Method and apparatus for transmitting data with quality of service in a wireless communication system

Abstract

A method performed by a first node in a wireless communication system is provided, the method including the steps of receiving a protocol data unit (PDU) session setup request message from a first terminal through a second node, obtaining group information including a plurality of sub-group lists from a third node, obtaining sub-group information including Quality of Service (QoS) information for each sub-group from a fourth node, transmitting a traffic forwarding setup request message including the group information and the sub-group information to a fifth node, and transmitting a PDU session setup response message including the group information and the sub-group information to the first terminal.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for transmitting data based on Quality of Service (QoS) in a wireless communication network, and particularly to a method and apparatus for transmitting data simultaneously from one application of a terminal to multiple groups having different Quality of Service (QoS) requirements when group communication is supported in 3GPP (registered trademark, the same applies hereinafter) 5GS (5G System). [Background technology]

[0002] 5G mobile communications technology defines a wide frequency band to enable faster transmission speeds and new services, and can be implemented in frequencies below 6 GHz ("Sub 6 GHz") such as 3.5 GHz, as well as ultra-high frequency bands ("Above 6 GHz") known as millimeter wave (mmWave) such as 28 GHz and 39 GHz. Additionally, 6G mobile communications technology, known as the "Beyond 5G" system, is being considered for implementation in the terahertz band (e.g., 95 GHz at 3 terahertz (3 THz) band) to achieve transmission speeds 50 times faster than 5G and ultra-low latency that is one-tenth of that of 5G.

[0003] In the early stages of 5G mobile communications technology, 5G will aim to meet the service and performance requirements for enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communications (ULLC), and massive Machine-Type Communications (mMTC). The technologies include beamforming and massive MIMO to mitigate path loss and increase propagation distance in ultra-high frequency bands, various numerology support (such as multiple subcarrier spacing operations) and dynamic operation of slot formats to efficiently utilize ultra-high frequency resources, initial access technology to support multiple beam transmission and wideband, definition and operation of Band-Width Part (BWP), new channel coding methods such as Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) codes for large-volume data transmission and Polar Codes for reliable transmission of control information, L2 pre-processing, and network slicing to provide dedicated networks specialized for specific services. Standardization of the slicing process has progressed.

[0004] Discussions are currently underway to improve and enhance the initial 5G mobile communications technology in consideration of the services that 5G mobile communications technology is intended to support. Physical layer standardization is underway for technologies such as Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X), which aims to increase user convenience by helping autonomous vehicles make driving decisions based on their own location and status information transmitted by vehicles, New Radio Unlicensed (NR-U), which aims to operate systems in unlicensed bands in accordance with various regulatory requirements, low-power NR terminal technology (UE Power Saving), Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN), which is direct terminal-satellite communication to ensure coverage in areas where communication with terrestrial networks is not possible, and positioning.

[0005] In addition, standardization is underway in the areas of radio interface architecture / protocol for technologies such as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) to support new services through linkage and integration with other industries, Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) to provide nodes for expanding network service areas by integrating wireless backhaul links and access links, Mobility Enhancement including Conditional Handover and Dual Active Protocol Stack (DAPS) handover, and Two-step Random Access (2-step RACH for NR) to simplify random access procedures. Standardization is also underway in the areas of system architecture / service for 5G baseline architecture (e.g., Service-based Architecture, Service-based Interface) to combine Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) and Software-Defined Networking (SDN) technologies, and Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) to provide services based on the device's location.

[0006] As 5G mobile communication systems are commercialized, an explosive increase in connected devices will be connected to communication networks, necessitating the enhancement of the functions and performance of 5G mobile communication systems and the integrated operation of connected devices. To this end, new research is expected to be conducted on extended reality (XR) to efficiently support augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), etc., 5G performance improvement and complexity reduction using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), AI service support, metabus service support, drone communications, etc.

[0007] In addition, the development of 5G mobile communication systems will also serve as the foundation for the development of new waveforms to ensure coverage in the terahertz band of 6G mobile communication technology, multiple antenna transmission technologies such as full-dimensional multiple-input multiple-output (FD-MIMO), array antennas, and large-scale antennas, metamaterial-based lenses and antennas to improve terahertz band signal coverage, high-dimensional spatial multiplexing technology using orbital angular momentum (OAM), and reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) technology, as well as full duplex technology to improve the frequency efficiency and system network of 6G mobile communication technology, AI-based communication technology that utilizes satellites and artificial intelligence (AI) from the design stage to implement system optimization by incorporating end-to-end AI support functions, and next-generation distributed computing technology that utilizes ultra-high-performance communication and computing resources to realize services of a complexity that exceeds the limits of terminal computing power.

[0008] The 5th Generation System (5GS), a new communication standard led by 3GPP, is being utilized in Smart Energy Infrastructure and allows multiple applications to be transmitted through a single device. In this case, 5GS must support communication using group communication, each with different QoS requirements. It must also support multiple groups simultaneously within a single device, with each group needing to meet different QoS requirements. For a single application within a single device performing group communication to send data to multiple groups, it must transmit the same data multiple times. Furthermore, as the number of groups to which simultaneous transmissions must be performed increases, unnecessary redundant transmissions also increase.

[0009] The above information is provided only as background information to aid in the understanding of the present disclosure, and no determination or assertion is made as to whether any of the above content is applicable as prior art in light of the present disclosure. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] Therefore, the present disclosure provides methods and apparatus for efficiently supporting communication with multiple groups having different QoS requirements in 5GS.

[0011] The present disclosure also provides a method and apparatus for preventing redundant transmission when one terminal supports communication to multiple groups, each with different QoS requirements.

[0012] The present disclosure also provides a method and apparatus for performing communication according to the requested QoS when one terminal supports group communication and different terminals in the group require different QoS. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method is provided for a session management function (SMF) device of a wireless communication system to control data transmission with different quality of service (QoS) within the same service group, the method including: receiving a protocol data unit (PDU) session request requested by a first user equipment (UE) from an access and mobility management function (AMF) device; obtaining group information corresponding to the requested PDU session from a user data repository (UDR) device based on the PDU session request; the group information including at least two or more group information; determining at least one UPF for transmitting data transmitted from the first UE to at least one other UE based on information corresponding to each of the obtained groups; and requesting traffic forwarding and QoS configuration corresponding to the group of the at least one UE using the determined UPF, and transmitting traffic according to different QoS between the first UE and the at least one other UE. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to simultaneously support multiple group communications with different QoS requirements in 5GS. Furthermore, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to efficiently support communications with multiple groups with different QoS requirements in 5GS. In particular, according to the present disclosure, when one terminal supports communications with multiple groups, each with different QoS requirements, it is possible to prevent redundant transmissions. Furthermore, according to the present disclosure, when one terminal supports group communications, if different terminals in the group require different QoS, it is possible to perform communications according to the QoS requested by each terminal.

[0015] These and other aspects, features and advantages of particular embodiments of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a network configuration diagram for explaining a 5G VN group management method. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram illustrating a network and UE configuration for explaining a 5G VN group communication method. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is an exemplary diagram illustrating multiple group communications supporting different QoS requirements. [Figure 4] This is a network configuration diagram for explaining a PDU session configuration method for multiple groups supporting different QoS requirements according to the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 10 is a signal flowchart illustrating a PDU session setup method using a pre-configured subgroup when multiple UPFs are used according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 10 is a signal flowchart of a PDU session establishment method using a pre-configured subgroup when using a single UPF according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7]10 is a signal flowchart of a PDU session establishment method using multiple groups when multiple UPFs are used according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 10 is a signal flowchart of a PDU session establishment method using multiple groups when using a single UPF according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a UE according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a network function according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Throughout the drawings, like reference numbers are used to denote the same or similar elements, features and structures.

[0018] The following description, which refers to the accompanying drawings, is provided to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of various embodiments of the present invention, as defined by the claims and their equivalents. Although various specific details are included herein to facilitate understanding, these details should be considered merely as examples. Therefore, those skilled in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications to the various embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Furthermore, descriptions of well-known functions and configurations may be omitted for clarity and conciseness.

[0019] The terms and phrases used in the following description and claims are not limited to their bibliographical meanings, but are merely used by the inventor to provide a clear and consistent understanding of the disclosure. Therefore, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the following description of various embodiments of the present invention is provided for illustrative purposes only, and not for the purpose of limiting the present invention, as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0020] The singular forms "a," "an," and "the" should be understood to include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to a "component surface" includes reference to one or more of those surfaces.

[0021] In describing the embodiments, technical details that are well known to those skilled in the art and are not directly related to the present disclosure will be omitted in order to clarify and more clearly convey the gist of the present invention by omitting unnecessary explanations.

[0022] For the same reasons, some components in the accompanying drawings are exaggerated, omitted, or illustrated schematically, and the size of each component does not necessarily reflect the actual size. The same or corresponding components in each drawing are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0023] The advantages and features of the present disclosure, and methods for achieving them, will become clearer with reference to the following detailed description of the embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, and may be embodied in various different forms. The present embodiments are provided solely to complete the disclosure and fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art to which the disclosure pertains, and the present disclosure is defined only by the scope of the claims. Throughout the specification, the same or similar reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements.

[0024] It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations are embodied by computer program instructions. Such computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine, and the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device create means for implementing the functions specified in the flowchart blocks. Such computer program instructions can be stored in a computer-usable or computer-readable memory that can instruct a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a particular manner, and the instructions stored in the computer-usable or computer-readable memory create an article of manufacture including instruction means for implementing the functions specified in the flowchart blocks. The computer program instructions can then be loaded into a computer or other programmable data processing device to cause the computer or other programmable device to perform a series of operational steps, creating a computer-implemented process in which the instructions executed by the computer or other programmable device provide steps that implement the functions specified in the flowchart blocks.

[0025] Furthermore, each block in the flowchart may represent a module, segment, or portion of code, which includes one or more executable instructions for implementing a specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions displayed in the blocks may be performed in a different order. For example, two blocks shown in succession may actually be executed substantially simultaneously, or the blocks may be executed in the reverse order depending on the related functionality.

[0026] As used in this document, a "unit" refers to a software element or a hardware element, such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), that performs a predetermined function. However, a "unit" is not necessarily limited to software or hardware. A "unit" can be stored on an addressable storage medium or configured to run on multiple processors. Thus, a "unit" includes, for example, software elements, object-oriented software elements, class elements or work elements, processes, functions, attributes, procedures, subroutines, program code segments, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuits, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and parameters. The elements and functions provided by a "unit" can be combined into fewer elements, or "units," or divided into more elements, or "units." Additionally, elements and "units" can be embodied to emulate one or more CPUs within a device or security multimedia card.

[0027] The specific terms used in the following description are provided to aid in understanding the present invention, and different types of terms may be used within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention.

[0028] In the following description, for convenience, terms for identifying access nodes, terms for indicating network entities, terms for indicating messages, terms for indicating interfaces between network entities, terms for indicating various identification information, etc. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the terms used below, and other terms for indicating other subjects having equivalent technical meanings may be used.

[0029] In the following description, a node may correspond to an AMF, SMF, UPF, UDM, UDR, PCF, NEF, AF, or other network function. For example, a first node may correspond to a UPF, a second node may correspond to an AMF, a third node may correspond to a UDM or UDR, a fourth node may correspond to a PCF or NEF, a fifth node may correspond to a UPF, and a sixth node may correspond to an AF. Each node, referred to as an ordinal number, is not limited to this example.

[0030] For convenience of the following description, the present disclosure uses terms and names defined in the 5GS and NR standards, which are the latest standards defined by the 3GPP (The 3rd Generation Partnership Project) among currently existing communication standards. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the terms and names and can be applied to wireless communication networks conforming to other standards as well. In particular, the present disclosure can be applied to 3GPP 5GS / NR (5th generation mobile communication standard).

[0031] In the infrastructure for smart energy, various applications distributed in each region send state / event information to a central server, and the central server sends overall / partial group / individual setting information and adjustment information to various applications distributed in each region.

[0032] FIG. 1 is a network configuration diagram for explaining a 5G VN group management method.

[0033] Referring to FIG. 1, user equipment (UE) 101, an electronic device capable of 5G wireless communication, can be connected to a base station, NG-RAN 111, via a 5G wireless communication scheme. It should be noted that, among the components connected by solid lines in FIG. 1, the UE 101 and the NG-RAN 111 are connected at least via wireless communication. Although the present disclosure will be described using the 5G wireless communication scheme for ease of understanding, other wireless communication schemes may also be used for connection. For example, the UE 101 and the NG-RAN 111 may be connected via a Wi-Fi scheme, a 4G wireless communication network, or a 6G wireless communication network that follows the 5G wireless communication network.

[0034] The UE 101 is an electronic device capable of wireless communication and may include a mobile terminal (MT), a mobile station (MS), etc. The UE 101 may also be a hand-held phone (HHP), a smartphone, a tablet computer, or Internet of Things equipment.

[0035] The NG-RAN 111, which operates as a base station, can communicate with the UE 101 using a wireless communication method conforming to 5G protocols and can communicate with the UE 101 within a certain base station boundary. The NG-RAN 111 may be implemented as one base station or as a central unit and one or more remote units. The NG-RAN 111 may also be called a base station (BS), a Node B (Node B) which is a base station for 3G mobile communication, an eNode B (eNode-B) which is a base station for 4G mobile communication, or a gNode B (gNode-B) which is a base station for 5G mobile communication.

[0036] A network function (NF) device constituting 5GC may be included above the NG-RAN 111. Such an NF device may be embodied as multiple NF devices within one server, or one NF device may be embodied in multiple servers. Furthermore, when embodied within a server, the NF device may be embodied as software, and in such a case, a program for operating the NF device may be installed in memory.

[0037] In addition, one NF can be implemented as one instance. When one NF is implemented as one instance, multiple instances performing the same operation can be run within one server.

[0038] Furthermore, one or more NF devices may be implemented in the form of a network slice and operate to meet the specifications required for a particular service. In the following description, for convenience of explanation, each NF device will be described by itself as an NF with a specific name.

[0039] Next, we will explain each NF device that makes up 5GC below.

[0040] The access and mobility management function ((core) access and mobility management function (AMF)) 121 provides functions for UE-based connection and mobility management, and one UE can basically be connected to one AMF. Specifically, the AMF 112 provides signaling between CN nodes for mobility between 3GPP access networks, termination of the radio access network (RAN) CP interface (i.e., N2 interface), termination of non-access stratum (NAS) signaling (N1), NAS signaling security (NAS ciphering and integrity protection), AS security control, registration management (registration area management), connection management, idle mode UE reachability (including control and execution of paging retransmissions), mobility management control (subscription and policy), intra-system and inter-system mobility support, support for network slicing, SMF selection, lawful intercept (for AMF events and interface to the LI system), provision for the delivery of session management (SM) messages between the UE and the SMF, a transparent proxy for SM message routing, and access authentication. It may support functions such as authentication, access authorization including roaming permission checks, provision of SMS message delivery between the UE and the SMF, security anchor function (SAF) and / or security context management (SCM). Some or all of the functions of the AMF 131 may be supported within a single instance of one AMF.

[0041] The User Plane Function (UPF) 113 can transmit downlink protocol data units (PDUs) received from a data network (DN) to the UE 101 via the NG-RAN 111, and can transmit uplink PDUs received from the UE 101 via the NG-RAN 111 to the DN. Specifically, the UPF 113 may support functions such as an anchor point for intra / inter-RAT mobility, an external PDU session point for interconnection to a DN, packet routing and forwarding, packet inspection, and the user plane portion of policy rule execution, lawful intercept, traffic usage reporting, an uplink classifier for supporting routing of traffic flows to the data network, a branching point for supporting multi-homed PDU sessions, QoS handling for the user plane (e.g., packet filtering, gating, uplink / downlink rate enforcement, uplink traffic validation (SDF mapping between service data flow (SDF) and QoS flow), transport level in uplink and downlink), packet marking, downlink packet buffering, and downlink data notification trigger functions. Some or all of the functions of the UPF 113 may be supported within a single instance of one UPF.

[0042] The session management function (SMF) 114 provides session management functionality, and if a UE has multiple sessions, each session can be managed by a different SMF. Specifically, the SMF 114 can support functions such as session management (e.g., session establishment, modification, and cancellation, including tunnel maintenance between the UPF 113 and the NG-RAN 111 node), UE IP address allocation and management (optionally including authentication), UP function selection and control, traffic steering configuration for routing traffic to the appropriate destination in the UPF 113, interface termination to policy control functions, enforcement of policy and quality of service (QoS) control portions, lawful intercept (for SM events and interface to the LI system), termination of the SM portion of NAS messages, downlink data notification, initiator of AN-specific SM information (transmitted to the NG-RAN 111 via the AMF 112 through the N2), SSC mode determination for the session, and roaming functionality. Some or all of the functionality of the SMF 114 may be supported within a single instance of one SMF.

[0043] The policy control function (PCF) 115 may provide functionality for receiving information about packet flows from an application server and determining policies for mobility management, session management, etc. Specifically, the PCF 115 may support functionality such as unified policy framework support for controlling network operations, provision of policy rules so that control plane functions (e.g., AMF, SMF, etc.) can execute policy rules, and front-end implementation for accessing related subscription information for policy decisions in a user data repository (UDR).

[0044] The network exposure function (NEF) 116 can provide a means to securely expose services and capabilities provided by 3GPP network functions, for example, third parties, internal exposure / re-exposure, application functions, edge computing, etc. The NEF 116 can receive information from other NFs (based on the exposed capabilities of the other NFs). The NEF 116 can store the received information as structured data using a standardized interface to a data storage network function. The stored information can be re-exposed by the NEF 116 to other NFs and AFs and used for other purposes, such as analysis.

[0045] Unified data management (UDM) 117 can store user subscription data, policy data, etc. UDM 155 can include two parts: an application front end (FE) (not shown) and a user data repository (UDR).

[0046] The FE may include a UDM FE responsible for location management, subscription management, credential processing, etc., and a PCF responsible for policy control.

[0047] The user data repository (UDR) 118 can store data required for functions provided by the UDM-FE and policy profiles required by the PCF. Data stored in the UDR can include user subscription and policy data, including subscription identifiers, security credentials, access and mobility related subscription data, and session related subscription data. The UDM-FE can access the subscription information stored in the UDR to support functions such as authentication credential processing, user identification handling, access authentication, registration / mobility management, subscription management, and SMS management.

[0048] The application function (AF) 121 may transmit a group request related to an application to the 5G network and, conversely, receive information usable by the application from the 5G network. For example, the AF 121 may request the 5G network to create / modify / delete a group for a group management application and may receive a result of the creation / modification / deletion request processing from the 5G network.

[0049] The VN Group Data Network 131 is a data network (DN) supporting a 5G virtual network (VN) and is connected to the UPF 113 in the same way as a general DN. A DN may refer to a network connected to the UPF 113 allocated for each service. A form in which a plurality of UEs form one group and each UE that is a member of the group is mapped to one data network name (DNN) that can broadcast / multicast / unicast among themselves within one 5G LAN may be expressed as a 5G VN Data Network or a 5G VN group Data Network. Here, 5G refers to a UE connected to 5GC, and a general-purpose network including other forms other than 5G may be expressed as a VN Data Network or a VN group Data Network. A form in which two different groups are mapped to different DNNs may be expressed, for example, as a Data Network mapped to VN1 as a VN1 DN and a Data Network mapped to VN2 as a VN2 DN.

[0050] In the above-described configuration, the AF 121 can be a device that exists outside the 5GC. Therefore, the AF 121 can set a group in the UDR 118 through the NEF 116. More specifically, the AF 121 can create / modify / delete a group in the UDR 118, add / delete members for each group, and set attributes for each group.

[0051] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a network and UE configuration for explaining a 5G VN group communication method.

[0052] In Figure 2, different reference numerals are used than in Figure 1. However, the NFs illustrated in Figure 2 and Figure 1 may perform the same operations. Additionally, certain NFs may perform additional operations depending on their functionality, as will be explained in more detail below.

[0053] 2, the (R)ANs 204, 214, and 224 may be base stations corresponding to the NG-RAN 111 in FIG. 1. Therefore, each of the (R)ANs 204, 214, and 224 may have its own communication area or boundary.

[0054] 2 illustrates an example in which a first UE 201, a second UE 202, and a third UE 203 are located within the area of ​​a first (R)AN 204. An example in which a fourth UE 211, a fifth UE 212, and a sixth UE 213 are located within the area of ​​a second (R)AN 214 is illustrated, and an example in which a seventh UE 221, an eighth UE 222, and a ninth UE 223 are located within the area of ​​a third (R)AN 224 is illustrated.

[0055] 2 illustrates a case where the first (R)AN 204 is connected to the first I-UPF 205, the second (R)AN 214 is connected to the second I-UPF 215, and the third (R)AN 224 is connected to the third I-UPF 215. The first I-UPF 205, the second I-UPF 215, and the third I-UPF 215 are connected to the same SMF 251. I-UPF is an abbreviation for Intermediate-UPF, and is responsible for connecting the (R)AN to the PSA (PDU Session Anchor) UPF, which has the final routing function with the DN. Multiple I-UPFs may exist between the PSA UPF and the (R)AN.

[0056] Meanwhile, the first I-UPF 205 and the second I-UPF 215 are connected to a first PSA-UPF 231 operating as a PDU Session Anchor (PSA) connected to the VN group DN 214 via an N9 interface, and the third I-UPF 215 is connected to a second PSA-UPF 232 connected to the VN group DN 214 via an N9 interface. The first PSA-UPF 231 and the second PSA-UPF 232 may be connected to the VN group DN 214 via an N19 interface, and the first PSA-UPF 231 and the second PSA-UPF 232 may be connected to the VN group DN 214 via an N6 interface.

[0057] 2, the 5G VN group DN 241 illustrates a case where a first UE 201, which has established a PDU session using a data network name (DNN) for each group, transmits / receives data to / from other UEs in the group, for example, a fourth UE 211 located in a second (R)AN 214 and a seventh UE 221 located in a third (R)AN 224. For convenience of explanation, the following describes a case where the first UE 201 transmits data to other UEs 202, 203, 211, 212, 213, 221, 222, and 223. Furthermore, since data can be received in the reverse direction of the data transmission path described below, reception can be performed through the reverse process described below. Furthermore, even when other UEs in the group other than the first UE 201 transmit or receive data, this can be understood by replacing the first UE 201 with other UEs. Therefore, to avoid redundant explanation, only a case where the first UE 201 transmits data to other UEs will be described.

[0058] As in the above assumption, data for the first UE 201 to transmit to other UEs in the group can be transmitted to the first PSA-UPF 231 via the first (R)AN 204 and the first I-UPF 205. Therefore, when data received from the first UE 201 must be provided to the second I-UPF 215, which is another UPF within the first PSA-UPF 231 (e.g., data for the fourth UE 211), the first PSA-UPF 231 can forward the data to the fourth UE 211 via the second I-UPF 215 and the second (R)AN 214. Furthermore, when the first PSA-UPF 231 must provide the same data received from the first UE 201 to the seventh UE 221, the first PSA-UPF 231 can forward the data to the second PSA-UPF 232 using the N19 interface. The second PSA-UPF 232 can then forward the data to the third I-UPF 225 connected to itself via the N9 interface. As a result, the third I-UPF 225 can forward to the seventh UE 221 through the third (R)AN 224.

[0059] FIG. 3 is an exemplary diagram illustrating multiple group communications supporting different QoS requirements.

[0060] In FIG. 3, the contents of FIG. 2 may be simplified and illustrated, and different reference numerals are used for convenience of explanation, but it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the same configuration as that described in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 can perform the same operation.

[0061] 3, a case where a first UE 301, a second UE 302, and a third UE 303 are located within the area of ​​a first (R)AN 304 is illustrated, and a case where a fourth UE 311, a fifth UE 312, and a sixth UE 313 are located within the area of ​​a second (R)AN 314 is illustrated. Also, a case where the first (R)AN 304 is connected to a first UPF 305, and the second (R)AN 314 is connected to a second UPF 315 is illustrated. The first UPF 305 and the second UPF 315 may be connected to each other via an N9 interface and / or an N19 interface.

[0062] 3, it can be assumed that the first UE 301, the second UE 302, the third UE 303, the fourth UE 311, the fifth UE 312, and the sixth UE 313 all require the same single QoS. For example, the following description will be given assuming that the single QoS has a latency requirement of 10 ms or less.

[0063] If the first UE 301, the second UE 302, the third UE 303, the fourth UE 311, the fifth UE 312, and the sixth UE 313 all require the same QoS, one DNN may be used for each PDU session allocated to each UE, and one DNN may be mapped to one group. In this case, data transmitted by the first UE 301 is provided to the first UPF 305 via the first (R)AN 304. At this time, if the data transmitted by the first UE 301 needs to be received by all other UEs in the same group, transmission can be performed as follows.

[0064] When the first UPF 305 receives data from the first UE 301 and transmits it to the second UE 302 and the third UE 303, it can transmit the data again through the first (R)AN 304. On the other hand, when the first UPF 305 needs to provide the data received from the first UE 301 to the fourth UE 311, the fifth UE 312, and the sixth UE 313, it must first find the second UPF 315, which is another UPF where each UE is located. Then, the first UPF 305 can forward the data received from the first UE 301 to the second UPF 315. Then, the second UPF 315 can forward the data received from the first UE 301 to the fourth UE 311, the fifth UE 312, and the sixth UE 313 through the second (R)AN 314.

[0065] At this time, the second UE 302 and the third UE 303 are present within the area of ​​the first UPF 305, which is at least the same UPF as the first UE 301. Note that FIG. 3 illustrates a case where the second UE 302 and the third UE 303 are located within the same (R)AN 304.

[0066] On the other hand, the fourth UE 311, the fifth UE 312, and the sixth UE 313 are located in at least a different UPF region from the first UE 301. Therefore, if the latency requirement required is the same and is 10 ms or less, it may be difficult for the fourth UE 311, the fifth UE 312, and the sixth UE 313 to adjust the latency requirement. Also, depending on the data traffic, even if the latency requirement is 10 ms, a delay within a predetermined range may be acceptable. However, currently, the same QoS is required for all UEs grouped in one group.

[0067] Therefore, the present disclosure provides a solution to this problem. For example, a method is proposed in which different QoS can be applied within a group, so that a required QoS can be provided when the first UE 301 is located at least in the same UPF area or in the same (R)AN as the first UE 301, and a slightly lower QoS can be provided to UEs connected to a UPF to which the eleventh UE 301 is connected and UEs connected to other UPFs.

[0068] As long as the UE is located within the same UPF area as the first UE 301, the distance (physical or logical) between the UE and the first UE 301 may not be large. In this way, among the UEs in the same group, a high QoS or a required QoS can be provided to a UE that is close to the UE transmitting data. According to the above example, if the required latency requirement is within 10 ms, data can be provided within 10 ms.

[0069] On the other hand, if the UE is located in a different UPF region from the first UE 301 transmitting data, it may be located far away (physically or logically) from the first UE 301. In this way, among UEs in the same group, a UE far away from the UE transmitting data can be provided with a QoS lower than the required QoS. According to the above example, if the required latency requirement is within 10 ms, data can be provided within 20 ms, which is lower than the required QoS.

[0070] FIG. 4 is a network configuration diagram illustrating a PDU session setting method for multiple groups supporting different QoS requirements according to the present disclosure.

[0071] Each component in Figure 4 can perform the same operation if it has the same name as each component described in Figures 1 to 3. For example, AMF 112 in Figure 1 can perform the same operation as AMF 451 in Figure 4. Therefore, it should be noted that Figure 4 further describes additional operations in addition to those described in Figures 1 to 3.

[0072] 4 illustrates three different UEs 401, 402, and 403. The first UE 401 is denoted by G1 and G2 in the drawing to indicate that it is a UE to which the first group service and the second group service are provided. Furthermore, the second UE 402 is denoted by G1 in the drawing to indicate that it is a UE to which the first group service is provided, and the third UE 403 is denoted by G2 to indicate that it is a UE to which the second group service is provided. Here, the first group and the second group may be subordinate groups belonging to one superior group.

[0073] The first UE 401 and the second UE 402 may be connected to a first PDN 432 that provides a first service through a first RAN 412 and a second UPF 422. The third UE 403 may be connected to a second PDN 431 that provides a second service through a second RAN 411 and a second UPF 421. Another component different from that of FIG. 1 is the UDM / UDR 453. The UDM / UDR 453 may be a single implementation of the UDM 117 and UDR 118 mentioned in FIG. 1, and may be understood as a simplified form for convenience of illustration. This disclosure is not particularly limited to this.

[0074] Next, the method according to the present disclosure will be described below: The method for setting one group to provide a specific service can use one of the following methods.

[0075] First, a method can be considered in which multiple subgroups are pre-configured for one upper group, and a DNN indicating the upper group is used when configuring a PDU session.

[0076] Second, there is a method of using multiple DNNs corresponding to multiple groups to set up different PDU Sessions for each subgroup.

[0077] First, the first method will be described. A plurality of subgroups are set in advance in a higher-level group, and a DNN representing the higher-level group is used during a PDU session. The procedure is as follows:

[0078] First, the AF 456 can set at least one upper group having multiple lower groups in the 5GS. Each lower group can be configured to have different QoS requirements for each lower group. The AF 456 can transmit different QoS requirements or requirement information for each lower group to the 5GC NF through the NEF 455. For example, the AF 456 can transmit different QoS requirements for each lower group to the UDM / UDR 453 through the NEF 455. Therefore, a specific 5GC NF can determine the QoS policy to be actually supported by mapping the QoS requirements for each lower group to a policy in the 5GC network. Therefore, the UDM / UDR 453 can provide different QoS requirement information required for each lower group to the PCF 454, which manages the policy. The type of QoS requirement requested by the AF 456 and the number of QoS policies that the PCF 454 determines to actually support may differ. For example, even if the AF 456 requests five different QoS requirements for five different subgroups, the PCF 454 may map and actually support four types of QoS policies. In this case, the number of QoS policies that the PCF 454 actually supports may be smaller than or equal to the number of QoS requirements that the AF 456 requests for each subgroup.

[0079] A case will be described in which a first UE 401 among multiple UEs requests PDU session setup. The first UE 401 may request PDU session setup from a DNN corresponding to a representative group. The PDU session setup request transmitted by the first UE 401 may be provided to the AMF 451 through the second RAN 412 in which the first UE 401 is located. Thus, the AMF 451 may select an SMF based on the DNN included in the PDU session setup request. Although only one SMF 452 is illustrated in the example of FIG. 4, multiple SMFs may exist in an actual 5GC system, and the AMF 451 selects one SMF from the multiple SMFs based on the DNN. However, it should be noted that FIG. 4 illustrates only one SMF for simplicity and ease of understanding. The AMF 451 may also transmit the PDU session setup request transmitted by the first UE 401 to the selected SMF 452. Here, the SMF 452 selected by the AMF 451 is an SMF that can perform the PDU Session setup request sent by the first UE 401, and can be determined based on the DNN.

[0080] When the SMF 452 receives a PDU session setup request transmitted by the first UE 401 from the AMF 451, it can acquire subordinate group information from the upper group information from the UDR 453. That is, the SMF 452 can request lower group information while providing the upper group information of the first UE 401 to the UDR 453, and receive the lower group information of the first UE 401 from the UDR 453 in response. The SMF 452 can also check member information included in the lower group from the lower group information received from the UDR 453. In addition, the SMF 452 can request QoS policy information for each subordinate group for the subordinate group corresponding to the first UE 401 from the PCF 454, and receive the QoS policy information for each subordinate group from the PCF 454. As another example, the SMF 452 may receive and store a QoS policy for each subordinate group from the PCF 454 in advance.

[0081] The SMF 452 can select a UPF based on the subordinate group information received from the UDR 453 and request the selected UPF to set up a forwarding table. The SMF 452 can also proceed with QoS setting according to the QoS policy of the subordinate group received from the PCF 454. In the first embodiment, it is assumed that a service is provided to two groups having different QoS policies in one upper group. Therefore, the QoS policy of the subordinate group provided by the SMF 452 as the second UPF 422 can set up a forwarding table so that each group has a different QoS. That is, one upper group is used to provide different QoS to two subordinate groups, a first group G1 and a second group G2, which have different QoS.

[0082] The second UPF 412 can set a forwarding table in response to a request from the SMF 452. For example, a higher-level service may be assumed in which the first UE 401 requests another UE to receive data. In this case, the data may be transmitted from the first UE 401, or the first UE 401 may request that the data be transmitted from a specific DNN. It may be assumed that such a service has two different lower-level groups, i.e., a first group G1 and a second group G2, depending on QoS.

[0083] In this case, a first group G1, which is one of the lower groups included in the upper group, may be configured to have a first level of QoS, and a second group G2, which is the remaining lower group included in the upper group, may be configured to have a second level of QoS. It is assumed here that the first level of QoS has a higher priority than the second level of QoS. Therefore, the second UPF 422 can configure a forwarding table for a member corresponding to the first group G1 (e.g., the second UE 402) to transmit data at the first level of QoS, and can configure a forwarding table for a member corresponding to the second group G2 (e.g., the third UE 403) to transmit data at the second level of QoS.

[0084] In this way, when configuring the forwarding table, forwarding to a lower group with a higher QoS can be set to have a higher priority than forwarding to a group with a lower QoS. This is because the forwarding priority for each group is determined based on the QoS policy level mapped by the PCF 454 in response to a request from the AF 456. Therefore, even if there are five lower groups, there may be four levels of forwarding, with different priorities based on the QoS policy level mapped by the PCF 454. Therefore, it is assumed that the first and second groups illustrated in FIG. 4 are both mapped by the PCF 454 with different QoS policies.

[0085] The first UE 401 can transmit data with the highest QoS among the QoS of the subgroups. For example, if the first group G1 has the highest QoS, the first UE 401 can transmit data to the second PDN 432 with the QoS of the first group G1 through the first RAN 412 and the second UPF 422. Therefore, the second UPF 422 can provide data received from the first PDN 432 to the second UE 402 through the second RAN 412 as the member with the highest priority based on the forwarding table received from the SMF 452, i.e., the second UE 402 belonging to the first group G1.

[0086] Furthermore, after transmitting data to the second UE 402, the second UPF 422 may determine that there are remaining members. In the example of FIG. 4, it may determine that no data is being transmitted to the third UE 403 belonging to the second group G2. Therefore, the second UPF 422 may select a lower group having the highest priority among the remaining members. In FIG. 4, since only two groups are assumed, the second group G2 may be selected. However, if a third group having a lower priority than the second group G2 exists, the second UPF 422 may select the second group G2 according to the priority of the second group G2 and the third group.

[0087] In addition, the second UPF 422 can set the destination as the third UE 403 while transmitting data to the first UPF 421 to transmit data to the third UE 403, which is a member of the second group. This allows the first UPF 421 to transmit the data received from the second UPF 422 to the third UE 403 through the first RAN 411.

[0088] The above description assumes that one upper group includes two lower groups. However, even if one upper group includes three or more lower groups, the same operation can be performed according to the above method. That is, if there is a destination (e.g., UE) of a lower lower group among the members of the upper group, the data can be transmitted through the UPF configured to transmit data to the corresponding destination, and the above operation can be repeated.

[0089] Next, a procedure for setting up different PDU Sessions for each of a plurality of subgroups using a plurality of DNNs corresponding to each of the subgroups will be described.

[0090] First, the AF 456 can set multiple groups in the 5GS. Here, the multiple groups can be understood as corresponding to multiple lower groups belonging to one upper group described above. However, in this disclosure, for ease of understanding, each group will be described in the form of a single group. Each of these multiple groups can be set to have different QoS requirements. The AF 456 can transmit different QoS requirements or requirement information for each group to the 5GC NF via the NEF 455. For example, the AF 456 can transmit different QoS requirements for each group to the UDM / UDR 453 via the NEF 455. As a result, a specific 5GC NF can map the QoS requirements for each group to a policy in the 5GC network and determine the QoS policy to be actually supported by the AF 456. Therefore, the UDM / UDR 453 can provide different QoS requirement information required for each group to the PCF 454, which manages the policy. The type of QoS requirement requested by the AF 456 and the number of QoS policies that the PCF 454 actually determines to support may differ. For example, even if the AF 456 requests five different groups and five different QoS requirements for those groups, the PCF 454 maps them and the number of QoS policies that it actually supports can be four. In this case, the number of QoS policies that the PCF 454 actually supports can be less than or equal to the number of QoS requirements that the AF 456 requests for each group.

[0091] A case will be described in which a first UE 401 among multiple UEs requests PDU session setup for each group divided into DNNs. The first UE 401 may request PDU session setup for multiple DNNs corresponding to multiple groups. The PDU session setup request transmitted by the first UE 401 may be provided to the AMF 451 through the second RAN 412 in which the first UE 401 is located. The AMF 451, having received the PDU session setup request, may select an SMF based on the DNN with the highest priority, or may select an SMF that supports all of the multiple DNNs. The DNN with the highest priority may be preset. As another example, the AMF 451 may read QoS information configured for each DNN in the PCF 454 and determine the DNN with the highest QoS policy. As yet another example, the AMF 451 may determine the SMF based on the order of the DNNs included in the PDU session setup request received from the first UE 401. As described in the previous embodiment, multiple SMFs may exist in 5GC. However, in the example of Fig. 4, only one SMF is illustrated for the sake of simplicity and ease of understanding, so the second embodiment of Fig. 4 will be described assuming that SMF 452 is selected.

[0092] When the selected SMF 452 receives the PDU session setup request transmitted by the first UE 401 from the AMF 451, it can acquire multiple group information from the UDR 453. That is, the SMF 452 can provide the UDR 453 with information on each group for which the first UE 401 has requested service and receive information for each group. The SMF 452 can also check member information for each group from the information on each group received from the UDR 453. More specifically, the SMF 452 can request QoS policy information for each group from the PCF 454 corresponding to each DNN group for which the first UE 401 has requested a PDU session, and receive the QoS policy information for each group from the PCF 454.

[0093] The SMF 452 can select a UPF according to the group information received from the UDR 453 and request the selected UPF to set up a forwarding table. The SMF 452 can also proceed with QoS setting according to the group QoS policy received from the PCF 454. In FIG. 4, two different UPFs are illustrated. The first UPF 421 is a UPF connected to the first PDN 431, and the second UPF 422 is a UPF connected to the second PDN 432. That is, the first PDN 431 can correspond to one DNN, and the second PDN 432 can correspond to another DNN. These DNNs can have different QoS.

[0094] As described above, the first UE 410 can transmit service data for the first group G1 and the second group G2, which are two groups having different QoS for each group. Therefore, the SMF 452 can select the second UPF 422 to provide a service corresponding to the first group G1. The SMF 452 can also select the first UPF 421 to provide a service corresponding to the second group G2.

[0095] Each UPF can configure a forwarding table in response to a request from the SMF 452. For example, a service based on data (or a request) transmitted by the first UE 410 can be assumed to be provided to other UEs. In this case, the SMF 452 can select a second UPF 422 for the first group G1 corresponding to the first DNN and configure a second PDN 432 and a forwarding table for providing the first group G1 service to the selected second UPF 422. As a result, the second UPF 422 can configure a route based on the second PDN 432 and the forwarding table to provide the service of the first group G1.

[0096] Furthermore, the SMF 452 may select the first UPF 421 for the second group G2 corresponding to the second DNN, and may configure the first PDN 431 and a forwarding table that provide the service for the second group G2 in the selected first UPF 421. As a result, the first UPF 421 may configure a route based on the first PDN 431 and the forwarding table to provide the service for the second group G2. Therefore, the forwarding tables provided by the first UPF 421 and the second UPF 422 may be different from each other.

[0097] When configuring the forwarding table, each UPF can be configured so that forwarding to a lower group with a higher QoS has a higher priority than forwarding to a lower group with a lower QoS. This is because the forwarding priority for each group is determined based on the QoS policy level mapped by the PCF 454 in response to a request from the AF 456. Therefore, even if there are five lower groups, there may be four levels of forwarding with different priorities based on the QoS policy level mapped by the PCF 454.

[0098] The first UE 401 may transmit data with the highest QoS among the QoS of multiple groups. For example, if the first group has the highest QoS, the first UE 401 may transmit data to the second PDN 432 via the first RAN 412 and the second UPF 422. As a result, the second UPF 422 may provide data received from the first PDN 432 to the second UE 402, which is a member having the highest priority based on the forwarding table received from the SMF 452, i.e., the second UE 402 belonging to the first group G1, via the second RAN 412.

[0099] Furthermore, the first UPF 421 can transmit data received from the first PDN 431 to the third UE 403 through the first PDN RAN 411 based on a forwarding table configured based on the QoS information received from the SMF 452. In this case, if the QoS level of the first group G1 is higher than the QoS level of the second group G2, the QoS for the first group G1 can be set higher. For example, assuming that the latency requirement of the first group G1 is 10 ms, the latency requirement of the second group G2 can be 20 ms.

[0100] The above description is based on the assumption that two groups are included, but the same method can be used even if three or more groups are included.

[0101] FIG. 5 is a signal flowchart illustrating a method for establishing a PDU session using a pre-configured subgroup when multiple UPFs are used according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0102] Before referring to FIG. 5, each component illustrated in FIG. 5 will be described using each NF illustrated in FIG. 4. However, please note that components not shown in FIG. 4 use different reference numerals. In addition, in FIG. 5, PCF / NEF may not mean that the two components can be embodied as one server. To reduce the complexity of the drawing, one form is illustrated, and the operation of each function will be described separately.

[0103] In step 0, the AF 456 can set group information in the UDR 468 via the NEF 454. As described in the first embodiment of FIG. 4, group A can be configured to have subgroup 1 and subgroup 2. For subgroup 1 and subgroup 2, QoS requirements can be requested as QoS1 req and QoS2 req, respectively. When this QoS request is stored in the PCF 454, it can be mapped to a network policy and set as QoS1 and QoS2 policies. The type of QoS requirement requested by the AF 456 and the number of QoS policies that the PCF 454 actually decides to support may differ. For example, QoS1 req and QoS2 req may be different, but QoS1 and QoS2 may be the same. In the following description, it is assumed that QoS1 and QoS2 are different from each other.

[0104] In step 1, UE1 (401), which belongs to both subgroup 1 and subgroup 2, can send a PDU Session request to AMF 451 using a DNN corresponding to group A. In step 1a, AMF 451 can select an SMF 452 using a DNN corresponding to group A. In step 1b, AMF 451 can transmit the PDU Session request to the selected SMF 452.

[0105] In step 2, the SMF 452 obtains information on subgroup 1 and subgroup 2 related to group A to which UE 1 (401) has joined from the UDR / UDM 458, and in step 2a, the SMF 452 can obtain the policies for QoS 1 related to subgroup 1 and QoS 2 related to subgroup 2 from the PCF 454.

[0106] In steps 3 and 3a, the SMF 452 can request traffic forwarding and QoS configurations related to subgroup1 and subgroup2 from UPF1 (421) and UPF2 (422), respectively.

[0107] In step 4, traffic forwarding paths related to subgroup1 and subgroup2 can be set in UPF1 (421) and UPF2 (422), respectively. The traffic forwarding path setting can be understood in the same sense as the Forwarding Table setting described in Figure 4. When setting the Forwarding Table, it can be set so that forwarding for subgroup1, which has a higher QoS, has priority over forwarding for subgroup2, which has a lower QoS. Since the forwarding priority for each group is determined according to the QoS Policy level mapped in step 0, if the QoS1 and QoS2 assigned to subgroup1 and subgroup2 are the same, the forwarding can be set to the same priority.

[0108] In step 5, SMF 452 can set the QoS to the higher QoS 1 between QoS 1 assigned to subgroup 1 and QoS 2 assigned to subgroup 2 while transmitting a PDU Session Setup Response to UE 1 (401).

[0109] In step 5a, UE2 (402), which belongs only to subgroup1, can transmit a PDU session setup request to AMF 451 using the DNN for group A while setting up a PDU session. AMF 451 can select SMF 452 using the DNN corresponding to group A. Since the selection of SMF has been described above in FIG. 4, a redundant description will be omitted. AMF 451 can transmit a PDU session request to the selected SMF 452. SMF 452 can obtain subgroup1 information related to group A to which UE2 (402) has joined from UDR / UDM 453 and obtain the QoS1 policy related to subgroup1 from PCF 454. SMF 452 can request UPF1 (421) and UPF2 (422) to set traffic forwarding and QoS related to subgroup1. UPF1 (421) and UPF2 (422) each set the traffic forwarding path related to subgroup1 as QoS1. The SMF 452 can set the QoS to QoS1 assigned to subgroup1 while transmitting a PDU Session setup response to the UE2 (402).

[0110] In step 5b, UE3 (403), which belongs only to subgroup2, can transmit a PDU session setup request to the AMF 451 from the DNN for group A while setting up a PDU session. The AMF 451 can select the SMF 452 using the DNN corresponding to group A. The AMF 451 can transmit the PDU session request to the selected SMF 452. The SMF 452 can obtain information about subgroup2 related to group A to which the UE3 (403) has joined from the UDR / UDM 453 and obtain the QoS2 policy related to subgroup2 from the PCF 454. The SMF 452 can request traffic forwarding and QoS setup related to subgroup2 from the UPF1 (421) and UPF2 (422). Each of the UPF1 (421) and UPF2 (422) can set the traffic forwarding path related to subgroup2 to QoS2. The SMF 452 can set the QoS to QoS2 assigned to subgroup2 while sending a PDU Session setup response to the UE3 (403).

[0111] In step 6, UE1 (401) can transmit data destined for group A to UPF1 (421) with QoS1.

[0112] In step 7, the UPF1 (421) can determine a packet forwarding rule so that data transmitted from the UE1 (401) to group A is first transmitted to subgroup1.

[0113] In step 8, UPF1 (421) can deliver data transmitted from UE1 to group A to UE2 (402) belonging to subgroup1 with QoS1.

[0114] In step 8a, UPF1 (421) can transmit data transmitted from UE1 (401) to group A to UPF2 (422). In this case, transmission between UPF1 (421) and UPF2 (422) can be transmitted with QoS1, which is the higher QoS of subgroup1 and subgroup2.

[0115] In step 8b, UPF1 (421) can deliver data transmitted from UE1 (401) to group A to station 441 belonging to subgroup 1 located in the data network with QoS 1.

[0116] In step 9, UPF2 (422) can determine a packet forwarding rule to forward data transmitted from UE1 (401) to group A to subgroup 2, which does not belong to subgroup 1. This determination can be made based on step 5b.

[0117] In step 10, the UPF2 (422) can deliver the data transmitted from the UE1 (401) to the group A to the UE3 (403) belonging to the subgroup2 with QoS2.

[0118] In step 10a, the UPF2 (422) can deliver data transmitted from the UE1 (401) to the group A to the station 422 belonging to the subgroup 2 located in the data network with QoS2.

[0119] According to the above-described Fig. 5, it is possible to perform an operation in which a plurality of subgroups are pre-configured for one upper group as described in Fig. 4, and a DNN indicating the upper group is used during a PDU session. In this way, when the embodiment of Fig. 5 is used, data can be transmitted corresponding to different QoS to lower groups having different QoS levels within one group.

[0120] FIG. 6 is a signal flowchart illustrating a method for establishing a PDU session using a pre-configured subgroup when using a single UPF according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0121] In Figure 6, the same reference numerals as those in Figure 5 will be used for the description, and therefore, the contents of each NF mentioned in Figure 5 can also be applied to Figure 6.

[0122] In step 0, the AF 456 can set group information in the UDR 468 via the NEF 454. Assume that group A is configured to have subgroup 1 and subgroup 2, as described in the first embodiment of FIG. 4 . For subgroup 1 and subgroup 2, QoS requirements can be requested as QoS1 req and QoS2 req, respectively. When this QoS request is stored in the PCF 454, it can be mapped to a network policy and set as QoS1 and QoS2 policies. Also, as described above, the type of QoS requirement requested by the AF 456 and the number of QoS policies that the PCF 454 actually determines to support may differ. For example, QoS1 req and QoS2 req may be different, but QoS1 and QoS2 may be the same. In the following description, it is assumed that QoS1 and QoS2 are different from each other.

[0123] In step 1, UE1 (401) belonging to both subgroup 1 and subgroup 2 can send a PDU Session request to AMF 451 using a DNN corresponding to group A. In step 1a, AMF 451 can select an SMF 452 using a DNN corresponding to group A. In step 1b, AMF 451 can transmit the PDU Session request to the selected SMF 452.

[0124] In step 2, the SMF 452 obtains information on subgroup 1 and subgroup 2 related to group A to which UE 1 (401) has joined from the UDR / UDM 458, and in step 2a, the SMF 452 can obtain the policies for QoS 1 related to subgroup 1 and QoS 2 related to subgroup 2 from the PCF 454.

[0125] In step 3, SMF 452 can request UPF1 (421) to configure traffic forwarding and QoS settings related to subgroup1 and subgroup2.

[0126] In step 4, UPF1 (421) can set up a traffic forwarding path related to subgroup1 and subgroup2. As described in Figure 5, the traffic forwarding path setting can be understood in the same sense as the Forwarding Table setting described in Figure 4. When setting up the Forwarding Table, it can be set up so that forwarding for subgroup1, which has a higher QoS, has a higher priority than forwarding for subgroup2, which has a lower QoS. In addition, since the forwarding priority for each group is determined according to the QoS Policy level mapped in step 0, if the QoS1 and QoS2 assigned to subgroup1 and subgroup2 are the same, the forwarding can be set to the same priority.

[0127] In step 5, SMF 452 can set the QoS to the higher QoS 1 between QoS 1 assigned to subgroup 1 and QoS 2 assigned to subgroup 2 while transmitting a PDU Session Setup Response to UE 1 (401).

[0128] In step 5a, UE2 (402), which belongs only to subgroup1, can transmit a PDU session setup request to AMF 451 using the DNN for group A while setting up a PDU session. AMF 451 can select SMF 452 using the DNN corresponding to group A. Since the selection of SMF has been described above in FIG. 4, a duplicated description will be omitted. AMF 451 can transmit the PDU session request to the selected SMF 452. SMF 452 can obtain subgroup1 information related to group A to which UE2 (402) has joined from UDR / UDM 453 and obtain the QoS1 policy related to subgroup1 from PCF 454. SMF 452 can request UPF1 (421) to set traffic forwarding and QoS related to subgroup1. SMF 452 can set the traffic forwarding path related to subgroup1 to QoS1 in UPF1 (421). In addition, the SMF 452 can set the QoS to QoS1 assigned to subgroup1 while transmitting a PDU session setup response to the UE2 (402).

[0129] In step 5b, UE3 (403), which belongs only to subgroup2, can transmit a PDU session setup request to AMF451 using the DNN for group A while setting up a PDU session. AMF451 can select SMF452 using the DNN corresponding to group A. AMF451 can transmit the PDU session request to the selected SMF452. SMF452 can obtain information about subgroup2 related to group A to which UE3 (403) has joined from UDR / UDM453 and obtain the QoS2 policy related to subgroup2 from PCF454. SMF452 can request traffic forwarding and QoS setup related to subgroup2 from UPF1 (421). UPF1 (421) can set the traffic forwarding path related to subgroup2 to QoS2. SMF452 can set the QoS with QoS2 assigned to subgroup2 while transmitting a PDU session setup response to UE3 (403).

[0130] In step 6, UE1 (401) can transmit data destined for group A to UPF1 (421) with QoS1.

[0131] In step 7, the UPF1 (421) can determine the packet forwarding rule by first transmitting the data transmitted from the UE1 (401) to the group A to the subgroup1.

[0132] In step 8, UPF1 (421) can deliver data transmitted from UE1 (401) to group A to UE2 (402) belonging to subgroup1 with QoS1.

[0133] In step 8a, UPF1 (421) can deliver data transmitted from UE1 (401) to group A to station 441 belonging to subgroup 1 located in the data network with QoS1. Here, steps 8 and 8a may be performed in reverse order or simultaneously depending on the required QoS. For example, if there is little difference in the required latency between QoS2 and QoS1, they may be performed simultaneously, or step 8a may be performed first and then step 8.

[0134] In step 9, UPF1 (421) can determine the packet forwarding rule by transmitting the data transmitted from UE1 (401) to group A to subgroup2, which does not belong to subgroup1.

[0135] In step 10, the UPF1 (421) can deliver the data transmitted from the UE1 (401) to the group A to the UE3 (403) belonging to the subgroup2 with QoS2.

[0136] In step 10a, UPF1 (421) can deliver data transmitted from UE1 (401) to group A to station 422 belonging to subgroup 2 located in the data network with QoS2.

[0137] According to Figure 6 described above, even if there is only one UPF instead of two UPFs as in Figure 5, multiple subgroups can be pre-configured in one upper group, and during a PDU session, operations can be performed using a DNN indicating the upper group.

[0138] FIG. 7 is a signal flowchart of a PDU session establishment method using multiple groups when multiple UPFs are used according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0139] The same reference numerals as those in FIG. 5 will be used in the description of FIG. 7. Therefore, the contents of each NF in FIG. 5 can be similarly applied to FIG. 7. The embodiment of FIG. 7 can also correspond to the second example in the description of FIG. 4.

[0140] In step 0, the AF 456 can set multiple group information in the UDR 468 via the NEF 454. Here, it is assumed that the multiple groups are a first group (Group 1) and a second group (Group 2). For Group 1 and Group 2, QoS requirements can be requested via QoS1 req and QoS2 req, respectively. When this QoS request is stored in the PCF 454, it can be mapped to a network policy and set as QoS1 and QoS2 policies. Also, as described above, the type of QoS requirements requested by the AF 456 and the number of QoS policies that the PCF 454 actually decides to support may differ. For example, QoS1 req and QoS2 req may be different, but QoS1 and QoS2 may be the same. In the following description, it is assumed that QoS1 and QoS2 are different from each other.

[0141] In step 1, UE1 (401), which belongs to both Group 1 and Group 2, can transmit a PDU Session request to the AMF 451 using the first DNN corresponding to Group 1 and the second DNN corresponding to Group 2 simultaneously. The AMF 451, which receives a PDU Session request using the first DNN and the second DNN simultaneously, can select an SMF 452 based on the DNN with the highest priority. As another example, the AMF 451 can select an SMF that supports multiple DNNs. The highest priority DNN may be pre-configured. In this case, if pre-configured, the AMF 451 can read the configured QoS information and determine it as the DNN with the highest QoS policy. If information regarding the highest priority DNN is not pre-configured, the DNN for selecting an SMF can also be determined according to the order of the DNNs included in the PDU Session setup request. Figure 7 illustrates an example of selecting an SMF based on Group 1. Therefore, the AMF 451 can select an SMF based on Group 1 in step 1a. In a subsequent step 1b, the AMF 451 can transmit the PDU Session request to the selected SMF 452.

[0142] In step 2, the SMF 452 can obtain information on Group 1 and Group 2 that UE1 (401) has joined based on the DNN sent by UE1 (401) in the PDU Session Setup Request from the UDR / UDM 453. In the subsequent step 2b, the SMF 452 can obtain the policies for QoS1 associated with Group 1 and QoS2 associated with Group 2 from the PCF 454.

[0143] In steps 3 and 3a, the SMF 452 can request traffic forwarding and QoS settings related to Group 1 and Group 2 from UPF1 (421) and UPF2 (422).

[0144] In steps 4 and 4a, UPF1 (421) and UPF2 (422) can set traffic forwarding paths associated with Group1 and Group2, respectively. Here, as described above in FIGS. 5 and 6, the traffic forwarding path setting can be understood in the same sense as the Forwarding Table setting described in FIG. 4. When setting up the Forwarding Table, Group1 Forwarding, which has a higher QoS, can be set to have priority over Group2 Forwarding, which has a lower QoS. In addition, since the forwarding priority for each group is determined according to the QoS Policy level mapped in step 0, if QoS1 and QoS2 assigned to Group1 and Group2 are the same, the Forwarding can be set with the same priority.

[0145] In step 5, SMF 452 can set the QoS to the higher QoS 1 between QoS 1 assigned to Group 1 and QoS 2 assigned to Group 2 while transmitting a PDU Session Setup Response to UE 1 (401).

[0146] In step 5a, UE2 (402), which belongs only to Group 1, can transmit a PDU Session Setup Request to the AMF 451 for the primary DNN corresponding to Group 1 while establishing a PDU Session. The AMF 451 can select an SMF 452 using the primary DNN corresponding to Group 1. Here, the SMF selection has been described above with reference to FIG. 4, so a redundant description will be omitted. The AMF 451 can transmit the PDU Session Request to the selected SMF 452. The SMF 452 can obtain Group 1 information subscribed based on the primary DNN included in the PDU Session Setup Request transmitted by UE2 (402) from the UDR / UDM 453 and obtain the QoS1 policy related to Group 1 from the PCF 454. The SMF 452 can request traffic forwarding and QoS configuration related to Group 1 from the UPF1 (421) and UPF2 (422). The SMF 452 can set the traffic forwarding path related to Group 1 to QoS 1 in UPF1 (421) and UPF2 (422). The SMF 452 also sets the QoS to QoS 1 assigned to Group 1 while transmitting a PDU Session Setup Response to UE2 (402).

[0147] In step 5b, UE3 (403) belonging only to Group 2 can transmit a PDU Session Setup Request to the AMF 451 for the secondary DNN corresponding to Group 2 while setting up a PDU Session. The AMF 451 can select the SMF 452 using the secondary DNN corresponding to Group 2. The AMF 452 can transmit the PDU Session Request to the selected SMF 452. The SMF 452 can obtain information about Group 2 to which the UE3 (403) has joined based on the secondary DNN included in the PDU Session Setup Request from the UDR / UDM 453 and obtain the QoS2 policy related to Group 2 from the PCF 454. The SMF 452 can request traffic forwarding and QoS configuration related to Group 2 from the UPF1 (421) and UPF2 (422). The UPF1 (421) and UPF2 (422) can set the traffic forwarding path related to Group 2 to QoS2. The SMF 452 can set the QoS to QoS2 assigned to group 2 while transmitting a PDU Session setup response to the UE3 (403).

[0148] In step 6, UE1 (401) can transmit data destined for Group1 and Group2 to UPF1 (421) with QoS1.

[0149] In step 7, UPF1 (421) can determine a packet forwarding rule by first transmitting data transmitted from UE1 (401) to Group1 and Group2 to Group1.

[0150] In step 8, UPF1 (421) can deliver data transmitted from UE1 (401) to Group1 and Group2 to UE2 (402) belonging to Group1 with QoS1.

[0151] In step 8a, UPF1 (421) can deliver data transmitted from UE1 (401) to Group1 and Group2 to UPE2 (422) with QoS1, which is a higher QoS for Group1 and Group2. Here, steps 8 and 8a may be performed in reverse order or simultaneously depending on the required QoS. For example, if there is little difference in the required latency between QoS2 and QoS1, they may be performed simultaneously, or step 8a may be performed first and then step 8 may be performed.

[0152] In step 8b, UPF1 (421) can deliver data transmitted from UE1 (401) to Group1 and Group2 to Station 441 belonging to Group1 located in the data network with QoS1.

[0153] In step 9, the UPF2 (422) can determine a packet forwarding rule by transmitting data transmitted from the UE1 (401) to Group1 and Group2 to Group2, which does not belong to Group1.

[0154] In step 10, UPF2 (421) can deliver data transmitted from UE1 (401) to Group1 and Group2 to UE3 (403) belonging to Group2 with QoS2.

[0155] In step 10a, the UPF2 (421) can deliver data transmitted from the UE1 (401) to Group1 and Group2 to the station 442 belonging to Group2 located in the data network with QoS2.

[0156] According to Fig. 7 described above, it is possible to use different DNNs corresponding to different groups. That is, it is possible to perform the operation corresponding to the second embodiment described in Fig. 4. In this way, even if each group is not divided into one upper group and one lower group, and multiple groups are set in advance and a DNN indicating each group is used during a PDU session, it is possible to provide services according to different QoS.

[0157] FIG. 8 is a signal flowchart of a PDU session establishment method using multiple groups when using a single UPF according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0158] The same reference numerals as those in Fig. 5 will be used in Fig. 8. Therefore, the contents of each NF in Fig. 5 can be similarly applied to Fig. 8. In addition, the embodiment of Fig. 8 may correspond to the case where one UPF in the second example in the description of Fig. 4 is used.

[0159] In step 0, the AF 456 can set group information in the UDR 468 via the NEF 454. Here, it is assumed that a first group (Group1) and a second group (Group2) are set, as in FIG. 7. For Group1 and Group2, QoS requirements can be requested to be set using QoS1 req and QoS2 req, respectively. When this QoS request is stored in the PCF 454, it can be mapped to a network policy and set as QoS1 and QoS2 policies. Also, as described above, the type of QoS requirements requested by the AF 456 and the number of QoS policies that the PCF 454 actually decides to support may differ. For example, QoS1 req and QoS2 req may be different, but QoS1 and QoS2 may be the same. In the following description, it is assumed that QoS1 and QoS2 are different from each other.

[0160] In step 1, UE1 (401) belonging to both Group 1 and Group 2 can transmit a PDU Session request to the AMF 451 using the first DNN corresponding to Group 1 and the second DNN corresponding to Group 2 simultaneously. The AMF 451, which receives the PDU Session request using the first DNN and the second DNN simultaneously, can select an SMF 452 based on the DNN with the highest priority. As another example, the AMF 451 can select an SMF that supports multiple DNNs. The DNN with the highest priority may be pre-configured. If the DNN with the highest priority is pre-configured, the pre-configured QoS information can be read and the DNN can be determined as the DNN with the highest QoS policy. If information regarding the DNN with the highest priority is not pre-configured, the DNN for selecting an SMF can also be determined according to the order of the DNNs included in the PDU Session setup request. Figure 8 illustrates an example of selecting an SMF based on Group 1, similar to Figure 7 described above. Therefore, the AMF 451 can select an SMF 452 based on Group 1 in step 1a. In a subsequent step 1b, the AMF 451 can transmit the PDU Session request to the selected SMF 452.

[0161] In step 2, the SMF 452 can obtain information on Group 1 and Group 2 that the UE 1 (401) has joined based on the DNN sent by the UE 1 (401) in the PDU Session Setup Request from the UDR / UDM 453. In the subsequent step 2b, the SMF 452 can obtain the policies for QoS1 associated with Group 1 and QoS2 associated with Group 2 from the PCF 454.

[0162] In three steps, the SMF 452 can request traffic forwarding and QoS settings related to Group 1 and Group 2 from UPF1 (421) and UPF2 (422).

[0163] In step 4, UPF1 (421) can set up a traffic forwarding path related to Group1 and Group2. Here, as described above in Figures 5 and 6, the traffic forwarding path setting can be understood in the same sense as the Forwarding Table setting described in Figure 4. When setting up the Forwarding Table, it can be set up so that Forwarding for Group1, which has a higher QoS, has a higher priority than Forwarding for Group2, which has a lower QoS. In addition, since the forwarding priority for each group is determined according to the QoS Policy level mapped in step 0, if the QoS1 and QoS2 assigned to Group1 and Group2 are the same, the Forwarding can also be set up with the same priority.

[0164] In step 5, SMF 452 can set the QoS to the higher QoS 1 between QoS 1 assigned to Group 11 and QoS 2 assigned to Group 2 while transmitting a PDU Session Setup Response to UE 1 (401).

[0165] In step 5a, UE2 (402), which belongs only to Group1, can transmit a PDU session setup request to the AMF 451 for the primary DNN corresponding to Group1 while setting up a PDU session. The AMF 451 can select an SMF 452 using the primary DNN corresponding to Group1. Here, the SMF selection has been described above with reference to FIG. 4, so a redundant description will be omitted. The AMF 451 can transmit the PDU session request to the selected SMF 452. The SMF 452 can obtain Group1 information to which UE2 (402) has joined based on the primary DNN included in the PDU session setup request from the UDR / UDM 453 and can obtain the QoS1 policy related to Group1 from the PCF 454. The SMF 452 can request traffic forwarding and QoS setup related to Group1 from the UPF1 (421). The UPF1 (421) can set the traffic forwarding path related to Group1 to QoS1. The SMF 452 can set the QoS to QoS1 assigned to Group1 while transmitting a PDU Session setup response to the UE2 (402).

[0166] In step 5b, UE3 (403) belonging only to Group 2 can transmit a PDU session setup request to the AMF 451 for the secondary DNN corresponding to Group 2 while setting up a PDU session. The AMF 451 can select the SMF 452 using the secondary DNN corresponding to Group 2. The AMF 451 can transmit the PDU session request to the selected SMF 452. The SMF 452 can obtain information about Group 2 to which the UE3 (403) has joined based on the secondary DNN included in the PDU session setup request from the UDR / UDM 453 and can obtain the QoS2 policy related to Group 2 from the PCF 454. The SMF 452 can request traffic forwarding and QoS setup related to Group 2 from the UPF1 (421). The UPF1 (421) can set the traffic forwarding path related to Group 2 to QoS2. The SMF 452 can set the QoS to QoS2 assigned to Group 2 while transmitting a PDU Session setup response to the UE 3 (403).

[0167] In step 6, UE1 (401) can transmit data destined for Group 1 and Group 2 to UPF1 (421) with QoS1.

[0168] In step 7, UPF1 (421) can determine a packet forwarding rule by first transmitting data transmitted from UE1 (401) to Group1 and Group2 to Group1.

[0169] In step 8, UPF1 (421) can deliver data transmitted from UE1 (401) to Group1 and Group2 to UE2 (402) belonging to Group1 with QoS1.

[0170] In step 8b, UPF1 (421) can deliver data transmitted from UE1 (401) to Group1 and Group2 to Station 441 belonging to Group1 located in the data network with QoS1.

[0171] In step 9, the UPF2 (422) can determine a packet forwarding rule by transmitting data transmitted from the UE1 (401) to Group1 and Group2 to Group2, which does not belong to Group1.

[0172] In step 10, UPF2 (421) can deliver data transmitted from UE1 (401) to Group1 and Group2 to UE3 (403) belonging to Group2 with QoS2.

[0173] In step 10a, the UPF2 (421) can deliver data transmitted from the UE1 (401) to Group1 and Group2 to the station 442 belonging to Group2 located in the data network with QoS2.

[0174] According to the above-described Fig. 8, different DNNs may be used corresponding to different groups, and in this case, one UPF may be used. In other words, this is the operation corresponding to the second embodiment described in Fig. 4, and only one UPF may be used at the same time. In this way, by setting multiple groups in advance and using DNNs indicating each group during a PDU session, services can be provided according to different QoS even if only one UPF is used.

[0175] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a UE according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0176] As shown in Fig. 9, the UE of the present disclosure may include a communication unit 912, a memory 913, and a control unit 911. The control unit 911, the communication unit 912, and the memory 913 of the UE may operate according to the UE communication methods described with reference to Figs. 1 to 8. However, the components of the UE are not limited to those illustrated in Fig. 9. For example, the UE may include more or fewer components than those illustrated in Fig. 9. Furthermore, the control unit 911, the communication unit 912, and the memory 913 may be embodied in the form of a single chip.

[0177] The communication unit 912, which generally refers to a receiver for wireless communication of the UE and a transmitter for wireless communication of the UE, can transmit and receive signals to and from a base station or a network entity. Signals transmitted and received from the base station may include control information and data. To this end, the communication unit 912 may include an RF transmitter that up-converts and amplifies the frequency of a signal to be transmitted, an RF receiver that low-noise amplifies a received signal and down-converts the frequency, etc. However, this is merely one embodiment of the communication unit 912, and the components of the communication unit 912 are not limited to an RF transmitter and an RF receiver.

[0178] The communication unit 912 may include a wired / wireless transceiver and may include various configurations for transmitting and receiving signals. The communication unit 912 may receive a signal through a wireless channel and output it to the control unit 911, and transmit the signal output from the control unit 911 through the wireless channel. The communication unit 912 may receive a communication signal and output it to the control unit 911, and transmit the signal output from the control unit 911 to a network entity through a wired / wireless network.

[0179] The memory 913 can store programs and data necessary for the operation of the UE. Furthermore, the memory 913 can store control information or data included in signals (or messages) acquired by the UE. The memory 913 can be configured from a storage medium such as a ROM, a RAM, a hard disk, a CD-ROM, a DVD, or a combination of storage media.

[0180] The controller 911 may control a series of processes for the operation of the UE according to the embodiments of the present disclosure described above with reference to Figures 1 to 8. The controller 911 may include at least one processor. For example, the controller 911 may include a communication processor (CP) that controls modulation / demodulation and encoding / decoding of signals / messages / data required for communication, and an application processor (AP) that processes (or controls) data / signals / messages processed by the communication processor at a higher layer such as an application program.

[0181] Furthermore, the UE may include input / output devices for interfacing with a user and devices such as a speaker and microphone for processing voice calls over VoNR and / or existing wireless networks. The input devices may include, for example, at least one of a touch screen, a touch pad, a stylus, keys, a voice recognizer, and a gesture recognizer. The output devices may include, for example, at least one of a display, a vibration motor, a speaker, and a lamp.

[0182] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a network function according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0183] The network entity shown in Figure 10 may be at least one of the network functions NF. Referring to Figure 10, the configuration of the network entity may include a controller 1011, a network interface 1012, and a memory 1013. The network entity according to the present disclosure may be at least one of the NFs described above in Figures 1 to 8.

[0184] The components of the NF are not limited to the configuration illustrated in FIG. 10. For example, the NF may include more or fewer components than those described above. Furthermore, the controller 1011, the network interface 1012, and the memory 1013 may be implemented in the form of a single chip or in the form of an instance within a specific server. The NF may be any one of the above-mentioned RAN, AMF, SMF, PCF, UDM / UDR, UPF, and NEF.

[0185] The network interface 1012, which is collectively referred to as the receiver and transmitter of an NF, can transmit and receive signals to and from the UE 101 or other NFs. The transmitted and received signals / messages may include control information and data. For example, if the NF is a base station, the network interface 1012 may be configured with an RF transmitter that up-converts and amplifies the frequency of a transmitted signal, an RF receiver that low-noise amplifies the received signal, and down-converts the frequency. However, this is merely one embodiment of the network interface 1012, and the components of the network interface 1012 are not limited to an RF transmitter and an RF receiver. Furthermore, if the NF is an AMF, the network interface 1012 may be a device for providing an interface with another NF.

[0186] The memory 1013 can store programs and data necessary for the operation of the NF. The memory 1013 can also store control information or data contained in signals acquired by the NF. The memory 1013 can be configured from a storage medium such as a ROM, a RAM, a hard disk, a CD-ROM, a DVD, or a combination of storage media.

[0187] The control unit 1011 can control a series of processes so that the NF operates according to the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure. The control unit 1011 can include at least one processor. The methods according to the embodiments described in the claims or specification of the present disclosure can be implemented in the form of hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0188] The methods according to the embodiments described in the claims or specification of the present disclosure can be implemented in the form of hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0189] When embodied in software, a computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs (software modules) may be provided. The one or more programs stored in the computer-readable storage medium are configured for execution by one or more processors in an electronic device. The one or more programs include instructions that cause the electronic device to execute a method according to an embodiment of the present invention as claimed or described in the specification.

[0190] Such programs (software modules, software) can be stored in random access memory, non-volatile memory including flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disc storage device, compact disc-ROM (CD-ROM), digital versatile disc (DVD), or other form of optical storage device, magnetic cassette, or in memory consisting of some or all of these. Furthermore, each type of memory may be included in plural.

[0191] The program can also be stored in an attachable storage device accessible through a communication network such as the Internet, an intranet, a local area network (LAN), a wide LAN (WLAN), a storage area network (SAN), or a combination thereof. Such a storage device can be connected to an apparatus that performs an embodiment of the present invention through an external port. Furthermore, a separate storage device on the communication network can be connected to an apparatus that performs an embodiment of the present invention.

[0192] While the present disclosure has been shown and described with reference to various embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that various changes in form and detail can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims and the corresponding claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0193] 911 Control Unit 912 Communications Department 913 Memory 1011 Control unit 1012 network interface 1013 memory

Claims

1. A method performed by a session management function (SMF) in a wireless communication system, comprising: receiving a protocol data unit (PDU) session establishment request message from an access and mobility management function (AMF); obtaining information relating to the group from a unified data repository (UDR) or unified data management (UDM); obtaining subgroup information including quality of service (QoS) information for each subgroup within the group from a policy control function (PCF); sending a traffic forwarding establishment request message including information related to the group and subgroup information to a user plane function (UPF); transmitting a PDU Session Establishment Response message to the first terminal, the PDU Session Establishment Response message including information related to the group and QoS information; When the first terminal belongs to a plurality of subgroups, the QoS information for the first terminal indicates QoS information having the highest QoS level among QoS information of all subgroups.

2. The group includes a plurality of subgroups, and QoS information for each of the subgroups is predefined by an application function (AF); The UDR or the UDM obtains information related to the group from the AF; The method of claim 1 , wherein the PCF obtains the subgroup information from the AF.

3. A method performed by a user plane function (UPF) in a wireless communication system, comprising: receiving a traffic forwarding establishment request message from a session management function (SMF), the traffic forwarding establishment request message including group-related information and subgroup information, wherein the group includes a plurality of subgroups, and the subgroup information includes quality of service (QoS) information for each subgroup; generating a traffic forwarding rule based on the group-related information and the subgroup information; receiving traffic from a first terminal, the traffic including an indication pointing to a group to be transmitted, the traffic being received at a first QoS; transmitting the traffic to a second terminal based on the instruction, the group-related information, and the subgroup information; When the first terminal belongs to a plurality of subgroups, the QoS information for the first terminal indicates QoS information having the highest QoS level among QoS information of all subgroups.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein if the second terminal belongs to a subgroup having a highest QoS level among the plurality of subgroups, traffic transmission to the second terminal is performed with a first QoS.

5. transmitting the traffic to a third terminal based on the instruction, the group-related information, and the subgroup information; The method of claim 3, wherein the second terminal and the third terminal belong to different subgroups, and a QoS level of the subgroup to which the second terminal belongs is higher than a QoS level of the subgroup to which the third terminal belongs.

6. 1. A method performed by a first terminal in a wireless communication system, comprising: Sending a protocol data unit (PDU) session establishment request message to an access and mobility management function (AMF); receiving a PDU Session Establishment Response message from a session management function (SMF), the PDU Session Establishment Response message including group-related information and QoS information; the first terminal is included in the group, the group includes a plurality of subgroups, and the subgroups are configured through quality of service (QoS) information for each subgroup; When the first terminal belongs to a plurality of subgroups, the QoS information for the first terminal indicates QoS information having the highest QoS level among QoS information of all subgroups.

7. the plurality of subgroups includes a first subgroup and a second subgroup; The method of claim 6 , wherein the first terminal belongs to the first subgroup and the second subgroup.

8. The method further includes transmitting traffic including an instruction indicating the group to be transmitted to a user plane function (UPF); The traffic is transmitted based on the QoS information having the highest QoS level among the QoS information of all the subgroups; The method of claim 6 , wherein the UPF corresponds to the QoS information with the highest QoS level.

9. A session management function (SMF) in a wireless communication system, a transmitter / receiver; a control unit; The control unit Receive a protocol data unit (PDU) session establishment request message from an access and mobility management function (AMF); Obtaining information related to the group from a unified data repository (UDR) or unified data management (UDM), obtaining subgroup information including quality of service (QoS) information for each subgroup within the group from a policy control function (PCF); Sending a traffic forwarding request message including information related to the group and subgroup information to a user plane function (UPF); configured to send a PDU Session Establishment Response message to the first terminal, the PDU Session Establishment Response message including information related to the group and QoS information; If the first terminal belongs to a plurality of subgroups, the QoS information for the first terminal indicates QoS information with the highest QoS level among QoS information of all subgroups.

10. The group includes a plurality of subgroups, and QoS information for each of the subgroups is predefined by an application function (AF); The UDR or UDM obtains information related to the group from the AF; The SMF of claim 9 , wherein the PCF obtains the subgroup information from the AF.

11. A UPF (user plane function) in a wireless communication system, a transmitter / receiver; a control unit; The control unit Receive a traffic forwarding establishment request message from a session management function (SMF), the traffic forwarding establishment request message including group-related information and subgroup information, where the group includes a plurality of subgroups, and the subgroup information includes quality of service (QoS) information for each subgroup; generating traffic forwarding rules based on the group-related information and the subgroup information; receiving traffic from a first terminal, the traffic including an indication of a group to be transmitted, the traffic being received at a first QoS; configured to transmit the traffic to a second terminal based on the instruction, the group-related information, and the subgroup information; If the first terminal belongs to a plurality of subgroups, the QoS information for the first terminal indicates the QoS information with the highest QoS level among the QoS information of all subgroups.

12. The UPF of claim 11, wherein if the second terminal belongs to a subgroup having a highest QoS level among the plurality of subgroups, traffic transmission to the second terminal is performed with a first QoS.

13. The control unit further configured to transmit the traffic to a third terminal based on the instruction, the group-related information, and the subgroup information; The second terminal and the third terminal belong to different lower groups, and a QoS level of the lower group to which the second terminal belongs is higher than a QoS level of the lower group to which the third terminal belongs; The UPF of claim 11 , wherein the traffic forwarding rules include priority information for each of the subgroups based on QoS information for each of the subgroups.

14. A first terminal in a wireless communication system, a transmitter / receiver; a control unit; The control unit Sending a protocol data unit (PDU) session establishment request message to an access and mobility management function (AMF); configured to receive a PDU session establishment response message from a session management function (SMF), the PDU session establishment response message including group-related information and QoS information; the first terminal belongs to the group, the group includes a plurality of subgroups, and the subgroups are configured through quality of service (QoS) information for each subgroup; If the first terminal belongs to a plurality of subgroups, the QoS information for the first terminal indicates the QoS information with the highest QoS level among the QoS information of all the subgroups.

15. the plurality of subgroups includes a first subgroup and a second subgroup; The first terminal according to claim 14 , wherein the first terminal belongs to the first subgroup and the second subgroup.

16. The control unit The method is further configured to send traffic including an instruction pointing to a group to be sent to a user plane function (UPF); The traffic is transmitted based on the QoS having the highest QoS level among the QoS information of all the subgroups; The first terminal according to claim 14 , wherein the UPF corresponds to the QoS information with the highest QoS level.

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