination of a plurality of rectangular areas, any shape can be represented. The size of each rectangular area is not particularly limited, and may be different from each other. In addition, since the determination of whether or not a user terminal is included in each rectangular area can be performed as described above, the determination of whether or not a user terminal is included in a predetermined area formed by combining these rectangular areas can also be performed quickly in the same manner.

[0025] Another aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing system including a network node and a client, wherein the client transmits a query request for location information of a user terminal to the network node, and the network node transmits a response to the client including the location information of the user terminal in response to the query request, and the location information included in the response is represented by a bit string based on a space-filling curve.

[0026] Yet another aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing method executed by a network node constituting a wireless communication network, the information processing method including: receiving a query request for location information of a user equipment (UE); and transmitting a response including location information of the user equipment in response to the query request, wherein the location information included in the response is represented by a bit string based on a space-filling curve.

[0027] The present disclosure further includes a computer program for causing a computer to execute each step of the above method, and a computer program for implementing the above network node or information processing system by a computer. The present disclosure further includes a computer-readable medium having the above computer program recorded thereon.

[0028] An example of a wireless communication network in the present disclosure is a system using 5G, 4G, LTE, LTE-A, SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, NR, etc., and a next-generation system expanded based on these. Other examples of a wireless communication network are IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.20, UWB, Bluetooth (registered trademark), and other systems, and a next-generation system expanded based on these. The wireless communication network may be a system in which a plurality of systems are combined.

[0029] (Embodiment 1) Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described based on the drawings. The following embodiments are merely illustrative, and the present disclosure is not limited to the configuration of the embodiments. An example of a wireless communication network to which the present disclosure can be applied is a system using 5G, 4G, LTE, LTE-A, SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, NR, and other systems, and next-generation systems extended based on these. In addition, other examples of wireless communication networks to which the present disclosure can be applied are IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.20, UWB, Bluetooth (registered trademark), other systems, and next-generation systems extended based on these. The wireless communication network to which the present disclosure can be applied may be a system in which multiple systems are combined.

[0030] <Configuration of information processing system> Figures 1 and 2 show the components that make up the fifth generation mobile communication system (5G network). FIG. 1 shows an overview of a service-based architecture (SBA) in 5G, and FIG. 2 shows an architecture based on reference points for a location service in 5G.

[0031] In the figure, UE (User Equipment) 2 is a terminal of a user (subscriber). RAN (Radio Access Network) 3 is an access network to a 5G core network (5GC). RAN 3 is composed of a base station (gNB). The 5G network has a 5G core network (5GC) and an access network ((R)AN), and UE 2, DN 5, and AF 12 are connected to the 5G network. Each of NFs 11a to 11o is a function realized by one or more computers (information processing devices) executing a program. However, a single computer may realize two or more of NFs 11a to 11o. Each of NFs 11a to 11o can also be called a network node or a network component.

[0032] 5GC is composed of a set of components with specific functions called NFs (Network Functions). Figure 1 shows the following NFs 11 that make up 5GC: UPF(User Plane Function)11a AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function)11b SMF (Session Management Function)11c PCF(Policy Control Function)11d NEF(Network Exposure Function)11e NRF(Network Repository Function)11g NSSF(Network Slice Selection Function)11h AUSF(Authentication Server Function)11i UDM(Unified Data Management)11j NWDAF(Network Data Analytics Function)11k LMF(Location Management Function)11m GMLC(Gateway Mobile Location Center)11n LRF(Location Retrieval Function)11o

[0033] The UPF 11a performs routing and forwarding of user packets (user plane packets transmitted and received by the UE 2), packet inspection, and QoS processing.

[0034] The AMF 11b is a device for accommodating UEs in the 5GC. The AMF 11b accommodates the RAN 3 and performs subscriber authentication control and location (mobility) management of the UE 2.

[0035] The SMF 11c manages a PDU (Protocol Data Unit) session and controls the UPF 11a to implement QoS (Quality of Service) control and policy control. The PDU session is a virtual communication path for exchanging data between the UE 2 and a DN (Data Network) 5. The DN 5 is a data network (such as the Internet) outside the 5GC.

[0036] The PCF 11d performs QoS control, policy control, billing control, etc. under the control of the SMF 11c. QoS control controls the quality of communication, such as by prioritizing packet forwarding. Policy control controls communication, such as QoS based on network or subscriber information, whether or not to forward packets, and billing.

[0037] NEF11e acts as an intermediary for communication between external nodes and nodes within the control plane.

[0038] The NRF 11g stores and manages information on NFs (e.g., AMF, SMF, UPF, etc.) in the 5GC. In response to an inquiry about an NF to be used, the NRF 11g can return multiple NF candidates to the inquiry source.

[0039] The NSSF11h has a function of selecting a network slice to be used by a subscriber from among the network slices generated by network slicing. A network slice is a virtual network with specifications according to the application.

[0040] The AUSF 11i is a subscriber authentication server that performs subscriber authentication under the control of the AMF 11b.

[0041] The UDM 11j holds subscriber-related information, and provides subscriber information, or obtains, registers, deletes, and changes the status of the UE 2.

[0042] The NWDAF11k has the function of collecting and analyzing data from each NF11, the OAM terminal 8 (Figure 2), external servers, etc. It is an NF that provides analysis information of the network.

[0043] The LMF11m manages the overall coordination and scheduling of resources required for the position determination of UEs registered or accessing 5GC. The LMF11m may also calculate or verify the final location and velocity estimates of the UE and estimate the achieved accuracy. The LMF11m receives a location request for the target UE from the serving AMF using the Nlmf interface. The LMF11m interacts with the UE to exchange location information applicable to UE-assisted and UE-based positioning methods, and interacts with the RAN, etc. to obtain the location information. The LMF11m expresses the result of the UE position determination in a predetermined representation format. The LMF11m may determine the representation format of the location information based on the type of LCS client, the format supported, etc. when receiving the location request.

[0044] The GMLC 11n includes the functionality required to support the Location Service. The GMLC 11n is the node that the LCS client 13 first accesses. The GMLC 11n obtains the routing information and privacy information of the target UE from the UDM, and sends a location request to the serving AMF once the privacy is confirmed. The GMLC 11m also enables the NF to request location determination of the UE.

[0045] LRF11o is responsible for retrieval or validation of location information. LRF11o may be collocated with GMLC11n or may be located separately.

[0046] The AF12 is an NF that provides application services via the NRF11g as part of the 5GC, or an NF that is external to the 5GC and provides application services via the NEF11e. The AF12 can communicate with the NF using, for example, the Ngmlc interface. Access LCS services from GMLC11n in the same trust domain (e.g., in the same PLMN). , and provides services based on the acquired location information.

[0047] The LCS (Location Service) client 13 uses the Le reference point to access the LCS service from the GMLC 11n and provides services based on the acquired location information. The LCS client 13 may be present in the UE 2.

[0048] In 5GC, multiple NFs of the same type may be prepared. For example, an NF11 may be prepared for each data center (station). Also, one NF11 may be shared between data centers. Also, multiple NFs of the same type may be configured in one data center. The number of data centers, the number of NFs 11, and the correspondence between the NFs 11 and the data centers can be set appropriately.

[0049] The LMF 11m accepts a request from the LCS client 13 or the AF 12 to inquire about the location information of the target UE, and transmits the location information of the UE as a response. Here, the location information provided by the LMF 11m can be expressed by a bit string based on a space-filling curve. Examples of the space-filling curve include a Hilbert curve or a Z-order curve. In this disclosure, the location information expressed by a bit string based on a space-filling curve is also referred to as "location information expressed in a location code" or simply as "location code." The LMF 11m may also accept an inquiry from the LCS client 13 or the AF 12 as to whether the target UE is included in a predetermined area, and transmit the result as a response.

[0050] <Configuration of information processing device and terminal> Fig. 3A is a diagram showing a configuration example of an information processing device capable of operating as each of NFs 11a to 11o, an OAM terminal, and an external server. In Fig. 3A, the information processing device 20 can be configured using a dedicated or general-purpose information processing device (computer) such as a personal computer (PC), a workstation (WS), or a server machine. However, the information processing device 20 may be a collection (cloud) of one or more computers.

[0051] The information processing device 20 includes a processor 21 serving as a processing unit or control unit (controller), a storage device 22, a communication device 23, an input device 24, and a display 25, which are interconnected via a bus.

[0052] The storage device 22 includes a main storage device and an auxiliary storage device. The main storage device is used as at least one of a storage area for programs and data, a program development area, a program work area, and a buffer area for communication data. The main storage device is configured with a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a combination of a RAM and a ROM (Read Only Memory). The auxiliary storage device is used as a storage area for data and programs. A non-volatile storage medium is applied to the auxiliary storage device. Examples of the non-volatile storage medium include a hard disk, a Solid State Drive (SSD), a flash memory, and an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory). The storage device 22 may also include a drive device for a disk recording medium.

[0053] The communication device 23 is a circuit that performs communication processing. For example, the communication device 23 is a network interface card (NIC). The communication device 23 may also be a wireless communication circuit that performs wireless communication (5G, wireless LAN (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), BLE, etc.). Furthermore, the communication device 23 may be a combination of a circuit that performs wired communication processing and a wireless communication circuit.

[0054] The input device 24 includes keys, buttons, a pointing device, a touch panel, etc., and is used to input information. The display 25 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, etc., and displays information and data.

[0055] The processor 21 performs various processes by executing various programs stored in the storage device 22. The processor 21 executes the programs stored in the storage device 22, so that the information processing device 20 can operate as each of the NFs 11a to 11k, the OAM terminal 8, and the external servers 12a and 12b.

[0056] FIG. 3B is a diagram showing a configuration example of a terminal 40 capable of operating as a UE 2. The terminal 40 includes a processor 41, a storage device 42, a communication device 43, and an input / output device 44, which are connected to each other via a bus. The computer 10 includes a computer-readable storage device 43, a computer-readable storage unit 44, a display 45, and a sensor 46. The processor 41, the storage device 42, the communication device 43, the input device 44, and the display 45 can be similar to the processor 21, the storage device 22, the communication device 23, the input device 24, and the display 25. Therefore, a description thereof will be omitted.

[0057] The processors 21 and 41 are, for example, Central Processing Units (CPUs). The PU is also called a Microprocessor Unit (MPU). The processors 21 and 41 may have a single processor configuration or a multi-processor configuration. Also, a single physical CPU connected via a single socket may have a multi-core configuration. The processors 21 and 41 may include arithmetic devices of various circuit configurations, such as a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) or a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU). Also, the processors 21 and 41 may have a configuration in which they cooperate with at least one of an integrated circuit (IC), other digital circuits, and analog circuits. The integrated circuit may be an LSI, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), etc. The PLD includes, for example, a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). The processors 21 and 41 include, for example, what is called a microcontroller (MCU), a system-on-a-chip (SoC), a system LSI, or a chip set.

[0058] Examples of the sensor 46 include a radar sensor such as a millimeter wave radar, a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an image sensor, an acoustic sensor, a positioning sensor, and an illuminance sensor. The sensor 46 may be a sensor for measuring the external environment of the UE 2, such as a sensor, a rain sensor, a temperature sensor, or a humidity sensor. Other examples of the sensor 46 are a speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a sensor for measuring the internal state of the UE 2. The sensors listed here are merely examples, and the present disclosure includes any sensor. One example of the sensor 46 is a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positioning device, such as a GPS device.

[0059] <Example: Location Service> Figure 4 shows an example of a location service, 5GC-MT-LR (5GC Mobile Telecommunications System) for commercial location services. Figure 4 shows the 5GC-MT-LR procedure for commercial location services (Terminated Location Request). Figure 4 is an excerpt from Figure 6.1.2-1 (5GC-MT-LR procedure for commercial location services) in TS23.273 v18.1.0. The process numbers are It should be noted that the process of FIG. 4 is merely an example, and the present disclosure does not apply to regulatory location services and 5GC-MO-LR (5GC Mobile Originated Location Request) procedures or procedures thereof. Other procedures are also applicable.

[0060] In step 1a or 1c, the LCS client 13 or NF 11 sends a location request for the target UE 2 to the GMLC 11n. In step 1b (1b-1 and 1b-2), the AF 12 sends a location request for the target UE 2 to the GMLC 11n via the NEF 11e. These requests are referred to as LCS requests in this disclosure. The LCS request may optionally include a request for the velocity of the target UE. The LCS request may also include the required QoS, supported location information representation format and shape, and other attributes. The LCS request may include a service ID, a codeword, and service coverage information.

[0061] Upon receiving the LCS request, the GMLC 11n obtains the privacy setting of the UE 2 from the UDM 11j and checks the LCS privacy profile. If location determination of the target UE 2 is permitted, the GMLC 11n performs the following process. The GMLC 11n also obtains the network address of the AMF 11b currently providing the service from the UDM 11j.

[0062] In step 5, the GMLC 11n calls the Namf_Location_ProvidePositioningInfo service operation to the AMF 11b to request the current location of the target UE 2. UE 2 When the AMF 11b is in idle state, the AMF 11b initiates a network-triggered service request procedure to establish a signaling connection with the UE 2 and perform privacy verification if necessary.

[0063] In step 11, the AMF 11b calls the Nlmf_Location_DetermineLocation service operation to the LMF 11m to request the current location of the target UE 2. The LCS correlation identifier, the serving cell identifier of the primary cell at the master RAN node, and the RRID in a dual connectivity (DC) scenario are used. The service operation may include a serving cell identifier of a primary cell in the secondary RAN, and a client type. The service operation may include information on the representation format and shape of location information supported by the UE 2.

[0064] In step 13, the LMF 11m executes a location determination procedure for the target UE 2 and returns a Nlmf_Location_DetermineLocation Response including the determined current location of the UE 2 to the AMF 11b. In step 14, the AMF 11b returns a Namf_Location_ProvidePositioningInfo Response including the current location of the target UE 2 to the GMLC 11n. The GMLC 11n After performing privacy verification again as necessary, a location service response is returned to the LCS client 13, the AF 12, and the NF 11 in steps 24a, 24b (24b-1, 24b-2), and 24c.

[0065] <Message and parameters> The service operations in the Nlmf_Location service are handled by services such as the LCS client 13. The DetermineLocation service operation provides UE location information to the requester of the location query. The DetermineLocation Request may include information such as external client type, LCS correlation identifier, serving cell identifier, location QoS, supported data formats and shapes. Examples of supported data formats are latitude-longitude-altitude representation and space-filling curve based location code representation. Examples of supported shapes are collections of points, points with uncertainty, circles, ellipses, polygons, and rectangles.

[0066] If the target UE's location information is successfully acquired, LMF11m returns a DetermineLocation Request In response to the DetermineLocation request, the device returns a DetermineLocation Response including location data. In one embodiment, the response includes location information represented as a location code based on a space-filling curve. Here, a bit string representation of location information based on a space-filling curve will be described.

[0067] 5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining bit string representation of location information based on a space-filling curve (in other words, a method of generating a location code). A location code represents a location as a rectangle having a predetermined range. Specifically, a first bit string that specifies a location in the latitudinal direction (first direction) and a second bit string that specifies a location in the longitudinal direction (second direction) are defined, and a rectangular area is specified by a combination of these bits.

[0068] In the example of FIG. 5A, the entire area 50 is divided into two in each of the latitude and longitude directions to define a total of four areas. Since the latitude and longitude directions are divided into two, the bit strings representing the positions in the latitude and longitude directions are one bit long. For example, area 51 has a latitude position It is expressed as two bits, "00", by combining the bit "0" representing the direction and the bit "0" for the longitude direction.

[0069] The example of FIG. 5B is an example in which the entire area 50 is divided into four in both the latitude and longitude directions to define a total of 16 areas. Since the latitude and longitude directions are divided into four, the bit strings representing the positions in the latitude and longitude directions are 2 bits long. Here, in FIG. 5B, the division of FIG. 5A is subdivided, so the bit strings specifying the latitude and longitude directions are the same as those in FIG. 5A. The region 52-55 in Fig. 5B is represented by a bit string in which a bit string representing the latitude direction and a bit string representing the longitude direction are alternately arranged. For example, the region 53 is represented as "0001" by alternately arranging a bit string "00" specifying the longitude direction and a bit string "01" specifying the latitude direction. For the sake of explanation, the bit string specifying the latitude direction is underlined in Figs. 5A and 5B.

[0070] Since the position code is determined based on such rules, the area (rectangle) represented by the position code has a size corresponding to the number of bits of the position code. Specifically, the smaller the number of bits, the larger the area, and the larger the number of bits, the smaller the area. Also, each time the hierarchy of the division increases by one level, the area becomes one-fourth and the position code increases by 2 bits. The area of the upper-level region (for example, region 51) is equal to the sum of the areas of the lower-level regions (for example, regions 52 to 55).

[0071] Here, although the two-dimensional position code has been described, based on a three-dimensional space-filling curve with added altitude, positions and regions in three-dimensional space can be represented. In the present disclosure, the three-dimensional position of the UE may be represented in the form of a position code, or the three-dimensional position of the UE may be represented by a combination of a two-dimensional position code form and altitude.

[0072] Also, the position codes of the lower-level regions included in the upper-level region have the same upper bits as the position code of the upper-level region. For example, the upper 2 bits of each of the regions 52 to 55 are equal to the position code "00" of the upper-level region 51 that includes these regions. Therefore, according to such a code representation, the inclusion relationship between regions can be easily determined by comparing bit sequences, in other words, by only bitwise logical operations. Note that the confirmation of the inclusion relationship by such upper-bit matching determination is applicable to region comparison between any levels.

[0073] LMF11m transmits the position information of UE2 represented by the above position code expression in the body of the DetermineLocation Response to AMF11b. Note that LMF11m may transmit position information in other expression forms such as latitude / longitude / altitude form in other cases to AMF11b.

[0074] <Example of the operation of LMF11m> 6 is a flowchart showing the process performed by the LMF 11m in response to a location inquiry request. In step S61, the LMF 11m receives the location inquiry request of the target UE 2. In step S62, the LMF 11m acquires UE location information in the location code format of the target UE 2. In step S63, the LMF 11m creates a response including the UE location information in the location code format and transmits it to the source of the location inquiry request.

[0075] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating the process of obtaining and storing UE location information performed by the LMF 11m in step S62.

[0076] In step S71, the LMF 11m acquires UE location information. The method of acquiring the UE location information is not particularly limited, and the location may be determined using the RAN 3, or the location may be determined using a sensor (positioning device) that the UE 2 has. Alternatively, the LMF 11m may acquire the UE location information by requesting it from another NF. The representation format of the location information acquired by the LMF 11m may be any format, such as a latitude / longitude / altitude format or a location code representation format based on a space-filling curve.

[0077] In step S72, the LMF 11m determines whether the acquired position information is in a position code representation format based on a space-filling curve. If it is in the position code format, the process proceeds to step S73. If not, the process proceeds to step S73. If the representation format of the location information acquired by the LMF 11m is predetermined or can be known in advance, the determination process of step S72 may be omitted.

[0078] In step S73, the LMF 11m converts the location information into a location code format. The location code format conversion process can be performed by determining to which rectangular area in the location code format the location information expressed in another expression format (e.g., latitude, longitude, and altitude expression) belongs, and outputting a location code representing the rectangular area. The number of bits of the output location code may be fixed in advance, or, if the accuracy or uncertainty of the acquired location information is clear, the number of bits may correspond to this accuracy or uncertainty.

[0079] In step S74, the LMF 11m stores the thus obtained UE location information in the form of a location code in a storage device.

[0080] LMF 11m executes the process shown in FIG. 6. More specifically, it receives UE location information in the form of a location code in response to a location inquiry request (11. Nlmf_Location_DetermineLocation Request in FIG. 4). The LMF 11m that returns a response (13. Nlmf_Location_DetermineLocation Response) including the UE location information corresponds to the "network node" in this disclosure. However, the Namf_Location_ProvidePositioningInfo Response returned by the AMF 11b also includes the UE location information in the form of a location code. Thus, the AMF 11b also corresponds to the "network node" in this disclosure. Similarly, the response that the GMLC 11n returns to the LCS client 13, the AF 12, and the NF 11 (process 24a in FIG. 4) 24c) also includes UE location information in the form of a location code, so GMLC1n is also It corresponds to a "network node."

[0081] <Other requests> The above location query request has been described as a request for the current location of the target UE (Immediate Location Request). However, the location query request in the LCS Service is A Deferred Location Request may occur based on an event. Examples of trigger events include events related to UE availability, change of home area, periodic reporting, and UE mobility.

[0082] Examples of area change events include the UE leaving a predetermined area, the UE entering a predetermined area, and the UE currently being located in a predetermined area. In order to respond to such an event-based UE location inquiry request, the LMF 11m converts the predetermined area included in the request into a location code format based on a space-filling curve and stores it. The LMF 11m determines whether the UE location is included in the predetermined area by comparing the upper bits of the location code of the UE location and the predetermined area. Even considering the overhead of converting the predetermined area into a location code format, it is expected that the overall processing efficiency will improve because it becomes easier to determine the inclusion relationship.

[0083] FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining an example of expressing a circular area 80 in a position code format as one example of expressing an arbitrarily shaped area in a position code format. In this example, it is shown that a circular area 80 indicated by a dashed line can be expressed by a combination of four rectangular areas 81 expressed by 4 bits and eight rectangular areas 82 expressed by 6 bits. In this way, an arbitrarily shaped area can be expressed by enumerating bit strings representing multiple rectangular areas. Note that the explanation of FIG. 8 shows an overview, and each rectangular area may be expressed by more bit strings.

[0084] In order to determine the inclusion relationship between the area represented in this position code format and the UE's position, the inclusion relationship between each rectangular area that constitutes the area and the UE's position can be determined by comparing the upper bits, and it can be determined whether the UE's position is included in any rectangular area. This is a simple process (logical sum operation), so it is possible to quickly perform the determination process even if the area contains a large number of rectangles.

[0085] In addition, the location inquiry request may include a confirmation request as to whether the UE is located in a specific area, in addition to or instead of the request for the UE's location information. The "specific area" may be expressed in latitude and longitude format or GAD format in the location inquiry request, or may be expressed in location code format. If the specific area is expressed in latitude and longitude format or GAD format, the LMF 11m converts the information into location code format and then judges whether it is included in the UE location. The present relationship can be judged by comparing the upper bits of the location code representing the area and the location code representing the UE location, as described above. If the specific area is expressed in multiple areas, the inclusion relationship with the UE location can be judged for each area.

[0086] The predetermined area may be included in the location inquiry request in the location code format by the LCS client 13 (or AF 13, NF 11), or the format may be converted in any of the NFs GMLC11n, AF11b, and LMF11m or other NFs.

[0087] <Advantageous Effects of the Present Embodiment> According to this embodiment, since the UE location is expressed in a location code format based on a space-filling curve, it is possible to perform a logical operation to determine whether the terminal location is included in the specified area, enabling high-speed determination. In addition, the use of the location code format has the advantage of allowing flexible expression of areas of any shape.

[0088] <Other Modifications> The above-described embodiment is merely an example, and the present disclosure can be modified and implemented as appropriate without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0089] The present disclosure can also be realized by supplying a computer program implementing the functions described in the above embodiments to a computer, and having one or more processors of the computer read and execute the program. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer by a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium connectable to the system bus of the computer, or may be provided to the computer via a network. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media include, for example, any type of disk, such as a magnetic disk (floppy disk, hard disk drive (HDD), etc.), an optical disk (CD-ROM, DVD disk, Blu-ray disk, etc.), a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an EPROM, an EEPROM, a magnetic card, a flash memory, an optical card, and any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 2: User Equipment (UE) 11m:LMF(Location Management Function) 11n:GMLC(Gateway Mobile Location Center) 11o:LRF(Location Retrieval Function) 12: AF (Application Function) 13: LCS (Location Service) client

Claims

1. A network node constituting a wireless communication network, Receiving a user equipment (UE) location information query request; In response to the inquiry request, transmitting a response including location information of the user terminal; a processor for executing The location information included in the response is represented by a bit string based on a space-filling curve. A network node comprising:

2. The position information included in the response is represented by a bit string based on a Hilbert curve or a Z-order curve.

2. A network node according to claim 1 .

3. The location information included in the response represents an area and has a number of bits according to the size of the area.

2. A network node according to claim 1 .

4. the location information included in the response is represented by a bit string in which a first bit string specifying a first direction and a second bit string specifying a second direction are alternately arranged; 2. A network node according to claim 1 .

5. The processor, acquiring location information from the user terminal; storing the location information of the user terminal in the form of a bit string based on a space-filling curve; 2. The network node of claim 1, further comprising:

6. the inquiry request includes a request for confirmation as to whether the user terminal is located in a predetermined area; The response includes information on whether the user terminal is located in the predetermined area, The processor further performs the step of: determining whether the user terminal is located in the predetermined region by comparing a bit sequence based on a space-filling curve representing the predetermined region with the stored bit sequence based on the space-filling curve. A network node according to claim 5.

7. the predetermined region is represented in the query request as a bit string based on a space-filling curve, The determination as to whether the user terminal is located in the predetermined area is performed by comparing a bit string included in the inquiry request with the stored bit string. A network node according to claim 6.

8. the predetermined area is an area combining a plurality of rectangles, the query request includes a bit string representing each of the rectangles based on a space-filling curve; A network node according to claim 7.

9. the predetermined area is expressed in the query request in latitude and longitude format or GAD (Geographical Area Description) format, The processor further executes converting a predetermined region included in the query request into a bit string based on a space-filling curve.

7. A network node according to claim 6.

10. An information processing system including a network node and a client, The client sends a user terminal location information query request to the network node; the network node, in response to the inquiry request, transmits a response to the client, the response including location information of the user terminal; The location information included in the response is represented by a bit string based on a space-filling curve. An information processing system comprising:

11. The position information included in the response is represented by a bit string based on a Hilbert curve or a Z-order curve.

11. The information processing system according to claim 10.

12. The client determines whether the user terminal is located in a predetermined area by comparing a bit string based on a space-filling curve included in the response with a bit string that represents the predetermined area based on a space-filling curve.

11. The information processing system according to claim 10.

13. An information processing method executed by a network node constituting a wireless communication network, comprising: Receiving a user equipment (UE) location information query request; In response to the inquiry request, transmitting a response including location information of the user terminal; Including, The location information included in the response is represented by a bit string based on a space-filling curve.

23. An information processing method comprising:

14. A program for causing a computer to execute each step of the information processing method according to claim 13.

15. A computer-readable medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute each step of the information processing method according to claim 13.

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