Method and apparatus for providing service access information for uplink streaming in a 5G media network

Abstract

A method executed by at least one processor of a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: receiving, by the UE, service access information including one or more media entry points for an uplink 5G media streaming uplink (5GMS) session; selecting one of the one or more media entry points; activating an uplink 5GMS session based on the selected one or more media entry points; and transmitting content to a 5G media streaming uplink (5GMS) application server (AS) during the uplink media streaming session.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 423,406, filed November 7, 2022, and U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Application No. 18 / 502,527, filed November 6, 2023, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to fifth generation (5G) media streaming (5GMS), and more particularly to a method and apparatus for providing service access information for uplink streaming 5G networks. [Background technology]

[0003] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) TS26.501 specifies the general architecture for uplink and downlink media streaming. This standard specifies the general uplink process, but does not specify service access information for uplink streaming, as opposed to downlink streaming. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] According to one or more embodiments, a method performed by at least one processor of a user equipment (UE) includes receiving, by the UE, service access information including one or more media entry points for an uplink 5G Media Streaming Uplink (5GMS) session; selecting one of the one or more media entry points; activating an uplink 5GMS session based on the selected one or more media entry points; and transmitting content to a 5G Media Streaming Uplink (5GMS) Application Server (AS) during the uplink media streaming session.

[0005] According to one or more embodiments, a method performed by at least one processor within a 5G Media Streaming Uplink (5GMSu) Application Function (AF) to define one or more media entry points includes creating a provisioning session with a 5GMSu application provider for an uplink 5G Media Streaming (5GMS) session, compiling service access information for the uplink 5GMS session including the one or more media entry points, and transmitting the service access information to the 5GMSu application provider, wherein the service access information is provided to a user equipment (UE) that selects one of the one or more media entry points.

[0006] According to one or more embodiments, a user equipment (UE) comprises at least one memory configured to store program code; and at least one processor configured to read the program code and operate according to instructions of the program code, the program code including: a receiving code configured to cause the at least one processor to receive service access information including parameters of one or more media entry points for an uplink 5G media streaming (5GMS) session; a selection code configured to cause the at least one processor to select one of the one or more media entry points; an activation code configured to cause the at least one processor to activate the uplink 5GMS session based on the selected one or more media entry points; and a transmitting code configured to cause the at least one processor to transmit content to a 5G media streaming uplink (5GMS) application server (AS) during the uplink media streaming session.

[0007] According to one or more embodiments, a 5G Media Streaming Uplink (5GMSu) system that performs an application function (AF) comprises at least one memory configured to store program code; and at least one processor configured to read and operate according to instructions of the program code, the program code including: creation code that causes the at least one processor to create a provisioning session with a 5GMSu application provider for an uplink 5G Media Streaming (5GMS) session; compilation code that causes the at least one processor to compile service access information for the uplink 5GMS session including one or more media entry points; and transmission code that causes the at least one processor to transmit the service access information to the 5GMSu application provider, wherein the service access information is provided to a user equipment (UE) that selects one of the one or more media entry points.

[0008] Further features, nature and various advantages of the subject matter of the present disclosure will become more apparent in the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an environment in which the methods, apparatus, and systems described herein may be implemented, according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 2 is a block diagram illustrating example components of one or more devices of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a media architecture for media uplink streaming, according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram of an operational flow for provisioning a 5G SMS system for uplink streaming according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] 1 is a flowchart of an exemplary process performed by a user equipment (UE), according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] 1 is a flowchart of an exemplary process performed by a 5GMSu application function (AF), according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments refers to the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numbers in different drawings may identify the same or similar elements.

[0011] The foregoing disclosure provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit implementations to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above disclosure or may be acquired from practice of the implementations. Furthermore, one or more features or components of one embodiment may be incorporated into or combined with another embodiment (or one or more features of another embodiment). Additionally, in the flowcharts and descriptions of operations provided below, it will be understood that one or more operations may be omitted, one or more operations may be added, one or more operations may occur simultaneously (at least in part), or the order of one or more operations may be rearranged.

[0012] It will be apparent that the systems and / or methods described herein may be implemented in different forms, such as hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. The actual specialized control hardware or software code used to implement these systems and / or methods is not intended to limit the implementation. Thus, the operation and behavior of the systems and / or methods are described herein without reference to specific software code, and it will be understood that software and hardware can be designed to implement the systems and / or methods based on the description herein.

[0013] Although particular combinations of features are recited in the claims and / or disclosed herein, these combinations are not intended to limit the disclosure of possible implementations. Indeed, many of these features may be combined in ways not specifically recited in the claims and / or disclosed in the specification. Although each dependent claim listed below may depend directly on only one claim, the disclosure of possible implementations includes each dependent claim in combination with all other claims in the claim set.

[0014] No element, act, or instruction used herein should be construed as critical or essential unless explicitly stated as such. Also, as used herein, the articles "a" and "an" are intended to include one or more items and may be used interchangeably with "one or more." Where only one item is intended, the term "one" or similar language is used. Also, as used herein, terms such as "has," "have," "having," "include," and "including" are intended to be open-ended terms. Furthermore, the phrase "based on" is intended to mean "based at least in part on," unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, phrases such as "at least one of [A] and [B]" and "at least one of [A] or [B]" should be understood to include A only, B only, or both A and B.

[0015] Throughout this specification, references to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," or similar language mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the illustrated embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the solution. Thus, throughout this specification, the phrases "in one embodiment," "in an embodiment," and similar language may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment.

[0016] 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 in light of the description herein that the present disclosure may be practiced without one or more particular features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0017] 1 is a diagram of an environment 100 in which the methods, apparatus, and systems described herein may be implemented, according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, environment 100 may include a user device 110, a platform 120, and a network 130. The devices in environment 100 may be interconnected via wired connections, wireless connections, or a combination of wired and wireless connections.

[0018] User device 110 includes one or more devices that can receive, create, store, process, and / or provide information related to platform 120. For example, user device 110 may include a computing device (e.g., a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a handheld computer, a smart speaker, a server, etc.), a mobile phone (e.g., a smartphone, a wireless phone, etc.), a wearable device (e.g., smart glasses or a smart watch), or the like. In some implementations, user device 110 may receive information from and / or transmit information to platform 120.

[0019] Platform 120 includes one or more devices as described elsewhere herein. In some embodiments, platform 120 may include a cloud server or a group of cloud servers. In some embodiments, platform 120 may be designed to be modular such that software components can be swapped in and out depending on what is needed at the time. As such, platform 120 may be easily and / or quickly reconfigured for different uses.

[0020] In some implementations, as shown, platform 120 may be hosted within cloud computing environment 122. Notably, although the implementations described herein describe platform 120 as being hosted within cloud computing environment 122, in some implementations platform 120 may not be cloud-based (i.e., may be implemented outside of a cloud computing environment) or may be partially cloud-based.

[0021] Cloud computing environment 122 includes an environment that hosts platform 120. Cloud computing environment 122 may provide services such as computation, software, data access, storage, etc. that do not require end-user (e.g., user device 110) information about the physical location and configuration of one or more systems and / or one or more devices that host platform 120. As illustrated, cloud computing environment 122 may include a group of computing resources 124 (collectively referred to as “computing resources 124” and individually referred to as “computing resource 124”).

[0022] Computing resources 124 include one or more personal computers, workstation computers, server devices, or other types of computing and / or communication devices. In some implementations, computing resources 124 may host platform 120. Cloud resources may include compute instances running within computing resources 124, storage devices provided within computing resources 124, data transfer devices provided by computing resources 124, etc. In some implementations, computing resources 124 may communicate with other computing resources 124 via wired connections, wireless connections, or a combination of wired and wireless connections.

[0023] As further shown in FIG. 1, the computing resources 124 include a group of cloud resources such as one or more applications (APPs) 124-1, one or more virtual machines (VMs) 124-2, virtualized storage (VS) 124-3, and one or more hypervisors (HYPs) 124-4.

[0024] Application 124-1 includes one or more software applications that may be provided to or accessed by user device 110 and / or platform 120. Application 124-1 may eliminate the need for a software application to be installed on user device 110 and run on user device 110. For example, application 124-1 may include software associated with platform 120 and / or any other software that may be provided via cloud computing environment 122. In some implementations, one application 124-1 may send information to or receive information from one or more other applications 124-1 via virtual machine 124-2.

[0025] Virtual machine 124-2 includes a software implementation of a machine (e.g., a computer) that executes programs like a physical machine. Virtual machine 124-2 may be either a system virtual machine or a process virtual machine, depending on the use by virtual machine 124-2 and its correspondence to any real machine. A system virtual machine may provide a complete system platform that supports the execution of a complete operating system (OS). A process virtual machine may execute a single program and support a single process. In some implementations, virtual machine 124-2 may run on behalf of a user (e.g., user device 110) and manage infrastructure of cloud computing environment 122, such as data management, synchronization, or long-term data transfer.

[0026] Virtualized storage 124-3 includes one or more storage systems and / or one or more devices that use virtualization techniques within the storage systems or devices of computing resource 124. In some embodiments, with respect to storage systems, types of virtualization may include block virtualization and file virtualization. Block virtualization may refer to the abstraction (or separation) of logical storage from physical storage, allowing access to the storage system whether it is physical storage or a heterogeneous structure. Separation allows storage system administrators greater flexibility in how they manage storage for end users. File virtualization removes the dependency between data being accessed at a specific file level and where the file is physically stored. This may enable optimization of storage usage, server consolidation, and / or non-disruptive file migration.

[0027] The hypervisor 124-4 may provide hardware virtualization technology that allows multiple operating systems (e.g., "guest operating systems") to run simultaneously on a host computer, such as the computing resource 124. The hypervisor 124-4 may present a virtual operating platform to the guest operating systems and may manage the execution of the guest operating systems. Multiple instances of different operating systems may share virtualized hardware resources.

[0028] Network 130 may include one or more wired and / or wireless networks. For example, network 130 may include a cellular network (e.g., a fifth-generation (5G) network, a long-term evolution (LTE) network, a third-generation (3G) network, a code division multiple access (CDMA) network, etc.), a public land mobile network (PLMN), a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a telephone network (e.g., a public switched telephone network (PSTN)), a private network, an ad hoc network, an intranet, the Internet, a fiber optic-based network, etc., and / or a combination of these or other types of networks.

[0029] The number and arrangement of devices and networks shown in Figure 1 are provided as an example. In practice, there may be more devices and / or networks, fewer devices and / or networks, different devices and / or networks, or different arrangements of devices and / or networks compared to those shown in Figure 1. Furthermore, two or more devices shown in Figure 1 may be implemented in a single device, or a single device shown in Figure 1 may be implemented as multiple distributed devices. Additionally or alternatively, a set of devices (e.g., one or more devices) of environment 100 may perform one or more functions described as being performed by another set of devices of environment 100.

[0030] Figure 2 is a block diagram of example components of one or more devices of Figure 1. Device 200 may correspond to user device 110 and / or platform 120. As shown in Figure 2, device 200 may include a bus 210, a processor 220, a memory 230, a storage component 240, an input component 250, an output component 260, and a communication interface 270.

[0031] Bus 210 includes components that enable communication between components of device 200. Processor 220 may be implemented in hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. Processor 220 may be a central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU), accelerated processing unit (APU), microprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor (DSP), field programmable gate array (FPGA), application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or another type of processing component. In some implementations, processor 220 includes one or more processors that can be programmed to perform functions. Memory 230 includes random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), and / or another type of dynamic or static storage device (e.g., flash memory, magnetic memory, and / or optical memory) that stores information and / or instructions used by processor 220.

[0032] Storage component 240 stores information and / or software related to the operation and use of device 200. For example, storage component 240 may include a hard disk (e.g., a magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, and / or solid-state disk), a compact disk (CD), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a floppy disk, a cartridge, magnetic tape, and / or another type of non-transitory computer-readable medium with a corresponding drive.

[0033] Input components 250 include elements that enable device 200 to receive information, such as via user input (e.g., a touchscreen display, a keyboard, a keypad, a mouse, buttons, switches, and / or a microphone). Additionally or alternatively, input components 250 may include sensors that sense information (e.g., a global positioning system (GPS) element, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and / or an actuator). Output components 260 include components that provide output information from device 200 (e.g., a display, a speaker, and / or one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs)).

[0034] Communications interface 270 includes transceiver-like components (e.g., a transceiver and / or a separate receiver and transmitter) that enable device 200 to communicate with other devices, such as via a wired connection, a wireless connection, or a combination of wired and wireless connections. Communications interface 270 may enable device 200 to receive information from and / or provide information to another device. For example, communications interface 270 may include an Ethernet interface, an optical interface, a coaxial interface, an infrared interface, a radio frequency (RF) interface, a universal serial bus (USB) interface, a Wi-Fi interface, a cellular network interface, etc.

[0035] Device 200 may perform one or more processes described herein. Device 200 may perform these processes in response to processor 220 executing software instructions stored by a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as memory 230 and / or storage component 240. A computer-readable medium is defined herein as a non-transitory memory device. A memory device includes memory space within a single physical storage device or memory space spread across multiple physical storage devices.

[0036] Software instructions may be read into memory 230 and / or storage component 240 from another computer-readable medium or from another device via communications interface 270. When executed, the software instructions stored in memory 230 and / or storage component 240 may be used to cause processor 220 to perform one or more processes described herein. Additionally or alternatively, hardwired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions to perform one or more processes described herein. Thus, implementations described herein are not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software.

[0037] The number and arrangement of components shown in Figure 2 are provided as an example. In practice, device 200 may include additional, fewer, different, or differently arranged components compared to those shown in Figure 2. Additionally or alternatively, a set of components (e.g., one or more components) of device 200 may perform one or more functions described as being performed by another set of components of device 200.

[0038] A 5G media streaming (5GMS) system may be a collection of application functions, application servers, and interfaces derived from the 5G media streaming architecture that support either downlink or uplink media streaming services, or both. A 5GMS application provider may include a party that interacts with the functions of the 5GMS system and supplies 5GMS-aware applications that interact with the functions of the 5GMS system. A 5GMS-aware application may refer to an application in user equipment (UE) provided by a 5GMS application provider that contains the service logic for the 5GMS application service and interacts with other 5GMS clients and network functions via interfaces and application programming interfaces (APIs) defined in the 5GMS architecture. A 5GMS client may refer to a UE function that is either a 5GMS downlink (5GMSd) client or a 5GMS uplink (5GMSu) client, or both.

[0039] A 5GMSd client may refer to a UE function that includes at least a 5G media streaming player and a media session handler for downlink streaming and can be accessed via a well-defined interface / API. A 5GMSu client may refer to a source of 5GMSu services that can be accessed via a well-defined interface / API. A 5GMSu media streamer may refer to a UE function that enables uplink delivery of streaming media content to a 5GMS application provider's application server (AS) function and interacts with both 5GMSu-aware applications for media capture and subsequent streaming and a media session handler for media session control.

[0040] A dynamic policy can refer to dynamic policy and charging control (PCC) rules for uplink or downlink application flows during a media session. An ingest session can refer to an uplink media streaming session from a 5GMS AS to a 5GMSu application provider. An ingest session can refer to a session for uploading media content to a 5GMSd AS. A policy template can refer to a collection of (semi-static) policy or control function (PCF) / network exposing function (NEF) API parameters specific to a 5GMS application provider and the resulting PCC rules. A policy template ID can identify the desired policy template, which is used by the 5GMSd application function (AF) to select the appropriate PCF / NEF API for the 5G system so that the PCF can compile the desired PCC rules. A media player entry can point to a document or a pointer to a document that defines the media presentation (e.g., a media presentation description (MPD) for DASH or a uniform resource locator (URL) to a video clip file). A media streamer entry can point to a pointer (e.g., in the form of a URL) that defines the entry point of the uplink media streaming session. A presentation entry can point to a document or a pointer to a document that defines the application presentation, such as an HTML5 document.

[0041] A provisioning session may refer to a data structure provided by a 5GMSd application provider in an interface (M1d) that configures 5GMSd features related to a set of 5GMSd-aware applications. A 5GMSd media player may refer to a UE function that enables the playback and rendering of media presentations based on media playback entries, as well as the exposure of some basic controls such as play, pause, seek, and stop to 5GMSd-aware applications. Server access information may refer to a set of parameters and addresses (including 5GMSd AF addresses and 5GMSd AS addresses) required to activate the acceptance of a streaming session. Service and content discovery may refer to functions and procedures provided by a 5GMSd application provider to a 5GMS-aware application that enable an end user to discover available streaming services and content offerings and select specific services or content items for access. Service announcement may refer to procedures between a 5GMS-aware application and a 5GMSd application provider that enable the 5GMS-aware application to obtain 5GMS service access information directly or by reference to that information.

[0042] A third-party player may refer to a portion of an application that uses an API to perform selected 5GMSu functions to thereby play media content, and a third-party uplink streamer may refer to a portion of an application that uses an API to perform selected 5GMSu functions to thereby ingest and stream media content.

[0043] FIG. 3 is a diagram of a media architecture 300 for media uplink streaming, according to an embodiment. A 5GMSu application provider 301 may use 5GMSu for uplink streaming services. In one or more examples, the uplink stream service may be a live video streaming session using a social media platform. The 5GMSu application provider 301 may be implemented as a server. The 5GMSu application provider 301 may provide a 5GMSu-aware application 302 on the UE 303 to utilize a 5GMSu client 304 and network functions using interfaces and APIs defined in 5GMSu. The 5GMSu application server (AS) 305 may be an AS dedicated to 5G media uplink streaming. The 5GMSu client 304 may be an internal function of the UE 303 dedicated to 5G media uplink streaming.

[0044] The 5GMSu Application Function (AF) 306 and the 5GMSu AS 305 may be Data Network (DN) 307 functions. The 5GMSu AF 306 may be implemented as a server. Functions in a trusted DN may be trusted by the operator's network. Thus, AFs in a trusted DN may communicate directly with some or all 5G core functions. Functions in an external DN may communicate with the 5G core functions only through a Network Exposure Function (NEF) 308 using link 320. The NEF 308 facilitates secure access to exposed network services and functions of the 5G network.

[0045] The media architecture 300 can connect the internal functions of the UE 303 and related network functions for 5G media uplink streaming. Therefore, the media architecture 300 may include several functions. For example, the 5GMSu client 304 on the UE 303 may be the originator of 5GMSu services that can be accessed through an interface / API. The 5GMSu client 304 may include two sub-functions: a media session handler 309 and a media streamer 310. The media session handler 309 may communicate with the 5GMSu AF 306 to establish, control, and support the delivery of media sessions. The media session handler 309 may expose APIs that can be used by the 5GMSu-aware applications 302. The media streamer 310 may communicate with the 5GMSu AS 305 to stream media content, provide services to the 5GMSu-aware applications 302 for media capture and streaming, and provide services to the media session handler 309 for media session control. The 5GMSu-aware application 302 may control the 5GMSu client 304 by implementing external application or content service provider-specific logic and enabling the establishment of media sessions. The 5GMSu AS 305 may host 5G media functions and may be implemented, for example, as a content delivery network (CDN). The 5GMSu application provider 301 may be an external application or content-specific media function (e.g., media storage, consumption, transcoding, and redistribution) that uses 5GMSu to stream media from the 5GMSu-aware application 302. The 5GMSu AF 306 may provide various control functions to the media session handler 309 and / or the 5GMSu application provider 301 on the UE 303. The 5GMSu AF 306 may relay or initiate requests for different policy control functions (PCFs) 311 processing or interact with other network functions.

[0046] The media architecture 300 may include several different interfaces. For example, link 321 may relate to M1u, which may be a 5GMSu provisioning API exposed by the 5GMSu AF 306 to provision use of the media architecture 300 and obtain feedback. Link 322 may relate to M2u, which may be a 5GMSu publish API exposed by the 5GMSu AS 305 and used when a 5GMSu AS 305 in a trusted DN, such as DN 307, is selected to receive content for a streaming service. Link 323 may relate to M3u, which may be an internal API used to exchange information for content hosting on a 5GMSu AS 305 in a trusted DN, such as DN 307. Link 324 may relate to M4u, which may be a media uplink streaming API exposed by the 5GMSu AS 305 to the media streamer 310 to stream media content. Link 325 may relate to M5u, which may be a media session handling API exposed by the 5GMSu AF 305 to the media session handler for processing, controlling, and assisting the media session, including appropriate security mechanisms (e.g., authorization and authentication). Link 326 may relate to M6u, which may be a UE 303 media session handling API exposed by the media session handler 309 to the 5GMSu-aware application 302 to utilize the 5GMSu functionality. Link 327 may relate to M7u, which may be a UE media streamer API exposed by the media streamer 310 to the 5GMSu-aware application 302 and the media session handler 309 to utilize the media streamer 310.Link 328 may relate to M8u, which may be an application API used for information exchange between the 5GMSu-aware application 302 and the 5GMSu application provider 301, for example to provide service access information to the 5GMSu-aware application 302. The UE 303 may also be implemented self-contained such that interfaces M6u 326 and M7u 327 are not exposed.

[0047] The 3GPP TS26.501 standard defines the general uplink process, but unlike downlink streaming, this standard does not define service access information for uplink streaming.

[0048] For downlink streaming, TS26.501 defines service access information as a set of parameters and addresses delivered to a 5G MSd client for downlink streaming. The service access information includes, for example, the information in Tables 1 to 4 below.

[0049] Table 1 shows the parameters of the downlink baseline service access information.

[0050] [Table 1]

[0051] Table 2 shows the downlink streaming access parameters.

[0052] [Table 2]

[0053] Table 3 shows the parameters of the downlink dynamic policy invocation configuration.

[0054] [Table 3]

[0055] Table 4 shows the parameters of the downlink AF-based network assistance configuration.

[0056] [Table 4]

[0057] Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to extending service access information for downlink streaming to be used in uplink streaming. Embodiments of the present disclosure use the same data structure for service access information for both downlink and uplink streaming. Embodiments of the present disclosure extend media player entries to media entries to support downlink or uplink streaming, making the media entry an array of entry points rather than a single entry point. Embodiments of the present disclosure provide associated parameters and identifiers for each entry point, allowing a 5GMS client to select one of them for uplink or downlink streaming. A media entry point is an example of a service access entry point.

[0058] According to one or more embodiments, the service access information may include a set of parameters and addresses necessary for the 5GMSu client to activate and control the uplink streaming session. In one or more examples, the service access information may be provided along with other service announcement information using M8u. In one or more examples, the 5GMSu client fetches the service access information from the 5GMSu AF. For example, the 5GMSu client may send a request to the 5GMSu AF requesting the 5GMSu AF to respond with the service access information.

[0059] Regardless of how the service access information is provided, the service access information may include different information depending on the collaboration model between the 5GMS system and the 5GMSu application provider, and also depending on the functionality provided. Table 5 shows example baseline parameters for the service access information. A provisioning session may be established between the 5GMSu application provider 301 and the 5GMSu AF 306.

[0060] [Table 5]

[0061] Table 6 shows example streaming access parameters.

[0062] [Table 6]

[0063] In one or more examples, each entry point may be defined by an associated parameter and an identifier. A set may have at least one element.

[0064] According to one or more embodiments, when the dynamic policy invocation feature is activated for an uplink streaming session, the following parameters in Table 7 may be present: Table 7 shows example parameters for the dynamic policy invocation configuration.

[0065] [Table 7]

[0066] According to one or more embodiments, when 5GMSu AF based network assistance is activated for an uplink streaming session, the parameters in Table 8 may be present. Table 8 shows example parameters for 5GMSu AF based network assistance configuration.

[0067] [Table 8]

[0068] 4 is a diagram of an operational flow 400 for provisioning a 5GMSu system for uplink streaming, according to an embodiment. The operational flow may be performed between a 5GMSu-aware application 402, a 5GMSu client 404, a 5GMSu AF 406, a 5GMSU AS 408, and a 5GMSu application provider 410. The 5GMSu-aware application 402 may correspond to the 5GMSu-aware application 302 (FIG. 3). The 5GMSu client 404 may correspond to the 5GMSu client 304 (FIG. 3). The 5GMSu AF 406 may correspond to the 5GMSu AF 306 (FIG. 3). The 5GMSu AS 408 may correspond to the 5GMSu AS 305 (FIG. 3). The 5GMSu application provider 410 may correspond to the 5GMSu application provider 301 (FIG. 3).

[0069] An SLA negotiation or self-onboarding procedure may be performed in operation 412. During this operation, the 5GMSu application provider 410 discovers the address (e.g., URL) of the 5GMSdu AF (M1u) for session provisioning.

[0070] In operation 414, the 5GMSu application provider 410 authenticates itself with the system. In one or more examples, authentication is performed between the 5GMSu application provider 410 and the 5GMSu AF 406. This procedure may reuse existing authentication / authorization procedures, such as those defined in the Common API Framework (CAPIF).

[0071] At operation 416, the 5GMSu application provider 410 creates a provisioning session for the uplink streaming session. For example, at operation 416, the 5GMSu application provider 410 sends a message to the 5GMSu AF 406 to establish the provisioning session. The message may include an identifier of the 5GMSu application provider 410 identifier as input. In one or more examples, the 5GMSu application provider 410 inquires about capabilities and authorized capabilities.

[0072] In operation 418, the 5GMSu application provider 410 specifies one or more 5GMSu capabilities in the provisioning session. In one or more examples, the 5GMSu application provider 410 sends a request or message to the 5GMSu AF 406 specifying a selection of one or more 5GMSu capabilities. Based on this request, a set of authorized capabilities is activated, such as content dynamic policy capabilities, network assistance capabilities, and content publishing capabilities including ingest.

[0073] In one or more examples, when a content publishing function is provided and selected as one of the 5GMSu functions, the 5GMS application provider 410 can configure the content publishing behavior of the 5GMSu AS 408, including uplink ingest protocol and format selection, content preparation, and ingest protocol and format. In one or more examples, the content preparation function enables the 5GMS application provider 410 to specify content manipulation by network-side components of the 5GMS system according to a provisioned content preparation template. When the 5GMSu application provider 410 provisions the content preparation function for uplink media streaming, the network-side components of the 5GMS system can manipulate media content ingested from the 5GMSu client 404 in the UE and cache the manipulated content before ingesting it to the 5GMSu application provider 410.

[0074] In one or more examples, when a dynamic policy function is provided and selected as one of the 5GMSu functions, the 5GMSu application provider 410 can specify a set of policies that can be invoked for the uplink streaming session. In one or more examples, the UE becomes aware of the selected policies in the form of a list of valid policy template IDs. In one or more examples, when the dynamic policy function is activated, the 5GMSu application provider 410 can provision one or more policy templates.

[0075] In one or more examples, when edge computing functionality is provided and selected as one of the 5GMSu functions, the 5GMSu application provider 410 may provide one or more edge resource functions that may be used to support either client-initiated or application provider-initiated management of edge resources associated with a provisioning session.

[0076] In one or more examples, the network assistance function enables a 5GMS client in the UE to query and manipulate the network's quality of service for an ongoing media streaming session. For example, the network assistance function enables the UE to receive bitrate recommendations from a 5GMSu AF 406, which provides network assistance server functionality. The 5GMS AF 406 can receive notifications of network QoS changes (e.g., throughput estimates, bitrate recommendations) using an Npcf_PolicyAuthorization notification or an Nnef_MonitoringEvent procedure. The 5GMS AF 406 can receive these policy change notifications asynchronously.

[0077] If the content publishing function is selected in operation 420, the 5GMSu AF 406 may perform operation 420A and interact with the 5GMSu AS 408 to allocate resources for the M2u ingest protocol and format. Then, in operation 420B, the 5GMSu AS 408 responds with an M2u address.

[0078] At operation 422, the 5GMSu AF 406 performs one or more provisioning operations. For example, at operation 422A, the 5GMSu AF 406 compiles service access information. The service access information may include access details and options, such as a provisioning session identifier, an M5u (Media Session Processing) address of an uplink entry point, dynamic policies, network assistance, etc. In one or more examples, the service access information may include a set of parameters and addresses required for a 5GMSu client to activate reception of a downlink media streaming session or transmission in an uplink media streaming session, perform dynamic policy invocation, consumption reporting, and / or metrics reporting, and request AF-based network assistance. In one or more examples, the service access information may include one or more of the parameters in Tables 5-8.

[0079] At operation 422B, the provisioned parameters and addresses are provided to the 5GMSu application provider 410. For example, the 5GMSu AF 406 can provide the compiled service access information results to the 5GMSu application provider 410. In one or more examples, if the 5GMSu application provider selects full service access information, the results are provided in the form of addresses and configurations for M2u (ingest), M5u (media session processing), and M4u (media uplink streaming). In one or more examples, if the 5GMSu application provider delegates processing of the service access information to the 5GMS system, a reference (e.g., a URL) to the service access information is provided. The media session handler 309 (FIG. 3) later fetches the full service access information from the 5GMSu AF.

[0080] In operation 424, if content publishing functionality is provided and selected in operation 418, the 5GMSu application provider 410 can initiate retrieval of content from the 5GMSu AS 408 via the M2u ingest interface.

[0081] In operation 426, the 5GMSu application provider 410 performs service announcements to update the UE during the lifetime of the provisioning session. For example, the 5GMSu application provider 410 sends a service announcement message to the 5GMSu-aware application 402. In one or more examples, the service announcement message may include the provisioned parameters and / or addresses received in operation 422B.

[0082] At operation 428, the 5GMSu application provider 410 may update the provisioning session. For example, the 5GMSu application provider 410 may send a message to the 5GMSu AF 406 that includes one or more updated parameters of the provisioning session.

[0083] At operation 430, the 5GMSu application provider 410 may terminate the provisioning session. For example, the 5GMSu application provider 410 may send a message to the 5GMSu 406 requesting termination of the provisioning session. In one or more examples, the provisioning session may be terminated at any time. In one or more examples, the provisioning session may be terminated at a scheduled time or when a predetermined condition is met (e.g., when network quality drops below a threshold). In one or more examples, during termination of the provisioning session, all associated resources of the provisioning session may be released and content may be deleted from the 5GMSu AS 408. The 5GMSu application provider 410 may configure a schedule for provisioning session termination.

[0084] In operation 432, the 5GMSu AF sends a notification to the 5GMSu application provider 410 indicating that the provisioning session has ended.

[0085] According to an embodiment, the 5GMSu AF 406 can request the creation or reuse of one or more network slices for ingesting the provisioned session content. In one or more examples, if multiple network slices are provisioned for ingesting the session content, a list of allowed single network slice selection assistance (S-NSSAI) can be communicated to the target UE (e.g., via a UE Route Selection Policy (URSP) or M5u, or M8u).

[0086] According to one or more embodiments, a method for defining service access entry points for uplink streaming is provided, in which a provisioning session is identified, one or more media entry points are defined, and, optionally, dynamic policy configuration and network assistant configuration information are also provided. For each media entry point, a protocol and parameters are identified or a pointer to a document containing this information is provided. A 5GMS client can select one of the entry points for uplink streaming of content.

[0087] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an example process 500 performed by a UE, such as UE 303 (FIG. 3).

[0088] Process 500 may begin at operation S502, in which the UE receives service access information including one or more parameters for an uplink media streaming session. In one or more examples, a 5GMSu-aware application of the UE receives the service access information from a 5GMSu application provider in a service announcement over the M8u interface according to operation 426. In one or more examples, a 5GMSu client obtains the access information from a 5GMSu AF. The service access information may include one or more of the parameters in Tables 5-8.

[0089] The process continues to operation S504, where the UE activates and controls the uplink media streaming session based on one or more parameters included in the service access information.

[0090] The process continues to operation S506 where the UE transmits content to the 5GMSu AS during the uplink media streaming session.

[0091] 6 is a flowchart of an example process 600 performed by the 5GMSu AF, according to an embodiment. The process 600 may be performed by the 5GMSu AF 306 (FIG. 3) or the 5GMSu AF 406 (FIG. 4).

[0092] The process may begin with an operation S602 of creating a provisioning session with the 5GMSu application provider for the uplink streaming session. For example, the provisioning session may be created according to operation S416 (FIG. 4) described above.

[0093] The process may proceed to operation S604, in which the 5GMSu AF compiles service access information for the uplink streaming session. For example, the 5GMSu AF 406 may compile the service access information according to operation 422A (FIG. 4) described above. As described above, operation 422A may be performed based on operations 416, 418, and 420. The service access information may include one or more of the parameters shown in Tables 5-8.

[0094] The process may proceed to step S606, where the 5GMSu AF sends service access information to the 5GMSu application provider. For example, the 5GMSu AF 406 may send service access information in which address information related to the uplink streaming session is sent to the 5GMSu application provider. For example, the 5GMSu AF 406 sends the service access information to the 5GMSu application provider 410 in accordance with operation 422B (FIG. 4) above.

[0095] Additionally, the proposed methods may be implemented by processing circuitry (e.g., one or more processors, or one or more integrated circuits). In one embodiment, a program stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium is executed by one or more processors to implement one or more of the proposed methods.

[0096] The techniques described above may be implemented as computer software using computer-readable instructions and physically stored on one or more computer-readable media.

[0097] The embodiments of the present disclosure may be used individually or combined in any order. Furthermore, each of the embodiments (and methods thereof) may be implemented by processing circuitry (e.g., one or more processors, or one or more integrated circuits). In one example, the one or more processors execute a program stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium.

[0098] The foregoing disclosure provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit implementations to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above disclosure or may be acquired from practice of the implementations.

[0099] As used herein, the term component is intended to be broadly construed as hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0100] Although combinations of features are recited in the claims and / or disclosed herein, these combinations are not intended to limit the disclosure of possible implementations. Indeed, many of these features may be combined in ways not specifically recited in the claims and / or disclosed in the specification. Although each dependent claim listed below may depend directly on only one claim, the disclosure of possible implementations includes each dependent claim in combination with all other claims in the claim set.

[0101] No element, act, or instruction used herein should be construed as critical or essential unless expressly stated as such. Also, as used herein, the articles "a" and "an" are intended to include one or more items and may be used interchangeably with "one or more." Furthermore, as used herein, the term "set" is intended to include one or more items (e.g., related items, unrelated items, combinations of related and unrelated items, etc.) and may also be used to mean "one or more." Where only one item is intended, the term "one" or similar language is used. Also, as used herein, terms such as "has," "have," and "having" are intended to be open-ended terms. Furthermore, the phrase "based on" is intended to mean "based at least in part on," unless otherwise specified.

[0102] The above disclosure also encompasses the embodiments listed below.

[0103] (1) A method executed by at least one processor of a user equipment (UE), comprising: receiving, by the UE, service access information including one or more media entry points for an uplink 5G media streaming uplink (5GMS) session; selecting one of the one or more media entry points; activating an uplink 5GMS session based on the selected one or more media entry points; and transmitting content to a 5G media streaming uplink (5GMS) application server (AS) during the uplink media streaming session.

[0104] (2) The method of feature (1), wherein when the dynamic policy configuration function is activated for the uplink 5GMS session, the service access information further includes one or more of: (i) a list 5GMS application function AF address specifying an application programming interface (API) for the dynamic policy invocation function sent by the 5GMS media session handler; (ii) a list of policy template identifiers; and (iii) a list of service data flow description methods.

[0105] (3) The method according to feature (1) or (2), wherein when a network assistance function is activated for the uplink 5GMS session, the service access information further includes an address of a 5GMSu AF that provides one or more application programming interfaces (APIs) for 5GMSu AF-based network assistance.

[0106] (4) The method according to any one of features (1) to (3), wherein the service access information includes at least one protocol and one or more parameters for each media entry point.

[0107] (5) The method of feature (4), wherein the one or more media entry points include a uniform resource locator (URL) endpoint of a 5GMSu application server (AS), and at the uniform resource locator (URL) endpoint, content is uploaded to the 5GMSu AS via an M4u interface.

[0108] (6) The method of feature (5), wherein the one or more media entry points include a uniform resource locator (URL) of a document downloadable from a 5GMSu application server (AS), and the document includes one or more parameters for transmitting content to the 5GMSu AS via an M4u interface.

[0109] (7) The method according to any one of features (1) to (6), wherein the step of receiving the service access information further includes a step of receiving, by the 5GMSu-aware application of the UE from the 5GMSu application provider via the M8u interface during the provisioning session, a service announcement including the service access information.

[0110] (8) The method according to any one of features (1) to (7), wherein the step of receiving the service access information further includes a step of obtaining the service access information from a 5GMSu application function (AF) by the 5GMSu client of the UE.

[0111] (9) A method according to any one of features (1) to (8), wherein the service access information includes a provisioning session identifier that identifies a provisioning session between the 5GMSu application provider and the 5GMSu application function (AF).

[0112] (10) The method according to any one of features (1) to (9), wherein the service access information is compiled by a 5GMSu application function (AF).

[0113] (11) A method executed by at least one processor within a 5G Media Streaming Uplink (5GMSu) Application Function (AF) to define one or more media entry points, the method comprising: creating a provisioning session with a 5GMSu application provider for an uplink 5G Media Streaming (5GMS) session; compiling service access information for the uplink 5GMS session including the one or more media entry points; and transmitting the service access information to the 5GMSu application provider, wherein the service access information is provided to a user equipment (UE) that selects one of the one or more media entry points.

[0114] (12) The method of feature (11), wherein when the dynamic policy configuration function is activated for the uplink 5GMS session, the service access information further includes one or more of: (i) a list 5GMS Application Function AF address specifying an application programming interface (API) for the dynamic policy invocation function sent by the 5GMS media session handler; (ii) a list of policy template identifiers; and (iii) a list of service data flow description methods.

[0115] (13) The method according to feature (11) or (12), wherein when a network assistance function is activated for the uplink 5GMS session, the service access information further includes an address of a 5GMSu AF that provides one or more application programming interfaces (APIs) for 5GMSu AF-based network assistance.

[0116] (14) The method according to any one of features (11) to (13), wherein the service access information includes at least one protocol and one or more parameters for each media entry point.

[0117] (15) The method of feature (14), wherein the one or more media entry points include a uniform resource locator (URL) endpoint of a 5GMSu application server (AS), and at the uniform resource locator (URL) endpoint, content is uploaded to the 5GMSu AS via an M4u interface.

[0118] (16) The method of feature (15), wherein the one or more media entry points include a uniform resource locator (URL) of a document downloadable from a 5GMSu application server (AS), and the document includes one or more parameters for transmitting content to the 5GMSu AS via an M4u interface.

[0119] (17) The method according to any one of features (11) to (16), wherein the 5GMSu application provider provides service access information to the 5GMSu-aware application of the UE in a service announcement over the M8u interface.

[0120] (18) The method according to any one of features (11) to (17), further comprising receiving a request to obtain service access information from a 5GMSu client of the UE.

[0121] (19) A user equipment (UE) comprising: at least one memory configured to store program code; and at least one processor configured to read the program code and operate according to instructions of the program code, the program code including: a receiving code configured to cause the at least one processor to receive service access information including parameters of one or more media entry points for an uplink 5G media streaming (5GMS) session; a selecting code configured to cause the at least one processor to select one of the one or more media entry points; an activating code configured to cause the at least one processor to activate an uplink 5GMS session based on the selected one or more media entry points; and a transmitting code configured to cause the at least one processor to transmit content to a 5G media streaming uplink (5GMS) application server (AS) during the uplink media streaming session.

[0122] (20) A 5G media streaming uplink (5GMSu) system that executes an application function (AF), the 5GMSu system comprising: at least one memory configured to store program code; and at least one processor configured to read the program code and operate according to instructions in the program code, the program code including: creation code that causes the at least one processor to create a provisioning session with a 5GMSu application provider for an uplink 5G media streaming (5GMS) session; compilation code that causes the at least one processor to compile service access information for the uplink 5GMS session, the service access information including one or more media entry points; and transmission code that causes the at least one processor to transmit the service access information to the 5GMSu application provider, wherein the service access information is provided to user equipment (UE) that selects one of the one or more media entry points. [Explanation of symbols]

[0123] 100 Environment 110 User Devices 120 Platform 122 Cloud Computing Environment 124 computing resources 124-1 Application 124-2 Virtual Machine 124-3 Virtualized Storage 124-4 Hypervisor 130 Network 200 devices 210 Bus 220 processors 230 memory 240 Memory Components 250 Input Components 260 Output Components 270 Communication Interface 300 Media Architecture 301 5GMSu Application Provider 302 5GMSuAware Application 303 UE 304 5GMSu Client 305 5GMSu Application Server (AS) 306 5GMSu Application Function (AF) 307 Data Network (DN) 308 Network Exposure Function (NEF) 309 Media Session Handler 310 Media Streamer 311 Policy Control Function (PCF) 320 Links 321 Links 322 Links 323 Links 324 Links 325 Links 326 Links 327 Links 328 Links 400 Operational Flow 402 5GMSuAware Application 404 5GMSuClient 406 5GMSu AF 408 5GMSU AS 410 5GMSu Application Provider 500 processes 600 processes

Claims

1. 1. A method executed by at least one processor of a user equipment (UE), comprising: receiving, by the UE, service access information including one or more media entry points for an uplink 5G Media Streaming Uplink (5G MS) session; selecting one of the one or more media entry points; activating the uplink 5GMs session based on the one or more selected media entry points; During the uplink media streaming session, transmitting content to a 5G Media Streaming Uplink (5G MSu) Application Server (AS); A method comprising:

2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein when a dynamic policy configuration function is activated for the uplink 5GMS session, the service access information further includes one or more of: (i) a list 5GMSu Application Function AF address specifying an application programming interface (API) for a dynamic policy invocation function sent by a 5GMS media session handler; (ii) a list of policy template identifiers; and (iii) a list of service data flow description methods.

3. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein when a network assistance function is activated for the uplink 5GMS session, the service access information further includes an address of a 5GMSu AF that provides one or more application programming interfaces (APIs) for 5GMSu AF-based network assistance.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the service access information includes, for each of the media entry points, at least one protocol and one or more parameters.

5. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more media entry points include a uniform resource locator (URL) endpoint of a 5G MSu application server (AS), where content is uploaded to the 5G MSu AS via an M4u interface.

6. the one or more media entry points include uniform resource locators (URLs) of documents downloadable from a 5GMSu Application Server (AS); The method of claim 5 , wherein the document includes the one or more parameters for transmitting the content to the 5GM Su AS over an M4u interface.

7. The step of receiving the service access information comprises: receiving, during a provisioning session, by a 5GMSu-aware application of said UE from a 5GMSu application provider via an M8u interface, a service announcement including said service access information; The method of claim 1 further comprising:

8. The step of receiving the service access information comprises: obtaining, by a 5GMSu client of the UE, the service access information from the 5GMSu Application Function (AF); The method of claim 1 further comprising:

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the service access information includes a provisioning session identifier that identifies a provisioning session between a 5GMSu application provider and a 5GMSu application function (AF).

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the service access information is compiled by a 5GM Su Application Function (AF).

11. 1. A method executed by at least one processor within a 5G Media Streaming Uplink (5GMSu) Application Function (AF) to define one or more media entry points, the method comprising: creating a provisioning session with a 5G Media Streaming (5GMS) application provider for an uplink 5G Media Streaming (5GMS) session; compiling service access information for the uplink 5GMS session including the one or more media entry points; sending the service access information to the 5GMSu application provider; Including, The method, wherein the service access information is provided to a user equipment (UE) that selects one of the one or more media entry points.

12. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein when a dynamic policy configuration function is activated for the uplink 5GMS session, the service access information further includes one or more of: (i) a list 5GMSu Application Function AF address specifying an application programming interface (API) for a dynamic policy invocation function sent by a 5GMS media session handler; (ii) a list of policy template identifiers; and (iii) a list of service data flow description methods.

13. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein when a network assistance function is activated for the uplink 5GMS session, the service access information further includes an address of a 5GMSu AF that provides one or more application programming interfaces (APIs) for 5GMSu AF-based network assistance.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the service access information includes, for each of the media entry points, at least one protocol and one or more parameters.

15. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more media entry points include a uniform resource locator (URL) endpoint of a 5G MSu application server (AS), where content is uploaded to the 5G MSu AS via an M4u interface.

16. the one or more media entry points include uniform resource locators (URLs) of documents downloadable from a 5GMSu Application Server (AS); The method of claim 15 , wherein the document includes the one or more parameters for transmitting the content to the 5GM Su AS over an M4u interface.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the 5GM Su application provider provides the service access information to a 5GM Su-aware application of the UE in a service announcement over an M8u interface.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising receiving a request from a 5G MSu client of the UE to obtain the service access information.

19. at least one memory configured to store program code; at least one processor configured to read the program code and to act according to the instructions of the program code; wherein the program code comprises: receiving code configured to cause the at least one processor to receive service access information including parameters of one or more media entry points for an uplink 5G media streaming (5G MS) session; selection code configured to cause the at least one processor to select one of the one or more media entry points; an activation code configured to cause the at least one processor to activate the uplink 5GMS session based on the one or more selected media entry points; transmitting code configured to cause the at least one processor to transmit content to a 5G Media Streaming Uplink (5G Media Su) Application Server (AS) during the uplink media streaming session; and A user equipment (UE).

20. 1. A 5G Media Streaming Uplink (5GMSu) system running an Application Function (AF), the 5GMSu system comprising: at least one memory configured to store program code; at least one processor configured to read the program code and to act according to the instructions of the program code; wherein the program code comprises: creating code configured to cause the at least one processor to create a provisioning session with a 5G Media Streaming (5GMS) application provider for an uplink 5G Media Streaming (5GMS) session; compilation code configured to cause the at least one processor to compile service access information for the uplink 5GMS session including the one or more media entry points; transmitting code configured to cause the at least one processor to transmit the service access information to the 5GM Su application provider; Including, 5G Media Streaming Uplink (5GM Su) system, wherein the service access information is provided to a user equipment (UE) that selects one of the one or more media entry points.

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