5th Generation Overlay Virtual Private Network with Zero-Touch Provisioning

Abstract

A communication device communicatively coupled to a communication network may determine (510) a plurality of dedicated security profiles associated with the communication device. The communication device may receive (530) an authentication query associated with the dedicated security profile. The communication device may determine (540) whether the dedicated security profile is one of the plurality of dedicated security profiles. The communication device may transmit (560) a query response based on whether the dedicated security profile is one of the plurality of dedicated security profiles.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to wireless communication systems, and more particularly to fifth-generation ("5G") overlay virtual private networks ("VPNs") with zero-touch provisioning. [Background technology]

[0002] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a New Radio ("NR") network (e.g., a 5G network) that includes a fifth generation ("5G") core ("5GC") network 130, network nodes 120a-120b (e.g., 5G base stations ("gNBs")), and multiple communication devices 110 (also referred to as user equipment ("UE")).

[0003] In some instances, communication-related certificates can be leveraged to enable secure services provided on top of basic connectivity. With respect to enterprise connectivity, one such example of a service may be a Virtual Private Network ("VPN"), in which case the VPN's key provisioning feature design would involve capabilities such as Generic Bootstrapping Architecture ("GBA") / Authentication and Key Management for Applications ("AKMA") to leverage an embedded-Subscriber Identity Module ("eSIM") as a "trusted agent" (sometimes called a "root of trust") to bridge the network and the communicating device (e.g., a laptop computer).

[0004] While the GBA functionality may be separated from the communications service provider ("CSP") infrastructure (e.g., running as part of an authentication platform that may be separate from the communications infrastructure), separating the AKMA functionality may be difficult because the AKMA functionality is closely dependent on the output generated from running an authentication and key agreement ("AKA") protocol with the communications infrastructure.

[0005] Due to security and privacy issues, it may not be possible to run a GBA / AKMA with an eSIM used to connect to a particular CSP. Summary of the Invention

[0006] According to some embodiments, a method of operating a communication device communicatively coupled to a communication network is provided. The method includes determining a plurality of dedicated security profiles associated with the communication device. The method further includes receiving an authentication query associated with the dedicated security profile. The method further includes determining whether the dedicated security profile is one of the plurality of dedicated security profiles. The method further includes transmitting a query response based on whether the dedicated security profile is one of the plurality of dedicated security profiles.

[0007] According to another embodiment, a method of operating a dedicated security authenticator is provided. The method includes receiving an authentication request associated with a dedicated security profile. The method further includes performing an authentication procedure by communicating with a local profile assistant (LPA) selector of the communication device. The method further includes sending an indication of a result of the authentication procedure to a network node.

[0008] According to another embodiment, there is provided a method of operating a network node in a communications network, the method including determining information related to a dedicated security profile, the method further including sending a message to a local profile assistant (LPA) selector of a communications device, the message including the dedicated security profile and the information.

[0009] According to other embodiments, a communications device, a dedicated security authenticator, a network node, a computer program, a computer program product, a non-transitory computer-readable medium, a host, or a communications system is provided for performing the above method.

[0010] Some aspects of the present disclosure and their embodiments may provide technical advantages. Some embodiments herein enable 5G-based VPN zero-touch provisioning by leveraging 5G core features (e.g., secondary authentication), meaning relying on a trigger provided by a network entity without disclosing credentials to the network entity. In some examples, it becomes possible to select an eSIM profile that will provide security credentials to enable such authentication to occur.

[0011] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate several non-limiting embodiments of the inventive concepts. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a fifth generation ("5G") network. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a signal flow diagram illustrating an example of secondary authentication triggered by an assigned system management function (“SMF”). [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a signal flow diagram illustrating an example of secondary authentication driven by a dedicated security profile. [Figure 4] 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a communication network including a communication device with a local profile assistant ("LPA") selector, according to some embodiments. [Figure 5] 1 is a flowchart illustrating an example of operations performed by a communications device, according to some embodiments. [Figure 6]1 is a flowchart illustrating an example of operations performed by a dedicated security authenticator, according to some embodiments. [Figure 7] 1 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation performed by a network node, according to some embodiments. [Figure 8] 1 is a block diagram of a communication system according to some embodiments. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a user equipment according to some embodiments. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a network node according to some embodiments. [Figure 11] 9 is a block diagram of a host, which may be an embodiment of the host of FIG. 8, according to some embodiments. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a virtualized environment, according to some embodiments. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a communication diagram of a host communicating with user equipment via a network node over a partially wireless connection, according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Some of the embodiments contemplated herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Examples of embodiments of the inventive concepts are shown, and the embodiments are provided as examples to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art. However, the inventive concepts may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the inventive concepts to those skilled in the art. It should also be noted that these embodiments are not mutually exclusive. It may be implicitly assumed that a component from one embodiment is present / used in another embodiment.

[0014] Currently, several challenges exist. For example, there are currently no solutions available that enable dynamic embedded subscriber identity module ("eSIM") selection in a "multi-eSIM profile" setting in response to a specific query from a security module.

[0015] Some aspects of the present disclosure and embodiments thereof may provide solutions to these or other problems. Various embodiments herein introduce a new module, sometimes referred to as a Local Profile Assistant ("LPA") selector, which complements the existing LPA module with new capabilities, including, for example, determining a request from an Authenticating Entity ("AE") and directing the request to the correct eSIM profile to run an Extensible Authentication Protocol-Authentication and Key Agreement prime ("EAP-AKA") and / or Authentication and Key Management for Applications ("AKMA") protocol using credentials stored in the selected eSIM profile.

[0016] In order to avoid communication service provider ("CSP") involvement in generating security credentials for virtual private network ("VPN") provisioning, it may be important to utilize dedicated security profiles that can be connected to Generic Bootstrapping Architecture ("GBA") / AKMA functions integrated in a dedicated authentication platform.

[0017] In some embodiments, an eSIM-centric architecture is provided that can be embedded into a user device (e.g., a laptop computer, mobile, or tablet) that can extend device LPA capabilities to dynamically select an eSIM profile (e.g., a fifth generation ("5G")-based authentication protocol) for a specific operation, but without sharing security credentials (e.g., with a communications provider or Internet of Things ("IoT") safe).

[0018] The secondary authentication may be triggered by a Session Management Function ("SMF"). In some examples, the secondary authentication is triggered by the SMF following a successful primary authentication (e.g., an end-user device is authenticated to and allowed to connect to the CSP network). In additional or alternative examples, the secondary authentication may be triggered by the SMF following receipt (by an assigned SMF) of a Protocol Data Unit ("PDU") session establishment request message sent by the communication device. The SMF may determine that secondary authentication / authorization of PDU session establishment is required based on SMF policies associated with the data network ("DN"). The SMF may trigger secondary authentication between the communication device and a dedicated authentication entity (which may perform the role of an Extensible Authentication Protocol ("EAP") authenticator). The EAP server may be part of a dedicated authentication platform.

[0019] 2 illustrates an example of secondary authentication triggered by an assigned SMF. In block 210, a message containing a PDU session establishment request is sent (1) from the UE to the Access and Mobility Management Function (“AMF”), (2) from the AMF to the SMF, and (3) from the SMF to the Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (“AAA”) entity / DN. In block 220, an EAP-based authentication procedure is performed between the UE and the AAA / DN. This procedure may be divided into (1) Non-Access Stratum (“NAS”) messages sent between the UE and the AMF and between the AMF and the SMF via the N1 interface, and (2) transport in Radius / Diameter, which may be sent via the N4 interface and / or the User Plane Function (“UPF”). In block 230, the AAA / DN sends a PDU session establishment acceptance indication to the SMF, which is forwarded from the SMF to the AMF and then from the AMF to the UE.

[0020] FIG. 3 shows an example of a dedicated security profile (e.g., a dedicated embedded subscriber identity module (“eSIM”)) that drives secondary authentication. In block 310, the SMF obtains subscription information from a unified data management (“UDM”) node and verifies that the UE request is compliant. In block 320, the SMF initiates EAP authentication. In block 330, the SMF sends an EAP-Request / Identity message to the UE. In block 340, the UE sends an EAP-Response / Identity message to the SMF. In block 350, the SMF and UPF perform N4 session establishment. In block 360, the SMF sends the EAP-Response / Identity to the UPF via N4 transport, and the UPF forwards the EAP-Response / Identity to the AAA / DN. In block 370, the UE and AAA / DN perform EAP AKA using the dedicated security profile via the NAS and N4. In block 380, the AAA / DN sends an EAP success indication message to the UPF, and the UPF forwards the EAP success indication to the SMF via the N4 transport. In block 390, the SMF completes the EAP authentication process.

[0021] In some embodiments, a dedicated security profile may be used to perform secondary authentication, which may operate the EAP-AKA protocol and may lead to the derivation of AKMA keys. These keys may be used by the communication device to securely communicate with selected applications / services.

[0022] In additional or alternative embodiments, the logic for leveraging credentials from different security profiles (e.g., eSIM profiles) to perform secondary authentication may be part of the operating system ("OS") running on the communications device. In some examples, a local profile assistant ("LPA") may include the role of a decision plane (e.g., the LPA can point the authentication module toward the correct security profile) and may be extended to facilitate communication between the two components when necessary (e.g., by requesting the 4G / 5G modem to retrieve information from a selected dedicated security profile).

[0023] Various embodiments herein make one or more of the following assumptions: In some embodiments, multiple dedicated security profiles (e.g., eSIM profiles) may be downloaded onto a communication device (also referred to herein as user equipment (“UE”) or user device) at any time.

[0024] In additional or alternative embodiments, the LPA module can authorize an authentication entity ("AE") and point the AE to the correct security profile. In some examples, the LPA is the entity responsible for downloading and storing security profiles from an external server (e.g., a Subscription Manager Data Preparation Platform ("SM-DP+") server).

[0025] In additional or alternative embodiments, the AE is integrated into an operating system running on the communication device. In some examples, the AE can communicate with an "LPA Decision Plane" (also referred to herein as an "LPA Selector").

[0026] In additional or alternative embodiments, at any time, a new security profile may be downloaded onto the communication device for the purpose of providing security credentials to a particular AE for running a security profile-based authentication procedure on a dedicated authentication platform.

[0027] In additional or alternative embodiments, EAP-AKA' and IoT Safe are authentication protocols used that leverage credentials stored in dedicated security profiles.

[0028] FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a communication network including communication devices with an LPA selector module. This architecture can enable any wireless / wired medium to use EAP-AKA. The LPA module can reside in an eSIM or outside the eSIM. In either case, the LPA module must communicate securely with the LPA selector (although the LPA selector is shown as outside the eSIM, in some examples it may reside within the eSIM). While this example illustrates an eSIM, any suitable dedicated security profile may be used.

[0029] In some embodiments, a procedure for a 5G overlay VPN with zero-touch provisioning is provided below. In some examples, upon receiving an "EAP Request / Identity Message" from the 5G network, the AE may query an "LPA Selector" before responding with an "EAP Request" message. In additional or alternative examples, a key feature for enabling the LPA Selector to perform its role is the ability to add and store metadata about each downloaded eSIM profile. Such metadata may be provided by InTune during the provisioning phase and / or whenever a new eSIM profile is downloaded / upgraded.

[0030] In an additional or alternative example, when the "EAP Selector" receives the EAP-request / id message, the EAP Selector responds based on a pre-stored policy. For example, the EAP Selector may decide to leverage security credentials stored in another eSIM, in which case the EAP Selector will respond to the AE query by sending the corresponding eSIM identifier.

[0031] In an additional or alternative example, upon receiving the eSIM identifier, the AE retrieves the certificate from the selected eSIM profile (e.g., via the corresponding modem).

[0032] In additional or alternative examples, the same logic applies for EAP-AKA' authentication triggered by other access technologies (e.g., enterprise / business WI-FI).

[0033] In an additional or alternative example, the LPA selector may not always have the answer to an incoming request (e.g., the correct answer may be to use a certificate stored somewhere else). In this case, the LPA selector response may be "unavailable," which may trigger the AE to query another subsystem. Since a question of priority may arise here, in some examples the request may be punted to the LPA selector first before querying other subsystems.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 4, the dashed line between the eSIM selector and the modem indicates that it may be possible to extend the “eSIM selector” capability to do more than selection by requesting a copy of the certificate and responding to the AE query with the certificate itself.

[0035] Operation of communications device 900 (implemented using the block diagram structure of FIG. 9) will now be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 5, in accordance with some embodiments of the inventive concept. For example, modules may be stored in memory 910 of FIG. 9, and these modules may provide instructions such that, when the instructions of the modules are executed by respective communications device processing circuitry 902, the processing circuitry 902 performs the respective operations of the flowchart.

[0036] FIG. 5 illustrates an example of operations performed by a communications device.

[0037] At block 510, the processing circuit 902 determines a plurality of dedicated security profiles.

[0038] At block 520, the processing circuit 902 stores information associated with each dedicated security profile. In some examples, the information is stored in a location accessible by an LPA selector of the communication device.

[0039] At block 530, the processing circuit 902 receives an authentication query associated with the dedicated security profile via the communication interface 912. In some embodiments, receiving the authentication query includes receiving an authentication request associated with the secondary authentication from a dedicated security authenticator that is separate from the communication device.

[0040] At block 540, the processing circuit 902 determines whether the dedicated security profile is one of a plurality of dedicated security profiles. In some embodiments, determining whether the dedicated security profile is one of a plurality of dedicated security profiles includes the LPA selector determining whether the dedicated security profile is one of the plurality of dedicated security profiles based on the information.

[0041] In some examples, the LPA selector is part of an operating system of the communications device. In additional or alternative examples, the LPA selector is part of an LPA of the communications device, the LPA comprising a plurality of dedicated security profiles.

[0042] In additional or alternative embodiments, determining whether the dedicated security profile is one of a plurality of dedicated security profiles includes determining that the dedicated security profile is one of a plurality of dedicated security profiles.

[0043] At block 550, the processing circuit 902 performs an authentication procedure associated with the authentication query. In some embodiments, performing the authentication procedure associated with the authentication query includes determining, by the LPA selector, an identifier of the dedicated security profile and transmitting the identifier of the dedicated security profile to at least one of the LPA of the communication device, a modem of the communication device, and a dedicated security authenticator.

[0044] At block 560, the processing circuit 902 transmits a query response based on whether the dedicated security profile is one of the plurality of dedicated security profiles via the communication interface 912. In some embodiments, transmitting the query response includes transmitting at least one of an identifier of the dedicated security profile and a certificate stored in the dedicated security profile.

[0045] In further or alternative embodiments, determining whether the dedicated security profile is one of the plurality of dedicated security profiles includes determining that the dedicated security profile is not one of the plurality of dedicated security profiles, and transmitting the query response includes transmitting an indication that the dedicated security profile is not one of the plurality of dedicated security profiles.

[0046] In additional or alternative embodiments, the dedicated security profile includes an embedded subscriber identity module (eSIM).

[0047] Various operations from the flowchart of FIG. 5 may be optional with respect to some embodiments of the communications device and related methods.

[0048] The operation of the RAN node 1000 (implemented using the structure of FIG. 10) will now be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 6-7, in accordance with some embodiments of the inventive concept. For example, modules may be stored in the memory 1004 of FIG. 10 that may provide instructions such that, when the instructions of the modules are executed by the respective RAN node processing circuitry 920, the RAN node 1000 performs the respective operations of the flowcharts.

[0049] FIG. 6 illustrates an example of the operations performed by a dedicated security authenticator.

[0050] At block 610, processing circuit 1002 receives an authentication request associated with a dedicated security profile via communication interface 1006. In some embodiments, receiving the authentication request includes receiving an authentication request associated with a dedicated security profile from a plurality of dedicated security profiles stored on the communication device.

[0051] At block 620, the processing circuit 1002 performs an authentication procedure by communicating with the LPA selector. In some embodiments, performing the authentication procedure includes requesting an identifier of a dedicated security profile from the LPA selector and receiving the identifier of the dedicated security profile from the LPA selector.

[0052] At block 630, the processing circuit 1002 transmits, via the communication interface 1006, an indication of the results of the authentication procedure.

[0053] In some embodiments, the dedicated security profile includes an embedded subscriber identity module (eSIM).

[0054] FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating an example of operations performed by a network node.

[0055] At block 710, the processing circuit 1002 determines information associated with the dedicated security profile.

[0056] At block 720, the processing circuit 1002 sends a message to the LPA selector via the communication interface 1006. The message may include a dedicated security profile and information related to the dedicated security profile.

[0057] In some embodiments, the dedicated security profile includes an embedded subscriber identity module (eSIM).

[0058] 6-7 are described with respect to a RAN node, similar operations may be performed by a core network CN node 1000 (implemented using the structure of FIG. 10). For example, modules may be stored in memory 1004 of FIG. 10 that provide instructions such that, when the instructions of the modules are executed by respective CN node processing circuitry 1002, the CN node 1000 performs the respective operations of the flowcharts.

[0059] Various operations from the flowcharts of FIGS. 6-7 may be optional with respect to some embodiments of the RAN node, the CN node, and the associated methods.

[0060] FIG. 8 illustrates an example of a communication system 800, according to some embodiments.

[0061] In this example, the communications system 800 includes a communications network 802 including an access network 804, such as a radio access network (RAN), and a core network 806 including one or more core network nodes 808. The access network 804 includes one or more access network nodes (one or more of which may be generally referred to as network nodes 810), such as network nodes 810a and 810b, or any other similar Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) access nodes or non-3GPP access points. The network nodes 810 facilitate direct or indirect connectivity of user equipment (UE), such as by connecting UEs 812a, 812b, 812c, and 812d (one or more of which may be generally referred to as UEs 812), to the core network 806 over one or more wireless connections.

[0062] Exemplary wireless communication over a wireless connection includes sending and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and / or other types of signals suitable for conveying information without the use of wires, cables, or other material conductors. Moreover, in different embodiments, communication system 800 may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, UEs, and / or any other components or systems that may facilitate or participate in the communication of data and / or signals, whether via a wired or wireless connection. Communication system 800 may include and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, wireless network, and / or other similar type systems.

[0063] The UE 812 may be any of a wide variety of communication devices, including a wireless device configured, configured, and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with the network node 810 and other communication devices. Similarly, the network node 810 is configured, capable of, configured, and / or operable to communicate, directly or indirectly, with the UE 812 and / or with other network nodes or equipment in the communications network 802 to enable and / or provide network access, such as wireless network access, and / or to perform other functions, such as administration, in the communications network 802.

[0064] In the illustrated example, the core network 806 connects the network node 810 to one or more hosts, such as the host 816. These connections may be direct or indirect via one or more intermediate networks or devices. In other examples, the network nodes may be directly coupled to the hosts. The core network 806 includes one or more core network nodes (e.g., the core network node 808) structured with hardware and software components. Features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the UEs, network nodes, and / or hosts, and therefore, those descriptions are generally applicable to the corresponding components of the core network node 808. Exemplary core network nodes include one or more of the following functions: a Mobile Switching Center (MSC), a Mobility Management Entity (MME), a Home Subscriber Server (HSS), an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), a Session Management Function (SMF), an Authentication Server Function (AUSF), a Subscription Identifier Deciphering Function (SIDF), a Unified Data Management (UDM), a Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP), a Network Publishing Function (NEF), and / or a User Plane Function (UPF).

[0065] The host 816 may be owned or under the control of, and operated by or on behalf of, a service provider other than the operator or provider of the access network 804 and / or the communications network 802. The host 816 may host various applications to provide one or more services. Examples of such applications include live and pre-recorded audio / video content, data collection services such as retrieving and compiling data about various ambient conditions detected by multiple UEs, analytics functions, social media, functions for controlling or possibly interacting with remote devices, functions for an alarm and surveillance center, or any other such function performed by a server.

[0066] 8 enables connectivity between UEs, network nodes, and hosts. In that sense, the communication system may be configured to operate according to predefined rules or procedures, such as a particular standard, including, but not limited to, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G standards, or any applicable future generation standard (e.g., 6G), a wireless local area network (WLAN) standard such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard (WiFi), and / or any other suitable wireless communication standard, such as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Near Field Communications (NFC) ZigBee, LiFi, and / or any low power wide area network (LPWAN) standard such as LoRa and Sigfox.

[0067] In some examples, communication network 802 is a cellular network that implements 3GPP standardized features. Thus, communication network 802 may support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices connected to communication network 802. For example, communication network 802 may provide Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communications (URLLC) services to some UEs, while providing enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) services to other UEs and / or providing Massive Machine-Based Communications (mMTC) / Massive IoT services to still further UEs.

[0068] In some examples, the UE 812 is configured to transmit and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, the UE may be designed to transmit information to the access network 804 on a predetermined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to a request from the access network 804. Furthermore, the UE may be configured to operate in a single or multi-RAT or multi-standard mode. For example, the UE may operate in any one or a combination of Wi-Fi, NR (New Radio), and LTE, i.e., configured for multi-radio dual connectivity (MR-DC), such as E-UTRAN (Enhanced UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network) New Radio-Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).

[0069] In this example, the hub 814 communicates with the access network 804 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UEs 812c and / or 812d) and a network node (e.g., network node 810b). In some examples, the hub 814 may be a controller, a router, a content source, a content analyzer, or any of the other communication devices described herein with respect to UEs. For example, the hub 814 may be a broadband router that enables access to the core network 806 for the UE. As another example, the hub 814 may be a controller that sends commands or instructions to one or more actuators in the UE. The commands or instructions may be received from the UE, the network node 810, or may be due to executable code, scripts, processes, or other instructions in the hub 814. As another example, the hub 814 may be a data collector that serves as temporary storage for UE data and, in some embodiments, may perform analysis or other processing of the data. As another example, the hub 814 may be a content source. For example, for a UE that is a VR headset, display, loudspeaker, or other media distribution device, the hub 814 may retrieve, via a network node, VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to sensory information, which the hub 814 then provides to the UE either directly, after performing local processing, and / or after adding additional local content. In yet another example, the hub 814 acts as a proxy server or orchestrator for the UEs, particularly in the case where one or more of the UEs are low-energy IoT devices.

[0070] The hub 814 may have a constant / permanent or intermittent connection to the network node 810b. The hub 814 may also enable different communication schemes and / or schedules between the hub 814 and the UEs (e.g., UEs 812c and / or 812d) and between the hub 814 and the core network 806. In other examples, the hub 814 is connected to the core network 806 and / or one or more UEs via a wired connection. Moreover, the hub 814 may be configured to connect to an M2M service provider over the access network 804 and / or to another UE over a direct connection. In some scenarios, a UE may establish a wireless connection with the network node 810 while still connected via a wired or wireless connection through the hub 814. In some embodiments, the hub 814 may be a dedicated hub, i.e., a hub whose primary function is to route communications from / to the UE to / from the network node 810b. In other embodiments, the hub 814 may be a non-dedicated hub, i.e., a device that is capable of operating to route communications between the UE and the network node 810b, but that is further capable of operating as a communication initiation and / or termination point for some data channels.

[0071] 9 illustrates a UE 900, according to some embodiments. As used herein, a UE refers to a device capable of, set up, configured, and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with network nodes and / or other UEs. Examples of a UE include, but are not limited to, a smartphone, a mobile phone, a cell phone, a voice-over-IP (VoIP) phone, a wireless local loop phone, a desktop computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a wireless camera, a gaming console or device, a music storage device, a playback appliance, a wearable terminal device, a wireless endpoint, a mobile station, a tablet, a laptop computer, a laptop embedded equipment (LEE), a laptop mounted equipment (LME), a smart device, a wireless customer premises equipment (CPE), a vehicle-mounted or vehicle-embedded / integrated wireless device, etc. Other examples include any UE identified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including a Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) UE, a Machine Type Communications (MTC) UE, and / or an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE.

[0072] A UE may support device-to-device (D2D) communications, for example, by implementing 3GPP standards for sidelink communications, dedicated short-range communications (DSRC), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), or vehicle-to-everything (V2X). In other examples, a UE does not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates an associated device. Instead, a UE may represent a device (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller) that is intended for sale to or operation by a human user, but may not be associated with or initially associated with a particular human user. Alternatively, a UE may represent a device (e.g., a smart power meter) that is not intended for sale to or operation by an end user, but may be associated with or operated for the user's benefit.

[0073] The UE 900 includes a processing circuit 902 operably coupled to an input / output interface 906, a power source 908, a memory 910, a communication interface 912, and / or any other components, or any combination thereof, via a bus 904. Some UEs may utilize all or a subset of the components shown in FIG. 9. The level of integration between components may vary from UE to UE. Additionally, some UEs may include multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0074] The processing circuit 902 is configured to process instructions and data and may be configured to implement any sequential state machine operable to execute instructions stored in memory 910 as a machine-readable computer program. The processing circuit 902 may be implemented as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., in discrete logic, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc.), programmable logic together with appropriate firmware, one or more stored computer programs such as a microprocessor or digital signal processor (DSP) together with appropriate software, a general-purpose processor, or any combination of the above. For example, the processing circuit 902 may include multiple central processing units (CPUs).

[0075] In this example, the input / output interface 906 may be configured to provide one or more interfaces to an input device, an output device, or one or more input and / or output devices. Examples of output devices include a speaker, a sound card, a video card, a display, a monitor, a printer, an actuator, an emitter, a smart card, another output device, or any combination thereof. An input device may allow a user to capture information into the UE 900. Examples of input devices include a touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive display, a camera (e.g., a digital camera, a digital video camera, a webcam, etc.), a microphone, a sensor, a mouse, a trackball, a directional pad, a trackpad, a scroll wheel, a smart card, etc. A presence-sensitive display may include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor for detecting input from a user. The sensor may be, for example, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a tilt sensor, a force sensor, a magnetometer, a light sensor, a proximity sensor, a biometric sensor, etc., or any combination thereof. An output device may use the same type of interface port as the input device. For example, a universal serial bus (USB) port may be used to accommodate input and output devices.

[0076] In some embodiments, the power source 908 is structured as a battery or battery pack. Other types of power sources may be used, such as an external power source (e.g., an electrical outlet), a photovoltaic device, or a battery. The power source 908 may further include power circuitry for delivering power to various portions of the UE 900 from the power source 908 itself and / or from an external power source via an input circuit or an interface such as a power cable. Delivering power may be for charging the power source 908, for example. The power circuitry may perform any formatting, conversion, or other modification on the power from the power source 908 to make it suitable for each component of the UE 900 being powered.

[0077] The memory 910 may be or be configured to include memory, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disk, optical disk, hard disk, removable cartridge, flash drive, etc. In one example, the memory 910 includes one or more application programs 914, such as an operating system, a web browser application, a widget, a gadget engine, or other applications, and corresponding data 916. The memory 910 may store any of a variety of different operating systems or combinations of operating systems for use by the UE 900.

[0078] The memory 910 may be configured to include several physical drive units, such as a redundant array of independent disks (RAID), flash memory, a USB flash drive, an external hard disk drive, a thumb drive, a pen drive, a key drive, a high-density digital versatile disc (HD-DVD) optical disc drive, an internal hard disk drive, a Blu-ray optical disc drive, a holographic digital data storage (HDDS) optical disc drive, an external mini dual in-line memory module (DIMM), a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), an external micro-DIMM SDRAM, a smart card memory such as a tamper-resistant module in the form of a universal integrated circuit card (UICC) containing one or more subscriber identity modules (SIMs), such as a USIM and / or ISIM, other memory, or any combination thereof. The UICC may be, for example, an embedded UICC (eUICC), an integrated UICC (iUICC), or a removable UICC, commonly known as a "SIM card." The memory 910 may enable the UE 900 to access, offload, or upload data, instructions, application programs, etc. stored on a temporary or non-transitory memory medium. An article of manufacture, such as an article of manufacture utilizing a communication system, may be tangibly embodied as or in the memory 910, which may be or comprise a device-readable storage medium.

[0079] The processing circuit 902 may be configured to communicate with an access network or other networks using a communication interface 912. The communication interface 912 may comprise one or more communication subsystems and may include or be communicatively coupled to an antenna 922. The communication interface 912 may include one or more transceivers used to communicate, such as by communicating with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication (e.g., another UE or network node in the access network). Each transceiver may include a transmitter 918 and / or a receiver 920 suitable for providing network communication (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocation, etc.). Moreover, the transmitter 918 and receiver 920 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., antenna 922) and may share circuit components, software, or firmware, or may alternatively be implemented separately.

[0080] In the illustrated embodiment, the communication capabilities of communication interface 912 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, LPWAN communication, data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communication such as Bluetooth, near-field communication, location-based communication such as using a Global Positioning System (GPS) to determine location, another similar communication capability, or any combination thereof. Communications may be implemented in accordance with one or more communication protocols and / or standards, such as IEEE 802.11, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), GSM, LTE, New Radio (NR), UMTS, WiMax, Ethernet, Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), Synchronous Optical Networking (SONET), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), QUIC, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), etc.

[0081] Regardless of the type of sensor, the UE may provide an output of data captured by the UE's sensors to a network node via a wireless connection through the UE's communications interface 912. Data captured by the UE's sensors may be communicated to a network node via another UE over a wireless connection. The output may be periodic (e.g., once every 15 minutes when reporting sensed temperature), in response to a triggering event (e.g., an alert is sent when humidity is detected), in response to a request (e.g., a user-initiated request), random (e.g., to even out the load from reporting from several sensors), or a continuous stream (e.g., a live video feed of a patient).

[0082] As another example, the UE may include an actuator, motor, or switch associated with a communications interface configured to receive wireless input from a network node via a wireless connection. In response to the received wireless input, the state of the actuator, motor, or switch may change. For example, the UE may include a motor that adjusts a control surface or rotor of a drone in flight according to the received input, or a robotic arm that performs a medical procedure according to the received input.

[0083] When in the form of an Internet of Things (IoT) device, the UE may be a device for use in one or more application areas, including, but not limited to, urban wearable technology, augmented industrial applications, and healthcare. Non-limiting examples of such IoT devices are devices that are or are integrated into a connected refrigerator or freezer, a TV, a connected lighting device, an energy meter, a robotic vacuum cleaner, a voice-controlled smart speaker, a home security camera, a motion detector, a thermostat, a smoke detector, a door / window sensor, a water inundation / humidity sensor, an electric door lock, a connected doorbell, an air conditioning system such as a heat pump, an autonomous vehicle, a surveillance system, a weather monitoring device, a vehicle parking monitoring device, an electric vehicle charging station, a smart watch, a fitness tracker, a head-mounted display for augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR), a wearable for haptic augmentation or sensory augmentation, a water sprinkler, an animal or product tracking device, a sensor for monitoring plants or animals, an industrial robot, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and any type of medical device such as a heart rate monitor or a remote-controlled surgical robot. A UE in the form of an IoT device comprises, in addition to the other components described with respect to the UE 900 shown in FIG. 9, circuitry and / or software depending on the intended application of the IoT device.

[0084] As yet another particular example, in an IoT scenario, a UE may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurements and transmits results of such monitoring and / or measurements to another UE and / or network node. The UE, in this case, may be an M2M device, which may be referred to as an MTC device in a 3GPP context. As one particular example, the UE may implement the 3GPP NB-IoT standard. In other scenarios, a UE may represent a vehicle, such as a car, bus, truck, ship, and airplane, or other equipment capable of monitoring and / or reporting on its operating status or other functions related to its operation.

[0085] In practice, any number of UEs may be used together for a single use case. For example, a first UE may be a drone or be integrated in a drone and provide the drone's speed information (obtained through a speed sensor) to a second UE that is a remote controller that operates the drone. When a user makes changes from the remote controller, the first UE may adjust a throttle on the drone (e.g., by controlling an actuator) to increase or decrease the drone's speed. The first and / or second UE may also include two or more of the functions described above. For example, a UE may include a sensor and an actuator and handle communication of data for both the speed sensor and the actuator.

[0086] 10 illustrates a network node 1000 according to some embodiments. As used herein, a network node refers to a device capable of, set up, configured, and / or operable to communicate, directly or indirectly, with UEs and / or other network nodes or devices in a communication network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., wireless access points), base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio base stations, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs), and NR Node Bs (gNBs)).

[0087] Base stations may be categorized based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, stated another way, their transmit power level) and may therefore be referred to as femto, pico, micro, or macro base stations depending on the amount of coverage provided. A base station may be a relay node or a relay donor node that controls a relay. A network node may also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station, such as a centralized digital unit and / or a remote radio unit (RRU), sometimes referred to as a remote radio head (RRH). Such remote radio units may or may not be integrated with an antenna, as in an antenna-integrated radio. Portions of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS).

[0088] Other examples of network nodes include multiple transmission point (multi-TRP) 5G access nodes, MSR equipment such as a multi-standard radio (MSR) BS, a network controller such as a radio network controller (RNC) or base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a transmission point, a transmitting node, a multi-cell / multicast coordination entity (MCE), an operation and maintenance (O&M) node, an operation support system (OSS) node, a self-organizing network (SON) node, a positioning node (e.g., an evolved serving mobile location center (E-SMLC)), and / or a minimization of drive test (MDT).

[0089] The network node 1000 includes a processing circuit 1002, a memory 1004, a communication interface 1006, and a power source 1008. The network node 1000 may be assembled from multiple physically separate components (e.g., a Node B component and an RNC component, or a BTS component and a BSC component, etc.), which may each have their own respective components. In some scenarios in which the network node 1000 comprises multiple separate components (e.g., a BTS component and a BSC component), one or more of the separate components may be shared among several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple Node Bs. In such scenarios, each unique Node B and RNC pair may, in some instances, be considered a single separate network node. In some embodiments, the network node 1000 may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs). In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate memory 1004 for different RATs) and some components may be reused (e.g., the same antenna 1010 may be shared by different RATs). Network node 1000 may also include multiple sets of the various shown components for different wireless technologies, e.g., GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, Zigbee, Z-wave, LoRaWAN, radio frequency identification (RFID), or Bluetooth wireless technologies, integrated into network node 1000. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chips or sets of chips and other components within network node 1000.

[0090] The processing circuit 1002 may comprise one or more combinations of a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, central processing unit, digital signal processor, application specific integrated circuit, field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software, and / or coded logic operable to provide the network node 1000 functionality, either alone or in conjunction with other network node 1000 components such as memory 1004.

[0091] In some embodiments, the processing circuit 1002 comprises a system on a chip (SOC). In some embodiments, the processing circuit 1002 includes one or more of a radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuit 1012 and a baseband processing circuit 1014. In some embodiments, the radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuit 1012 and the baseband processing circuit 1014 may be on separate chips (or sets of chips), boards, or units, such as a radio unit and a digital unit. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuit 1012 and the baseband processing circuit 1014 may be on the same chip or set of chips, board, or unit.

[0092] The memory 1004 may comprise any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory, including, but not limited to, persistent storage, solid-state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media (e.g., hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., flash drive, compact disc (CD) or digital video disc (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device-readable and / or computer-executable memory device that stores information, data, and / or instructions that may be used by the processing circuit 1002. The memory 1004 may store any suitable instructions, data, or information, including applications including one or more of computer programs, software, logic, rules, code, tables, and / or other instructions that can be executed by the processing circuit 1002 and utilized by the network node 1000. The memory 1004 may be used to store computations performed by the processing circuit 1002 and / or data received via the communications interface 1006. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 1002 and the memory 1004 are integrated.

[0093] The communication interface 1006 is used in wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data between network nodes, access networks, and / or UEs. As shown, the communication interface 1006 comprises port(s) / terminal(s) 1016 for sending and receiving data to and from a network, e.g., over a wired connection. The communication interface 1006 also includes radio front-end circuitry 1018, which is coupled to an antenna 1010 or, in some embodiments, may be part of the antenna 1010. The radio front-end circuitry 1018 comprises a filter 1020 and an amplifier 1022. The radio front-end circuitry 1018 may be connected to the antenna 1010 and the processing circuit 1002. The radio front-end circuitry may be configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna 1010 and the processing circuit 1002. The radio front-end circuitry 1018 may receive digital data to be sent to another network node or UE via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuitry 1018 may convert the digital data into radio signals having appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filters 1020 and / or amplifiers 1022. The radio signals may then be transmitted via the antenna 1010. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 1010 may collect the radio signals, which are then converted into digital data by the radio front-end circuitry 1018. The digital data may be passed to the processing circuitry 1002. In other embodiments, the communication interface may comprise different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0094] In some alternative embodiments, the network node 1000 does not include a separate radio front-end circuit 1018; instead, the processing circuit 1002 includes the radio front-end circuitry and is connected to the antenna 1010. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or a portion of the RF transceiver circuitry 1012 is part of the communications interface 1006. In still other embodiments, the communications interface 1006 includes one or more ports or terminals 1016, the radio front-end circuitry 1018, and the RF transceiver circuitry 1012 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the communications interface 1006 communicates with baseband processing circuitry 1014 that is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0095] The antenna 1010 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to send and / or receive wireless signals. The antenna 1010 may be coupled to the radio front-end circuitry 1018 and may be any type of antenna capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data and / or signals. In some embodiments, the antenna 1010 is separate from the network node 1000 and connectable to the network node 1000 through an interface or port.

[0096] The antenna 1010, the communication interface 1006, and / or the processing circuit 1002 may be configured to perform any receiving operation and / or some obtaining operation described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signals may be received from a UE, another network node, and / or any other network equipment. Similarly, the antenna 1010, the communication interface 1006, and / or the processing circuit 1002 may be configured to perform any transmitting operation described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signals may be transmitted to a UE, another network node, and / or any other network equipment.

[0097] The power source 1008 provides power to the various components of the network node 1000 in a form suitable for each component (e.g., at the voltage and current levels required for each respective component). The power source 1008 may further comprise, or be coupled to, power management circuitry for supplying power to the components of the network node 1000 for performing the functions described herein. For example, the network node 1000 may be connectable to an external power source (e.g., a power grid, an electrical outlet) via an input circuit or interface such as an electrical cable, whereby the external power source supplies power to the power circuit of the power source 1008. As a further example, the power source 1008 may comprise a power source in the form of a battery or battery pack connected to or integrated in the power circuit. The battery may provide backup power in the event that the external power source fails.

[0098] 10 to provide certain aspects of the network node's functionality, including any of the functionality described herein and / or functionality necessary to support the subject matter described herein. For example, network node 1000 may include user interface devices to enable input of information into network node 1000 and output of information from network node 1000. This may enable a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other administrative functions for network node 1000.

[0099] 11 is a block diagram of a host 1100, which may be an embodiment of the host 816 of FIG. 8, in accordance with various aspects described herein. As used herein, the host 1100 may be or comprise various combinations of hardware and / or software, including a standalone server, a blade server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server, a virtual machine, a container, or processing resources in a server farm. The host 1100 may provide one or more services to one or more UEs.

[0100] The host 1100 includes a processing circuit 1102 operably coupled to an input / output interface 1106, a network interface 1108, a power supply 1110, and a memory 1112 via a bus 1104. In other embodiments, other components may be included. Features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the devices of previous figures, such as FIGS. 9 and 10, and therefore, those descriptions are generally applicable to the corresponding components of the host 1100.

[0101] The memory 1112 may include one or more computer programs, including one or more host application programs 1114 and data 1116, which may include user data, e.g., data generated by a UE for the host 1100 or data generated by the host 1100 for the UE. An embodiment of the host 1100 may utilize only a subset or all of the components shown. The host application programs 1114 may be implemented in a container-based architecture and may provide support for video codecs (e.g., Versatile Video Coding (VVC), High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), Advanced Video Coding (AVC), MPEG, VP9) and audio codecs (e.g., FLAC, Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), MPEG, G.711), including transcoding for multiple different classes, types, or implementations of UE (e.g., handsets, desktop computers, wearable display systems, heads-up display systems). The host application program 1114 may also provide user authentication and license checks, and may periodically report health, route, and content availability to a central node, such as a device in the core network or a device on the edge of the core network. Thus, the host 1100 may select and / or direct different hosts for over-the-top (OTT) services for the UE. The host application program 1114 may support various protocols, such as HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) protocol, Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP), Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (MPEG-DASH), etc.

[0102] FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment 1200 in which functionality implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized. In this context, virtualizing means creating a virtual version of an apparatus or device, which may include virtualizing a hardware platform, storage devices, and networking resources. Virtualization, as used herein, may apply to any device described herein, or components thereof, and relates to implementations in which at least a portion of functionality is implemented as one or more virtual components. Some or all of the functionality described herein may be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more virtual machines (VMs) implemented in one or more virtual environments 1200 hosted by one or more of the hardware nodes, such as a network node, a UE, a core network node, or a hardware computing device acting as a host. Furthermore, in embodiments in which the virtual node does not require wireless connectivity (e.g., to a core network node or host), the node may be fully virtualized.

[0103] An application 1202 (which may alternatively be referred to as a software instance, a virtual appliance, a network function, a virtual node, a virtual network function, etc.) is run in the virtualized environment Q400 to implement some of the features, functions, and / or benefits of some of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0104] Hardware 1204 includes processing circuitry, memory that stores software and / or instructions executable by the hardware processing circuitry, and / or other hardware devices described herein, such as network interfaces, input / output interfaces, etc. Software is executed by the processing circuitry to instantiate one or more virtualization layers 1206 (also referred to as hypervisors or virtual machine monitors (VMMs)), provide VMs 1208a and 1208b (one or more of which may be referred to generically as VMs 1208), and / or implement any of the functions, features, and / or benefits described with respect to some embodiments described herein. Virtualization layer 1206 may present to VMs 1208 a virtual operating platform that appears to be networking hardware.

[0105] VMs 1208 may comprise virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interfaces, and virtual storage, and may be run by a corresponding virtualization layer 1206. Different embodiments of virtual appliance 1202 instances may be implemented on one or more of VMs 1208, and the implementations may be done in different ways. Hardware virtualization is referred to in some contexts as network functions virtualization (NFV). NFV may be used to consolidate many network equipment types onto industry-standard high-volume server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage, which may be located in data centers and customer premises equipment.

[0106] In the context of NFV, a VM 1208 may be a software implementation of a physical machine that runs programs as if those programs were running on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each VM 1208 and the portion of the hardware 1204 on which it runs, whether hardware dedicated to that VM and / or hardware shared by that VM with other VMs, form a separate virtual network element. Further, in the context of NFV, a virtual network function is responsible for handling a particular network function running in one or more VMs 1208 on the hardware 1204 and corresponds to the application 1202.

[0107] The hardware 1204 may be implemented in a standalone network node with general or specific components. The hardware 1204 may implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, the hardware 1204 may be part of a larger cluster of hardware (e.g., as in a data center or CPE) where many hardware nodes cooperate and are managed via a management and orchestration 1210 that, among other things, oversees the lifecycle management of the application 1202. In some embodiments, the hardware 1204 is coupled to one or more radio units, each including one or more transmitters and one or more receivers, which may be coupled to one or more antennas. The radio units may communicate directly with other hardware nodes via one or more appropriate network interfaces and may be used in combination with virtual components to provide a virtual node with wireless capabilities, such as a radio access node or base station. In some embodiments, some signaling may be provided using a control system 1212, which may alternatively be used for communication between the hardware nodes and the radio units.

[0108] 13 shows a communication diagram of a host 1302 communicating with a UE 1306 via a network node 1304 over a partial wireless connection, according to some embodiments. Exemplary implementations according to various embodiments of a UE (such as UE 812a of FIG. 8 and / or UE 900 of FIG. 9), a network node (such as network node 810a of FIG. 8 and / or network node 1000 of FIG. 10), and a host (such as host 816 of FIG. 8 and / or host 1100 of FIG. 11) described in the previous paragraphs will now be described with reference to FIG. 13.

[0109] Similar to the host 1100, an embodiment of the host 1302 includes hardware such as a communications interface, processing circuitry, and memory. The host 1302 also includes software stored on or accessible by the host 1302 and executable by the processing circuitry. The software includes a host application that may be operable to provide services to a remote user, such as a UE 1306 connecting via an over-the-top (OTT) connection 1350 extending between the UE 1306 and the host 1302. In providing services to the remote user, the host application may provide user data that is transmitted using the OTT connection 1350.

[0110] The network node 1304 includes hardware that enables the network node 1304 to communicate with the host 1302 and the UE 1306. The connection 1360 may be direct or may pass through one or more other intermediate networks, such as a core network (similar to the core network 806 of FIG. 8) and / or one or more public, private, or hosted networks. For example, the intermediate network may be a backbone network or the Internet.

[0111] The UE 1306 includes hardware and software stored on or accessible by the UE 1306 and executable by the UE's processing circuitry. The software includes a client application, such as a web browser or operator-specific "app," that may be operable to provide services to a human or non-human user via the UE 1306, with the support of the host 1302. An executing host application on the host 1302 may communicate with an executing client application via an OTT connection 1350 that terminates at the UE 1306 and the host 1302. In providing services to the user, the UE's client application may receive request data from the host application on the host and provide user data in response to the request data. The OTT connection 1350 may transfer both request data and user data. The UE's client application may interact with the user to generate user data that the UE's client application provides to the host application through the OTT connection 1350.

[0112] The OTT connection 1350 may extend via a connection 1360 between the host 1302 and a network node 1304 and via a wireless connection 1370 between the network node 1304 and the UE 1306 to provide connectivity between the host 1302 and the UE 1306. The connections 1360 and wireless connections 1370 over which the OTT connection 1350 may be provided are depicted abstractly to show communication between the host 1302 and the UE 1306 via the network node 1304, without explicit reference to intermediary devices and the precise routing of messages through these devices.

[0113] As an example of transmitting data over the OTT connection 1350, in step 1308, the host 1302 provides user data, which may be performed by executing a host application. In some embodiments, the user data is associated with a particular human user interacting with the UE 1306. In other embodiments, the user data is associated with the UE 1306 sharing data with the host 1302 without explicit human interaction. In step 1310, the host 1302 initiates a transmission carrying the user data toward the UE 1306. The host 1302 may initiate the transmission in response to a request sent by the UE 1306. The request may be caused by human interaction with the UE 1306 or by the operation of a client application executing on the UE 1306. The transmission may proceed via the network node 1304 in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. Thus, in step 1312, the network node 1304 transmits the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the host 1302 to the UE 1306, in accordance with the teachings of embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step 1314, the UE 1306 receives the user data carried in the transmission, which may be performed by a client application executing on the UE 1306 associated with the host application executed by the host 1302.

[0114] In some examples, the UE 1306 executes a client application that provides user data to the host 1302. The user data may be provided in reaction or response to data received from the host 1302. Thus, in step 1316, the UE 1306 may provide the user data, which may be performed by executing the client application. In providing the user data, the client application may further consider user input received from a user via an input / output interface of the UE 1306. Regardless of the particular manner in which the user data is provided, the UE 1306 initiates transmission of the user data towards the host 1302 via the network node 1304 in step 1318. In step 1320, in accordance with the teachings of embodiments described throughout this disclosure, the network node 1304 receives the user data from the UE 1306 and initiates transmission of the received user data towards the host 1302. In step 1322, the host 1302 receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the UE 1306.

[0115] One or more of the various embodiments improve the performance of the OTT service provided to the UE 1306 using the OTT connection 1350, of which the radio connection 1370 forms the last segment. More precisely, the teachings of these embodiments may provide a way to enable 5G-based VPN zero-touch provisioning by leveraging 5G core features (e.g., secondary authentication). This may include relying on triggers provided by the communicating entities without disclosing credentials to the communicating entities.

[0116] In an exemplary scenario, factory status information may be collected and analyzed by the host 1302. As another example, the host 1302 may process audio and video data that may have been retrieved from UEs for use in creating maps. As another example, the host 1302 may collect and analyze real-time data to assist in controlling vehicular congestion (e.g., controlling traffic signals). As another example, the host 1302 may store surveillance video uploaded by UEs. As another example, the host 1302 may store or control access to media content, such as video, audio, VR or AR, that the host 1302 may broadcast, multicast, or unicast to UEs. As other examples, the host 1302 may be used for energy pricing, remote control of non-time-critical electrical loads to balance power generation needs, location services, presentation services (such as compiling diagrams, etc. from data collected from remote devices), or any other function of collecting, retrieving, storing, analyzing, and / or transmitting data.

[0117] In some examples, measurement procedures may be provided for the purpose of monitoring data rates, latency, and other factors that one or more embodiments improve upon. There may further be optional network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection 1350 between the host 1302 and the UE 1306 in response to fluctuations in the measurement results. The measurement procedures and / or the network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection may be implemented in software and hardware in the host 1302 and / or the UE 1306. In some embodiments, sensors (not shown) may be deployed in or in association with other devices through which the OTT connection 1350 passes, and the sensors may participate in the measurement procedures by providing values ​​of the monitored quantities exemplified above, or other physical quantities from which software can calculate or estimate the monitored quantities. Reconfiguration of the OTT connection 1350 may include message formats, retransmission settings, preferred routing, etc., and the reconfiguration need not directly change the operation of the network node 1304. Such procedures and functionality may be known and practiced in the art. In some embodiments, the measurements may involve proprietary UE signaling that facilitates measurements of throughput, propagation time, latency, etc. by the host 1302. The measurements may be implemented in software causing messages, particularly empty or "dummy" messages, to be sent using the OTT connection 1350 while monitoring propagation time, errors, etc.

[0118] While the computing devices (e.g., UEs, network nodes, hosts) described herein may include the depicted combinations of hardware components, other embodiments may comprise computing devices with different combinations of components. It should be understood that these computing devices may comprise any suitable combination of hardware and / or software required to perform the tasks, features, functions, and methods disclosed herein. The determining, calculating, obtaining, or similar operations described herein may be performed by processing circuitry, which may process information by, for example, transforming the obtained information to other information, comparing the obtained or transformed information to information stored in a network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the obtained or transformed information and as a result of the processing making a decision. Moreover, while a component is illustrated as a single box located within a larger box or nested within multiple boxes, in reality the computing device may comprise multiple different physical components that make up the single depicted component, and functionality may be partitioned among the separate components. For example, a communications interface may be configured to include any of the components described herein, and / or the functionality of those components may be partitioned between the processing circuitry and the communications interface. In another example, non-computationally intensive functionality of any of such components may be implemented in software or firmware, and computationally intensive functionality may be implemented in hardware.

[0119] In some embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein may be provided by a processing circuit executing instructions stored in a memory, which in some embodiments may be a computer program product in the form of a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by the processing circuit without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device-readable storage medium, such as in a hardwired manner. In any of these particular embodiments, the processing circuit may be configured to perform the described functionality, regardless of whether or not it executes instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. Benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to the processing circuit alone or to other components of the computing device, but are enjoyed by the computing device as a whole and / or by end users and wireless networks generally.

Claims

1. 1. A method of operating a communication device communicatively coupled to a communication network, the method comprising: determining (510) a plurality of dedicated security profiles associated with the communication device; receiving (530) an authentication query associated with a dedicated security profile; determining (540) whether the dedicated security profile is one of the plurality of dedicated security profiles; sending a query response based on whether the dedicated security profile is one of the plurality of dedicated security profiles (560); A method comprising:

2. storing (520) information associated with each dedicated security profile of the plurality of dedicated security profiles in a location accessible by a local profile assistant (LPA) selector; further comprising determining whether the dedicated security profile is one of the plurality of dedicated security profiles includes the LPA selector determining whether the dedicated security profile is one of the plurality of dedicated security profiles based on the information; The method of claim 1.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the LPA selector is part of an operating system of the communication device.

4. 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the LPA selector is part of an LPA of the communication device, the LPA comprising the plurality of dedicated security profiles.

5. 5. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving the authentication query comprises receiving an authentication request related to a secondary authentication from a dedicated security authenticator that is separate from the communication device.

6. determining whether the dedicated security profile is one of the plurality of dedicated security profiles includes determining that the dedicated security profile is one of the plurality of dedicated security profiles; The method comprises: performing an authentication procedure associated with said authentication query (550); The method of any one of claims 2 to 5, further comprising:

7. performing the authentication procedure associated with the authentication query; determining, by the LPA selector, an identifier for the private security profile; The identifier of the dedicated security profile, an LPA of the communication device; a modem of said communication device; and Dedicated Security Authenticator and transmitting to at least one of The method of claim 6, comprising:

8. transmitting the query response, an identifier for said dedicated security profile; a certificate stored in said dedicated security profile; 8. The method of claim 6 or 7, comprising transmitting at least one of:

9. determining whether the dedicated security profile is one of the plurality of dedicated security profiles includes determining that the dedicated security profile is not one of the plurality of dedicated security profiles; The method of claim 2 , wherein transmitting the query response includes transmitting an indication that the dedicated security profile is not one of the plurality of dedicated security profiles.

10. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the dedicated security profile includes an embedded subscriber identity module (eSIM).

11. 1. A method of operating a dedicated security authenticator, said method comprising: Receiving an authentication request associated with a dedicated security profile (610); performing an authentication procedure by communicating with a local profile assistant (LPA) selector of the communication device (620); sending (630) an indication of the result of said authentication procedure to a network node; A method comprising:

12. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the authentication request comprises receiving the authentication request associated with the dedicated security profile of a plurality of dedicated security profiles stored on the communication device.

13. performing the authentication procedure, requesting an identifier for the private security profile from the LPA selector; receiving the identifier of the private security profile from the LPA selector; 13. The method of claim 12, comprising:

14. 14. The method of claim 11, wherein the dedicated security profile includes an embedded subscriber identity module (eSIM).

15. 1. A method of operating a network node in a communications network, the method comprising: Determining information related to a dedicated security profile (710); sending (720) a message to a local profile assistant (LPA) selector of a communication device, the message including the dedicated security profile and the information; A method comprising:

16. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the dedicated security profile includes an embedded subscriber identity module (eSIM).

17. A communication device (900) communicatively coupled to a communication network, said communication device comprising: A processing circuit (902); a memory (910) coupled to the processing circuit and storing instructions; wherein the instructions are executable by the processing circuitry to cause the communications device to perform operations including any of the operations recited in claims 1 to 14. A communication device (900).

18. 15. A computer program comprising program code that is executed by processing circuitry (902) of a communications device (900) communicatively coupled to a communications network, whereby execution of the program code causes the communications device to perform operations including any of the operations recited in claims 1 to 14.

19. 15. A computer program product comprising: a non-transitory storage medium (910) containing program code for execution by processing circuitry (902) of a communication device (900) communicatively coupled to a communication network, whereby execution of the program code causes the communication device to perform operations including any of the operations recited in claims 1 to 14.

20. 15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions, the instructions being executable by a processing circuit (902) of a communications device (900) configured to perform operations including any of the operations recited in claims 1 to 14.

21. A network node (1000), comprising: A processing circuit (1002); a memory (1004) coupled to the processing circuit and storing instructions; wherein the instructions are executable by the processing circuitry to cause the network node to perform operations including any of the operations recited in claims 11 to 16. Network node (1000).

22. 17. A computer program comprising program code that is executed by a processing circuit (1002) of a network node (1000), whereby execution of the program code causes the network node to perform operations including any of the operations set forth in claims 11 to 16.

23. 17. A computer program product comprising: a non-transitory storage medium (1004) containing program code executed by a processing circuit (1002) of a network node (1000), whereby execution of the program code causes the network node to perform operations including any of the operations set forth in claims 11 to 16.

24. 17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions, the instructions being executable by a processing circuit (1002) of a network node (1000) configured to perform operations including any of the operations recited in claims 11 to 16.

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