Method and apparatus for location-based group formation - Patents.com

Abstract

An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method and apparatus for location-based group formation. The method performed by a group management server includes receiving a location-based group creation request from a group management client or a vertical application layer (VAL) server. The location-based group creation request includes location information and at least one VAL service identification (ID). The method further includes obtaining information of at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL user equipment (UE) corresponding to the location information. The method further includes obtaining VAL service data of the at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE. The method further includes creating a location-based group matching the location-based group creation request based on the VAL service data of the at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] TECHNICAL FIELD Non-limiting and exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to the field of communications, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for location-based group formation. [Background technology]

[0002] This section introduces aspects that may facilitate a better understanding of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the statements in this section are to be read in this light and not understood as admissions about what is in the prior art or what is not in the prior art.

[0003] 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) TS 23.434 V17.4.0, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, specifies the functional architecture for the Service Enabler Architecture Layer (SEAL) and the procedures, information flows, and APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) for each service in the SEAL to support vertical applications on the 3GPP system. SEAL is applicable to vertical applications using Enhanced Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) or New Radio (NR) access based on the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) or 5th Generation System (5GS) architecture, as specified in 3GPP TS 23.401 V17.3.0 and 3GPP TS 23.501 V17.2.0, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 3GPP TS23.434 V17.4.0 specifies application and signaling plane entities for application-enabling services (e.g., group management, configuration management, location management, identity / key management, network resource management) that can be reused across vertical applications. SEAL also specifies northbound APIs for its individual services to enable flexible integration with vertical applications.

[0004] Figure 1 shows a general on-network functional model for SEAL, which is the same as Figure 6.2-1 of 3GPP TS23.434 V17.4.0. At the vertical application layer, the vertical application layer (VAL) client communicates with the VAL server via the VAL-UU reference point, which is an instance of the Uu reference point described in 3GPP TS23.401 V17.3.0 and 3GPP TS23.501 V17.2.0. The VAL-UU supports both unicast and multicast delivery modes. The SEAL functional entities on the user equipment (UE) and on the server are grouped into (one or more) SEAL clients and (one or more) SEAL servers, respectively. The SEAL may include a common set of services (e.g., group management, location management) and reference points. The SEAL provides its services to the vertical application layer (VAL).

[0005] The SEAL client(s) (SEAL-C) communicate with the SEAL server(s) (SEAL-S) via the SEAL-UU reference point. The SEAL-UU supports both unicast and multicast delivery modes. The SEAL client(s) provide service enabler layer support functionality to the VAL client(s) via the SEAL-C reference point. The VAL server(s) communicate with the SEAL server(s) via the SEAL-S reference point. The SEAL server(s) may communicate with the underlying 3GPP network system using respective 3GPP interfaces specified by the 3GPP network system.

[0006] One of the capabilities that SEAL provides is Configuration Management (CM), a SEAL service that provides configuration management related capabilities to one or more vertical applications.

[0007] Figure 2 shows the SEAL on-network functional model for configuration management, which is the same as Figure 11.2.2-1 of 3GPP TS23.434 V17.4.0.

[0008] The Configuration Management Client (CMC) communicates with the Configuration Management Server (CMS) via the CM-UU reference point, which utilizes the Uu reference point described in 3GPP TS23.401 V17.3.0 and 3GPP TS23.501 V17.2.0. The Configuration Management Client provides support for configuration management functions to the VAL Client(s) via the CM-C reference point. The VAL Server(s) communicate with the Configuration Management Server via the CM-S reference point. The Configuration Management Server communicates with the VAL User Database via the CM-VAL-UDB reference point, which is an instance of the VAL-UDB reference point. The VAL-UDB reference point exists between the VAL User Database and the SEAL Server.

[0009] SEAL also supports group management and location management functions, as described in 3GPP TS23.434 V17.4.0 clauses 10 and 9, respectively.

[0010] FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of location-based group creation, which is the same as FIG. 10.3.7-1 of 3GPP TS23.434 V17.4.0.

[0011] As stated in 3GPP TS23.434 V17.4.0, clause 10.3.7, the following assumptions are made:

[0012] 1. The group management client, group management server (GMS), VAL server, location management server (LMS), and VAL group members belong to the same VAL system.

[0013] 2. Authorized VAL users / UEs / administrators are unaware of the user identities or UE identities that are to be combined to form a VAL group.

[0014] In step 1. The group management client or VAL server requests a location-based group creation operation from the group management server. The location criteria for determining the identities of the users or UEs to be paired shall be included in this message.

[0015] In step 2, the group management server requests the location management server to obtain location information corresponding to the user or UE.

[0016] In step 3. The location management server constructs a list of users or UEs within the requested location.

[0017] In step 4, the group management server receives the configured list of users or UEs from the location management server.

[0018] In step 5. During group creation, the group management server creates and stores information of the location-based group. The group management server performs checks on policies, e.g., maximum limit on total number of VAL group members for the VAL group(s). If an external group identifier is available, which identifies member UEs of the VAL group in the 3GPP core network, the external group ID (identification information or identifier) ​​is stored in the configuration information of the newly created VAL group.

[0019] In step 6. The group management server provides a location-based group creation response to the group management client or the VAL server. Summary of the Invention

[0020] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0021] There are several problems with existing solutions for location-based group formation.

[0022] Table 1 describes the information flow location-based group creation request from a group management client or VAL server to a group management server, which is the same as Table 10.3.2.34-1 of 3GPP TS23.434 V17.4.0. TIFF2025505385000002.tif72170

[0023] During location-based group formation, the GMS knows the VAL service IDs from the VAL server or group management client (received from the VAL server or group management client). However, when the GMS interacts with the LMS, the GMS only receives a list of UEs in the area. Those UEs may support different VAL services, and therefore it may happen that the wrong VAL users or UEs (which support different VAL services than the VAL server) are included in the group. It is needed to identify the supported VAL services for the retrieved UEs in the area.

[0024] The solution is that if the LMS knows the VAL service ID(s) (e.g., due to the location information subscription procedure), the LMS can include the VAL service ID(s) with the retrieved list of the UE to the GMS. However, in some cases, the UE may not provide its VAL service ID(s) to the LMS during the location information subscription procedure. Furthermore, the LMS may know only a part of the VAL service ID(s) supported by the UE, but not the complete list of the VAL service ID(s) supported by the UE.

[0025] Furthermore, in location-based UE group creation / update, it is unclear how the LMS can retrieve the list of UE identities.

[0026] To overcome or mitigate at least one of the above-mentioned problems or other problems, embodiments of the present disclosure propose an improved solution for location-based group formation.

[0027] In one embodiment, the VAL service ID may be added in the message, shown in step 4 of FIG. 3, of obtaining the UE list according to the location response.

[0028] In one embodiment, it proposed a new CM service to retrieve the VAL service ID associated with the requested VAL UE or user ID.

[0029] In one embodiment, a 3GPP CN interaction for the LMS is proposed to retrieve the UE ID list.

[0030] In one embodiment, if the GMS does not receive a VAL Service ID for the UE from the LMS, the GMS may retrieve the VAL Service ID from the CMS.

[0031] In a first aspect of the present disclosure, a method is provided that is executed by a group management server. The method includes receiving a location-based group creation request from a group management client or a vertical application layer (VAL) server. The location-based group creation request includes location information and at least one VAL service identification (ID). The method further includes obtaining information of at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL user equipment (UE) corresponding to the location information. The method further includes obtaining VAL service data of the at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE. The method further includes creating a location-based group that matches the location-based group creation request based on the VAL service data of the at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE.

[0032] In one embodiment, the method further includes storing information of the location-based group.The method further includes sending a location-based group creation response to the group management client or the VAL server.

[0033] In one embodiment, obtaining information of at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE corresponding to the location information includes sending a first request to a location management server to obtain at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE corresponding to the location information, and receiving a first response from the location management server including information of the at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE corresponding to the location information.

[0034] In one embodiment, the first response further includes VAL service data for one or more of the at least one VAL user and / or the at least one VAL UE.

[0035] In one embodiment, obtaining VAL service data for the at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE includes at least one of obtaining VAL service data for one or more of the at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE from a location management server or obtaining VAL service data for one or more of the at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE from a configuration management server.

[0036] In one embodiment, obtaining VAL service data for one or more of the at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE from the configuration management server includes obtaining VAL service data for the VAL user or VAL UE from the configuration management server when the VAL service ID obtained from the location management server does not include one or more of the at least one VAL service identification information received in the location-based group creation request.

[0037] In one embodiment, obtaining one or more VAL service data of the at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE from the configuration management server includes sending a second request to the configuration management server to obtain one or more VAL service data of the at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE, and receiving a second response from the configuration management server including the one or more VAL service data of the at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE.

[0038] In one embodiment, the second request includes at least one of an identification of an entity performing the second request, at least one VAL user ID, at least one VAL UE ID, or at least one VAL service ID.

[0039] In one embodiment, the second response further includes a result indicating success or failure of the second request.

[0040] In one embodiment, when the second request includes one or more VAL service IDs, the one or more VAL service IDs are used as a first service data retrieval filter, and the second response includes VAL service data filtered by the first service data retrieval filter.

[0041] In one embodiment, when the second request includes one or more VAL user IDs and / or one or more VAL UE IDs, the one or more VAL user IDs and / or one or more VAL UE IDs are used as a second service data retrieval filter, and the second response includes VAL service data filtered by the second service data retrieval filter.

[0042] In one embodiment, when the second request includes both one or more VAL service IDs and one or more VAL user IDs and / or one or more VAL UE IDs, the one or more VAL service IDs and the one or more VAL user IDs and / or one or more VAL UE IDs are used as a third service data retrieval filter, and the second response includes VAL service data filtered by the third service data retrieval filter.

[0043] In one embodiment, the configuration management server has VAL service data maintained for at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE.

[0044] In one embodiment, the VAL service data of a VAL user or VAL UE includes at least one of one or more VAL service IDs, VAL user IDs, VAL UE IDs, or VAL service specific information of one or more VAL services supported by the VAL user or VAL UE.

[0045] In a second aspect of the present disclosure, a method is provided that is performed by a configuration management server. The method includes receiving a request from a consumer to obtain VAL service data for at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE. The method further includes sending a response to the consumer that includes the VAL service data for the at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE.

[0046] In one embodiment, the request includes at least one of an identity of the entity making the request, at least one VAL user ID, at least one VAL UE ID, or at least one VAL service ID.

[0047] In one embodiment, the response further includes a result indicating success or failure of the request.

[0048] In one embodiment, when the request includes one or more VAL service IDs, the one or more VAL service IDs are used as a first service data retrieval filter, and the response includes VAL service data filtered by the first service data retrieval filter.

[0049] In one embodiment, when the request includes one or more VAL user IDs and / or one or more VAL UE IDs, the one or more VAL user IDs and / or one or more VAL UE IDs are used as a second service data retrieval filter, and the response includes VAL service data filtered by the second service data retrieval filter.

[0050] In one embodiment, when a request includes both one or more VAL service IDs and one or more VAL user IDs and / or one or more VAL UE IDs, the one or more VAL service IDs and the one or more VAL user IDs and / or one or more VAL UE IDs are used as a third service data retrieval filter, and the response includes VAL service data filtered by the third service data retrieval filter.

[0051] In one embodiment, the configuration management server has VAL service data maintained for at least one VAL UE and / or at least one VAL user.

[0052] In one embodiment, the VAL service data of a VAL user or VAL UE includes at least one of one or more VAL service IDs, VAL user IDs, VAL UE IDs, or VAL service specific information of one or more VAL services supported by the VAL user or VAL UE.

[0053] In one embodiment, the consumer includes at least one of a group management server, a group management client, or a VAL server.

[0054] In one embodiment, the VAL service data of at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE is used by the consumer to form a location-based group with at least one desired VAL service.

[0055] In a third aspect of the present disclosure, a method is provided that is performed by a consumer, the method including sending a request to a configuration management server to obtain VAL service data for at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE, the method further including receiving a response from the configuration management server including the VAL service data for the at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE.

[0056] In one embodiment, the request includes at least one of an identity of the entity making the request, at least one VAL user ID, at least one VAL UE ID, or at least one VAL service ID.

[0057] In one embodiment, the response further includes a result indicating success or failure of the request.

[0058] In one embodiment, when the request includes one or more VAL service IDs, the one or more VAL service IDs are used as a first service data retrieval filter, and the response includes VAL service data filtered by the first service data retrieval filter.

[0059] In one embodiment, when the request includes one or more VAL user IDs and / or one or more VAL UE IDs, the one or more VAL user IDs and / or one or more VAL UE IDs are used as a second service data retrieval filter, and the response includes VAL service data filtered by the second service data retrieval filter.

[0060] In one embodiment, when a request includes both one or more VAL service IDs and one or more VAL user IDs and / or one or more VAL UE IDs, the one or more VAL service IDs and the one or more VAL user IDs and / or one or more VAL UE IDs are used as a third service data retrieval filter, and the response includes VAL service data filtered by the third service data retrieval filter.

[0061] In one embodiment, the configuration management server has VAL service data maintained for at least one VAL UE and / or at least one VAL user.

[0062] In one embodiment, the VAL service data of a VAL user or VAL UE includes at least one of one or more VAL service IDs, VAL user IDs, VAL UE IDs, or VAL service specific information of one or more VAL services supported by the VAL user or VAL UE.

[0063] In one embodiment, the consumer includes at least one of a group management server, a group management client, or a VAL server.

[0064] In one embodiment, the VAL service data of at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE is used by the consumer to form a location-based group with at least one desired VAL service.

[0065] In a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a method performed by a location management server is provided. The method includes receiving a request from a group management server to obtain at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE corresponding to the location information. The method further includes sending a response to the group management server including information of the at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE corresponding to the location information. The response further includes one or more VAL service data of the at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE.

[0066] In one embodiment, the VAL service data of a VAL user or VAL UE includes at least one of one or more VAL service IDs, VAL user IDs, or VAL UE IDs, and VAL service specific information of one or more VAL services supported by the VAL user or VAL UE.

[0067] In a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a group management server is provided. The group management server comprises a processor and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory includes instructions executable by the processor. The group management server is operable to receive a location-based group creation request from a group management client or a vertical application layer (VAL) server. The location-based group creation request includes location information and at least one VAL service identification (ID). The group management server is further operable to obtain information of at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL user equipment (UE) corresponding to the location information. The group management server is further operable to obtain VAL service data of the at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE. The group management server is further operable to create a location-based group matching the location-based group creation request based on the VAL service data of the at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE.

[0068] In a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, a configuration management server is provided. The configuration management server comprises a processor and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory includes instructions executable by the processor. The configuration management server is operable to receive a request from a consumer to obtain VAL service data for at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE. The configuration management server is further operable to send a response including the VAL service data for the at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE to the consumer.

[0069] In a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, a consumer is provided. The consumer comprises a processor and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory includes instructions executable by the processor. The consumer is operable to send a request to a configuration management server to obtain VAL service data for at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE. The consumer is further operable to receive a response from the configuration management server including the VAL service data for the at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE.

[0070] In an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, a location management server is provided. The location management server comprises a processor and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory includes instructions executable by the processor. The location management server is operable to receive a request from a group management server to obtain at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE corresponding to location information. The location management server is further operable to send a response to the group management server including information of the at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE corresponding to the location information. The response further includes one or more VAL service data of the at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE.

[0071] In a ninth aspect of the present disclosure, a group management server is provided. The group management server comprises a receiving module configured to receive a location-based group creation request from a group management client or a vertical application layer (VAL) server. The location-based group creation request includes location information and at least one VAL service identification (ID). The group management server further comprises a first acquiring module configured to acquire information of at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL user equipment (UE) corresponding to the location information. The group management server further comprises a second acquiring module configured to acquire VAL service data of the at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE. The group management server further comprises a creating module configured to create a location-based group matching the location-based group creation request based on the VAL service data of the at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE.

[0072] In one embodiment, the group management server further comprises a storage module configured to store information of the location-based group.

[0073] In one embodiment, the group management server further comprises a sending module configured to send a location-based group creation response to the group management client or the VAL server.

[0074] In a tenth aspect of the present disclosure, a configuration management server is provided. The configuration management server comprises a receiving module configured to receive a request for obtaining VAL service data for at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE from a consumer. The configuration management server further comprises a sending module configured to send a response including the VAL service data for the at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE to the consumer.

[0075] In an eleventh aspect of the present disclosure, a consumer is provided. The consumer comprises a sending module configured to send a request to a configuration management server to obtain VAL service data of at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE. The consumer further comprises a receiving module configured to receive a response including the VAL service data of the at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE from the configuration management server.

[0076] In a twelfth aspect of the present disclosure, a location management server is provided. The location management server includes a receiving module configured to receive a request for acquiring at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE corresponding to the location information from a group management server. The location management server further includes a sending module configured to send a response to the group management server including information of the at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE corresponding to the location information.

[0077] In a thirteenth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform any of the methods according to the first, second, third or fourth aspects of the present disclosure.

[0078] In a fourteenth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform any of the methods according to the first, second, third or fourth aspects of the present disclosure.

[0079] The embodiments herein provide many advantages, a non-exhaustive list of examples of which follows: In some embodiments herein, the proposed solution can avoid wrong VAL users or UEs (that support different VAL services than the VAL server) being included in the location-based group. In some embodiments herein, the proposed solution can identify supported VAL services for retrieved VAL users or UEs in the area. The embodiments herein are not limited to the above-mentioned features and advantages. Those skilled in the art will recognize additional features and advantages upon reading the following detailed description.

[0080] The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of various embodiments of the present disclosure will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which, by way of example, like reference numbers or letters are used to designate like or equivalent elements, and in which: The drawings are illustrated to facilitate a better understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0081] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates a general on-network function model for SEAL. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 illustrates SEAL's on-network functional model for configuration management. [Diagram 3] 13 is a flowchart of location-based group creation. [Figure 4a] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a high-level architecture in a 4G network. [Figure 4b] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a high-level architecture in a fifth generation network according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] 1 is a flowchart of a method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6]4 is a flowchart of a method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart of a method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart of a method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] 4 is a flowchart of a method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] 4 is a flowchart of a method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] 1 is a flow chart of a location area monitoring notification procedure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] 13 is a flow chart of a location-based group creation procedure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 13] 11 is a flow chart of a location-based group creation procedure according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 14] 11 is a flowchart of obtaining VAL service data for VAL UE(s) or VAL user(s) according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 15] A diagram illustrating an example of a resource URI structure for the SS_VALServiceData API according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 16] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an apparatus suitable for practicing some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a group management server according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 18] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration management server according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a consumer according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 20] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a location management server according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0082] The embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these embodiments are not intended to imply any limitation on the scope of the present disclosure, but are merely discussed for the purpose of enabling those skilled in the art to better understand and therefore implement the present disclosure. References to features, advantages, or similar phrases throughout this specification do not imply that all of the features and advantages that may be realized with the present disclosure should be in or are in a single embodiment of the present disclosure. Rather, phrases referring to features and advantages should be understood to mean that a particular feature, advantage, or characteristic described with respect to an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics of the present disclosure may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the present disclosure may be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a specific embodiment. In other cases, additional features and advantages that may not be present in all embodiments of the present disclosure may be recognized in some embodiments.

[0083] As used herein, the term "network" refers to a network conforming to any suitable communications standard, such as New Radio (NR), long term evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Address (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA), and other wireless networks. A CDMA network may implement a radio technology such as Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA). UTRA includes WCDMA and other variants of CDMA. A TDMA network may implement a radio technology such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). An OFDMA network may implement wireless technologies such as Enhanced UTRA (E-UTRA), Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), IEEE 802.20, Flash-OFDMA, ad-hoc networks, wireless sensor networks, etc. In the following description, the terms "network" and "system" may be used interchangeably. Furthermore, communication between two devices in a network may be performed according to any suitable communication protocol, including, but not limited to, communication protocols defined by a standards body such as 3GPP. For example, the communication protocol may include first generation (1G), 2G, 3G, 4G, 4.5G, 5G communication protocols, and / or any other protocols currently known or to be developed in the future.

[0084] The term "network device" or "network node" or "network function (NF)" refers to any suitable function that may be implemented in a network element (physical or virtual) of a communication network. For example, a network function may be implemented either as a network element on dedicated hardware, as a software instance running on dedicated hardware, or as a virtualized function instantiated on a suitable platform, e.g., on a cloud infrastructure. For example, a 5G system (5GS) may comprise multiple NFs, such as AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function), SMF (Session Management Function), AUSF (Authentication Service Function), UDM (Unified Data Management), PCF (Policy Control Function), AF (Application Function), NEF (Network Publishing Function), UPF (User Plane Function) and NRF (Network Repository Function), RAN (Radio Access Network), SCP (Service Communication Proxy), NWDAF (Network Data Analysis Function), NSSF (Network Slice Selection Function), NSSAAF (Network Slice Specific Authentication and Authorization Function).

[0085] The term "terminal device" refers to any end device capable of accessing and receiving services from a communication network. By way of example and not limitation, a terminal device refers to a mobile terminal, a user equipment (UE), or other suitable device. A UE may be, for example, a subscriber station (SS), a portable subscriber station, a mobile station (MS), or an access terminal (AT). A terminal device may include, but is not limited to, a portable computer, an image capture terminal device such as a digital camera, a gaming terminal device, a music storage and playback appliance, a mobile phone, a cellular phone, a smartphone, a voice over IP (VoIP) phone, a wireless local loop telephone, a tablet, a wearable device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable computer, a desktop computer, a wearable terminal device, a vehicle-mounted wireless terminal device, a wireless endpoint, a mobile station, a laptop embedded equipment (LEE), a laptop mounted equipment (LME), a USB dongle, a smart device, a wireless customer premises equipment (CPE), and the like. In the following description, the terms "terminal device", "terminal", "user equipment" and "UE" may be used interchangeably. As an example, a terminal device may represent a UE configured for communication according to one or more communication standards promulgated by 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project), such as the LTE or NR standards of 3GPP. As used herein, "user equipment" or "UE" does not necessarily have a "user" in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates the associated device. In some embodiments, a terminal device may be configured to transmit and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, a terminal device may be designed to transmit information to a network on a predefined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to a request from the communication network. Instead, a UE may represent a device that is intended for sale to or operation by a human user, but may not be initially associated with a particular human user.

[0086] As yet another example, in an Internet of Things (IoT) scenario, a terminal device may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurements and transmits results of such monitoring and / or measurements to another terminal device and / or network equipment. The terminal device may in this case be a machine-to-machine (M2M) device, which may be referred to in the 3GPP context as a machine-type communication (MTC) device. As one particular example, the terminal device may be a UE implementing the 3GPP Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) standard. Particular examples of such machines or devices are sensors, metering devices such as power meters, industrial machinery, or household or personal electrical appliances, e.g., personal wearables such as refrigerators, televisions, clocks, etc. In other scenarios, the terminal device may represent a vehicle or other equipment capable of monitoring and / or reporting on its operating status, or other functions related to its operation.

[0087] References herein to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "exemplary embodiment," and the like indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, it is submitted that when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described with respect to an embodiment, it is within the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic with respect to other embodiments, whether or not explicitly described.

[0088] Terms such as "first" and "second" may be used herein to describe various elements, but it will be understood that these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are merely used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed terms.

[0089] As used herein, the phrase "at least one of A and B" or "at least one of A or B" should be understood to mean "A only, B only, or both A and B." The phrase "A and / or B" should be understood to mean "A only, B only, or both A and B."

[0090] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises", "comprising", "has", "having", "includes" and / or "including" as used herein specify the presence of stated features, elements, and / or components, etc., but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0091] It should be noted that these terms used herein are used solely for ease of explanation and distinction between nodes, devices or networks, etc. As technology develops, other terms having similar / same meanings may also be used.

[0092] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

[0093] It should be noted that some embodiments of the present disclosure are described primarily with respect to cellular networks defined by 3GPP, which are used as non-limiting examples for some exemplary network configurations and system deployments. Thus, the description of the exemplary embodiments given herein will refer in detail to terminology directly related to those embodiments. Such terminology is used only in the context of the presented non-limiting examples and embodiments, and of course does not limit the present disclosure in any way. Rather, any other system configuration or wireless technology, such as a wireless sensor network, may be equally utilized, so long as the exemplary embodiments described herein are applicable.

[0094] 4a and 4b show some system architectures in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. For simplicity, the system architectures of 4a and 4b illustrate only some exemplary elements. In practice, the communication system may further include any additional elements suitable for supporting communication between terminal devices, or between a wireless device and another communication device, such as a landline, a service provider, or any other network node or terminal device. The communication system may provide communication and various types of services to one or more terminal devices to facilitate the terminal device's access to the communication system and / or use of services provided by or through the communication system.

[0095] FIG. 4a illustrates a schematic high-level architecture in a 4G network, which is the same as FIG. 4.2-1a of 3GPP TS23.682 V17.2.0, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The system architecture of FIG. 4a may comprise several example elements such as SCS (Service Capability Server), AS (Application Server), SCEF, HSS (Home Subscriber Server), UE, RAN (Radio Access Network), SGSN (Serving GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) Support Node), MME (Mobility Management Entity), MSC (Mobile Switching Center), S-GW (Serving Gateway), GGSN / P-GW (Gateway GPRS Support Node / PDN (Packet Data Network) Gateway), MTC-IWF (Machine Based Communications-Interworking Function) CDF / CGF (Charging Data Function / Charging Gateway Function), MTC-AAA (Machine Based Communications-Authentication, Authorization and Accounting), SMS-SC / GMSC / IWMSC (Short Message Service-Service Center / Gateway MSC / Interworking MSC) IP-SM-GW (Internet Protocol Short Message Gateway). The network elements and interfaces shown in FIG. 4a may be the same as the corresponding network elements and interfaces described in 3GPP TS23.682 V17.2.0.

[0096] FIG. 4b illustrates a schematic diagram of a high-level architecture in a fifth generation network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, the fifth generation network may be a 5GS. The architecture of FIG. 4b is the same as FIG. 4.2.3-1 described in 3GPP TS23.501 V17.2.0, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The system architecture of FIG. 4b may include several exemplary elements, such as AUSF, AMF, DN (Data Network), NEF, NRF, NSSF, PCF, SMF, UDM, UPF, AF, UE, (R)AN, SCP (Service Communication Proxy), NSSAAF (Network Slice-Specific Authentication and Authorization Function), and NSACF (Network Slice Admission Control Function).

[0097] According to an example embodiment, the UE can establish a signaling connection with the AMF via reference point N1, as shown in Figure 4b. This signaling connection may enable a NAS (Non-Access Stratum) signaling exchange between the UE and the core network, comprising a signaling connection between the UE and the (R)AN and an N2 connection for this UE between the (R)AN and the AMF. The (R)AN can communicate with the UPF via reference point N3. The UE can establish a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session to a DN (data network, e.g., an operator network or the Internet) through the UPF via reference point N6.

[0098] As further shown in Figure 4b, the exemplary system architecture also includes service-based interfaces, such as Nnrf, Nnef, Nausf, Nudm, Npcf, Namf, Nnsacf and Nsmf, that are exhibited by NFs, such as NRF, NEF, AUSF, UDM, PCF, AMF, NSACF and SMF. In addition, Figure 4b also shows several reference points, such as N1, N2, N3, N4, N6 and N9, that can support interactions between NF services in the NFs. For example, these reference points can be realized by specifying several NF service consumers and providers and their interactions to perform specific system procedures through corresponding NF service-based interfaces.

[0099] The various NFs shown in Figure 4b may be responsible for functions such as session management, mobility management, authentication, security, etc. The AUSF, AMF, DN, NEF, NRF, NSSF, PCF, SMF, UDM, UPF, AF, UE, (R)AN, SCP, NSACF may include functions as specified, for example, in 3GPP TS23.501 V17.2.0 clause 6.2.

[0100] 5 shows a flowchart of a method according to one embodiment of the disclosure that may be performed by an apparatus implemented in, at, or as a group management server, or communicatively coupled to the group management server. Thus, the apparatus may provide means or modules for accomplishing various portions of the method 500, as well as means or modules for accomplishing other processes with other components.

[0101] The group management server may be any suitable function capable of implementing group management. For example, the group management server functional entity provides management of groups supported within the vertical application layer. The group management server serves as an API-exposing function of the Common API Framework (CAPIF) specified in 3GPP TS23.222 V17.1.0. The group management server also supports interaction with corresponding group management servers in a distributed SEAL deployment. The group management server functional entity is supported by the SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) AS (Application Server) and HTTP Server functional entities of the signaling control plane.

[0102] All group management clients supporting users belonging to a single group may be required to use the same group management server for that group. A group management client supporting users involved in multiple groups may have relationships with multiple group management servers.

[0103] In block 502, the group management server may receive a location-based group creation request from a group management client or a vertical application layer (VAL) server. The location-based group creation request includes location information and at least one VAL service identification (ID).

[0104] The location information may be any suitable location information, and this disclosure has no limitations thereto. For example, the location information may be any suitable location information that may be obtained from a 3GPP network or managed by a location management server of 3GPP TS23.434 V17.4.0. In one embodiment, the location information may be the same as the location information described in 3GPP TS23.434 V17.4.0.

[0105] A VAL Service ID is a unique identifier representing a VAL service. A VAL Server provides a list of VAL services for a VAL User or VAL UE. Each VAL Service is uniquely identified by a VAL Service ID, which is an identifier of the VAL Application that provides that VAL Service. The VAL Service ID can be used for policy mapping, QoS handling for VAL communication and VAL message delivery. For example, an identifier of a V2X service, e.g., an ITS-AID or PSID specified in ETSI TS102 965 (V1.4.1): "Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS); Application Object Identifier (ITS-AID); Registration" and ISO TS17419: "Intelligent Transport Systems-Cooperative systems-Classification and management of ITS applications in a global context", can be used as a V2X Service ID.

[0106] The location-based group creation request may be the same as the corresponding request described in Table 10.3.2.34-1 of 3GPP TS23.434 V17.4.0.

[0107] The group management client functional entity serves as an application client for management of groups. The VAL system maintains groups corresponding to one or more vertical applications. The group management client interacts with a group management server. The group management client also supports interaction between two UEs with corresponding group management clients. The group management client functional entity is supported by a signaling user agent and an HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) client functional entity of the signaling control plane.

[0108] The VAL server may provide server-side functions corresponding to vertical applications (e.g., a Vehicle to Everything (V2X) application server). The VAL server acts as an API caller of CAPIF specified in 3GPP TS23.222 V17.1.0.

[0109] At block 504, the group management server may obtain information of at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL user equipment (UE) corresponding to the location information.

[0110] The group management server may obtain such information in various ways. For example, the group management server may obtain such information from the LMS as shown in steps 2-4 of Figure 3. Alternatively, the monitoring capability for "number of UEs present in a geographical area" provided by the SCEF / NEF may be used by the group management server to retrieve all UE identifiers within a specified geographical area.

[0111] In one embodiment, the group management server may send a first request to a location management server to obtain at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE corresponding to the location information, and receive a first response from the location management server including information of the at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE corresponding to the location information.

[0112] In block 506, the group management server may obtain VAL service data of at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE.

[0113] The VAL service data of a VAL user or VAL UE may include any suitable information relating to the VAL service of the VAL user or VAL UE.

[0114] In one embodiment, the VAL service data of a VAL user or VAL UE includes at least one of one or more VAL service IDs, VAL user IDs, VAL UE IDs, or VAL service specific information of one or more VAL services supported by the VAL user or VAL UE.

[0115] The group management server may obtain the VAL service data of at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE in various ways. For example, if the group management server caches or stores the VAL service data of one or more VAL users and / or one or more VAL UEs, the group management server may obtain the VAL service data locally. Alternatively, the group management server may obtain the VAL service data from another device, such as a location management server or a configuration management server.

[0116] In one embodiment, the group management server may obtain one or more VAL service data of at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE from the location management server.

[0117] The Location Management Server is a functional entity that receives and stores user location information and provides user location information to the Vertical Application Server. The Location Management Server may also collect location information provided by PLMN (Public Land Mobile Network) operators via the T8 reference point. The Location Management Server serves as an API-exposing function of CAPIF as specified in 3GPP TS23.222 V17.1.0. The Location Management Server also supports interaction with corresponding Location Management Servers in a distributed SEAL deployment.

[0118] For example, in step 2 of Figure 3, the group management server may include a VAL service ID list or instructions for obtaining VAL service data in the location request, and then the location management server may include the known VAL service data in the location response. Alternatively, the location management server may always include the known VAL service data in the location response, regardless of whether the first request indicates to provide the known VAL service data or not.

[0119] In one embodiment, the first response further includes one or more VAL service data of the at least one VAL user and / or the at least one VAL UE. For example, the location management server may provide the VAL service data when the first request indicates to provide the VAL service data. Alternatively, the location management server may always provide the VAL service data regardless of whether the first request indicates to provide the VAL service data.

[0120] In one embodiment, the group management server may obtain one or more VAL service data of at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE from the configuration management server.

[0121] The Configuration Management Server is a functional entity used to configure 3GPP system related vertical application provisioning information for one or more vertical applications and to configure data on the Configuration Management Client. The Configuration Management Server manages the vertical application configurations supported within the vertical service provider. The Configuration Management Server serves as an API exposer for CAPIF as specified in 3GPP TS23.222 V17.1.0. The Configuration Management Server also supports interaction with corresponding Configuration Management Servers in a distributed SEAL deployment. The Configuration Management Server functional entity is supported by the SIP AS and HTTP Server functional entities of the signaling control plane.

[0122] In one embodiment, when the VAL service ID obtained from the location management server does not include one or more of the at least one VAL service identification information received in the location-based group creation request, the group management server may obtain VAL service data of the VAL user or VAL UE from the configuration management server.

[0123] At block 508, the group management server may create a location-based group matching the location-based group creation request based on the VAL service data of the at least one VAL user and / or the at least one VAL UE.

[0124] For example, during group creation, the group management server creates and stores information of the location-based group. The group management server performs checks on policies, e.g., maximum limit of total number of VAL group members for the VAL group(s). If an external group identifier is available, identifying member UEs of the VAL group in the 3GPP core network, the external group ID is stored in the configuration information of the newly created VAL group. If a VAL service ID list is received in block 502 as part of the group formation criteria and not received in the first response for the configured list of users or UEs, the group management server shall retrieve the VAL service data from the configuration management server and form a group with the associated users or UEs.

[0125] At block 510, optionally, the group management server may store information of the location-based group.

[0126] At block 512, optionally, the group management server may send a location-based group creation response to the group management client or the VAL server.

[0127] For example, the location-based group creation response may include the VAL group ID of the group and a result indicating success or failure of the operation. If the result information element indicates failure, the value of the VAL group ID information element has no meaning.

[0128] 6 shows a flowchart of a method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, which may be implemented by an apparatus implemented in or at or as a group management server, or communicatively coupled to the group management server. Thus, the apparatus may provide means or modules for achieving various parts of the method 600, as well as means or modules for achieving other processes together with other components. For some parts described in the above embodiments, their detailed description is omitted here for brevity.

[0129] In block 602, the group management server may send a first request to the location management server to obtain at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE corresponding to the location information. In one embodiment, block 602 is the same as step 2 of FIG. 3.

[0130] In block 604, the group management server may receive a first response from the location management server, the response including information of at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE corresponding to the location information. For example, the location management server configures a list of users or UEs in the requested location. The location management server may utilize the monitoring capability for "number of UEs present in a geographic area" provided by the SCEF / NEF to retrieve all UE identifiers in the specified geographic area. The group management server receives the configured list of users or UEs from the location management server. In one embodiment, the location management server may include a VAL service ID associated with the list of users or UEs.

[0131] 7 shows a flowchart of a method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, which may be implemented by an apparatus implemented in or at or as a group management server, or communicatively coupled to the group management server. Thus, the apparatus may provide means or modules for achieving various parts of the method 700, as well as means or modules for achieving other processes together with other components. For some parts described in the above embodiments, their detailed description is omitted here for brevity.

[0132] In this embodiment, the configuration management server has VAL service data maintained for at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE.

[0133] At block 702, the group management server may send a second request to the configuration management server to obtain VAL service data of one or more of the at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE.

[0134] For example, the group management server may send a second request to the configuration management server when the VAL service data of the VAL user or VAL UE obtained from the location management server does not include one or more of the at least one VAL service identification information or the location management server does not provide the VAL service data to the group management server.

[0135] In one embodiment, the second request may include at least one of an identification of an entity performing the second request, at least one VAL user ID, at least one VAL UE ID, or at least one VAL service ID.

[0136] For example, a consumer (e.g., a group management server) sends a get VAL service request to a configuration management server to obtain VAL service data, the request including a list of VAL UE IDs or VAL user IDs and / or a list of VAL service IDs as a service data retrieval filter.

[0137] At block 704, the group management server may receive a second response from the configuration management server including VAL service data for one or more of the at least one VAL user and / or the at least one VAL UE.

[0138] For example, the configuration management server retrieves the VAL service data for the requested VAL UE or user or VAL service and sends a get VAL service response to the consumer (eg, group management server) with the discovered list of VAL service data.

[0139] In one embodiment, the second response further includes a result indicating success or failure of the second request.

[0140] In one embodiment, when the second request includes one or more VAL service IDs, the one or more VAL service IDs are used as a first service data retrieval filter, and the second response includes VAL service data filtered by the first service data retrieval filter.

[0141] In one embodiment, when the second request includes one or more VAL user IDs and / or one or more VAL UE IDs, the one or more VAL user IDs and / or one or more VAL UE IDs are used as a second service data retrieval filter, and the second response includes VAL service data filtered by the second service data retrieval filter.

[0142] In one embodiment, when the second request includes both one or more VAL service IDs and one or more VAL user IDs and / or one or more VAL UE IDs, the one or more VAL service IDs and the one or more VAL user IDs and / or one or more VAL UE IDs are used as a third service data retrieval filter, and the second response includes VAL service data filtered by the third service data retrieval filter.

[0143] 8 shows a flowchart of a method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, which may be implemented by an apparatus implemented in or at or as a configuration management server, or communicatively coupled to a configuration management server. Thus, the apparatus may provide means or modules for achieving various parts of the method 800, as well as means or modules for achieving other processes together with other components. For some parts described in the above embodiments, their detailed description is omitted here for brevity.

[0144] At block 802, the configuration management server may receive a request from a consumer to obtain VAL service data for at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE.

[0145] A consumer may be any suitable function in a VAL system, such as a group management client, a group management server (GMS), a VAL server, a location management server (LMS), or the like.

[0146] In one embodiment, the consumer includes at least one of a group management server, a group management client, or a VAL server.

[0147] At block 804, the configuration management server may send a response to the consumer including VAL service data for at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE.

[0148] In one embodiment, the request includes at least one of an identity of the entity making the request, at least one VAL user ID, at least one VAL UE ID, or at least one VAL service ID.

[0149] In one embodiment, the response further includes a result indicating success or failure of the request.

[0150] In one embodiment, when the request includes one or more VAL service IDs, the one or more VAL service IDs are used as a first service data retrieval filter, and the response includes VAL service data filtered by the first service data retrieval filter.

[0151] In one embodiment, when the request includes one or more VAL user IDs and / or one or more VAL UE IDs, the one or more VAL user IDs and / or one or more VAL UE IDs are used as a second service data retrieval filter, and the response includes VAL service data filtered by the second service data retrieval filter.

[0152] In one embodiment, when a request includes both one or more VAL service IDs and one or more VAL user IDs and / or one or more VAL UE IDs, the one or more VAL service IDs and the one or more VAL user IDs and / or one or more VAL UE IDs are used as a third service data retrieval filter, and the response includes VAL service data filtered by the third service data retrieval filter.

[0153] In one embodiment, the configuration management server has VAL service data maintained for at least one VAL UE and / or at least one VAL user.

[0154] In one embodiment, the VAL service data of a VAL user or VAL UE includes at least one of one or more VAL service IDs, VAL user IDs, VAL UE IDs, or VAL service specific information of one or more VAL services supported by the VAL user or VAL UE.

[0155] In one embodiment, the VAL service data of at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE is used by the consumer to form a location-based group with at least one desired VAL service.

[0156] 9 shows a flowchart of a method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, which may be implemented by an apparatus implemented in, at, or as a consumer, or communicatively coupled to a consumer. Thus, the apparatus may provide means or modules for achieving various parts of the method 900, as well as means or modules for achieving other processes together with other components. For some parts described in the above embodiments, their detailed description is omitted here for brevity.

[0157] At block 902, a consumer may send a request to a configuration management server to obtain VAL service data for at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE.

[0158] At block 904, the consumer may receive a response from the configuration management server that includes VAL service data for at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE.

[0159] In one embodiment, the consumer includes at least one of a group management server, a group management client, or a VAL server.

[0160] In one embodiment, the request includes at least one of an identity of the entity making the request, at least one VAL user ID, at least one VAL UE ID, or at least one VAL service ID.

[0161] In one embodiment, the response further includes a result indicating success or failure of the request.

[0162] In one embodiment, when the request includes one or more VAL service IDs, the one or more VAL service IDs are used as a first service data retrieval filter, and the response includes VAL service data filtered by the first service data retrieval filter.

[0163] In one embodiment, when the request includes one or more VAL user IDs and / or one or more VAL UE IDs, the one or more VAL user IDs and / or one or more VAL UE IDs are used as a second service data retrieval filter, and the response includes VAL service data filtered by the second service data retrieval filter.

[0164] In one embodiment, when a request includes both one or more VAL service IDs and one or more VAL user IDs and / or one or more VAL UE IDs, the one or more VAL service IDs and the one or more VAL user IDs and / or one or more VAL UE IDs are used as a third service data retrieval filter, and the response includes VAL service data filtered by the third service data retrieval filter.

[0165] In one embodiment, the configuration management server has VAL service data maintained for at least one VAL UE and / or at least one VAL user.

[0166] In one embodiment, the VAL service data of a VAL user or VAL UE includes at least one of one or more VAL service IDs, VAL user IDs, VAL UE IDs, or VAL service specific information of one or more VAL services supported by the VAL user or VAL UE.

[0167] In one embodiment, the VAL service data of at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE is used by the consumer to form a location-based group with at least one desired VAL service.

[0168] 10 shows a flowchart of a method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure that may be implemented by an apparatus implemented in or at or as a location management server, or communicatively coupled to a location management server. Thus, the apparatus may provide means or modules for achieving various parts of the method 1000, as well as means or modules for achieving other processes together with other components. For some parts described in the above embodiments, their detailed description is omitted here for brevity.

[0169] The location management server may maintain or cache VAL service data for at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE.

[0170] At block 1002, the location management server may receive a request from a group management server to obtain at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE corresponding to the location information.

[0171] In block 1004, the location management server may send a response to the group management server including information of at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE corresponding to the location information, the response further including one or more VAL service data of the at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE.

[0172] In one embodiment, the VAL service data of a VAL user or VAL UE includes at least one of one or more VAL service IDs, VAL user IDs, VAL UE IDs, or VAL service specific information of one or more VAL services supported by the VAL user or VAL UE.

[0173] FIG. 11 illustrates a flow chart of a location area monitor notification procedure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0174] The same procedure can be applied for location management clients and other SEAL servers that have subscriptions to lists of UEs that move into or out of a particular location area.

[0175] In step 1111. One of the events takes place in the location management server specified in the subscribe request. The location management server identifies UEs that have moved into or out of the area based on their location data and location timestamps. The LMS may report all UEs in a given location or a list of UEs that have moved into or out of the area. The monitoring capability for "number of UEs present in a geographical area" provided by the SCEF / NEF may be used by the LMS to retrieve all UE VAL service identities in the specified geographical area.

[0176] NOTE: The reference UE and the application defined proximity range from the reference UE to be monitored may be represented in a geographical area (eg in a circular shape) by the LMS after deriving the location of the reference UE.

[0177] In step 1112, the location management server sends a location area monitor notification to the VAL server. In the notification message, the location management server includes the information specified in Table 2, which is the same as Table 9.3.2.16-1 of 3GPP TS23.434 V17.4.0.

[0178] Table 2 describes the information flow from the location management server to the VAL server. TIFF2025505385000003.tif93170

[0179] FIG. 12 illustrates a flow chart of a location-based group creation procedure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0180] Preconditions:

[0181] 1. The group management client, the group management server, the VAL server, the location management server, and the VAL group members belong to the same VAL system.

[0182] 2. Authorized VAL users / UEs / administrators are unaware of the user identities or UE identities that are to be combined to form a VAL group.

[0183] In step 1201. The group management client or VAL server requests a location-based group creation operation from the group management server. The location criteria for determining the identity of the users or UEs to be paired shall be included in this message.

[0184] In step 1202, the group management server requests the location management server to obtain the user or UE corresponding to the location information.

[0185] In step 1203, the location management server constructs a list of users or UEs in the requested location. The location management server may utilize the monitoring capability for "the number of UEs present in a geographical area" provided by the SCEF / NEF to retrieve all UE identities in the specified geographical area.

[0186] In step 1204, the group management server receives a configured list of users or UEs from a location management server. The location management server may include a VAL service ID associated with the list of users or UEs.

[0187] In step 1205. If a VAL service ID list was received in step 1201 as part of the group formation criteria and the location management server does not include the associated VAL service ID in the configured list for the user or UE in step 1204, the group management server may retrieve the VAL service data from the configuration management server. For example, the group management server sends a Get VAL service request to the configuration management server.

[0188] In step 1206, the group management server receives a Get VAL service response from the configuration management server. The Get VAL service response may include the requested VAL service data.

[0189] In step 1207. During group creation, the group management server creates and stores information of the location-based group. The group management server performs checks on policies, e.g., maximum limit of total number of VAL group members for the VAL group(s). If an external group identifier is available, identifying member UEs of the VAL group in the 3GPP core network, the external group ID is stored in the configuration information of the newly created VAL group. When the VAL service ID list is received in step 1201, the group management server may create and store information of the location-based group with the VAL service(s) identified by the VAL service ID list. The group is formed taking into account the VAL service data received from the configuration management server, such that each VAL group member supports the desired VAL service(s) received in step 1201.

[0190] In step 1208, the group management server provides a location-based group creation response to the group management client or the VAL server.

[0191] FIG. 13 shows a flow chart of a location-based group creation procedure according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0192] Preconditions:

[0193] 1. The group management client, the group management server, the VAL server, the location management server, and the VAL group members belong to the same VAL system.

[0194] 2. Authorized VAL users / UEs / administrators are unaware of the user identities or UE identities that are to be combined to form a VAL group.

[0195] In step 1301. The group management client or VAL server requests a location-based group creation operation from the group management server. The location criteria for determining the identities of the users or UEs to be paired shall be included in this message.

[0196] In step 1302, the group management server requests the location management server to obtain the user or UE corresponding to the location information.

[0197] In step 1303, the location management server constructs a list of users or UEs in the requested location. The location management server may utilize the monitoring capability for "number of UEs present in a geographical area" provided by the SCEF / NEF to retrieve all UE identities in the specified geographical area.

[0198] In step 1304, the group management server receives a configured list of users or UEs from a location management server. The location management server may include a VAL service ID associated with the list of users or UEs.

[0199] In step 1305. During group creation, the group management server creates and stores information of the location-based group. The group management server performs checks on policies, e.g., maximum limit on total number of VAL group members for the VAL group(s). If an external group identifier is available, which identifies member UEs of the VAL group in the 3GPP core network, the external group ID is stored in the configuration information of the newly created VAL group.

[0200] In step 1306, the group management server provides a location-based group creation response to the group management client or the VAL server.

[0201] In step 1307, the group management client or the VAL server sends a Get VAL service request to the configuration management server.

[0202] In step 1308, the group management client or the VAL server receives the Get VAL service response from the configuration management server.

[0203] In this embodiment, the group management client or the VAL server does not send the VAL service ID to the group management server. The group formation can be finally decided by the group management client or the VAL server.

[0204] Table 3 describes the information flow of a get VAL service request from the group management server or group management client or VAL server to the configuration management server. TIFF2025505385000004.tif42170

[0205] Table 4 describes the information flow of the get VAL service response from the configuration management server or group management client or VAL server to the group management server. TIFF2025505385000005.tif67170

[0206] FIG. 14 shows a flowchart of obtaining VAL service data for VAL UE(s) or VAL user(s) according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0207] Preconditions:

[0208] - The consumer has secure access to a configuration management server.

[0209] The configuration management server has VAL service data maintained for VAL UEs or users.

[0210] In step 1401, a consumer (e.g., a group management server or a group management client or a VAL server) sends a get VAL service request to a configuration management server to obtain VAL service data. The request includes a list of VAL UE IDs or VAL user IDs and / or a VAL service ID list as a service data retrieval filter.

[0211] In step 1402. The configuration management server retrieves the VAL service data for the requested VAL UE or user or VAL service and sends a get VAL service response to the consumer (eg, group management server) with the discovered list of VAL service data.

[0212] In one embodiment, Table 11.4.1-1 of 3GPP TS23.434 V17.4.0 may be revised as follows: TIFF2025505385000006.tif52170

[0213] In one embodiment, the following content may be added to 3GPP TS23.434 V17.4.0: 11.4.x SS_VALServiceData API 11.4.x.1 Overview API Description: This API allows the Group Management Server to communicate with the Configuration Management Server to obtain VAL service data via SEAL-X. 11.4.x.2 Obtain_VAL_Service_Data Behavior API operation name: Obtain_VAL_Service_Data Description: Gets VAL service data. Known consumers: Group Management Server. Input: See Table 3 Output: See Table 4 See Figure 14 for details on how to use this API operation.

[0214] For protocol realization, the following text gives a possible implementation for this new CM service API, which can be added to 3GPP TS29.549 V17.3.0 (section numbers follow the 3GPP TS29.549 V17.3.0 document structure).

[0215] 7.3 Configuration Management API

[0216] 7.3.2 SS_VALServiceData API

[0217] 7.3.2.1 API URI

[0218] The SS_VALServiceData service shall use the SS_VALServiceData API.

[0219] The Request-URI used in the HTTP request from the VAL Server towards the Configuration Management Server shall have the Resource URI structure as specified in 3GPP TS29.549 V17.3.0, clause 6.5, with the following clarifications: - <apiname>shall be "ss-vsd". - <apiversion>Let v1 be the value of v1. - <apispecificsuffixes>shall be set as described in 3GPP TS 29.549 V17.3.0, clause 7.3.1.2.

[0220] 7.3.2.2 Resources

[0221] 7.3.2.2.1 Overview

[0222] FIG. 15 illustrates an example of a resource URI structure for the SS_VALServiceData API according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0223] Table 7.3.2.2.1-1 provides an overview of resources and applicable HTTP methods. TIFF2025505385000007.tif31170

[0224] 7.3.2.2.2 Resource: VAL Service Data

[0225] 7.3.2.2.2.1 Description

[0226] A VAL Service resource represents all VAL Service data maintained at a given Configuration Management Server.

[0227] 7.3.2.2.2.2 Resource Regulation

[0228] Resource URI:{apiRoot} / ss-upr / <apiversion> / val-service-data

[0229] This resource MUST support the resource URI variables specified in Table 7.3.2.2.2.2-1. TIFF2025505385000008.tif22170

[0230] 7.3.2.2.2.3 Resource Standard Methods

[0231] 7.3.2.2.2.3.1 GET

[0232] This action retrieves the VAL user or VAL UE profile information that meets the filter criteria. This method SHALL support the URI query parameters specified in Table 7.3.2.2.2.3.1-1. TIFF2025505385000009.tif42170

[0233] This method SHALL support the request data structure specified in Table 7.3.2.2.2.3.1-2 and the response data structure and response codes specified in Table 7.3.2.2.2.3.1-3. TIFF2025505385000010.tif22170TIFF2025505385000011.tif153170TIFF2025505385000012.tif26170TIFF2025505385000013.tif26170

[0234] 7.3.2.4 Data Model

[0235] 7.3.2.4.1 Overview

[0236] This section specifies the application data model supported by the API. The data types listed in Section 6.2 apply to this API.

[0237] Table 7.3.2.4.1-1 specifies the data types that are specified specifically for the SS_VALServiceData API service. TIFF2025505385000014.tif16170

[0238] Table 7.3.2.4.1-2 specifies the data types reused by the SS_VALServiceData API service. TIFF2025505385000015.tif16170

[0239] 7.3.2.4.2 Structured Data Types

[0240] 7.3.2.4.2.1 Introduction

[0241] 7.3.2.4.2.2 Type:VALServiceData TIFF2025505385000016.tif57170

[0242] The various blocks shown in the figures may be considered as a number of coupled logic circuit elements constructed to perform the method steps and / or operations resulting from the operation of the computer program code and / or the associated function(s). The schematic flow chart diagrams described above are generally described as logical flow chart diagrams. Thus, the illustrated order and labeled steps are indicative of a particular embodiment of the presented method. Other steps and methods may be conceived that are equivalent in function, logic, or effect to one or more steps, or portions thereof, of the illustrated method. Furthermore, the order in which a particular method is performed may or may not strictly follow the order of the corresponding steps shown.

[0243] The embodiments herein provide many advantages, a non-exhaustive list of examples of which follows: In some embodiments herein, the proposed solution can avoid wrong VAL users or UEs (that support different VAL services than the VAL server) being included in the location-based group. In some embodiments herein, the proposed solution can identify supported VAL services for retrieved VAL users or UEs in the area. The embodiments herein are not limited to the above-mentioned features and advantages. Those skilled in the art will recognize additional features and advantages upon reading the following detailed description.

[0244] 16 is a block diagram showing an apparatus suitable for implementing some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, any one of the group management server, configuration management server, location management server, or consumer described above may be implemented as or through the apparatus 1600.

[0245] The apparatus 1600 comprises at least one processor 1621, such as a digital processor (DP), and at least one memory (MEM) 1622 coupled to the processor 1621. The apparatus 1616 may further comprise a transmitter TX and a receiver RX 1623 coupled to the processor 1621. The MEM 1622 stores a program (PROG) 1624. The PROG 1624 may include instructions that, when executed on the associated processor 1621, enable the apparatus 1616 to operate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The combination of the at least one processor 1621 and the at least one MEM 1622 may form a processing means 1625 adapted to implement various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0246] Various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by computer programs executable by one or more of the processor 1621, software, firmware, hardware, or a combination thereof.

[0247] MEM1622 may be of any type suitable for the local technology environment and may be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as, by way of non-limiting examples, semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed and removable memory.

[0248] The processor 1621 may be of any type suitable for the local technology environment and may include, by way of non-limiting examples, one or more of a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture.

[0249] In one embodiment in which the device is implemented as or in a group management server, the memory 1622 includes instructions executable by the processor 1621 to cause the group management server to operate according to any of the steps of the methods relating to the group management server described above.

[0250] In one embodiment in which the device is implemented as or in a configuration management server, the memory 1622 includes instructions executable by the processor 1621 to cause the configuration management server to operate according to any of the steps of the methods relating to the configuration management server described above.

[0251] In one embodiment in which the device is implemented as or in a consumer, the memory 1622 includes instructions executable by the processor 1621 to cause the consumer to operate according to any step of the consumer-related methods described above.

[0252] In one embodiment in which the device is implemented as or in a location management server, the memory 1622 includes instructions executable by the processor 1621 to cause the location management server to operate according to any step of any of the methods relating to the location management server described above.

[0253] FIG. 17 is a block diagram illustrating a group management server according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, the group management server 1700 comprises a receiving module 1701 configured to receive a location-based group creation request from a group management client or a vertical application layer (VAL) server. The location-based group creation request includes location information and at least one VAL service identification (ID). The group management server 1700 further comprises a first acquiring module 1702 configured to acquire information of at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL user equipment (UE) corresponding to the location information. The group management server 1700 further comprises a second acquiring module 1703 configured to acquire VAL service data of the at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE. The group management server 1700 further comprises a creating module 1704 configured to create a location-based group matching the location-based group creation request based on the VAL service data of the at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE.

[0254] In one embodiment, the group management server 1700 further comprises a storage module 1705 configured to store information of the location-based group.

[0255] In one embodiment, the group management server 1700 further comprises a sending module 1706 configured to send a location-based group creation response to a group management client or a VAL server.

[0256] 18 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration management server according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, the configuration management server 1800 comprises a receiving module 1801 configured to receive a request to obtain VAL service data of at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE from a consumer. The configuration management server 1800 further comprises a sending module 1802 configured to send a response including the VAL service data of the at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE to the consumer.

[0257] 19 is a block diagram illustrating a consumer according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, the consumer 1900 comprises a sending module 1901 configured to send a request to a configuration management server to obtain VAL service data of at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE. The consumer 1900 further comprises a receiving module 1902 configured to receive a response including VAL service data of at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE from the configuration management server.

[0258] 20 is a block diagram illustrating a location management server according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, the location management server 2000 includes a receiving module 2001 configured to receive a request for obtaining at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE corresponding to the location information from the group management server. The location management server 2000 further includes a sending module 2002 configured to send a response including information of the at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE corresponding to the location information to the group management server.

[0259] The term unit or module may have its usual meaning in the field of electronics, electrical devices, and / or electronic devices and may include, for example, electrical and / or electronic circuits, devices, modules, processors, memories, logical solid and / or discrete devices, computer programs or instructions, etc., for performing a respective task, procedure, computation, output, and / or display function, such as those described herein.

[0260] When there is a functional unit, the group management server, the configuration management server, the location management server or the consumer may not require a fixed processor or memory, and any computing resource and storage resource may be configured in the group management server, the configuration management server, the location management server or the consumer in the communication system. The introduction of virtualization technology and network computing technology may improve the utilization efficiency of network resources and the flexibility of the network.

[0261] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product is provided that includes instructions tangibly stored on a computer-readable storage medium and that, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform any of the methods described above.

[0262] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform any of the methods described above.

[0263] Furthermore, the present disclosure may also provide a carrier containing a computer program as described above, the carrier being one of an electronic signal, an optical signal, a radio signal, or a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, an optical compact disc or an electronic memory device, such as a RAM (random access memory), a ROM (read only memory), a flash memory, a magnetic tape, a CD-ROM, a DVD, a Blu-ray disc, etc.

[0264] The techniques described herein may be implemented by various means, such that an apparatus implementing one or more functions of a corresponding apparatus described in an embodiment may comprise not only conventional means, but also means for implementing one or more functions of the corresponding apparatus described in the embodiment, and such an apparatus may comprise separate means for each separate function, or means that may be configured to perform one or more functions. For example, these techniques may be implemented in hardware (one or more devices), firmware (one or more devices), software (one or more modules), or a combination thereof. In the case of firmware or software, the implementation may be through modules (e.g., procedures, functions, etc.) that perform the functions described herein.

[0265] Exemplary embodiments of the present specification have been described above with reference to block diagrams and flowchart diagrams of methods and apparatuses. It will be understood that each block of the block diagrams and flowchart diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and flowchart diagrams, respectively, can be implemented by various means including computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be loaded into a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to manufacture a machine, such that the instructions executing on the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus create means for implementing the functions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart.

[0266] Furthermore, although operations are shown in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring such operations to be performed in the particular order or sequential order shown, or that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. In some situations, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, although some specific implementation details are included in the above description, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the subject matter described herein, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments. Some features that are described in the context of separate embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination.

[0267] Although this specification contains many specific implementation details, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of any implementation or what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to a particular embodiment of a particular implementation. Some features described in the context of separate embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented separately in multiple embodiments or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above as working in some combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination may in some cases be deleted from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or a variation of the subcombination.

[0268] It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that as technology advances, the inventive concept can be implemented in various ways. The above-described embodiments are given to illustrate, not to limit, the present disclosure, and it should be understood that modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, as those skilled in the art will easily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure and the scope of the appended claims. The scope of protection of the present disclosure is defined by the scope of the appended claims.< / apiversion> < / apispecificsuffixes> < / apiversion> < / apiname>

Claims

1. A method (500) performed by a group management server, comprising: Receiving a location-based group creation request from a group management client or a vertical application layer (VAL) server (502), the location-based group creation request including location information and at least one VAL service identification (ID); Obtaining (504) information of at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL user equipment (UE) corresponding to the location information; Obtaining VAL service data of the at least one VAL user and / or the at least one VAL UE (506); creating (508) a location-based group that matches the location-based group creation request based on the VAL service data of the at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE; The method (500).

2. storing (510) information about the location-based groups; sending a location-based group creation response to the group management client or the VAL server (512); The method of claim 1 further comprising:

3. obtaining information of the at least one VAL user and / or the at least one VAL UE corresponding to the location information; Sending a first request to a location management server to obtain the at least one VAL user and / or the at least one VAL UE corresponding to the location information (602); receiving a first response from the location management server, the first response including the information of the at least one VAL user and / or the at least one VAL UE corresponding to the location information (604); The method of claim 1 or 2, comprising:

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first response further includes VAL service data for one or more of the at least one VAL user and / or the at least one VAL UE.

5. obtaining VAL service data of the at least one VAL user and / or the at least one VAL UE; obtaining VAL service data for one or more of said at least one VAL user and / or said at least one VAL UE from a location management server; or Obtaining VAL service data for one or more of said at least one VAL user and / or said at least one VAL UE from a configuration management server. The method according to claim 1 , comprising at least one of the following:

6. Obtaining VAL service data for one or more of the at least one VAL user and / or the at least one VAL UE from a configuration management server includes: obtaining the VAL service data of the VAL user or the VAL UE from the configuration management server when the VAL service ID obtained from the location management server does not include one or more of the at least one VAL service identification information received in the location-based group creation request; The method of claim 5 , comprising:

7. obtaining VAL service data for one or more of the at least one VAL user and / or the at least one VAL UE from a configuration management server; Sending a second request to the configuration management server to obtain the VAL service data of one or more of the at least one VAL user and / or the at least one VAL UE (702); receiving a second response from the configuration management server, the second response including the VAL service data for one or more of the at least one VAL user and / or the at least one VAL UE (704); The method of claim 5 or 6, comprising:

8. The second request is an identity of an entity performing the second request; At least one VAL user ID; At least one VALUE ID, or At least one VAL service ID The method of claim 7 , comprising at least one of:

9. The method of claim 7 or 8, wherein the second response further includes a result indicating success or failure of the second request.

10. when the second request includes one or more VAL service IDs, the one or more VAL service IDs are used as a first service data retrieval filter, and the second response includes the VAL service data filtered by the first service data retrieval filter; when the second request includes one or more VAL User IDs and / or one or more VAL UE IDs, the one or more VAL User IDs and / or the one or more VAL UE IDs are used as a second service data retrieval filter, and the second response includes the VAL service data filtered by the second service data retrieval filter; when the second request includes both the one or more VAL Service IDs and the one or more VAL User IDs and / or the one or more VAL UE IDs, the one or more VAL Service IDs and the one or more VAL User IDs and / or the one or more VAL UE IDs are used as a third service data retrieval filter, and the second response includes the VAL service data filtered by the third service data retrieval filter.

10. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 9.

11. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the configuration management server has VAL service data maintained for at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE.

12. VAL Service Data of a VAL User or VAL UE, one or more VAL Service IDs of one or more VAL Services supported by said VAL User or said VAL UE; VAL user ID, VALUE ID, or VAL service specific information The method according to claim 1 , comprising at least one of the following:

13. A method (800) performed by a configuration management server, comprising: Receiving a request from a consumer to obtain VAL service data for at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE (802); sending a response to the consumer including the VAL service data of the at least one VAL user and / or the at least one VAL UE (804); The method (800).

14. The request, The identity of the entity making the request; At least one VAL user ID; At least one VALUE ID, or At least one VAL service ID The method of claim 13 , comprising at least one of:

15. The method of claim 13 or 14, wherein the response further includes a result indicating success or failure of the request.

16. when the request includes one or more VAL service IDs, the one or more VAL service IDs are used as a first service data retrieval filter, and the response includes the VAL service data filtered by the first service data retrieval filter; when the request includes one or more VAL User IDs and / or one or more VAL UE IDs, the one or more VAL User IDs and / or the one or more VAL UE IDs are used as a second service data retrieval filter, and the response includes the VAL service data filtered by the second service data retrieval filter; when the request includes both the one or more VAL Service IDs and the one or more VAL User IDs and / or the one or more VAL UE IDs, the one or more VAL Service IDs and the one or more VAL User IDs and / or the one or more VAL UE IDs are used as a third service data retrieval filter, and the response includes the VAL service data filtered by the third service data retrieval filter.

16. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 15.

17. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein said configuration management server has VAL service data maintained for at least one VAL UE and / or at least one VAL user.

18. VAL Service Data of a VAL User or VAL UE, one or more VAL Service IDs of one or more VAL Services supported by said VAL User or said VAL UE; VAL user ID, VALUE ID, or VAL service specific information 18. The method of claim 13, comprising at least one of the following:

19. The consumer, Group management server, Group Management Client, or VAL Server 19. The method of any one of claims 13 to 18, comprising at least one of the following:

20. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 19, wherein the VAL service data of the at least one VAL user and / or the at least one VAL UE is used by the consumers to form a location-based group with at least one desired VAL service.

21. A method (900) performed by a consumer, comprising: Sending a request to a configuration management server for obtaining VAL service data of at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE (902); receiving a response from the configuration management server including the VAL service data of the at least one VAL user and / or the at least one VAL UE (904); The method (900).

22. The request, The identity of the entity making the request; At least one VAL user ID; At least one VALUE ID, or At least one VAL service ID 22. The method of claim 21, comprising at least one of:

23. 23. The method of claim 21 or 22, wherein the response further includes a result indicating success or failure of the request.

24. when the request includes one or more VAL service IDs, the one or more VAL service IDs are used as a first service data retrieval filter, and the response includes the VAL service data filtered by the first service data retrieval filter; when the request includes one or more VAL User IDs and / or one or more VAL UE IDs, the one or more VAL User IDs and / or the one or more VAL UE IDs are used as a second service data retrieval filter, and the response includes the VAL service data filtered by the second service data retrieval filter; when the request includes both the one or more VAL Service IDs and the one or more VAL User IDs and / or the one or more VAL UE IDs, the one or more VAL Service IDs and the one or more VAL User IDs and / or the one or more VAL UE IDs are used as a third service data retrieval filter, and the response includes the VAL service data filtered by the third service data retrieval filter.

24. The method of any one of claims 21 to 23.

25. The method according to any one of claims 21 to 24, wherein said configuration management server has VAL service data maintained for at least one VAL UE and / or at least one VAL user.

26. VAL Service Data of a VAL User or VAL UE, one or more VAL Service IDs of one or more VAL Services supported by said VAL User or said VAL UE; VAL user ID, VALUE ID, or VAL service specific information 26. The method of any one of claims 21 to 25, comprising at least one of:

27. The consumer, Group management server, Group Management Client, or VAL Server 27. The method of any one of claims 21 to 26, comprising at least one of:

28. 28. The method according to any one of claims 21 to 27, wherein the VAL service data of the at least one VAL user and / or the at least one VAL UE is used by the consumers to form a location-based group with at least one desired VAL service.

29. A method (1000) performed by a location management server, comprising: Receiving a request from a group management server to obtain at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE corresponding to location information (1002); sending a response to the group management server including information of the at least one VAL user and / or the at least one VAL UE corresponding to the location information (1004); Including, The method (1000), wherein the response further includes VAL service data for one or more of the at least one VAL user and / or the at least one VAL UE.

30. VAL Service Data of a VAL User or VAL UE, one or more VAL Service IDs of one or more VAL Services supported by said VAL User or said VAL UE; VAL user ID, or VALUE ID, VAL service specific information 30. The method of claim 29, comprising at least one of:

31. A processor (1621); A memory (1622) coupled to the processor (1621); The memory (1622) includes instructions executable by the processor (1621), whereby the group management server (1600) receiving a location-based group creation request from a group management client or a vertical application layer (VAL) server, the location-based group creation request including location information and at least one VAL service identification (ID); obtaining information of at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL user equipment (UE) corresponding to said location information; Obtaining VAL service data of the at least one VAL user and / or the at least one VAL UE; creating a location-based group that matches the location-based group creation request based on the VAL service data of the at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE; A group management server (1600) operable to:

32. 32. The group management server of claim 31, wherein said group management server is further operable to perform a method according to any one of claims 2 to 12.

33. A processor (1621); A memory (1622) coupled to the processor (1621); The memory (1622) includes instructions executable by the processor (1621) to cause the configuration management server (1600) to: receiving a request from a consumer to obtain VAL service data of at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE; sending a response to the consumer including the VAL service data of the at least one VAL user and / or the at least one VAL UE; A configuration management server (1600) operable to:

34. 34. The configuration management server of claim 33, wherein the configuration management server is further operable to perform a method according to any one of claims 14 to 20.

35. A processor (1621); A memory (1622) coupled to the processor (1621); 16. A consumer (1600) comprising: Sending a request to a configuration management server to obtain VAL service data of at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE; receiving a response from the configuration management server, the response including the VAL service data of the at least one VAL user and / or the at least one VAL UE; The consumer (1600) is operable to:

36. 36. A consumer according to claim 35, wherein the consumer is further operable to perform a method according to any one of claims 22 to 28.

37. A processor (1621); A memory (1622) coupled to the processor (1621); The memory (1622) includes instructions executable by the processor (1621), whereby the location management server (1600) comprises: receiving a request from a group management server to obtain at least one VAL user and / or at least one VAL UE corresponding to location information; sending a response to the group management server, the response including information of the at least one VAL user and / or the at least one VAL UE corresponding to the location information; and operable to A Location Management Server (1600), wherein the response further includes VAL service data for one or more of the at least one VAL user and / or the at least one VAL UE.

38. VAL Service Data of a VAL User or VAL UE, one or more VAL Service IDs of one or more VAL Services supported by said VAL User or said VAL UE; VAL user ID, VALUE ID, or VAL service specific information 38. The location management server of claim 37, comprising at least one of:

39. A computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 30.

40. A computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 30.

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