Proximity service discovery user equipment identification information provisioning

Abstract

To provide a method for operating a first network function in a communication network.SOLUTION: A method includes initiating transmission of first information toward a second network function (102). The first information indicates that a first network function should subscribe to receiving notification of changes in a proximity service discovery user equipment identifier (PDUID) for user equipment (UE) from the second network function. The method also includes receiving the PDUID for the UE from the second network function (104).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to communications, and more particularly to communication methods and associated devices and functions / nodes that support wireless communications. [Background technology]

[0002] Proximity services (ProSe) in fourth-generation (4G) systems are described in Section 4.4.1 of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP®) Technical Standard (TS) 23.303 V15.1.0. A ProSe function is a logical function used for network-related actions required for ProSe. A ProSe function plays a different role for each aspect of ProSe. In 3GPP® TS 23.303 V15.1.0, only one logical ProSe function can exist in each public land mobile network (PLMN) that supports ProSe. Note that if multiple ProSe functions are deployed in the same PLMN (e.g., for load reasons), a method for finding the ProSe function that has been assigned a particular ProSe application code or ProSe restriction code (e.g., via a database lookup, etc.) is not defined in 3GPP® TS 23.303 V15.1.0.

[0003] ProSe direct discovery may refer to a procedure employed by a ProSe-enabled user equipment (UE) to discover other ProSe-enabled UEs in its vicinity based on direct wireless transmissions between the two UEs using new radio (NR) technologies.

[0004] ProSe direct communication may refer to communication between two or more nearby ProSe-enabled UEs via user plane transmission using NR technology via a path that does not traverse a network node. Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of operating a first network function in a communications network. The method includes initiating transmission of first information toward a second network function. The first information indicates that the first network function should be subscribed to receive notification of a change in a proximity service discovery user equipment identifier (PDUID) for a user equipment (UE) from the second network function. The method includes receiving the PDUID for the UE from the second network function.

[0006] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for operating a second network function in a communications network. The method includes subscribing to the first network function to receive notification of a change in a PDUID for a UE from the second network function in response to receiving first information from the first network function. The first information indicates that the first network function should be subscribed to receive the notification. The method includes initiating transmission of the PDUID for the UE toward the first network function.

[0007] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a first network function comprising processing circuitry configured to operate according to the methods described with respect to the first network function. According to some embodiments, the first network function may have at least one memory for storing instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the first network function to operate according to the methods described with respect to the first network function.

[0008] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a second network function comprising processing circuitry configured to operate in accordance with the methods described with respect to the second network function. According to some embodiments, the second network function may have at least one memory for storing instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the second network function to operate in accordance with the methods described with respect to the second network function.

[0009] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method performed by a system, the method including the method described with respect to a first network function and the method performed with respect to a second network function.

[0010] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a system comprising at least one first network function as described above and at least one second network function as described above.

[0011] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program is provided that includes instructions that, when executed by a processing circuit, cause the processing circuit to perform a method described with respect to a first network function and / or a method described with respect to a second network function.

[0012] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product embodied on a non-transitory machine-readable medium is provided, comprising instructions executable by a processing circuit to cause the processing circuit to perform a method described with respect to a first network function and / or a method described with respect to a second network function. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate certain non-limiting embodiments of the inventive concepts.

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating an interface between a ProSe function and a UE for multiple sub-functions, according to some embodiments.

[0015] [Figure 2] is a block diagram illustrating a ProSe functional interface to other network elements and public land mobile networks (PLMNs) according to some embodiments.

[0016] [Figure 3] 1 is a flow chart illustrating a method performed by a first network function according to one embodiment.

[0017] [Figure 4] 1 is a flow chart illustrating a method performed by a second network function according to one embodiment.

[0018] [Figure 5] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a wireless device (e.g., a UE) in accordance with some embodiments of the inventive concept.

[0019] [Figure 6] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a radio access network (RAN) node (e.g., a base station such as an eNodeB (eNB) or gNodeB (gNB)) in accordance with some embodiments of the inventive concept.

[0020] [Figure 7] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a core network (CN) node (e.g., an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) node, a Session Management Function (SMF) node, etc.) according to some embodiments of the inventive concept.

[0021] [Figure 8] 1 is a flowchart illustrating operations according to some embodiments of the inventive concept.

[0022] [Figure 9] 1 is a flowchart illustrating operations according to some embodiments of the inventive concept.

[0023] [Figure 10] 1 is a flowchart illustrating operations according to some embodiments of the inventive concept.

[0024] [Figure 11]1 is a block diagram of a wireless network according to some embodiments.

[0025] [Figure 12] 1 is a block diagram of a user device according to some embodiments.

[0026] [Figure 13] 1 is a block diagram of a virtualization environment according to some embodiments.

[0027] [Figure 14] 1 is a block diagram of a telecommunications network connected to a host computer through an intermediate network according to some embodiments.

[0028] [Figure 15] 1 is a block diagram of a host computer communicating with user equipment via a base station over a connection, some of which is wireless, according to some embodiments.

[0029] [Figure 16] 1 is a block diagram of a method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and a user device, according to some embodiments.

[0030] [Figure 17] 1 is a block diagram of a method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and a user device, according to some embodiments.

[0031] [Figure 18] 1 is a block diagram of a method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and a user device, according to some embodiments.

[0032] [Figure 19] 1 is a block diagram of a method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and a user device, according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0033] The inventive concepts will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts. However, the inventive concepts may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth in this disclosure. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the inventive concepts to those skilled in the art. It should also be noted that these embodiments are not mutually exclusive. Elements of one embodiment may be implicitly assumed to be present / used in another embodiment.

[0034] The following description presents various embodiments of the disclosed subject matter. These embodiments are presented as instructional examples and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosed subject matter. For example, certain details of the described embodiments may be modified, omitted, or expanded without departing from the scope of the described subject matter.

[0035] Briefly referring to Figure 1, Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating an interface between a UE and a ProSe function for multiple sub-functions, according to some embodiments. As shown, the current ProSe function includes three main sub-functions that play different roles depending on the ProSe feature.

[0036]

[0023] Reference is now made briefly to Figure 2, a block diagram illustrating the ProSe function interface to other network elements and the public land mobile network (PLMN), in accordance with some embodiments. As shown, three distinct sub-functions include a Direct Provisioning Function (DPF), a Direct Discovery Name Management Function (DDNMF), and an Evolved Packet Core (EPC) level discovery ProSe function.

[0037] The DPF is used to provide the UE with parameters necessary to use ProSe Direct Discovery and ProSe Direct Communication. It is used to provision the UE with PLMN-specific parameters that enable the UE to use ProSe in this particular PLMN. For direct communication used for public safety, the DPF is also used to provide the UE with parameters needed when the UE is not served by an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN). In the case of restricted ProSe Direct Discovery, the DPF also generates and maintains a proximity service discovery user equipment identity, referred to in the art as the ProSe Discovery UE ID (PDUID).

[0038] The DDNMF is used in open ProSe Direct Discovery to allocate and process the mapping of ProSe application IDs and ProSe application codes used in ProSe Direct Discovery. The DDNMF uses ProSe-related subscriber data stored in the Home Subscriber Service (HSS) to authorize each discovery request. The DDNMF also provides the UE with the necessary security data to protect discovery messages transmitted over the air. In restricted ProSe Direct Discovery, the DDNMF also interacts with the application server via the PC2 reference point to authorize discovery requests.

[0039] The EPC level discovery ProSe function has reference points towards the HSS (PC4a) and UE (PC3), towards other ProSe functions (PC6), and towards the application server (PC2). • Storing ProSe related subscriber data and / or retrieving ProSe related subscriber data from the HSS. • Authorization and configuration of the UE for EPC-level ProSe discovery and EPC-assisted Wide Local Area Network (WLAN) direct discovery and communication via PC3. • Storage of a list of applications that are authorized to use EPC-level ProSe discovery and EPC-assisted WLAN direct discovery and communication. • Act as a location service client (e.g., Service Location Protocol (SLP) agent) enabling EPC-level ProSe discovery. • Providing information to the UE to assist with WLAN direct discovery and communication. ●Handling of EPC ProSe user IDs and application layer user IDs. ● Signaling exchange with third-party application servers via PC2 reference points for application registration and identifier mapping. • Exchange of signaling with ProSe functions in other PLMNs via PC6 reference points for sending proximity requests, proximity alerts, and location reports. Optional support for the ability to request UE location via HSS.

[0040] The ProSe function may support "on-demand" notification requested by the UE based on operator policy in the case of the ProSe restricted discovery model.

[0041] The ProSe functionality provides the necessary billing and security functions for the use of ProSe (both ProSe over EPC and ProSe direct discovery, ProSe direct communication, and WLAN direct discovery and communication).

[0042] The ProSe function in a Home PLMN (HPLMN) is always reachable if such a function is supported by the HPLMN and a home routed configuration is applied to the packet data network (PDN) connection (e.g., the PDN gateway (GW) is located in the HPLMN). In the case of local breakout (e.g., when the PDN GW is located in a Visited PLMN (VPLMN)) and inter-PLMN signaling is required, a ProSe proxy function can be deployed by the VPLMN to support communication from the UE to the home ProSe function. Whether the PDN connection is provided by local breakout or home routing is determined by the HSS configuration described in 3GPP TS 23.401. The UE does not know this and therefore will not know which access point name (APN) is available for communication with the ProSe function unless specific APN information is configured in the UE indicating that this APN provides signaling connectivity between the UE and the home ProSe function.

[0043] According to the present disclosure, ProSe discovery is a discovery service for a ProSe-enabled UE to identify its proximity to one or more other ProSe-enabled UEs. For example, one or more other UEs may be in proximity to a UE if the one or more other UEs are within a predefined area surrounding the UE. According to some embodiments, the discovery service may be a restricted and / or direct discovery service. A PDUID, as referred to in the present disclosure, may be an identifier (e.g., temporary) assigned to a UE for a (e.g., restricted direct) discovery service. The PDUID may be assigned to a UE by a ProSe function (e.g., in an HPLMN). The PDUID may include a PLMN ID and an identifier (e.g., temporary) that (e.g., uniquely) identifies the UE (e.g., in an HPLMN). Improvements by transferring PDUIDs to fifth generation (5G) DDNMFs, as provided in embodiments of the present disclosure, may result from the use of new event identifiers (IDs), changes to PDUIDs, for example, changes in existing network Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorization_Subscribe or Npcf_EventExposure_subscribe services. Npcf refers to a (e.g., service-based) interface for a Policy Control Function (PCF).

[0044] The ProSe application server can support the following functions: ●Memory of EPC ProSe user ID: ProSe function ID, ProSe discovery UE ID, metadata. ● Mapping of application layer user IDs to EPC ProSe user IDs. ● Mapping of restricted ProSe application user ID (RPAUID) and PDUID for restricted ProSe direct discovery. ●Retention of restricted ProSe direct discovery authorization information using RPAUID. ProSe restricted code suffix pool allocation when restricted direct discovery with application controlled extensions is used, and ● The assignment of masks for ProSe restricted code suffixes is if restricted direct discovery with application controlled extensions is used.

[0045] The use of the PDUID can provide that a ProSe-enabled UE retrieves the PDUID from the ProSe function. The UE provides its PDUID to the ProSe application server and obtains its RPAUID from the server. When a ProSe-enabled UE wants to perform restricted ProSe discovery, it can send either an announce request or a monitor request to its ProSe function to obtain the corresponding restricted discovery code (details are described in Section 5.3.3 of 3GPP TS23.303 V15.1.0). In this request, the UE can include its UE ID (i.e., International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI)) and its RPAUID. If the ProSe function needs an authorization result from the application server, it can send an authorization request to the ProSe application server using the RPAUID. If the authorization is OK, the ProSe application server can respond with the UE's PDUID to the ProSe function. The ProSe function can check to see if the PDUID is mapped to a UE ID (i.e., IMSI).

[0046] PDUID provisioning in a 5G system can result in the PCF maintaining the PDUID, which is provided to the UE as part of ProSe policies and parameters as described in clause 5.1.2.1 of 3GPP TS23.304 V0.1.0.

[0047] Existing challenges include the fact that for 5G ProSe, the PCF takes on the role of the DPF and is used for policy / parameter provisioning to the UE, while the 5G DDNMF is still used for restricted direct discovery procedures. Splitting the functionality of the ProSe function into the PCF and the 5G DDNMF causes a ProSe discovery UE ID to be assigned by the PCF and used by the 5G DDNMF, raising the question of how the 5G DDNMF should obtain the ProSe discovery UE ID. Therefore, this disclosure describes advantageous techniques for provisioning a PDU ID, and more specifically, for provisioning a PDU ID to a first network function such as the 5G DDNMF.

[0048] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a method of operating a first network function in a communication network according to one embodiment. In this disclosure, the first network function may also be referred to as a first network function node. The method is performed by or under the control of processing circuitry of the first network function. As indicated by block 102 of FIG. 3, transmission of first information is initiated toward a second network function. The first information indicates that the first network function should subscribe to receive notification of changes in a PDUID for the UE from the second network function. As indicated by block 104 of FIG. 3, a PDUID for the UE is received from the second network function.

[0049] According to some embodiments, initiating transmission of the first information may include initiating transmission of a first service operation request, and the first service operation request may include the first information.

[0050] According to some embodiments, the first service operation request may be an Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorization_Subscribe request or an Npcf_EventExposure_Subscribe request, where the Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorization_Subscribe request may be a request of the first network function to (e.g., explicitly) subscribe to an event, e.g., any event related to the UE, or more specifically, notification of a subscription persistent identifier (SUPI) for the UE, and the Npcf_EventExposure_Subscribe may be a request to have the first network function subscribe to event notifications, e.g., specified policy control events for the UE.

[0051] According to some embodiments, the first information may be an event identifier for notifying a change in a PDUID for the UE.

[0052] According to some embodiments, the method may include receiving at least one updated PDU ID for the UE from a second network function.

[0053] According to some embodiments, the method may include receiving at least one updated PDU ID for the UE in response to the at least one updated PDU ID being generated for the UE.

[0054] According to some embodiments, the method may include receiving at least one updated PDU ID for the UE with an indication that a notification of a change in PDU ID for the UE has been satisfied.

[0055] According to some embodiments, the method may include initiating transmission of second information directed to the second network function, the second information may indicate that the first network function should be unsubscribed from receiving notifications.

[0056] According to some embodiments, initiating transmission of the second information may include initiating transmission of a second service operation request, wherein the second service operation request may comprise the second information.

[0057] According to some embodiments, the second service operation request may be an Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorization_Unsubscribe request or an Npcf_EventExposure_Unsubscribe request. Here, the Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorization_Unsubscribe request may be a request for the first network function to (e.g., explicitly) unsubscribe from notifications of events, e.g., any events related to the UE, or more specifically, a subscription persistent identifier (SUPI) for the UE. The event may be an event related to the aforementioned Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorization_Subscribe request. Here, the Npcf_EventExposure_Unsubscribe request may be a request to unsubscribe the first network function from event notifications. The event notification may be related to the aforementioned Npcf_EventExposure_Subscribe.

[0058] According to some embodiments, the transmission of the first information may be initiated in response to receiving a discovery request from the UE (the discovery request may be a request for a restricted discovery code) and / or the first network function not having a UE context for the UE. UE context may refer to information associated with the UE. This information may comprise, for example, status information for the UE, security information for the UE, capability information for the UE, identification of one or more logical connections for the UE, and / or any other information related to the UE. This information may comprise information needed to maintain one or more services for the UE.

[0059] According to some embodiments, the method may include initiating transmission of the first information using a subscription persistent identifier (SUPI) for the UE.

[0060] According to some embodiments, the method may include receiving a PDU ID for the UE along with an associated expiration timer.

[0061] According to some embodiments, the first network function may be a Direct Discovery Name Management Function (DDNMF) and / or the second network function may be a Policy Control Function (PCF).

[0062] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a method for operating a second network function in a communication network according to one embodiment. In this disclosure, the second network function may also be referred to as a second network function node. The method may be performed by or under the control of processing circuitry in the second network function. As indicated by block 202 of FIG. 4, a first network function subscribes to receiving notifications of changes in a PDUID for a UE from the second network function in response to receiving first information from the first network function. The first information indicates that the first network function should be subscribed to receiving the notifications. As indicated by block 204 of FIG. 4, transmission of a PDUID for the UE is initiated toward the first network function.

[0063] According to some embodiments, receiving the first information may include receiving a first service operation request, the first service operation request having the first information.

[0064] According to some embodiments, the first service operation request may be an Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorization_Subscribe request or an Npcf_EventExposure_Subscribe request.

[0065] According to some embodiments, the first information may be an event identifier for notifying a change in a PDUID for the UE.

[0066] According to some embodiments, the method may include initiating transmission of at least one updated PDUID for the UE directed to the first network function.

[0067] According to some embodiments, transmission of the at least one updated PDUID for the UE may be initiated in response to generation of the at least one updated PDUID for the UE.

[0068] According to some embodiments, the method may include initiating transmission of at least one updated PDUID for the UE with an indication that a notification of a change in PDUID for the UE has been satisfied.

[0069] According to some embodiments, the method may include unsubscribing the first network function from receiving notifications in response to receiving second information from the first network function, where the second information may indicate that the first network function should be unsubscribed from receiving notifications.

[0070] According to some embodiments, receiving the second information may include receiving a second service operation request, the second service operation request including the second information.

[0071] According to some embodiments, the second service operation request may be an Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorization_Unsubscribe request or an Npcf_EventExposure_Unsubscribe request.

[0072] According to some embodiments, the first information may be received in response to a discovery request from the UE (the discovery request may be a request for a restricted discovery code) and / or the first network function not having a UE context for the UE.

[0073] According to some embodiments, the first information may be received along with a subscription persistent identifier (SUPI) for the UE.

[0074] According to some embodiments, the method may include initiating transmission of a PDUID for the UE along with an associated expiration timer.

[0075] According to some embodiments, the first network function may be a Direct Discovery Name Management Function (DDNMF) and / or the second network function is a Policy Control Function (PCF).

[0076] According to some embodiments, the 5G DDNMF can search for and retrieve the PDUID and subscribe / unsubscribe to notifications of PDUID changes from the PCF. According to some embodiments, the PCF can provide a new event for the Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorization or Npcf_EventExposure service to the consumer. The event can be "PDUID Change." The PCF can report the PDUID to the consumer, i.e., the 5G DDNMF, until the subscription ends.

[0077] The PCF may provide an event ID as follows: Some embodiments provide that the event may be a PDUID change notification. According to some embodiments, the event may not be available for bulk subscription.

[0078] Some embodiments provide that the Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorization service can be used. For example, the 5G DDNMF can receive a discovery request from the UE to request a restricted discovery code. For example, the request may be made via a PC3 or PC3a interface. If the 5G DDNMF does not have a UE context for this UE, the 5G DDNMF can subscribe to PDUID change notifications to the PCF. Some embodiments provide that the Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorization_Create / Subscribe request is used to subscribe to PDUID change notifications to the PCF and includes a "PDUID Change Notification" and, optionally, a subscription persistent identifier (SUPI), which may be mandatory parameters according to some embodiments. The PCF can provide the currently allocated PDUID to the 5G DDNMF in the Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorization_Subscribe response.

[0079] When the PCF generates a new PDUID, it may send an Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorization_Notify message to the 5G DDNMF containing an indication that the event "PDUID Change Notification" has been satisfied and the new PDUID, where the Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorization_Notify message may be a message that notifies the first network function (e.g., the 5G DDNMF) of the subscribed event.

[0080] According to some embodiments, the 5G DDNMF may use the Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorize_Unsubscribe Request to unsubscribe from notifications to the PCF of PDUID changes, terminating the association between the PCF and the subscription.

[0081] Some embodiments provide that the Npcf_EventExposure service is used. When the 5G DDNMF receives a discovery request from a UE to request a restricted discovery code from PC3 (PC3a interface) and the 5G DDNMF does not have a UE context for this UE, it can subscribe to notifications of PDUID changes to the PCF. According to some embodiments, subscribing to notifications of PDUID changes to the PCF can use the Npcf_EventExposure_Subscribe Request, which can include a new event "PDUID Change Notification" and optionally a SUPI (which can be a required parameter according to some embodiments). Some embodiments provide that the PCF can provide the currently assigned PDUID to the 5G DDNMF in the Npcf_EventExposure_Subscribe Response. Some embodiments provide that this service operation can enable the request event for the new SUPI.

[0082] According to some embodiments, when the 5G DDNMF starts, it can invoke an Npcf_EventExposure_Subscribe request that includes the new event "PDUID Change Notification" and any UEs. The PCF can provide the 5G DDNMF with the currently assigned PDUIDs and corresponding SUPIs in the Npcf_EventExposure_Subscribe response.

[0083] Some embodiments provide that when the PCF generates a new PDUID for the UE, an Npcf_EventExposure_Notify message may be sent to the 5G DDNMF including an indication that the event "PDUID Change Notification" is satisfied and the new PDUID, where the Npcf_EventExposure_Notify message may be a message for reporting an event to which the first network function (e.g., the 5G DDNMF) previously subscribed.

[0084] Some embodiments provide that the 5G DDNMF can unsubscribe and cancel the subscription to the PCF from notifications of PDUID changes using an Npcf_EventExposure_Unsubscribe Request.

[0085] According to some embodiments, the PDUID may be provided with an associated expiration timer.

[0086] 5 is a block diagram illustrating elements of a communications device UE 300 (also referred to as a mobile terminal, mobile communications terminal, wireless device, wireless communications device, wireless terminal, mobile device, wireless communications terminal, user equipment, UE, user equipment node / terminal / device, etc.) configured to provide wireless communications in accordance with an embodiment of the inventive concept. The communications device 300 may be provided, for example, as discussed below with respect to the wireless device 4110 of FIG. 11, the UE 4200 of FIG. QQ2, the UEs 4491, 4492 of FIG. QQ4, and / or the UE 4530 of FIG. 15. As shown in FIG. 5, the communications device UE 300 may include an antenna 307 (e.g., corresponding to antenna 4111 of FIG. 11) and a transceiver circuit 301 (e.g., also referred to as a transceiver, corresponding to interface 4114 of FIG. 11) including a transmitter and a receiver configured to provide uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) wireless communications with a base station of a radio access network (e.g., corresponding to network node 4160 of FIG. 11, also referred to as a RAN node). The communications device UE 300 may also include a processing circuit 303 (e.g., corresponding to processing circuit 4120 of FIG. 11 , also referred to as a processor) coupled to the transceiver circuit, and a memory circuit 305 (e.g., corresponding to device-readable medium 4130 of FIG. 11 , also referred to as a memory) coupled to the processing circuit 303. The memory circuit 305 may include computer-readable program code that, when executed by the processing circuit 303, causes the processing circuit 303 to perform operations according to embodiments disclosed in this disclosure. According to other embodiments, the processing circuit 303 may be defined to include a memory such that a separate memory circuit 305 is not required. The communications device UE 300 may also include an interface (e.g., a user interface) coupled to the processing circuit 303, and / or the communications device UE 300 may be incorporated into a vehicle.

[0087] As described in this disclosure, operations of the communications device UE 300 may be performed by the processing circuitry 303 and / or the transceiver circuitry 301. For example, the processing circuitry 303 may control the transceiver circuitry 301 to transmit communications through the transceiver circuitry 301 over an air interface to a radio access network node (also referred to as a base station) and / or to receive communications through the transceiver circuitry 301 over an air interface from a RAN node. Additionally, modules may be stored in the memory circuitry 305 that, when their instructions are executed by the processing circuitry 303, may provide instructions such that the processing circuitry 303 performs respective operations (e.g., operations described below with respect to exemplary embodiments relating to a wireless communication device). According to some embodiments, the communications device UE 300 and / or elements / functions thereof may be embodied as virtual nodes / nodes and / or virtual machines / machines.

[0088] FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating elements of a first network function, more specifically, a first network function node 400. As mentioned above, according to some embodiments, the first network function may be a DDNMF. As shown in FIG. 6, according to some embodiments, the first network function may be a radio access network (RAN) node 400 (also referred to as a network node, base station, eNodeB (eNB), gNodeB (gNB), etc.) of a RAN configured to provide cellular communications according to embodiments of the inventive concept. The RAN node 400 may be provided, for example, as described below with respect to the network node 4160 of FIG. 11, the base stations 4412a, 4412b, 4412c of FIG. 14, and / or the base station 4520 of FIG. 15. As shown in FIG. 6, the RAN node may include transceiver circuitry 401 (e.g., also referred to as a transceiver, corresponding to part of the interface 4190 of FIG. 11) including a transmitter and a receiver configured to provide uplink and downlink wireless communications with mobile terminals. The RAN node may include a network interface circuit 407 (e.g., also referred to as a network interface, corresponding to part of interface 4190 in FIG. 11 ) configured to provide communication with other nodes of the RAN and / or core network (CN) (e.g., with other base stations). The network node may also include a processing circuit 403 (e.g., also referred to as a processor, corresponding to processing circuit 4170) coupled to the transceiver circuit 401 and a memory circuit 405 (e.g., also referred to as a memory, corresponding to device-readable medium 4180 in FIG. 11 ) coupled to the processing circuit 403. The memory circuit 405 may include computer-readable program code that, when executed by the processing circuit 403, causes the processing circuit 403 to perform operations according to embodiments disclosed in the present disclosure. According to other embodiments, the processing circuit 403 may be defined to include memory, such that a separate memory circuit 405 is not required.

[0089] As described in this disclosure, the operations of the RAN node may be performed by the processing circuitry 403, the network interface 407, and / or the transceiver 401. For example, the processing circuitry 403 may control the transceiver 401 to transmit downlink communication signals through the transceiver 401 over the air interface to one or more mobile terminals (UEs) and / or to receive uplink communication signals through the transceiver 401 over the air interface from one or more mobile terminals (UEs). Similarly, the processing circuitry 403 may control the network interface 407 to transmit communications to one or more other network nodes via the network interface 407 and / or receive communications from one or more other network nodes via the network interface 407. Additionally, modules may be stored in the memory 405 that, when their instructions are executed by the processing circuitry 403, provide instructions such that the processing circuitry 403 performs respective operations (e.g., operations described below with respect to exemplary embodiments related to a RAN node). According to some embodiments, the RAN node 400 and / or its elements / functions may be embodied as a virtual node / nodes and / or virtual machines / machines.

[0090] According to some other embodiments, the network node may be implemented as a CN node without a transceiver. According to such embodiments, the transmission to the wireless communication device UE may be initiated by the network node such that the transmission to the wireless communication device UE is provided through the network node (e.g., through a base station or a RAN node) that includes a transceiver. According to embodiments in which the network node is a RAN node that includes a transceiver, initiating the transmission may include transmitting through the transceiver.

[0091] FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating elements of a second network function, more specifically, a second network function node 500. As mentioned above, according to some embodiments, the second network function may be a PCF. As shown in FIG. 7, according to some embodiments, the second network function may be a CN node (e.g., an SMF node, an AMF node, etc.) 500 of a communications network configured to provide cellular communications according to embodiments of the inventive concept. As shown, the CN node 500 may include a network interface circuit 507 (also referred to as a network interface) configured to provide communications with other nodes of a core network and / or RAN. The CN node may also include a processing circuit 503 (also referred to as a processor) coupled to the network interface circuit 507 and a memory circuit 505 (also referred to as a memory) coupled to the processing circuit 503. The memory circuit 505 may include computer-readable program code that, when executed by the processing circuit 503, causes the processing circuit 503 to perform operations according to embodiments disclosed in the present disclosure. According to other embodiments, the processing circuitry 503 may be defined to include memory such that a separate memory circuitry 505 is not required.

[0092] As described in this disclosure, the operations of CN node 500 may be performed by processing circuitry 503 and / or network interface circuitry 507. For example, processing circuitry 503 may control network interface circuitry 507 to transmit communications to one or more other network nodes via network interface circuitry 507 and / or receive communications from one or more other network nodes via network interface circuitry 507. Additionally, modules may be stored in memory 505 that, when their instructions are executed by processing circuitry 503, may provide instructions that cause processing circuitry 503 to perform respective operations (e.g., operations described below with respect to exemplary embodiments related to a core network node). According to some embodiments, CN node 500 and / or its elements / functions may be embodied as virtual nodes / nodes and / or virtual machines / machines.

[0093] The operation of communications device 300 (implemented using the block diagram structure of FIG. 5) is configured to perform several operations disclosed in this disclosure. For example, modules may be stored in memory 305 of FIG. 5, and these modules may provide instructions such that, when the instructions of the modules are executed by respective communications device processing circuitry 303, the processing circuitry 303 performs respective operations disclosed in this disclosure.

[0094] The operation of the RAN node 400 may be implemented using the structure of Figure 6 according to some embodiments of the inventive concept. For example, modules may be stored in the memory 405 of Figure 6, and these modules may provide instructions such that, when the instructions of the modules are executed by the respective RAN node processing circuitry 403, the processing circuitry 403 performs the respective operations of the flowchart.

[0095] The operation of CN node 500 may be implemented using the structure of Figure 7 according to some embodiments of the inventive concept. For example, modules may be stored in memory 505 of Figure 7, and these modules may provide instructions such that, when the instructions of the modules are executed by respective CN node processing circuitry 503, the processing circuitry 503 performs each operation of the flowchart.

[0096] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a system is provided. The system can include at least one first network function described in the present disclosure and at least one second network function described in the present disclosure. Methods performed by the system can include methods described in the present disclosure with respect to the first network function and methods described in the present disclosure with respect to the second network function.

[0097] Reference is now made to Figure 8, a flowchart illustrating operations according to some embodiments of the inventive concept. Some embodiments provide operations for a method of operating a communications device in a communications network. Such operations may include receiving a PDU ID from a UE (block 602). Operations may include subscribing to notifications of changes in the PDU ID from a PCF (block 604).

[0098] Some embodiments include receiving an offer from the PCF to receive an event to determine the PDUID change (block 606). According to some embodiments, the new event includes an Npcf_AMPolicy_Authorization or an Npcf_Event Exposure service. According to some embodiments, the event includes a PDUID change.

[0099] The operations may include receiving a report of the PDUID until the subscription ends (block 608). The operations may further include receiving an event ID from the PCF (block 610). According to some embodiments, the event includes a PDUID change notification. Some embodiments provide that the event is not available for bulk subscriptions.

[0100] Some embodiments include receiving a discovery request from the UE (block 612). According to some embodiments, the discovery request includes a request for a restricted discovery code.

[0101] According to some embodiments, in response to the UE not having a corresponding UE context, the operations further include subscribing to notifications of PDUID changes by sending an Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorization_Create / Subscribe request (block 614), according to some embodiments, the request includes the PDUID change notification and the SUPI.

[0102] The operations may include receiving the currently allocated PDUID from the PCF in an Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorization_Create / Subscribe response (block 616). Some embodiments provide that, in response to the PCF generating a new PDUID, the operations include receiving an Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorization_Notify from the PCF that includes an indication that the event PDUID change notification has been fulfilled and the new PDUID (block 618).

[0103] Some embodiments include unsubscribing for notifications of PDUID changes using Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorize_Delete / Unsubscribe (block 620) to terminate the association between the PCF and the subscription.

[0104] 9 is a flowchart illustrating operations according to some embodiments of the inventive concept of a method for operating a communications device in a communications network. Such method operations may include receiving a discovery request from a UE requesting a restricted discovery code (block 702) and, in response to not having the UE context, subscribing to notifications of PDUID changes from the PCF (block 704).

[0105] According to some embodiments, subscribing includes subscribing using an Npcf_EventExposure_Subscribe request (block 706).

[0106] Some embodiments include receiving the currently allocated PDUIDs from the PCF in an Npcf_EventExposure_Subscribe response (block 708).

[0107] According to some embodiments, the operations include receiving reports of the PDUID until the subscription ends (block 710).

[0108] Some embodiments include receiving an event ID from the PCF (block 712). Some embodiments provide that the event includes a PDUID change notification.

[0109] According to some embodiments, in response to the UE not having a corresponding UE context, the operations further include subscribing to notifications of PDUID changes by sending an Npcf_EventExposure_Subscribe request (block 714). According to some embodiments, the request includes the PDUID change notification and the SUPI.

[0110] Some embodiments include receiving the currently assigned PDUID from the PCF in an Npcf_EventExposure_ / Subscribe response (block 716). According to some embodiments, in response to the PCF generating the new PDUID, the operations include receiving an Npcf_EventExposure_Notify from the PCF that includes an indication that the event PDUID change notification has been filled and the new PDUID (block 718).

[0111] Some embodiments include calling Npcf_EventExposure_Subscribe with the new event PDUID change notification and any of the multiple UEs (block 720).

[0112] Some embodiments include receiving the currently allocated PDUID and corresponding SUPI in an Npcf_EventExposure_subscribe response from the PCF (block 722).

[0113] According to some embodiments, in response to the PCF generating a new PDUID for the UE, the operations further include receiving an Npcf_EventExposure_Notify (block 724) that includes an indication that the PDUID change notification has been fulfilled and the new PDUID.

[0114] Some embodiments include unsubscribing for notifications of PDUID changes using Npcf_EventExposure_Unsubscribe (block 726), terminating the association between the PCF and the subscription.

[0115] Reference is now made to Figure 10, a flowchart illustrating operations according to some embodiments of the inventive concept. Some embodiments provide operations for a method of operating a communications device in a communications network. Such operations may include transmitting a PDU ID from the UE (block 802). The operations may include subscribing to notifications of changes in the PDU ID from the PCF (block 804).

[0116] Some embodiments include receiving an offer from the PCF to receive an event to determine a PDUID change (block 806). According to some embodiments, the new event includes an Npcf_AMPolicy_Authorization or an Npcf_Event Exposure service. According to some embodiments, the event includes a PDUID change.

[0117] The operations may include receiving a report of the PDUID until the subscription ends (block 808). The operations may further include receiving an event ID from the PCF (block 810). According to some embodiments, the event includes a PDUID change notification. Some embodiments provide that the event is not available for bulk subscriptions.

[0118] Some embodiments include transmitting a discovery request from the UE (block 812). According to some embodiments, the discovery request includes a request for a restricted discovery code.

[0119] According to some embodiments, in response to the UE not having a corresponding UE context, the operations further include subscribing to PDUID change notifications by sending an Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorization_Create / Subscribe request (block 814). According to some embodiments, the request includes the PDUID change notification and the SUPI.

[0120] The operation may include receiving the currently allocated PDUID from the PCF in an Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorization_Create / Subscribe response (block 816). Some embodiments provide that, in response to the PCF generating a new PDUID, the operation includes receiving an Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorization_Notify from the PCF that includes an indication that the event PDUID change notification has been fulfilled and the new PDUID (block 818).

[0121] Some embodiments include unsubscribing from notifications of PDUID changes using Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorize_Delete / Unsubscribe (block 820) to terminate the association between the PCF and the subscription.

[0122] Example embodiments are described below. 1. A method of operating a communications device in a communications network, said method comprising: receiving a ProSe discovery UE ID (PDUID) from a user equipment (UE); Subscribing to notifications of PDUID changes from the Policy Control Function (PCF); and It has. 2. The method of embodiment 1, further comprising receiving an offer from the PCF to receive events for determining the change in PDUID. 3. The method of embodiment 2, wherein the new event includes an Npcf_AMPolicy_Authorization or Npcf_Event Exposure service. 4. A method according to any one of embodiments 2 to 3, wherein the event includes a PDUID change. 5. A method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 4, further comprising receiving reports of the PDUID until the subscription ends. 6. A method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 5, further comprising receiving an event ID from the PCF, the event comprising the PDUID change notification. 7. The method of embodiment 6, wherein the event is not available for bulk subscription. 8. A method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 7, further comprising receiving a discovery request from the UE, the discovery request including a request for a restricted discovery code. 9. The method of embodiment 8, wherein in response to the UE not having a corresponding UE context, the operation further includes subscribing to the notification of the PDUID change by sending an Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorization_Create / Subscribe request. 10. The method of embodiment 9, wherein the request includes the PDUID change notification and a subscription persistent identifier (SUPI). 11. A method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 10, further comprising receiving a currently allocated PDUID from the PCF in an Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorization_Create / Subscribe response. 12. A method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 11, wherein in response to the PCF generating a new PDUID, an Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorization_Notify is received from the PCF, the Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorization_Notify including an indication that an event PDUID change notification has been fulfilled, and the new PDUID. 13. A method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 12, further comprising unsubscribing from notifications of PDUID changes using Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorize_Delete / Unsubscribe, thereby terminating the association between the PCF and the subscription. 14. A communication device (300), A processing circuit (303); and a memory (305) coupled to the processing circuit, the memory including instructions that, when executed by the processing circuit, cause the communications device to perform operations according to any of embodiments 1-13. 15. A communication device (300) adapted to perform according to any of the first to thirteenth embodiments. 16. A computer program comprising program code executed by a processing circuit (303) of a communication device (300), whereby execution of the program code causes the communication device (300) to perform an operation described in any of embodiments 1 to 13. 17. A computer program product including a non-transitory storage medium containing program code executed by a processing circuit (303) of a communication device (300), whereby execution of the program code causes the communication device (300) to perform the operations described in any of embodiments 1 to 13. 18. A method of operating a radio access network node (RAN) in a communications network, said method comprising: receiving a ProSe discovery UE ID (PDUID) from a user equipment (UE); Subscribing to notifications of PDUID changes from the Policy Control Function (PCF); and It has. 19. The method of embodiment 18, further comprising receiving an offer from the PCF to receive events for determining changes in the PDUID. 20. The method of embodiment 19, wherein the new event includes an Npcf_AMPolicy_Authorization or Npcf_Event Exposure service. 21. A method according to any one of embodiments 19 to 20, wherein the event includes a PDUID change. 22. The method of any one of embodiments 18 to 21, further comprising receiving a report of the PDUID until the subscription ends. 23. A method according to any one of embodiments 18 to 22, further comprising receiving an event ID from the PCF, the event including the PDUID change notification. 24. The method of embodiment 23, wherein the event is not available for bulk subscription. 25. A method according to any one of embodiments 18 to 24, further comprising receiving a discovery request from the UE, the discovery request including a request for a restricted discovery code. 26. A method according to embodiment 25, wherein in response to the UE not having a corresponding UE context, the operation further comprises subscribing to the notification of the PDUID change by sending an Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorization_Create / Subscribe request. 27. The method of embodiment 26, wherein the request includes the PDUID change notification and a subscription persistent identifier (SUPI). 28. The method of any one of embodiments 18 to 27, further comprising receiving a currently allocated PDUID from the PCF in an Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorization_Create / Subscribe response. 29. A method according to any one of embodiments 18 to 28, comprising receiving, in response to the PCF generating a new PDUID, from the PCF an Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorization_Notify including an indication that an event PDUID change notification has been fulfilled and the new PDUID. 30. A method according to any one of embodiments 18 to 29, further comprising unsubscribing from notifications of PDUID changes using Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorize_Delete / Unsubscribe, thereby terminating the association between the PCF and the subscription. 31. A radio access network (RAN) node (400), comprising: A processing circuit (403); and a memory (405) coupled to the processing circuitry, the memory including instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the RAN node to perform operations according to any of embodiments 18-30. 32. A radio access network (RAN) node (400) adapted to perform according to any of embodiments 18-30. 33. A computer program comprising program code executed by a processing circuit (403) of a radio access network, a RAN, and a node (400), wherein execution of the program code causes the RAN node (400) to perform an operation described in any one of embodiments 18 to 30. 34. A computer program product including a non-transitory storage medium including program code executed by processing circuitry (403) of a radio access network (RAN) node (400), whereby execution of the program code causes the RAN node (400) to perform operations according to any of embodiments 18-30. 35. A method of operating a communications device in a communications network, said method comprising: receiving a discovery request from a user equipment (UE) requesting a restricted discovery code; In response to not having the UE context, subscribing to PDUID change notifications from a Policy Control Function (PCF); It has. 36. The method of embodiment 35, wherein the subscribing includes subscribing using an Npcf_EventExposure_Subscriber request. 37. A method according to any one of embodiments 35 to 36, further comprising receiving a currently allocated PDUID from the PCF in an Npcf_EventExposure_Subscribe response. 38. A method according to any one of embodiments 35 to 37, further comprising receiving reports of the PDUID until the subscription ends. 39. A method according to any one of embodiments 35 to 38, further comprising receiving an event ID from the PCF, the event including the PDUID change notification. 40. The method of embodiment 8, wherein in response to the UE not having a corresponding UE context, the operation further comprises subscribing to the notification of the PDUID change by sending an Npcf_EventExposure_Subscribe request. 41. The method of embodiment 40, wherein the request includes a notification of the PDUID change and a subscription persistent identifier (SUPI). 42. The method of any one of embodiments 35 to 41, further comprising receiving a currently allocated PDUID from the PCF in an Npcf_EventExposure_ / Subscribe response. 43. A method according to any one of embodiments 35 to 42, comprising receiving, in response to the PCF generating a new PDUID, from the PCF an Npcf_EventExposure_Notify including an indication that an event PDUID change notification has been fulfilled and the new PDUID. 44. The method of embodiment 35, further comprising invoking Npcf_EventExposure_Subscribe with the new event PDUID change notification and one of the plurality of UEs. 45. The method of embodiment 44, further comprising receiving from the PCF the currently allocated PDUID and corresponding SUPI in an Npcf_EventExposure_subscribe response. 46. ​​The method of embodiment 35, wherein, in response to the PCF generating a new PDUID for the UE, the operation further comprises receiving the Npcf_EventExposure_Notify including an indication that the PDUID change notification has been fulfilled and the new PDUID. 47. A method according to any one of embodiments 35 to 46, further comprising unsubscribing from notifications of PDUID changes using Npcf_EventExposure_Unsubscribe, terminating the association between the PCF and the subscription. 48. A radio access network (RAN) node (400), comprising: A processing circuit (403); and a memory (405) coupled to the processing circuitry, the memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the RAN node to perform an operation according to any of embodiments 35-47. 49. A radio access network (RAN) node (400) adapted to perform according to any of embodiments 35-47. 50. A computer program comprising program code executed by a processing circuit (403) of a radio access network (RAN) node (400), the execution of the program code causing the RAN node (400) to perform an operation described in any one of embodiments 35 to 47. 51. A computer program product including a non-transitory storage medium including program code executed by processing circuitry (403) of a radio access network (RAN) node (400), whereby execution of the program code causes the RAN node (400) to perform operations according to any of embodiments 35-47. 52. A method of operating a communications device in a communications network, said method comprising: sending a ProSe discovery UE ID (PDUID) to a network node and by a user equipment (UE); Subscribing to notifications of PDUID changes from the Policy Control Function (PCF); and It has. 53. The method of embodiment 52, further comprising receiving an offer from the PCF to receive events for determining changes in the PDUID. 54. The method of embodiment 53, wherein the new event includes an Npcf_AMPolicy_Authorization or Npcf_Event Exposure service. 55. A method according to any one of embodiments 53 to 54, wherein the event includes a PDUID change. 56. A method according to any one of embodiments 52 to 55, further comprising receiving reports of the PDUID until the subscription ends. 57. A method according to any one of embodiments 52 to 565, further comprising receiving an event ID from the PCF, the event including the PDUID change notification. 58. The method of embodiment 57, wherein the event is not available for bulk subscription. 59. A method according to any one of embodiments 52 to 59, further comprising sending a discovery request to the network node and from the UE, the discovery request including a request for a restricted discovery code. 60. A method according to embodiment 59, wherein in response to the UE not having a corresponding UE context, the operation further comprises subscribing to the notification of the PDUID change by sending an Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorization_Create / Subscribe request. 61. The method of embodiment 60, wherein the request includes the PDUID change notification and a subscription persistent identifier (SUPI). 62. The method of any one of embodiments 52 to 61, further comprising receiving a currently allocated PDUID from the PCF in an Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorization_Create / Subscribe response. 63. A method according to any one of embodiments 52 to 62, comprising receiving from the PCF, in response to the PCF generating a new PDUID, an Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorization_Notify including an indication that an event PDUID change notification has been fulfilled and the new PDUID. 64. A method according to any one of embodiments 52 to 64, further comprising unsubscribing from the notification of the PDUID change using Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorize_Delete / Unsubscribe, thereby terminating the association between the PCF and the subscription.

[0123] References are listed below. ●3GPP (registered trademark) TS23.304 v 0.1.0. Proximity-based services (ProSe) in 5G systems (5GS) ●3GPP (registered trademark) TS23.502 v.17.0.0. 5G System (5GS) Procedures ●3GPP (registered trademark) TS23.503 v.17.0.0. Policy and Charging Control Framework for 5G Systems (5GS)

[0124] As provided in this disclosure, operations that may be performed by a RAN node may be performed using, among other things, a core network node.

[0125] Further explanation is provided below.

[0126] In general, all terms used in this disclosure should be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the relevant technical field unless a different meaning is clearly given and / or is implied from the context in which it is used. All references to a / an / the+ element, apparatus, component, means, step, etc. should be interpreted openly as referring to at least one instance of the element, apparatus, component, means, step, etc., unless otherwise specified. The steps of any method disclosed in this disclosure need not be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless a step is explicitly described as after or before another step and / or unless it is implicit that a step must follow or precede another step. Any feature of any of the embodiments disclosed in this disclosure may be applied to any other embodiment, where appropriate. Similarly, any advantage of any embodiment may be applied to any other embodiment, and vice versa. Other objects, features, and advantages of the accompanying embodiments will become apparent from the following description.

[0127] Some of the embodiments contemplated by this disclosure will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, other embodiments are within the scope of the subject matter disclosed in this disclosure, and the disclosed subject matter should not be construed as being limited to only the embodiments set forth in this disclosure; rather, these embodiments are provided as examples to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.

[0128] FIG. 11 illustrates a wireless network according to some embodiments.

[0129] Although the subject matter described in this disclosure may be implemented in any suitable type of system using any suitable components, the embodiments disclosed in this disclosure will be described in connection with a wireless network, such as the exemplary wireless network shown in FIG. 11. For simplicity, the wireless network in FIG. 11 shows only network 4106, network nodes 4160 and 4160b, and wireless devices (WDs) 4110, 4110b, and 4110c (also referred to as mobile terminals). In practice, the wireless network may further include any additional elements suitable for supporting communications between wireless devices or between wireless devices and other communication devices, such as landlines, service providers, or other network nodes or end devices. Of the illustrated components, network node 4160 and wireless device (WD) 4110 are shown in more detail. The wireless network may provide communications and other types of services to one or more wireless devices to facilitate the wireless devices' access to and / or use of services offered by or via the wireless network.

[0130] A wireless network may include any type of communication, telecommunication, data communication, cellular, and / or radio network, or other similar type of system and / or interface. In some embodiments, a wireless network may be configured to operate according to particular standards or other types of predefined rules or procedures. Accordingly, particular embodiments of a wireless network may implement communications standards such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, or 5G standards for mobile communications, wireless local area network (WLAN) standards such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard, and / or any other suitable wireless communication standards such as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, and / or ZigBee standards.

[0131] The network 4106 may include one or more backhaul networks, core networks, IP networks, public switched telephone networks (PSTN), packet data networks, optical networks, wide area networks (WANs), local area networks (LANs), wireless local area networks (WLANs), wired networks, wireless networks, metropolitan area networks, and other networks that enable communication between devices.

[0132] The network node 4160 and the WD 4110 have various components, which are described in more detail below. These components cooperate to provide the functionality of a network node and / or a wireless device, such as providing a wireless connection in a wireless network. In various embodiments, a wireless network may comprise wired or wireless networks, network nodes, base stations, controllers, wireless devices, relay stations, and / or any other components or systems that may facilitate or participate in the communication of data and / or signals, whether via wired or wireless connections.

[0133] As used in this disclosure, a “network node” refers to a configured, arranged, and / or operative device that may communicate, directly or indirectly, with wireless devices and / or other network nodes or equipment in a wireless network to enable and / or provide wireless access to wireless devices and / or perform other functions (e.g., management) in the wireless network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., wireless access points) and base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio base stations, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs), and NR Node Bs (gNBs)). Base stations may be categorized based on the size of the coverage they provide (or, stated differently, their transmit power levels) and may also be referred to as femto, pico, micro, or macro base stations. A base station may also be a relay node or relay donor node that controls a relay. A network node may also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station, such as a centralized digital unit and / or a remote radio unit (RRU), sometimes referred to as a remote radio head (RRH). Such remote radio units may or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna-integrated radio. Some of the distributed radio base stations may also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS). Further examples of network nodes include multi-standard radio (MSR) equipment such as an MSR BS, a network controller such as a radio network controller (RNC) or base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a transmission point, a transmitting node, a multi-cell / multicast coordination entity (MCE), a core network node (e.g., a mobile switching center (MSC), a mobile management entity (MME)), an operation and maintenance (O&M) node, an operation support system (OSS) node, a self-optimizing network (SON) node, a positioning node (e.g., an evolved serving mobile location center (E-SMLC)), and / or minimization drive test (MDT).As another example, a network node may be a virtual network node, as described in more detail below. More generally, however, a network node may represent any suitable device (or devices) that is configured, arranged, and / or operable to enable access to a wireless network and / or provide access to wireless devices or provide some service to wireless devices that have accessed the wireless network.

[0134] In FIG. 11 , network node 4160 has processing circuitry 4170, device-readable medium 4180, interface 4190, auxiliary equipment 4184, power supply 4186, power supply circuitry 4187, and antenna 4162. While the network node 4160 shown in the exemplary wireless network of FIG. 11 may represent a device including a combination of the illustrated hardware components, other embodiments may include network nodes having various combinations of components. It should be understood that a network node includes any suitable combination of hardware and / or software required to perform the tasks, features, functions, and methods disclosed in this disclosure. Furthermore, while the components of network node 4160 are shown as a single box located within a larger box or nested within multiple boxes, in reality the network node may have multiple different physical components that make up the single illustrated component (e.g., device-readable medium 4180 may include multiple separate hard disk drives as well as multiple random access memory (RAM) modules).

[0135] Similarly, the network node 4160 may be comprised of multiple physically separate components (e.g., a Node B component and an RNC component, or a BTS component and a BSC component, etc.), each of which may have its own respective components. In certain situations where the network node 4160 includes multiple separate components (e.g., a BTS and a BSC component), one or more separate components may be shared among multiple network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple Node Bs. In such a scenario, each unique Node B and RNC pair may, in some cases, be considered a single, individual network node. In some embodiments, the network node 4160 may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs). According to such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate device-readable media 4180 for different radio access technologies (RATs)) and some components may be reused (e.g., the same antenna 4162 may be shared by the RATs). Network node 4160 may also include multiple sets of the various illustrated components for different wireless technologies integrated into network node 4160, such as, for example, GSM, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), LTE, NR, WiFi, or Bluetooth wireless technologies. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chips or chipsets and other components within network node 4160.

[0136] The processing circuit 4170 is configured to perform any decision, calculation, or similar operation (e.g., certain acquisition operations) described in this disclosure as being provided by a network node. These operations performed by the processing circuit 4170 may include, for example, transforming the acquired information to other information, comparing the acquired or converted information to information stored at the network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the acquired or converted information, and processing information acquired by the processing circuit 4170 by said processing making decisions.

[0137] The processing circuit 4170 can be comprised of one or more combinations of a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, central processing unit, digital signal processor, application specific integrated circuit, field programmable gate array, or other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software, and / or encoded logic that can be provided alone or in combination with other network node 4160 components (e.g., device readable medium 4180, network node 4160 functionality, etc.). For example, the processing circuit 4170 may execute instructions stored on the device readable medium 4180 or in memory within the processing circuit 4170. Such functionality can include providing any of the various wireless features, functions, or benefits described in this disclosure. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 4170 can include a system on a chip (SOC).

[0138] According to some embodiments, the processing circuitry 4170 may include one or more of a radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 4172 and a baseband processing circuitry 4174. In some embodiments, the radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 4172 and the baseband processing circuitry 4174 may be on separate chips (or chipsets), boards, or units, such as a radio unit and a digital unit. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuitry 4172 and the baseband processing circuitry 4174 may be on the same chip or chipset, board, or unit.

[0139] In some embodiments, some or all of the functionality described in this disclosure as being provided by a network node, base station, eNB, or other such network device may be realized by the processing circuitry 4170 executing instructions stored on the device-readable medium 4180 or memory within the processing circuitry 4170. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by the processing circuitry 4170 without executing instructions stored on a separate or distinct device-readable medium, such as in a hardwired manner. In any of these embodiments, the processing circuitry 4170 may be configured to perform the described functionality, regardless of whether or not it executes instructions stored on a device-readable storage medium. Benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to the processing circuitry 4170 alone or other components of the network node 4160, but are enjoyed by the network node 4160 as a whole, and / or by end users and the wireless network as a whole.

[0140] The device-readable medium 4180 may have any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory, including, but not limited to, persistent storage, solid-state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, RAM, read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media (e.g., hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., flash drive, compact disc (CD) or digital video disc (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device-readable and / or computer-executable memory device that stores information, data, and / or instructions that can be used by the processing circuit 4170. The device-readable medium 4180 may store any suitable instructions, data, or information, including applications comprising one or more of computer programs, software, logic, rules, code, tables, etc., and / or other instructions that can be executed by the processing circuit 4170 and utilized by the network node 4160. The device-readable medium 4180 may be used to store any operations performed by the processing circuit 4170 and / or any data received via the interface 4190. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 4170 and the device-readable medium 4180 may be considered to be integrated.

[0141] The interface 4190 is used for wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data between the network node 4160, the network 4106, and / or the WD 4110. As shown, the interface 4190 has a port / terminal 4194 for transmitting and receiving data to and from the network 4106, for example, via a wired connection. The interface 4190 may also be coupled to a portion of the antenna 4162, or in certain embodiments, includes a wireless front-end circuit 4192. The wireless front-end circuit 4192 includes a filter 4198 and an amplifier 4196. The wireless front-end circuit 4192 may be connected to the antenna 4162 and the processing circuit 4170. The wireless front-end circuit may be configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna 4162 and the processing circuit 4170. The wireless front-end circuit 4192 may receive digital data to be sent to other network nodes or WDs via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuitry 4192 may convert the digital data into a radio signal having appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filters 4198 and / or amplifiers 4196. The radio signal may then be transmitted via the antenna 4162. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 4162 may collect the radio signal and then convert it into digital data by the radio front-end circuitry 4192. The digital data may be passed to the processing circuitry 4170. In other embodiments, the interface may include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0142] According to certain alternative embodiments, the network node 4160 may not include a separate radio front-end circuit 4192; instead, the processing circuit 4170 may include a radio front-end circuit and may be connected to the antenna 4162 without a separate radio front-end circuit 4192. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or a portion of the RF transceiver circuit 4172 may be considered part of the interface 4190. In still other embodiments, the interface 4190 may include one or more ports or terminals 4194, the radio front-end circuit 4192, and the RF transceiver circuit 4172 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the interface 4190 may communicate with baseband processing circuitry 4174 that is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0143] The antenna 4162 may include one or more antennas or an antenna array configured to transmit and / or receive wireless signals. The antenna 4162 may be coupled to the radio front-end circuitry 4192 and may be any type of antenna that may transmit and receive data and / or signals wirelessly. In some embodiments, the antenna 4162 may include one or more omnidirectional, sector, or panel antennas operable to transmit and receive wireless signals, for example, between 2 GHz and 66 GHz. An omnidirectional antenna may be used to transmit / receive wireless signals in any direction, a sector antenna may be used to transmit / receive wireless signals from devices within a specific area, and a panel antenna may be a line-of-sight (LOS) antenna used to transmit / receive wireless signals in a relatively straight line. In some instances, the use of two or more antennas may be referred to as multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO). In certain embodiments, the antenna 4162 may be separate from the network node 4160 and may be connectable to the network node 4160 via an interface or port.

[0144] The antenna 4162, the interface 4190, and / or the processing circuit 4170 may be configured to perform any receiving operations and / or certain acquisition operations described in this disclosure as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signals may be received from a wireless device, another network node, and / or any other network equipment. Similarly, the antenna 4162, the interface 4190, and / or the processing circuit 4170 may be configured to perform any transmitting operations described in this disclosure as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signals may be transmitted to a wireless device, another network node, and / or any other network equipment.

[0145] The power supply circuit 4187 may comprise or be coupled to power management circuitry and is configured to provide power to the components of the network node 4160 for performing the functions described in this disclosure. The power supply circuit 4187 may receive power from a power source 4186. The power source 4186 and / or the power supply circuit 4187 may be configured to provide power to the various components of the network node 4160 in a manner appropriate for each component (e.g., voltage and current levels required for each component). The power supply 4186 may be included in the power supply circuit 4187 and / or the network node 4160, or may be included external to the power supply circuit. For example, the network node 4160 may be connectable to an external power source (e.g., an electrical outlet) via an input circuit or interface such as an electrical cable, whereby the external power source provides power to the power supply circuit 4187. As a further example, the power supply 4186 may include a power source in the form of a battery or battery pack connected to or integrated with the power supply circuit 4187. If the external power source fails, a battery may provide backup power. Other types of power sources, such as photovoltaic devices, may also be used.

[0146] 11 , which may be responsible for providing particular aspects of the network node's functionality, including any of the functionality described in this disclosure and / or any functionality essential to supporting the subject matter described in this disclosure. For example, the network node 4160 may include user interface devices that allow for the input of information into the network node 4160 and the output of information from the network node 4160, thereby allowing a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other management functions on the network node 4160.

[0147] As used in this disclosure, a wireless device (WD) refers to a device configured, arranged, and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with network nodes and / or other wireless devices. Unless otherwise specified, the term WD may be used interchangeably with user equipment (UE) in this disclosure. Wireless communication may involve transmitting and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared rays, and / or other types of signals suitable for conveying information over the air. According to some embodiments, a WD may be configured to transmit and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, a WD may be designed to transmit information to a network on a predetermined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to a request from the network. Examples of WDs include, but are not limited to, smartphones, mobile phones, mobile phones, voice-over-IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, desktop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless cameras, game consoles or devices, music storage devices, playback devices, wearable terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, tablets, laptops, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop mounted devices (LMEs), smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPEs), vehicle-mounted wireless terminal devices, etc. A WD may support device-to-device (D2D) communications, for example, by implementing 3GPP standards for sidelink communications, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), and vehicle-to-everything (V2X), in which case it may be referred to as a D2D communications device. As yet another specific example, in an Internet of Things (IoT) scenario, a WD may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurements and transmits results of such monitoring and / or measurements to another WD and / or network node. The WD in this case may be a machine-to-machine (M2M) device, which in the 3GPP context may be called a machine-type communication (MTC) device.As one particular example, a WD may be a UE implementing the 3GPP® Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) standard. Specific examples of such machines or devices are metering devices such as sensors, power meters, industrial machines, or home or personal appliances (e.g., refrigerators, televisions, etc.), personal wearables (e.g., watches, fitness trackers, etc.). In other scenarios, a WD may represent a vehicle or other equipment that can monitor and / or report its operating status or other functions related to its operation. A WD such as described above may represent an endpoint of a wireless connection, in which case the device may be referred to as a wireless terminal. Furthermore, a WD such as described above may be mobile, in which case it may be referred to as a mobile device or mobile terminal.

[0148] As shown, wireless device 4110 has antenna 4111, interface 4114, processing circuitry 4120, device-readable medium 4130, user interface equipment 4132, auxiliary equipment 4134, power supply 4136, and power supply circuitry 4137. WD4110 may include multiple sets including one or more of the illustrated components for different wireless technologies supported by WD4110, such as, for example, GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, WiMAX, or Bluetooth wireless technologies, to name just a few. These wireless technologies may be integrated on the same or different chip or chipset as other components within WD4110.

[0149] The antenna 4111 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to transmit and / or receive wireless signals and is connected to the interface 4114. According to certain alternative embodiments, the antenna 4111 may be separate from the WD 4110 and may be connectable to the WD 4110 via an interface or port. The antenna 4111, the interface 4114, and / or the processing circuit 4120 may be configured to perform any receiving or transmitting operations described in this disclosure as being performed by a WD. Any information, data, and / or signals may be received from a network node and / or another WD. In some embodiments, the wireless front-end circuit and / or the antenna 4111 may be considered an interface.

[0150] As shown, the interface 4114 includes a radio front-end circuit 4112 and an antenna 4111. The radio front-end circuit 4112 includes one or more filters 4118 and an amplifier 4116. The radio front-end circuit 4112 is connected to the antenna 4111 and the processing circuit 4120 and is configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna 4111 and the processing circuit 4120. The radio front-end circuit 4112 may be coupled to or may be a part of the antenna 4111. According to some embodiments, the WD 4110 may not include a separate radio front-end circuit 4112; rather, the processing circuit 4120 may include the radio front-end circuit and be connected to the antenna 4111. Similarly, in some embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuit 4122 may be considered part of the interface 4114. The radio front-end circuit 4112 may receive digital data to be sent to other network nodes or WDs via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuitry 4112 may convert the digital data into a radio signal having appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filters 4118 and / or amplifiers 4116. The radio signal may then be transmitted via the antenna 4111. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 4111 may collect the radio signal and then convert it into digital data by the radio front-end circuitry 4112. The digital data may be passed to the processing circuitry 4120. In other embodiments, the interface may include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0151] The processing circuit 4120 may comprise a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, central processing unit, digital signal processor, application specific integrated circuit, field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of one or more of hardware, software, and / or coded logic operable to provide, alone or in conjunction with other WD4110 components, such as the device-readable medium 4130, WD4110 functionality. Such functionality may include providing any of the various wireless features or advantages described in this disclosure. For example, the processing circuit 4120 may execute instructions stored on the device-readable medium 4130 or memory within the processing circuit 4120 to provide the functionality disclosed in this disclosure.

[0152] As shown, the processing circuit 4120 includes one or more of an RF transceiver circuit 4122, a baseband processing circuit 4124, and an application processing circuit 4126. In other embodiments, the processing circuit may include different components and / or different combinations of components. According to certain embodiments, the processing circuit 4120 of the WD4110 may have a SOC. In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuit 4122, the baseband processing circuit 4124, and the application processing circuit 4126 may be on separate chips or chipsets. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the baseband processing circuit 4124 and the application processing circuit 4126 may be combined into a single chip or chipset, and the RF transceiver circuit 4122 may be on a separate chip or chipset. In further alternative embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuitry 4122 and the baseband processing circuitry 4124 may be on the same chip or chipset, and the application processing circuitry 4126 may be on a separate chip or chipset. In yet other alternative embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuitry 4122, the baseband processing circuitry 4124, and the application processing circuitry 4126 may be combined on the same chip or chipset. In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuitry 4122 may be part of the interface 4114. The RF transceiver circuitry 4122 may condition RF signals for the processing circuitry 4120.

[0153] According to certain embodiments, some or all of the functionality described in this disclosure as being performed by the WD may be provided by the processing circuitry 4120 executing instructions stored on a machine-readable medium 4130, which, according to certain embodiments, may be a computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by the processing circuitry 4120 without executing instructions stored on a separate or distinct device-readable storage medium, such as in a hardwired manner. In any of these particular embodiments, the processing circuitry 4120 may be configured to perform the described functionality, regardless of whether or not it executes instructions stored on a device-readable storage medium. Benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to the processing circuitry 4120 alone or other components of the WD4110, but are enjoyed by the WD4110 as a whole and / or by end users and the wireless network as a whole.

[0154] The processing circuit 4120 may be configured to perform any determination, calculation, or similar operation (e.g., certain acquisition operations) described in this disclosure as being performed by a WD. These operations may include, for example, transforming acquired information into other information, comparing the acquired or converted information with information stored by the WD 4110, and / or performing one or more operations based on the acquired or converted information, as performed by the processing circuit 4120, and processing information acquired by the processing circuit 4120 as a result of said processing decisions.

[0155] The device-readable medium 4130 may be operable to store applications, including one or more of computer programs, software, logic, rules, codes, tables, etc., and / or other instructions that can be executed by the processing circuit 4120. The device-readable medium 4130 may include computer memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM) or read-only memory (ROM)), mass storage media (e.g., hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., compact disc (CD) or digital video disc (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device-readable and / or computer-executable memory device that stores information, data, and / or instructions that can be used by the processing circuit 4120. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 4120 and the device-readable medium 4130 may be considered to be integrated.

[0156] The user interface device 4132 can provide components that allow a human user to interact with the WD4110. Such interaction can be in many forms, such as visual, auditory, tactile, etc. The user interface device 4132 can be operable to generate output to the user and allow the user to provide input to the WD4110. The type of interaction can vary depending on the type of user interface device 4132 installed on the WD4110. For example, if the WD4110 is a smartphone, interaction may occur via a touchscreen, whereas if the WD4110 is a smart meter, interaction may occur via a screen that provides usage (e.g., number of gallons used) or a speaker that provides an audible alarm (e.g., if smoke is detected). The user interface device 4132 can include input interfaces, devices, and circuits, as well as output interfaces, devices, and circuits. The user interface device 4132 is configured to allow information to be input to the WD4110 and is connected to the processing circuit 4120 to enable the processing circuit 4120 to process the input information. The user interface devices 4132 may include, for example, a microphone, a proximity or other sensor, keys / buttons, a touch display, one or more cameras, a universal serial bus (USB) port, or other input circuitry. The user interface devices 4132 are also configured to enable the output of information from the WD4110 and to enable the processing circuit 4120 to output information from the WD4110. The user interface devices 4132 may include, for example, a speaker, a display, a vibration circuit, a USB port, a headphone interface, or other output circuitry. Using one or more input / output interfaces, devices, and circuits of the user interface devices 4132, the WD4110 can communicate with an end user and / or a wireless network, allowing the end user and / or the wireless network to benefit from the functionality described in this disclosure.

[0157] The auxiliary equipment 4134 is operable to provide more specific functions that may not generally be performed by a WD. This may include specialized sensors for taking measurements for various purposes, interfaces for additional types of communication, such as wired communication, etc. The component load and types of the auxiliary equipment 4134 may vary depending on the embodiment and / or scenario.

[0158] The power source 4136 may be in the form of a battery or battery pack in some embodiments. Other types of power sources, such as an external power source (e.g., an electrical outlet), a photovoltaic device, or a power cell, may also be used. The WD4110 may further include a power supply circuit 4137 for directing power from the power source 4136 to various portions of the WD4110 requiring power from the power source 4136 and performing any functions described or illustrated in this disclosure. The power supply circuit 4137 may, in certain embodiments, include a power management circuit. The power supply circuit 4137 may additionally or alternatively be operable to receive power from an external power source, in which case the WD4110 may be connectable to the external power source (e.g., an electrical outlet) via an interface such as an input circuit or a power cable. Also, in certain embodiments, the power supply circuit 4137 may be operable to distribute power from the external power source to the power source 4136. This may be, for example, for charging the power source 4136. The power supply circuitry 4137 may perform any formatting, conversion, or other modification to the power from the power supply 4136 to make it suitable for each component of the WD4110 being powered.

[0159] FIG. 12 illustrates a UE according to some embodiments.

[0160] FIG. 12 illustrates one embodiment of a UE according to various aspects described in the present disclosure. As used in this disclosure, user equipment or UE does not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates an associated device. Instead, a UE may represent a device that is intended for sale to or operation by a human user, but may or may not initially be associated with a particular human user (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller). Alternatively, a UE may represent a device that is not intended for sale to or operation by an end user, but may be associated with or operated for a user (e.g., a smart power meter). The UE 42200 may be any UE specified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including an NB-IoT UE, a machine type communication (MTC) UE, and / or an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE. As shown in Figure 12, UE 4200 is an example of a WD configured to communicate in accordance with one or more communications standards promulgated by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP®), such as 3GPP®'s GSM, UMTS, LTE, and / or 5G standards. As mentioned above, the terms WD and UE may be used interchangeably. Thus, while Figure 12 illustrates a UE, the components described in this disclosure are equally applicable to a WD, and vice versa.

[0161] In FIG. 12, UE 4200 includes a processing circuit 4201 operably coupled to a communications subsystem 4231, a power supply 4213, and / or any other components, or any combination thereof, such as an input / output interface 4205, a radio frequency (RF) interface 4209, a network connection interface 4211, memory 4215 including random access memory (RAM) 4217, a read-only memory (ROM) 4219, and a storage medium 4221. The storage medium 4221 has an operating system 4223, application programs 4225, and data 4227. In other embodiments, the storage medium 4221 may include other similar types of information. Some UEs may utilize all of the components shown in FIG. 12 or only a subset of the components. The level of integration between components may vary from one UE to another. Additionally, some UEs may include multiple instances of components, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0162] 12, processing circuit 4201 may be configured to process computer instructions and data. Processing circuit 4201 may be configured to implement any sequential state machine operable to execute machine instructions stored in memory as a machine-readable computer program, such as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., discrete logic, field programmable gate array (FPGA), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc.), programmable logic with appropriate firmware, one or more stored programs such as a microprocessor or digital signal processor (DSP) with appropriate software, a general-purpose processor, or any combination of the above. For example, processing circuit 4201 may include two central processing units (CPUs). Data may be information in a form suitable for use by a computer.

[0163] In the illustrated embodiment, the input / output interface 4205 may be configured to provide a communication interface for an input device, an output device, or an input and output device. The UE 4200 may be configured to use an output device via the input / output interface 4205. The output device may use the same type of interface port as the input device. For example, a USB port may be used for input and output to the UE 4200. The output device may be a speaker, a sound card, a video card, a display, a monitor, a printer, an actuator, an emitter, a smart card, another output device, or any combination thereof. The UE 4200 may be configured to use an input device via the input / output interface 4205 to allow a user to capture information into the UE 4200. Input devices may include a touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive display, a camera (e.g., a digital camera, a digital video camera, a webcam, etc.), a microphone, a sensor, a mouse, a trackball, directional keys, a trackpad, a scroll wheel, a smart card, etc. A presence-sensitive display may include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor to sense input from a user. The sensor may be, for example, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a tilt sensor, a force sensor, a magnetometer, an optical sensor, a proximity sensor, another similar sensor, or any combination thereof. For example, the input device may be an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a digital camera, a microphone, and an optical sensor.

[0164] In FIG. 12, the RF interface 4209 may be configured to provide a communications interface to RF components such as a transmitter, receiver, and antenna. The network connection interface 4211 may be configured to provide a communications interface to the network 4243a. The network 4243a may include a wired and / or wireless network, such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a computer network, a wireless network, a communications network, other similar networks, or any combination thereof. For example, the network 4243a may include a Wi-Fi network. The network connection interface 4211 may be configured to include a receiver and transmitter interface used to communicate with one or more other devices over a communications network according to one or more communications protocols, such as Ethernet, Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) / Internet Protocol (IP), Synchronous Optical Networking (SONET), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), etc. The network connection interface 4211 may implement receiver and transmitter functions appropriate for a communications network link (e.g., optical, electronic, etc.). The transmitter and receiver functions may share circuit components, software, or firmware or may be implemented separately.

[0165] The RAM 4217 may be configured to interface to the processing circuit 4201 via the bus 4202 to provide storage or caching of data or computer instructions during execution of software programs such as an operating system, application programs, and device drivers. The ROM 4219 may be configured to provide computer instructions or data to the processing circuit 4201. For example, the ROM 4219 may be stored in non-volatile memory and configured to store unchanging low-level system code or data for basic system functions such as basic input / output (I / O), startup, or receiving keystrokes from a keyboard. The storage medium 4221 may be configured to include memory such as RAM, ROM, programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disk, optical disk, floppy disk, hard disk, removable cartridge, or flash drive. According to one example, the storage medium 4221 may be configured to include an operating system 4223, an application program 4225, such as a web browser application, a widget or gadget engine or another application, and data files 4227. The storage medium 4221 may store any of a variety of operating systems or combinations of operating systems for use by the UE 4200.

[0166] The storage medium 4221 may be configured to include several physical drives, such as a redundant array of independent disks (RAID), a floppy disk drive, flash memory, a USB flash drive, an external hard disk drive, a thumb drive, a pen drive, a key drive, a high-density digital versatile disk (HD-DVD) optical disk drive, an internal hard disk drive, a Blu-ray optical disk drive, a holographic digital data storage (HDDS) optical disk drive, an external mini dual in-line memory module (DIMM), a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), an external micro-DIMM SDRAM, smart card memory such as a subscriber identity module or removable user identity (SIM / RUIM) module, other memory, or any combination thereof. The storage medium 4221 may enable the UE 4200 to access, offload data, or upload data, computer-executable instructions, application programs, etc. stored on a temporary or non-transitory storage medium. Products, such as those utilizing a communication system, may be tangibly embodied in the storage medium 4221, including device-readable media.

[0167] In FIG. 12, the processing circuit 4201 may be configured to communicate with network 4243b using a communications subsystem 4231. Network 4243a and network 4243b may be the same network or different networks. The communications subsystem 4231 may be configured to include one or more transceivers used to communicate with network 4243b. For example, the communications subsystem 4231 may be configured to include one or more transceivers (transceivers) used to communicate with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication, such as another WD, UE, or a base station of a RAN, according to one or more communications protocols such as IEEE 802.11, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), WCDMA, GSM, LTE, Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), WiMax, etc. Each transceiver may include a transmitter 4233 and / or a receiver 4235 to implement transmitter or receiver functionality, respectively, appropriate for the RAN link (e.g., frequency allocation, etc.). Furthermore, the transmitter 4233 and receiver 4235 of each transceiver may share circuit components, software, or firmware, or may be implemented separately.

[0168] According to the illustrated embodiment, the communication capabilities of the communication subsystem 4231 may include data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communication such as Bluetooth®, proximity communication, location-based communication such as using a global positioning system (GPS) to determine location, another similar communication capability, or any combination thereof. For example, the communication subsystem 4231 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, Bluetooth® communication, and GPS communication. The network 4243b may include wired and / or wireless networks such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a computer network, a wireless network, a communications network, other similar networks, or any combination thereof. For example, the network 4243b may be a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, and / or a short-range wireless network. The power supply 4213 may be configured to provide alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) power to the components of the UE 4200.

[0169] The features, advantages, and / or functions described in this disclosure may be implemented in one of the components of the UE 4200 or distributed across multiple components of the UE 4200. Furthermore, the features, advantages, and / or functions described in this disclosure may be implemented in any combination of hardware, software, or firmware. In one example, the communication subsystem 4231 may be configured to include any of the components described in this disclosure. Furthermore, the processing circuit 4201 may be configured to communicate with any of such components via the bus 4202. In another example, any of such components may be represented by program instructions stored in memory that, when executed by the processing circuit 4201, perform the corresponding functions described in this disclosure. In another example, the functionality of any of such components may be split between the processing circuit 4201 and the communication subsystem 4231. In another example, the computationally intensive functions of any of such components may be implemented in software or firmware, and the computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

[0170] FIG. 13 illustrates a virtualized environment according to some embodiments.

[0171] 13 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment 4300 in which functionality implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized. In this context, virtualization refers to creating a virtual version of an apparatus or device, including virtualizing a hardware platform, storage devices, and network resources. As used in this disclosure, virtualization may apply to a node (e.g., a virtualized base station or a virtualized radio access node) or to a device (e.g., a UE, a wireless device, or any other type of communication device) or component thereof, and relates to embodiments in which at least a portion of functionality is implemented as one or more virtual components (e.g., via one or more applications, components, functions, virtual machines, or containers running on one or more physical processing nodes in one or more networks).

[0172] According to some embodiments, some or all of the functionality described in this disclosure may be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more virtual machines implemented within one or more virtual environments 4300 hosted by one or more hardware nodes 4330. Furthermore, in embodiments where the virtual node is not a radio access node or does not require radio connectivity (e.g., a core network node), the network node may be fully virtualized.

[0173] The functionality may be implemented by one or more applications 4320 (which may alternatively be referred to as software instances, virtual appliances, network functions, virtual nodes, virtual network functions, etc.) that operate to implement some of the features, functions, and / or benefits of the embodiments disclosed in this disclosure. The applications 4320 execute in a virtualization environment 4300 that provides hardware 4330 having processing circuitry 4360 and memory 4390. The memory 4390 includes instructions 4395 executable by the processing circuitry 4360, such that the applications 4320 are operable to provide one or more of the features, advantages, and / or functions disclosed in this disclosure.

[0174] The virtualization environment 4300 comprises a general-purpose or special-purpose network hardware device 4330 comprising a set of one or more processors or processing circuits 4360, which may be commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) processors, special-purpose application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or any other type of processing circuitry, including digital or analog hardware components or special-purpose processors. Each hardware device may have memory 4390-1, which may be non-persistent memory for temporarily storing instructions 4395 or software executed by the processing circuits 4360. Each hardware device may include one or more network interface controllers (NICs) 4370, also known as network interface cards, that include a physical network interface 4380. Each hardware device may also include a non-transitory, persistent, machine-readable storage medium 4390-2 having stored therein software 4395 and / or instructions executable by the processing circuits 4360. Software 4395 may include any type of software, including software for instantiating one or more virtualization layers 4350 (also referred to as hypervisors), software for running virtual machines 4340, and software that enables the functions, features, and / or benefits described in connection with some embodiments described in this disclosure to be performed.

[0175] A virtual machine 4340 may comprise virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interfaces, and virtual storage, and may be executed by a corresponding virtualization layer 4350 or hypervisor. Different embodiments of an instance of a virtual appliance 4320 may be implemented on one or more virtual machines 4340, and the implementation may be done in different ways.

[0176] In operation, processing circuitry 4360 executes software 4395 to instantiate a hypervisor or virtualization layer 4350, sometimes referred to as a virtual machine monitor (VMM), which may present a virtual operating platform to virtual machine 4340 that appears to be network hardware.

[0177] 13, hardware 4330 may be a standalone network node having general or specific components. Hardware 4330 may have antenna 43225 and may implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, hardware 4330 may be part of a larger cluster of hardware (e.g., in a data center or customer premises equipment (CPE)) where many hardware nodes work together and are managed via a management and orchestration (MANO) 43100 that, among other things, oversees the lifecycle management of application 4320.

[0178] Hardware virtualization occurs in some contexts, referred to as network functions virtualization (NFV), which may be used to consolidate many network equipment types onto industry-standard high-volume server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage that can reside in data centers and customer premises equipment.

[0179] In the context of NFV, virtual machine 4340 may be a software implementation of a physical machine that executes programs as if they were running on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each virtual machine 4340, and that portion of hardware 4330 on which it runs, is hardware dedicated to that virtual machine and / or hardware shared by that virtual machine with other virtual machines 4340, forming a separate virtual network element (VNE).

[0180] Furthermore, in the context of NFV, a virtual network function (VNF) is responsible for handling a specific network function running in one or more virtual machines 4340 on top of the hardware networking infrastructure 4330 and corresponds to the application 4320 in FIG. 13.

[0181] According to some embodiments, one or more radio units 43200, each including one or more transmitters 43220 and one or more receivers 43210, may be coupled to one or more antennas 43225. The radio units 43200 may communicate directly with the hardware node 4330 via one or more suitable network interfaces and may be used in combination with virtualization components to provide radio functionality to the virtualization node, such as a radio access node or base station.

[0182] According to some embodiments, some signaling may be accomplished through the use of a control system 43230, which may alternatively be used for communication between the hardware node 4330 and the radio unit 43200.

[0183] FIG. 14 illustrates a telecommunications network connected to a host computer through an intermediate network according to some embodiments.

[0184] 14, according to one embodiment, a communication system has a communication network 4410, such as a 3GPP-type cellular network, comprising an access network 4411, such as a radio access network, and a core network 4414. The access network 4411 comprises a plurality of base stations 4412a, 4412b, 4412c, such as NBs, eNBs, gNBs, or other types of wireless access points, each defining a corresponding coverage area 4413a, 4413b, 4413c. Each base station 4412a, 4412b, 4412c can be connected to the core network 4414 via a wired or wireless connection 4415. A first UE 4491 located in the coverage area 4413c is configured to be wirelessly connected to or paged by the corresponding base station 4412c. A second UE 4492 within the coverage area 4413a can be wirelessly connected to the corresponding base station 4412a. Although multiple UEs 4491, 4492 are shown in this example, the disclosed embodiments are equally applicable to situations where a single UE is present within the coverage area and is connected to a corresponding base station 4412.

[0185] The telecommunications network 4410 is itself connected to a host computer 4430, which may be embodied in hardware and / or software of a standalone server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server, or as a processing resource in a server farm. The host computer 4430 may be under the ownership or control of a service provider, or may be operated by or on behalf of the service provider. Connections 4421 and 4422 between the communications network 4410 and the host computer 4430 may extend directly from the core network 4414 to the host computer 4430 or may go through an optional intermediate network 4420. The intermediate network 4420 may be one of a public network, a private network, or a hosted network, or a combination of two or more thereof; the intermediate network 4420 may be a backbone network or the Internet, if any; and in particular, the intermediate network 4420 may comprise two or more subnetworks (not shown).

[0186] The communication system of FIG. 14 as a whole enables connectivity between connected UEs 4491, 4492 and a host computer 4430. The connectivity may be described as an over-the-top (OTT) connection 4450. The host computer 4430 and connected UEs 4491, 4492 are configured to communicate data and / or signaling via the OTT connection 4450 using the access network 4411, the core network 4414, any intermediate networks 4420, and possible further infrastructure (not shown) as intermediaries. The OTT connection 4450 may be transparent in the sense that participating communication devices through which the OTT connection 4450 passes are unaware of the routing of the uplink and downlink communications. For example, the base station 4412 does not need to be informed of the past routing of incoming downlink communications with data originating from the host computer 4430 to be forwarded (e.g., handed over) to the connected UE 4491. Similarly, the base station 4412 does not need to be aware of the future routing of outgoing uplink communications from the UE 4491 towards the host computer 4430.

[0187] FIG. 15 illustrates a host computer communicating with a user device via a base station over a partial wireless connection, according to some embodiments.

[0188] An exemplary implementation according to the embodiments of the UE, base station, and host computer discussed in the previous paragraph will now be described with reference to FIG. 15 . In the communication system 4500, the host computer 4510 comprises hardware 4515 including a communication interface 4516 configured to establish and maintain a wired or wireless connection with an interface of another communication device in the communication system 4500. The host computer 4510 further comprises processing circuitry 4518, which may have storage and / or processing capabilities. In particular, the processing circuitry 4518 may include one or more programmable processors, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or combinations thereof (not shown) adapted to execute instructions. The host computer 4510 further comprises software 4511 stored on or accessible by the host computer 4510 and executable by the processing circuitry 4518. The software 4511 has a host application 4512. The host application 4512 may be operable to provide services to a remote user, such as a UE 4530, connecting via an OTT connection 4550 that terminates at the UE 4530 and the host computer 4510. In providing services to the remote user, the host application 4512 may provide user data that is transmitted using the OTT connection 4550.

[0189] The communications system 4500 further includes a base station 4520 provided within the communications system and comprising hardware 4525 that enables communication with the host computer 4510 and the UE 4530. The hardware 4525 may have a communications interface 4526 for setting up and maintaining a wired or wireless connection with an interface of another communications device of the communications system 4500, as well as a wireless interface 4527 for setting up and maintaining at least a wireless connection 4570 with a UE 4530 located in a coverage area (not shown in FIG. 15 ) served by the base station 4520. The communications interface 4526 may be configured to facilitate a connection 4560 to the host computer 4510. The connection 4560 may be direct, may pass through a core network of the communications system (not shown in FIG. 15 ), and / or may pass through one or more intermediate networks external to the communications system. According to the illustrated embodiment, the hardware 4525 of the base station 4520 further includes processing circuitry 4528, which may include one or more programmable processors, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or combinations thereof (not shown) adapted to execute instructions. Additionally, the base station 4520 includes software 4521 that is stored internally or accessible via an external connection.

[0190] The communications system 4500 further includes the previously referenced UE 4530. Its hardware 4535 may have a wireless interface 4537 configured to set up and maintain a wireless connection 4570 with a base station serving the coverage area in which the UE 4530 is currently located. The hardware 4535 of the UE 4530 further includes processing circuitry 4538, which may comprise one or more programmable processors, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or combinations thereof (not shown) adapted to execute instructions. The UE 4530 further includes software 4531 stored on or accessible by the UE 4530 and executable by the processing circuitry 4538. The software 4531 includes a client application 4532. The client application 4532, with support from the host computer 4510, is operable to provide services to a human or non-human user via the UE 4530. In the host computer 4510, a running host application 4512 may communicate with a running client application 4532 via an OTT connection 4550 terminating at the UE 4530 and the host computer 4510. In providing services to a user, the client application 4532 may receive request data from the host application 4512 and provide user data in response to the request data. The OTT connection 4550 can transport both request data and user data. The client application 4532 may interact with the user and generate user data that the user provides.

[0191] It should be noted that the host computer 4510, base station 4520, and UE 4530 shown in Figure 15 may be similar to or identical to the host computer 4430, one of the base stations 4412a, 4412b, and 4412c, and one of the UEs 4491 and 4492 in Figure 14, respectively. That is, the internal operation of these entities may be as shown in Figure 15 or may be independent therefrom, and the surrounding network topology may be that of Figure 14.

[0192] 15, the OTT connection 4550 is depicted abstractly, without explicit reference to any intermediate devices and the precise routing of messages through these devices, to illustrate communication between the host computer 4510 and the UE 4530 via the base station 4520. The network infrastructure may determine the routing, which may be configured to be hidden from the UE 4530, or from the service provider operating host computer 4510, or both. While the OTT connection 4550 is active, the network infrastructure may further decide to dynamically change the routing (e.g., based on load balancing considerations or network reconfiguration).

[0193] The wireless connection 4570 between the UE 4530 and the base station 4520 follows the teachings of embodiments described throughout this disclosure. One or more of the various embodiments may improve the performance of the OTT service provided to the UE 4530 using the OTT connection 4550 of which the wireless connection 4570 forms the last segment. More precisely, the teachings of these embodiments may improve random access speed and / or reduce random access failure rates, thereby providing advantages such as faster and / or more reliable random access.

[0194] Measurement procedures may be provided for the purpose of monitoring data rates, latency, and other factors that may be improved by one or more embodiments. Additionally, there may be optional network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection 4550 between the host computer 4510 and the UE 4530 in response to variations in measurement results. The measurement procedures and / or network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection 4550 may be implemented in the software 4511 and hardware 4515 of the host computer 4510, or in the software 4531 and hardware 4535 of the UE 4530, or both. According to an embodiment, sensors (not shown) may be deployed in or associated with communication devices through which the OTT connection 4550 passes, and the sensors may participate in the measurement procedures by providing values ​​of the monitoring quantities exemplified above, or by providing values ​​of other physical quantities from which the software 4511, 4531 can calculate or estimate the monitoring quantities. Reconfiguration of the OTT connection 4550 may include message formats, retransmission settings, preferred routing, etc., and the reconfiguration need not affect the base station 4520 and may be unknown or imperceptible to the base station 4520. Such procedures and functionality may be known and practiced in the art. According to an embodiment, measurements may have proprietary UE signaling that facilitates measurements of throughput, propagation time, delay, etc., at the host computer 4510. Measurements may be performed by having software 4511 and 4531 send messages, particularly empty or "dummy" messages, using the OTT connection 4550 while monitoring propagation time, errors, etc.

[0195] FIG. 16 illustrates a method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and a user equipment, according to some embodiments.

[0196] FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station, and a UE, such as those described in connection with FIGS. 14 and 15. To simplify this disclosure, only the figures that refer to FIG. 16 are included in this section. In step 4610, the host computer provides user data. In sub-step 4611 of step 4610, the host computer provides the user data by executing a host application. In step 4620, the host computer initiates a transmission carrying the user data to the UE. In step 4630 (which may be optional), the base station transmits the user data carried in the host computer-initiated transmission to the UE, in accordance with the teachings of embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step 4640 (which may be optional), the UE executes a client application associated with the host application executed by the host computer.

[0197] FIG. 17 illustrates a method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and a user device, according to some embodiments.

[0198] FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station, and a UE as described in connection with FIGS. 14 and 15. To simplify this disclosure, only drawing references to FIG. 17 are included in this section. In step 4710 of the method, the host computer provides user data. In an optional substep (not shown), the host computer provides the user data by executing a host application. In step 4720, the host computer initiates a transmission carrying the user data to the UE. The transmitted signal may be passed through the base station in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step 4730 (which may be optional), the UE receives the user data carried by the transmitted signal.

[0199] FIG. 18 illustrates a method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and a user device, according to some embodiments.

[0200] FIG. 18 is a flowchart illustrating a method implemented in a communications system according to one embodiment. The communications system includes a host computer, a base station, and a UE as described in connection with FIGS. 14 and 15. To simplify this disclosure, only drawing references to FIG. 18 are included in this section. In step 4810 (which may be optional), the UE receives input data provided by the host computer. Additionally or alternatively, in step 4820, the UE provides user data. In sub-step 4821 (which may be optional) of step 4820, the UE provides the user data by executing a client application. In sub-step 4811 (which may be optional) of step 4810, the UE executes a client application that provides user data in response to the received input data provided by the host computer. In providing the user data, the executed client application may further consider user input received from the user. Regardless of the particular manner in which the user data is provided, the UE begins transmitting the user data to the host computer in sub-step 4830 (which may be optional). In step 4840 of the method, the host computer receives user data transmitted from the UE according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure.

[0201] FIG. 19 illustrates a method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and a user device, according to some embodiments.

[0202] Figure 19 is a flowchart illustrating a method implemented in a communications system, according to one embodiment. The communications system includes a host computer, a base station, and a UE, as described in connection with Figures 14 and 15. To simplify this disclosure, only the figures that reference Figure 19 are included in this section. In step 4910 (which may be optional), the base station receives user data from the UE, in accordance with the teachings of embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step 4920 (which may be optional), the base station initiates transmission of the received user data to the host computer. In step 4930 (which may be optional), the host computer receives the user data carried in a transmission initiated by the base station.

[0203] Any suitable step, method, feature, function, or benefit disclosed in this disclosure may be performed via one or more functional units or modules of one or more virtual devices. Each virtual device may comprise several of these functional units. These functional units may be implemented via processing circuitry, which may include one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers, as well as other digital hardware, which may include digital signal processors (DSPs), dedicated digital logic, and the like. The processing circuitry may be configured to execute program code stored in memory, which may include one or more types of memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), cache memory, flash memory devices, optical storage devices, and the like. The program code stored in memory has program instructions for implementing one or more communication and / or data communication protocols, as well as instructions for performing one or more of the techniques described in this disclosure. In some implementations, processing circuitry may be used to cause each functional unit to perform a corresponding function in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0204] The term unit may have its conventional meaning in the field of electronic equipment, electrical devices, and / or electronic devices, and may, for example, have a computer program or instructions for performing an electrical and / or electronic circuit, device, module, processor, memory, logic solid state and / or discrete devices, respective tasks, procedures, operations, output, and / or display functions, etc., as described in this disclosure.

[0205] Abbreviation

[0206] At least some of the following abbreviations may be used in this disclosure. In case of discrepancies between abbreviations, the way it is used above shall prevail. If listed multiple times below, the first listing shall prevail over any subsequent listings. 3GPP(registered trademark): 3rd Generation Partnership Project 4G: Fourth generation 5G: Fifth generation AMF: Access and Mobility Management Function AP: Access Point APN: Access Point Name ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit ATM: Asynchronous Transfer Mode BS: Base station BSC: Base Station Controller BTS: Base Transceiver Station CD: Compact Disc CDMA: Code Division Multiple Access COTS: Commercial Off-the-Shelf CPE: Customer Premises Equipment CPU: Central Processing Unit D2D: Device to Device DAS: Distributed Antenna System DDNMF: Direct Discovery Name Management Function DIMM: Dual In-line Memory Module DL: Downlink DPF: Direct Provisioning Feature DSP: Digital Signal Processor DVD: Digital Video Disc EEPROM: Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory eMTC: Enhanced Machine Type Communication EPC: Evolved Packet Core EPROM: Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory E-SMLC: Evolved Serving Mobile Location Center eNB: E-UTRAN Node B E-SMLC: Evolved Serving Mobile Location Center E-UTRA: Evolved UTRA E-UTRAN: Evolved UTRAN FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array gNB: NR base station GSM: Global System for Mobile Communications GW: Gateway HDDS: Holographic Digital Data Storage HD-DVD: High-Density Digital Versatile Disc HPLMN: Home Public Land Mobile Network HSS: Home Subscriber Service ID: Identifier IEEE: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers IoT: Internet of Things IP: Internet Protocol LEE: Laptop Embedded Device LME: Laptop Mounted Equipment LOS: Line of Sight LTE: Long Term Evolution M2M: Machine to Machine MANO: Management and Orchestration MCE: Multicast Coordination Entity MDT: Minimizing Drive Tests MIMO: Multiple Input Multiple Output MME: Mobility Management Entity MSC: Mobile Switching Center MSR: Multi-Standard Radio MTC: Machine Type Communication NB-IoT: Narrowband Internet of Things NFV: Network Functions Virtualization NIC: Network Interface Controller NR: New Radio OSS: Operational Support System OTT: Over-the-top O&M: Operation and Maintenance PCF: Policy Control Facility PDA: Personal Digital Assistant PDN: Packet Data Network PDUID: Proximity Service Discovery User Equipment Identifier PLMN: Public Land Mobile Network PROM: Programmable Read-Only Memory ProSe: Proximity Service PSTN: Public Switched Telephone Network RAID: Redundant Array of Independent Disks RAM: Random Access Memory RAN: Radio Access Network RAT: Radio Access Technology RF: Radio Frequency RNC: Radio Network Controller ROM: Read-Only Memory RPAUID: Restricted Proximity Service Application User Identifier RRC: Radio Resource Control RRH: Remote Radio Head RRM: Radio Resource Management RRU: Remote Radio Unit RUIM: Removable User Identifier SDRAM: Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory SIM: Subscriber Identity Module SLP: Service Location Protocol SMF: Session Management Facility SoC: System on Chip SON: Self-optimizing Network SONET: Synchronous Optical Networking SUPI: Subscription Persistent Identifier TCP: Transmission Control Protocol TS: Technical Specifications UE: User Equipment UL: Uplink UMTS: Universal Mobile Telecommunications System USB: Universal Serial Bus UTRA: Universal Terrestrial Radio Access UTRAN: Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network V2I: Vehicle-to-Infrastructure V2V: Vehicle-to-vehicle distance V2X: Vehicle-to-Everything VMM: Virtual Machine Monitor VNE: Virtual Network Element VoIP: Voice over IP VPLMN: Visited Public Land Mobile Network WAN: Wide Area Network WCDMA (registered trademark): Wideband CDMA WD: Wireless Device WiMax: Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access WLAN: Wide Local Area Network

[0207] Additional definitions of embodiments are described below.

[0208] In the above description of various embodiments of the inventive concept, it should be understood that the terminology used in this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the inventive concept. Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in this disclosure have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the inventive concept belongs. Furthermore, it will be understood that terms as defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of this disclosure and the related art, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly defined in this disclosure.

[0209] When an element is referred to as being "connected," "coupled," "responsive," or variations thereof to another element, it may be directly connected, coupled, or responsive to the other element, or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected," "directly coupled," "directly responsive," or variations thereof, there are no intervening elements present. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. Furthermore, as used in this disclosure, "coupled," "connected," "responsive," or variations thereof may include wirelessly coupled, connected, or responsive. As used in this disclosure, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Well-known features or configurations may not be described in detail for the sake of brevity and / or clarity. The term "and / or" (abbreviated " / ") includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0210] Terms such as first, second, and third may be used in this disclosure to describe various elements / operations, but it will be understood that these elements / operations should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element / operation from another. Thus, a first element / operation in some embodiments can be referred to as a second element / operation in other embodiments without departing from the teachings of the inventive concept. The same reference numerals or symbols refer to the same or similar elements throughout the specification.

[0211] As used in this disclosure, the terms "comprise," "comprising," "comprises," "include," "including," "includes," "have," "having," "has," or variations thereof, are open-ended and refer to the inclusion of one or more stated features, integers, elements, steps, components, or functions, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, elements, steps, components, functions, or groups thereof. Furthermore, as used in this disclosure, the common abbreviation "example," from the Latin phrase "exempli gratia," may be used to introduce or designate a general example or examples of a previously mentioned item and is not intended to limit such items. The common abbreviation "i.e.," from the Latin phrase "id est," may be used to designate a particular item from a more general list.

[0212] Exemplary embodiments are described in this disclosure with reference to block diagrams and / or flowchart illustrations of computer-implemented methods, apparatus (systems and / or devices), and / or computer program products. It will be understood that blocks of the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustrations, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustrations, can be implemented by computer program instructions executed by one or more computer circuits. These computer program instructions can be provided to general-purpose computer circuitry, special-purpose computer circuitry, and / or processor circuitry of other programmable data processing circuitry to generate a machine such that the instructions, translation and control transistors, values ​​stored in memory locations, and other hardware components within such circuitry execute via the processor of the computer and / or other programmable data processing apparatus to implement the functions / operations specified in the block diagram and / or flowchart block or blocks, thereby creating means (functions) and / or structure for implementing the functions / operations specified in the block diagram and / or flowchart block or blocks.

[0213] These computer program instructions may also be stored on a tangible computer-readable medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored on the computer-readable medium produce an article of manufacture containing instructions that implement the functions / acts specified in one or more blocks of the block diagrams and / or flowcharts. Thus, embodiments of the inventive concept(s) may be embodied in hardware and / or software (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.) running on a processor, such as a digital signal processor, which may collectively be referred to as a "circuit," "module," or variations thereof.

[0214] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program is provided comprising instructions that, when executed by a processing circuit (e.g., a first network function and / or a second network function), cause the processing circuit to perform at least a portion of the methods described in this disclosure. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product is provided embodied on a non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising instructions executable by a processing circuit (e.g., a first network function and / or a second network function) to cause the processing circuit to perform at least a portion of the methods described in this disclosure. According to some embodiments, the carrier may be any one of an electronic signal, an optical signal, an electromagnetic signal, an electrical signal, a radio signal, a microwave signal, or a computer-readable storage medium.

[0215] It should also be noted that, according to some alternative embodiments, the functions / acts noted in the blocks may occur in an order different from that noted in the flowcharts. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending on the functions / acts involved. Furthermore, the functionality of a given block in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams may be separated into multiple blocks, and / or the functionality of two or more blocks in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams may be at least partially integrated. Finally, other blocks may be added / inserted between the illustrated blocks, and / or blocks / acts may be omitted, without departing from the scope of the inventive concepts. Furthermore, while some of the figures include arrows on communication paths to indicate a primary direction of communication, it should be understood that communication may occur in a direction opposite to that of the depicted arrows.

[0216] Many variations and modifications can be made to the embodiments without substantially departing from the principles of the inventive concept. All such variations and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the inventive concept. Accordingly, the subject matter disclosed above should be considered illustrative and not limiting, and the example embodiments are intended to encompass all such modifications, enhancements, and other embodiments that fall within the spirit and scope of the inventive concept. Thus, the scope of the inventive concept should be determined by the broadest permissible interpretation of this disclosure, including the example embodiments and their equivalents, to the maximum extent permitted by law, and should not be limited or constrained by the foregoing detailed description.

Claims

1. 1. A method of operating a first network function in a communications network, the method comprising: Initiating (102) transmission of first information towards a second network function, wherein the first information indicates that the first network function has subscribed to receiving notification of a change in a proximity service discovery user equipment identifier (PDUID) for a user equipment (UE) from the second network function; receiving (104) the PDU ID for the UE from the second network function; A method having the following.

2. 10. The method of claim 1, The method, wherein initiating transmission of the first information includes initiating transmission of a first service action request, the first service action request including the first information.

3. 3. The method of claim 2, The method, wherein the first service operation request is an Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorization_Subscribe request or an Npcf_EventExposure_Subscribe request.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The method, wherein the first information is an event identifier for the notification of the change in the PDU ID for the UE.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the method comprises: receiving at least one updated PDU ID for the UE from the second network function.

6. 6. The method of claim 5, receiving the at least one updated PDU ID for the UE in response to the at least one updated PDU ID being generated for the UE.

7. 7. The method of claim 5 or 6, wherein the method comprises: receiving the at least one updated PDU ID for the UE with an indication that the notification of the change of the PDU ID for the UE has been satisfied.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the method comprises: and initiating transmission of second information toward the second network function, the second information indicating that the first network function should be unsubscribed from receiving the notification.

9. 9. The method of claim 8, The method, wherein initiating transmission of the second information includes initiating transmission of a second service action request, the second service action request including the second information.

10. 10. The method of claim 9, The method, wherein the second service operation request is an Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorization_Unsubscribe request or an Npcf_EventExposure_Unsubscribe request.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, the transmission of the first information is initiated in response to receiving a discovery request from the UE, the discovery request being a request for a restricted discovery code; and / or The method is initiated in response to the first network function not having a UE context for the UE.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, Initiating transmission of the first information includes: initiating transmission of the first information using a subscription persistent identifier (SUPI) for the UE.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the method comprises: receiving the PDU ID for the UE with an associated expiry timer; A method comprising:

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, the first network function is a Direct Discovery Name Management Function (DDNMF); and / or The method, wherein the second network function is a Policy Control Function (PCF).

15. 1. A method of operating a second network function in a communications network, the method comprising: subscribing (202) the first network function to receive notifications of changes in a proximity service discovery user equipment identifier (PDUID) for a user equipment (UE) from a second network function in response to receiving first information from a first network function, wherein the first information indicates that the first network function should be subscribed to receiving notifications; Initiating transmission of the PDU ID for the UE towards the first network function (204); A method comprising:

16. 16. The method of claim 15, The method, wherein receiving the first information includes receiving a first service action request, the first service action request including the first information.

17. 17. The method of claim 16, The method, wherein the first service operation request is an Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorization_Subscribe request or an Npcf_EventExposure_Subscribe request.

18. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, The method, wherein the first information is an event identifier for the notification of the change in the PDU ID for the UE.

19. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein the method comprises: initiating transmission of at least one updated PDUID for the UE towards the first network function.

20. 20. The method of claim 19, 20. The method of claim 19, wherein transmission of the at least one updated PDU ID for the UE is initiated in response to generation of the at least one updated PDU ID for the UE.

21. 21. The method of claim 19 or 20, wherein the method comprises: and initiating transmission of the at least one updated PDU ID for the UE with an indication that the notification of the change of the PDU ID for the UE has been satisfied.

22. 22. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 21, wherein the method comprises: unsubscribing the first network function from receiving the notifications in response to receiving second information from the first network function, the second information indicating that the first network function should be unsubscribed from receiving the notifications.

23. 23. The method of claim 22, The method, wherein receiving the second information includes receiving a second service action request, the second service action request including the second information.

24. 24. The method of claim 23, The method, wherein the second service operation request is an Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorization_Unsubscribe request or an Npcf_EventExposure_Unsubscribe request.

25. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 24, The first information is received in response to a discovery request from the UE, where the discovery request is a request for a restricted discovery code; and / or The method, wherein the first network capability is received in response to not having a UE context for the UE.

26. A method according to any one of claims 15 to 25, comprising: The method, wherein the first information is received using a subscription persistent identifier (SUPI) for the UE.

27. 27. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 26, comprising: initiating transmission of a PDUID for the UE with an associated expiry timer.

28. 28. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 27, the first network function is a Direct Discovery Name Management Function (DDNMF); and / or The method, wherein the second network function is a Policy Control Function (PCF).

29. 1. A method implemented by a system, the method comprising: A method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, A method according to any one of claims 15 to 28; A method comprising:

30. A first network function (400), A first network function having processing circuitry (403) configured to operate according to the method of any one of claims 1 to 14.

31. 31. A first network function (400) according to claim 30, comprising: The first network function (400) A first network function having at least one memory (405) for storing instructions that, when executed by said processing circuitry (403), cause said first network function to operate as in a method according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

32. A second network function (500), A second network function having processing circuitry (503) configured to operate according to the method of any one of claims 15 to 28.

33. 33. A second network function (500) according to claim 32, comprising: The second network function (500) A second network function having at least one memory (505) for storing instructions which, when executed by said processing circuitry (503), cause said second network function (500) to operate in accordance with the method of any one of claims 15 to 28.

34. 1. A system comprising: At least one first network function (400) according to claim 30 or 31, At least one second network function (500) according to claim 32 or 33; and A system having:

35. A computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a processing circuit, cause the processing circuit to carry out the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14 and / or the method according to any one of claims 15 to 28.

36. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions executable by a processing circuit to cause said processing circuit to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 14 and / or the method of any one of claims 15 to 28.

Images