Network node and communication method

Abstract

This network node connects to another network node via a reference point, and comprises: a reception unit that receives a first control signal including information indicating a usage purpose for the reference point requested by the other network node; a control unit that determines, for each usage purpose, whether or not the requested usage purpose is allowed; and a transmission unit that transmits, to the other network node, a second control signal including information indicating allowed usage purposes and rejected usage purposes, among the requested usage purposes. The first control signal includes a plurality of pieces of information relating to usage purposes of the reference point. The control unit determines whether any of the plurality of pieces of information relating to usage purposes of the reference point are allowed under an inter-company agreement.

Description

Network node and communication method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a network node and a communication method.

[0002] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is currently studying a wireless communication system called 5G or New Radio (NR) (hereinafter, these wireless communication systems will be referred to as "5G" or "NR") in order to achieve even larger system capacity, even faster data transmission speeds, and even lower latency in wireless sections. Various wireless technologies are being studied for 5G to meet the requirements of achieving a throughput of 10 Gbps or more while reducing latency in wireless sections to 1 ms or less.

[0003] In NR, a network architecture is being considered that includes 5GC (5G Core Network), which corresponds to EPC (Evolved Packet Core), the core network in the LTE (Long Term Evolution) network architecture, and NG-RAN (Next Generation - Radio Access Network), which corresponds to E-UTRAN (Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network), the RAN (Radio Access Network) in the LTE network architecture.

[0004] In the 5GC network architecture, N32 is defined as a reference point at the connection point between a user equipment (UE)'s home network (Home Public Land Mobile Network (HPLMN)) and a UE's visited network (Visited Public Land Mobile Network (VPLMN)) (see Non-Patent Document 1).

[0005] The N32 interface can be logically considered as two different interfaces (see Non-Patent Document 2): N32-c: A control plane interface between SEPPs (Security Edge Protection Proxy) for establishing an initial connection (handshake) and negotiating parameters to be applied to the actual N32 message transfer. N32-f: A transport interface between SEPPs used to transfer signals between service consumers and service producers after applying application-level security protection.

[0006] 3GPP TS 23.501 V17.3.0 (2021-12)3GPP TS 29.573 V17.3.0 (2021-12)3GPP TS 29.500 V17.5.0 (2021-12)

[0007] Under the current regulations, the use of N32 is limited to roaming, and there has not yet been sufficient consideration given to expanding the use of N32 to purposes other than roaming.

[0008] One aspect of the present disclosure provides a network node and a communication method that can appropriately determine whether or not an N32 can be connected, even if the purpose of use of the N32 is expanded so that the N32 can be used for purposes other than roaming.

[0009] A network node according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a network node that connects to other network nodes via a reference point, and comprises: a receiving unit that receives a first control signal including information indicating the purpose of use of the reference point requested by the other network node; a control unit that determines for each of the requested purposes of use whether the requested purposes of use are permitted; and a transmitting unit that transmits a second control signal to the other network node including information indicating each of the permitted and rejected purposes of use among the requested purposes of use, wherein the first control signal includes multiple pieces of information regarding the purpose of use of the reference point, and the control unit determines whether any of the multiple pieces of information regarding the purpose of use of the reference point are permitted in an agreement between operators.

[0010] A communication method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a communication method between a first network node and a second network node via a reference point, wherein the first network node transmits a first control signal to the second network node, the first control signal including information indicating the requested purpose of use of the reference point, the second network node determines whether the requested purpose of use is permitted for each of the purposes of use, the second network node transmits a second control signal to the first network node, the second control signal including information indicating each of the requested purposes of use that is permitted and rejected, the first control signal including multiple pieces of information regarding the purpose of use of the reference point, and the second network node determines whether any of the multiple pieces of information regarding the purpose of use of the reference point is permitted in an agreement between operators.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a diagram for describing an example of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a diagram for describing another example of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram for describing a procedure for negotiation between SEPPs in a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a diagram for describing a definition of SecNegotiationReqData according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a diagram for describing a definition of SecNegotiationRspData according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a diagram for describing a definition of IntendedN32Purpose according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a diagram for describing an example of the purpose of use of N32 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram for describing a procedure for transferring a signal between an NF service consumer and an NF service producer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a diagram for describing an example of the functional configuration of a SEPP according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a diagram for describing an example of the hardware configuration of a terminal, a base station, a data hub access support device or other network node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 11 is a diagram for describing an example of the configuration of a vehicle 2001 in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] (Summary of the present disclosure) In Release 17, the Service Based Architecture (SBA) was standardized to enable the rapid and mutual addition of functions between the caller's SMSC (Short Message Service Centre) and the callee's SMSC in the 5G core network, thereby enabling the deployment of a wide variety of services. As a result, in addition to roaming, interconnection is now also possible as a use (purpose of use) of connections between operators.

[0013] Under the current regulations, the purpose of use of N32 is limited to roaming, so the SEPP can determine whether or not N32 can be connected depending on whether or not there is a roaming relationship.

[0014] On the other hand, in theory, N32 can be used for purposes other than roaming, such as Interconnect.

[0015] However, currently there is no parameter that can confirm the purpose of use, so if N32 is used for purposes other than roaming, it becomes difficult for the SEPP to determine whether or not N32 can be connected.

[0016] In view of the above, the present disclosure provides a network node and a communication method that can appropriately determine whether or not an N32 can be connected, even if the purpose of use of the N32 is expanded so that the N32 can be used for purposes other than roaming.

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are merely examples, and embodiments to which the present disclosure is applicable are not limited to the following embodiments.

[0018] In operation of the wireless communication system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, existing technology may be used as appropriate, such as existing LTE or existing 5G, but is not limited to existing LTE or existing 5G.

[0019] In addition, in the following explanation, node names, signal names, etc. currently described in the 5G specifications (or LTE specifications) are used, but node names, signal names, etc. having similar functions may be called by different names.

[0020] For example, in the embodiments of the present disclosure described below, terms such as SS (Synchronization Signal), PSS (Primary SS), SSS (Secondary SS), PBCH (Physical Broadcast Channel), PRACH (Physical Random Access Channel), PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel), PDSCH (Physical Downlink Shared Channel), PUCCH (Physical Uplink Control Channel), and PUSCH (Physical Uplink Shared Channel) used in existing LTE may be used. Also, the above-mentioned terms in NR correspond to NR-SS, NR-PSS, NR-SSS, NR-PBCH, NR-PRACH, NR-PDCCH, NR-PDSCH, NR-PUCCH, NR-PUSCH, etc. However, even if a signal is used in NR, it is not necessarily stated as "NR-".

[0021] (System Configuration Example) Next, a communication system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 shows the configuration of a communication system in a roaming mode.

[0022] The communication system 1 is composed of, for example, a UE 10 (which may be called User Equipment: (user) terminal), which is a communication terminal used by a user, and multiple network nodes 20, 30-1 to 30-12 (which may be called NFs (Network Functions)) and 40. Hereinafter, it is assumed that one network node corresponds to each function, but one network node may realize multiple functions, or multiple network nodes may realize one function. Furthermore, the "connection" described below may be a logical connection or a physical connection.

[0023] The communication system 1 is a system included in the 5G network system, and is a system that provides network services through data communication to the UE 10. The network services refer to services that use network resources, such as communication services (such as dedicated line services) and application services (such as video distribution and services that use sensor devices such as embedded devices).

[0024] 1 assumes that UE 10 is in a roaming environment. UE 10 being in a roaming environment indicates a state in which UE 10 is accessing and communicating with a VPLMN, which is a network in which UE 10 is located (visited network), different from an HPLMN, which is a network (home network) of a service provider with which the user of UE 10 has a contract. In this embodiment, the VPLMN is a first network, and the HPLMN is a second network.

[0025] The VPLMN of the communication system 1 is composed of a UE 10, an (R)AN (Radio) Access Network) 20, an AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function) 30-1, an SMF (Session Management function) 30-2, an NSSF (Network Slice Selection Function) 30-3, an NEF (Network Exposure Function) 30-4, an NRF (Network Repository Function) 30-5, a PCF (Policy Control Function) 30-8, an NSACF (Network Slice Admission Control Function) 30-10, a SEPP (Security Edge Protection Proxy) 30-12, and a UPF (User Plane Function) 40.

[0026] In addition, the HPLMN of the communication system 1 is composed of an SMF 30-2, an NSSF 30-3, an NEF 30-4, an NRF 30-5, a UDM (Unified Data Management) 30-6, an AUSF (Authentication Server Function) 30-7, a PCF 30-8, an AF (Application Function) 30-9, an NSACF 30-10, an NSSAAF (Network Slice Specific Authentication and Authorization Function) 30-11, a SEPP 30-12, and a UPF 40.

[0027] (R)AN20 is a network node having radio access functionality, and may be, for example, a gNB (next generation Node B) (which may also be called a base station) 20.

[0028] The AMF 30-1 is a network node having functions such as a RAN interface termination, a NAS (Non-Access Stratum) termination, registration management, connection management, reachability management, and mobility management.

[0029] The SMF 30-2 is a network node having functions such as session management, UE IP (Internet Protocol) address allocation and management, DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) function, ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) proxy, and roaming function.

[0030] NSSF30-3 is a network node that has functions such as selecting a network slice to which the UE connects, determining the allowed NSSAI (Network Slice Selection Assistance Information), determining the NSSAI to be set, and determining the AMF set to which the UE connects.

[0031] The NEF 30-4 is a network node that has the function of notifying other NFs of capabilities and events.

[0032] The NRF 30-5 is a network node that has the function of discovering NF instances that provide a service.

[0033] The UDM 30-6 is a network node that manages subscriber data and authentication data, and is connected to a UDR (User Data Repository) that holds the data.

[0034] The AUSF 30-7 is a network node that authenticates the subscriber / UE 10 against the subscriber data held in the UDR.

[0035] The PCF 30-8 is a network node that has the function of controlling the policy of the network.

[0036] The AF 30-9 is a network node that has the function of controlling the application server.

[0037] NSACF30-10 is a network node that has the function of controlling the admission of network slices.

[0038] NSSAAF30-11 is a network node that has the function of controlling authentication and authorization of network slices.

[0039] The SEPP 30-12 is a network node having a proxy that controls message filtering and policy restrictions in control plane exchanges between operators. The SEPP 30-12 on the VPLMN side is referred to as vSEPP 30-12v, and the SEPP 30-12 on the HPLMN side is referred to as hSEPP 30-12h. The vSEPP 30-12v and hSEPP 30-12h provide functions related to the security and integrity of messages (HTTP Request, HTTP Response, etc.) sent and received between the VPLMN and HPLMN.

[0040] The UPF 40 is a network node having functions such as a PDU (Protocol Data Unit) session point to the outside, packet routing and forwarding, and user plane QoS (Quality of Service) handling.

[0041] N1, N2, N3, N4, and N9 are reference points between network nodes. N32 between the vSEPP 30-12v and the hSEPP 30-12h is a reference point at the connection point between the VPLMN and the HPLMN.

[0042] (R)AN20 is connected to UE10, AMF30-1 and UPF40.

[0043] In the VPLMN, the AMF 30-1, SMF 30-2, NSSF 30-3, NEF 30-4, NRF 30-5, PCF 30-8, and NSACF 30-10 are connected to each other via interfaces Namf, Nsmf, Nnssf, Nnef, Nnrf, Npcf, and Nsacf based on their respective services.

[0044] In the HPLMN, the SMF 30-2, NSSF 30-3, NEF 30-4, NRF 30-5, UDM 30-6, AUSF 30-7, PCF 30-8, AF 30-9, NSACF 30-10, and NSSAAF 30-11 are interconnected via respective service-based interfaces Nsmf, Nnssf, Nnef, Nnrf, Nudm, Nausf, Npcf, Naf, Nsacf, and Nnssaaf, respectively.

[0045] The vSEPP 30-12v is connected to the AMF 30-1, SMF 30-2, NSSF 30-3, NEF 30-4, NRF 30-5, PCF 30-8 and NSACF 30-10 of the VPLMN, and is connected to the hSEPP 30-12h via N32.

[0046] The hSEPP 30-12h is connected to the SMF 30-2, NSSF 30-3, NEF 30-4, NRF 30-5, UDM 30-6, AUSF 30-7, PCF 30-8, AF 30-9, NSACF 30-10, and NSSAAF 30-11 of the HPLMN, and is connected to the vSEPP 30-12v via N32.

[0047] The UPF 40 on the VPLMN side is interconnected with the (R)AN 20, the SMF 30-2, and the UPF 40 on the HPLMN side. The UPF 40 on the HPLMN is interconnected with the SMF 30-2 and a DN (Data Network) 50.

[0048] A communication system in the Interconnect format has the configuration shown in Fig. 2. In the case of Interconnect, the SEPP (cSEPP) on the consumer side (originating side) corresponds to the vSEPP 30-12v in Roaming (Fig. 1), and the SEPP (pSEPP) on the producer side (receiving side) corresponds to the rSEPP 30-12r in Roaming (Fig. 1).

[0049] (Establishment of Initial Connection: N32-c) Next, the process of determining whether to establish an initial connection (handshake) taking into consideration the purpose (purpose of use) of the connection between operators according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 3, negotiation between SEPPs is performed in the following procedure.

[0051] (Step 1) The initiating SEPP 30-12i sends an HTTP POST request including SecNegotiateReqData to the responding SEPP 30-12r. The responding SEPP 30-12r uses the determination process described below to determine whether the request is successful or unsuccessful, i.e., whether or not an N32 connection can be established. In Figure 3, the determination process performed by the responding SEPP 30-12r is represented by a black circle.

[0052] (Step 2a) If the request is successful, the responding SEPP 30-12r sends a "200 OK" status code including SecNegotiateRspData to the initiating SEPP 30-12i.

[0053] (Step 2b) If the request fails, the responding SEPP 30-12r sends the initiating SEPP 30-12i a "4xx / 5xx" status code and ProblemDetails indicating the reason for the rejection.

[0054] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the definition of the control signal SecNegotiationReqData, Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the definition of the control signal SecNegotiationRsqData, and Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the definition of the control signal IntendedN32Purpose.

[0055] The definition of SecNegotiationReqData shown in Fig. 4 adds a new attribute, intendedUsagePurpose, to the Definition of type SecNegotiationReqData described in Table 6.1.5.2.2-1 of Non-Patent Document 2. The intendedUsagePurpose notifies a list of N32 usage purposes requested when establishing an N32 connection.

[0056] 5 is obtained by adding new attributes, allowedUsagePurpose and rejectedUsagePurpose, to the Definition of type SecNegotiationRspData described in Table 6.1.5.2.3-1 of Non-Patent Document 2. The allowedUsagePurpose notifies a list of allowed N32 usage purposes among those requested when establishing an N32 connection. The rejectedUsagePurpose notifies a list of rejected N32 usage purposes among those requested when establishing an N32 connection.

[0057] The intendedUsagePurpose in FIG. 4 and the allowedUsagePurpose and rejectedUsagePurpose in FIG. 5 include values ​​defined in the IntendedN32Purpose shown in FIG.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 6, the definition of IntendedN32Purpose consists of attributes such as usagePurpose, sliceInfo, additionalInfo, and cause. usagePurpose provides one or more values ​​indicating the usage purpose of the N32 defined in N32Purpose shown in FIG. 7. sliceInfo provides information on the network slice corresponding to the usage purpose of the N32. additionalInfo provides additional information required for establishing an N32 connection. cause provides the reason for rejection if any of the requested usage purposes is rejected. usagePurpose, sliceInfo, and additionalInfo are included in all of intendedUsagePurpose, allowedUsagePurpose, and rejectedUsagePurpose. cause is included only in rejectedUsagePurpose.

[0059] Note that a value individually agreed upon between operators may be input to the additional information. For example, when there are multiple communications such as (1) communications related to VoLTE, (2) communications related to the Internet, (3) communications for enterprises, and (4) important communications (paths limited to priority subscribers), and different communications are established between the same operators using N32 depending on the situation, unique identification information for each communication may be input to the additional information.

[0060] FIG. 7 shows an example of the purpose of use of N32 in the form of an ENUM (enumeration) table.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 7, the purposes of use of N32 include Roaming, SMS_interconnect, NRF_transaction, Inter PLMN mobility, Roaming test, SMS_interconnect test, NRF_transaction test, etc.

[0062] Roaming is a mechanism for transmitting and receiving necessary signals from the VPLMN to the HPLMN, such as obtaining subscriber information, authenticating, and registering location, and establishing a session for communication via the home network.

[0063] SMS_interconnect is a system for sending and receiving signals using SMS (Short Message Service) between users of different carriers.

[0064] NRF_transaction is a mechanism for sending and receiving signals used for purposes other than Roaming and SMS_interconnect, such as access to the NRF for discovering other network devices (NF Discovery), and status notifications from the NRF or other NF Producers.

[0065] Inter PLMN mobility is a mechanism for transmitting and receiving signals used to exchange profiles between new and old AMFs (visiting devices) when a communication device moves between different PLMNs.

[0066] The roaming test is a mechanism for sending and receiving identification signals to test whether connection is possible or not before starting roaming.

[0067] The SMS_interconnect test is a mechanism for sending and receiving an identification signal to test whether or not a connection is possible before starting the SMS_interconnect.

[0068] The NRF_transaction test is a mechanism for sending and receiving an identification signal to test whether a connection is possible or not before starting an NRF_transaction.

[0069] The enumeration values ​​shown in FIG. 7 may be index values ​​(setting values ​​of Simple Datatype).

[0070] The determination process of the responding SEPP 30-12r will be described below.

[0071] When the responding SEPP 30-12r receives an HTTP POST request including SecNegotiateReqData from the initiating SEPP 30-12i in step 1 of Figure 3, it recognizes the purpose of use of the N32 requested by the initiating SEPP 30-12i based on the IntendedN32Purpose of the intendedUsagePurpose in SecNegotiateReqData.

[0072] Then, the responding SEPP 30-12r determines whether the intended use of the requested N32 is permitted under the agreement (policy) between the operators.

[0073] For example, the responding SEPP 30-12r may determine, for each requested purpose of use, whether or not all of the three pieces of information related to the purpose of use of N32, usagePurpose, sliceInfo, and additionalInfo, are permitted under the agreement. In this case, if any one of the three pieces of information is not permitted, the responding SEPP 30-12r may reject the connection establishment request for the purpose of use of N32.

[0074] If all or part of the requested N32 usage purposes are allowed, the responding SEPP 30-12r specifies the allowed usage purposes in IntendedN32Purpose of allowedUsagePurpose in SecNegotiationRspData, and specifies the rejected usage purposes in IntendedN32Purpose of rejectedUsagePurpose.The responding SEPP 30-12r then sends a "200 OK" status code including SecNegotiateRspData to the initiating SEPP 30-12i (step 2a in Figure 3).

[0075] On the other hand, if none of the requested N32 usage purposes are acceptable, the responding SEPP 30-12r sends the initiating SEPP 30-12i a "4xx / 5xx" status code and ProblemDetails indicating the reason for the rejection (step 2b in FIG. 3).

[0076] As described above, in this embodiment, a new attribute that specifies the purpose of use of N32 is added to SecNegotiationReqData and SecNegotiationRsqData. Then, when establishing an initial connection, the initiating SEPP 30-12i specifies the purpose of use of the requested N32 by sending SecNegotiationReqData to the responding SEPP 30-12r. The responding SEPP 30-12r determines whether the purpose of use of N32 requested by SecNegotiationReqData is permitted under the agreement, and specifies whether the purpose of use of N32 is permitted or rejected by sending SecNegotiationRsqData to the responding SEPP 30-12r.

[0077] As described above, according to this embodiment, a parameter that can confirm the purpose of use of N32 is added to the control signal from the initiating SEPP 30-12i, so that even if the purpose of use of N32 is expanded so that N32 can be used for purposes other than roaming, the responding SEPP 30-12r can appropriately determine whether or not N32 can be connected.

[0078] (Signal Transfer: N32-f) Next, a process of determining whether or not a signal can be transferred between an NF Service Consumer and an NF Service Producer after an initial connection is established will be described with reference to FIG.

[0079] As shown in FIG. 8, signal transfer between an NF service consumer that uses an NF service and an NF service producer that provides the NF service is performed in the following procedure.

[0080] (Step 1) The SEPP (c-SEPP) on the NF service consumer side and the SEPP (p-SEPP) on the NF service producer side negotiate security functions. The SEPP uses Transport Layer Security (TLS) as its security policy. A TLS connection is set up between the c-SEPP and the p-SEPP for N32-f transfer.

[0081] (Step 2) The NF service consumer forwards the Nnrf_NF Discovery request to the c-NRF.

[0082] (Step 3) c-NRF transfers the Nnrf_NF Discovery request to c-SEPP.

[0083] (Step 4) The c-SEPP sets up a TLS tunnel with the authoritative server in the p-SEPP.

[0084] (Step 5) c-SEPP sets the apiRoot of the Request URI to the apiRoot of the p-SEPP, inserts the 3gpp-Sbi-Target-apiRoot header (Custom header) set in the apiRoot of the p-NRF, and sends an Nnrf_NF Discovery request to the p-SEPP.

[0085] (Step 6) The p-SEPP transfers the Nnrf_NF Discovery request to the p-NRF.

[0086] (Step 7) The p-NRF sends an Nnrf_NF Discovery response to the p-SEPP.

[0087] (Step 8) The p-SEPP transfers the Nnrf_NF Discovery response to the c-SEPP within the TLS tunnel.

[0088] (Step 9) c-SEPP forwards the Nnrf_NF Discovery response to c-NRF.

[0089] (Step 10) The c-NRF forwards the Nnrf_NF Discovery response to the NF service consumer.

[0090] (Step 11) The NF service consumer initiates an HTTP message using a URI with the "http" scheme and forwards the HTTP / 2 Service request to the c-SEPP.

[0091] (Step 12) The c-SEPP transfers the HTTP / 2 Service request to the p-SEPP within the TLS tunnel.

[0092] (Step 13) The p-SEPP forwards to the NF service producer.

[0093] (Step 14) The NF service producer forwards the HTTP / 2 Service response to the p-SEPP.

[0094] (Step 15) The p-SEPP forwards the HTTP / 2 Service response to the c-SEPP within the TLS tunnel.

[0095] (Step 16) c-SEPP forwards the HTTP / 2 Service response to the NF service consumer.

[0096] In this embodiment, the NF service consumer sets a 3gpp-Sbi-Interplmn-Purpose header (Custom header) in at least one of an Nnrf_NF Discovery request and an HTTP / 2 Service request, which are signals addressed to other networks, and writes information therein indicating the intended use of N32 for inter-PLMN signaling by the NF service consumer.

[0097] Note that the value of N32Purpose shown in FIG. 7 may be used as information indicating the purpose of use of N32 in the 3gpp-Sbi-Interplmn-Purpose header.

[0098] In addition, detailed information required for signal transfer using N32, such as network slice information (slice) of inter-PLMN signaling intended by the NF service consumer and other additional information (additional_info), may be added to the 3gpp-Sbi-Interplmn-Purpose header. The additional_info is, for example, a token.

[0099] The c-SEPP or p-SEPP determines whether the N32 usage purpose (hereinafter referred to as "request purpose") written in the 3gpp-Sbi-Interplmn-Purpose header matches any of the N32 usage purposes (hereinafter referred to as "allowed purposes") permitted for connection with the opposite operator at the time of initial connection establishment. Note that in Figure 8, the determination process performed by the c-SEPP or p-SEPP is represented by a black circle.

[0100] For example, the c-SEPP or p-SEPP may determine whether all three pieces of information about the purpose of use of the N32, N32Purpose, slice, and additional_info, are permitted. In this case, if any one of the three pieces of information is not permitted, the c-SEPP or p-SEPP may reject the signal transfer request.

[0101] If the request purpose matches any of the allowed purposes, the c-SEPP or p-SEPP forwards the signal (steps 6 and 13 in FIG. 8).

[0102] On the other hand, if the request purpose does not match any of the allowed purposes, the c-SEPP or p-SEPP does not forward the signal and returns an error response including information indicating that the signal cannot be forwarded to the NF service consumer.

[0103] As described above, in this embodiment, the NF service consumer sets the 3gpp-Sbi-Interplmn-Purpose header (Custom header) in at least one of the Nnrf_NF Discovery request and the HTTP / 2 Service request to write the request purpose. Then, the c-SEPP or p-SEPP determines whether the request purpose matches any of the allowed purposes.

[0104] As described above, according to this embodiment, a parameter that can confirm the purpose of use of N32 is added to the control signal from the NF service consumer, so even if the purpose of use of N32 is expanded so that N32 can be used for purposes other than roaming, the SEPP can appropriately determine whether or not N32 can be connected.

[0105] Furthermore, by receiving an error response that includes information indicating that signal transfer is not possible, the NF service consumer can understand the reason for the error, which cannot be determined from the HTTP response code alone.

[0106] <Configuration of SEPP> Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the SEPP 30-12 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 9, the SEPP 30-12 includes a transmitting unit 710, a receiving unit 720, a setting unit 730, and a control unit 740. The functional configuration shown in Fig. 9 is merely an example. The names of the functional divisions and functional units may be any names as long as they can execute the operations according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0107] The transmitter 710 has a function of generating a signal to be transmitted and transmitting the generated signal to a network. The receiver 720 has a function of receiving various signals and acquiring, for example, information of a higher layer from the received signals.

[0108] The setting unit 730 stores preset information and setting information in a storage device (storage unit), and reads the preset information and setting information from the storage device as needed. Note that the setting unit 730 may be included in the control unit 740.

[0109] The control unit 740 controls the entire SEPP 30-12. The functional units in the control unit 740 related to signal transmission may be included in the transmitting unit 710, and the functional units in the control unit 740 related to signal reception may be included in the receiving unit 720.

[0110] (Summary of embodiment) As described above, according to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a network node that connects to another network node via a reference point, the network node comprising: a receiver that receives a first control signal including information indicating a purpose of use of the reference point requested by the other network node; a controller that determines whether or not the requested purpose of use is permitted for each of the purposes of use; and a transmitter that transmits a second control signal to the other network node, the second control signal including information indicating each of the permitted and rejected purposes of use among the requested purposes of use, wherein the first control signal includes a plurality of pieces of information regarding the purpose of use of the reference point, and the controller determines whether or not any of the plurality of pieces of information regarding the purpose of use of the reference point is permitted in an agreement between operators.

[0111] With the above configuration, even if the purpose of use of a reference point is expanded, the network node can appropriately determine whether or not a reference point can be connected.

[0112] In the network node, the second control signal includes a first attribute indicating an allowed purpose of use and a second attribute indicating a denied purpose of use. With the above configuration, other network nodes can recognize both the allowed purpose of use and the denied purpose of use.

[0113] Furthermore, in the above network node, the network node is a Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP) of a PLMN on the Home Public Land Mobile Network (HPLMN) side or the terminating side, the other network node is a SEPP of a PLMN on the Visited Public Land Mobile Network (VPLMN) side or the originating side, and the reference point is N32.

[0114] With the above configuration, even if the purpose of use of N32 is expanded so that N32 can be used for purposes other than roaming, the network node can appropriately determine whether or not N32 can be connected.

[0115] Also, according to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a network node that connects to another network node via a reference point, the network node comprising: a transmitter that transmits a first control signal to the other network node, the first control signal including information indicating a requested purpose of use of the reference point; and a receiver that receives from the other network node a second control signal including information indicating each of the permitted purposes of use and the rejected purposes of use of the requested purposes of use.

[0116] With the above configuration, even if the use purpose of a reference point is extended, the network node can recognize both the permitted use purpose and the denied use purpose.

[0117] Further, according to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a communication method between a first network node and a second network node via a reference point, wherein the first network node transmits a first control signal to the second network node, the first control signal including information indicating a requested purpose of use of the reference point, the second network node determines whether the requested purpose of use is permitted for each of the purposes of use, the second network node transmits a second control signal to the first network node, the second control signal including information indicating each of the requested purposes of use that is permitted and rejected, the first control signal including a plurality of pieces of information regarding the purpose of use of the reference point, and the second network node determines whether any of the plurality of pieces of information regarding the purpose of use of the reference point is permitted in an agreement between operators.

[0118] With the above configuration, even if the purpose of use of a reference point is expanded, the network node can appropriately determine whether or not a reference point can be connected.

[0119] (Hardware Configuration) Note that the block diagrams used to explain the above embodiments show functional blocks. These functional blocks (components) are realized by any combination of at least one of hardware and software. Furthermore, the method for realizing each functional block is not particularly limited. That is, each functional block may be realized using a single device that is physically or logically coupled, or may be realized using two or more physically or logically separated devices that are directly or indirectly connected (for example, using wires, wirelessly, etc.) and these multiple devices. The functional block may be realized by combining software with the single device or the multiple devices.

[0120] Functions include, but are not limited to, judgment, determination, assessment, calculation, computation, processing, derivation, investigation, search, confirmation, reception, transmission, output, access, resolution, selection, selection, establishment, comparison, assumption, expectation, consideration, broadcasting, notifying, communicating, forwarding, configuring, reconfiguring, allocating, mapping, and assignment. For example, a functional block (component) that performs transmission is called a transmitting unit or transmitter. As mentioned above, there are no particular limitations on how these functions are implemented.

[0121] For example, a base station, a terminal, etc. according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may function as a computer that performs processing of the wireless communication method of the present disclosure. Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a terminal, a base station, a data hub access support, and other network nodes according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The terminal 10, the base station 20, and the other network nodes 30-1 to 30-12, 40 described above may be physically configured as a computer device including a processor 1001, a memory 1002, a storage 1003, a communication device 1004, an input device 1005, an output device 1006, a bus 1007, etc.

[0122] In the following description, the term "apparatus" can be read as a circuit, a device, a unit, etc. The hardware configurations of the terminal 10, the base station 20, and the other network nodes 30-1 to 30-12, 40 may be configured to include one or more of the apparatuses shown in the drawings, or may be configured to exclude some of the apparatuses.

[0123] Each function in the terminal 10, base station 20 and other network nodes 30-1 to 30-12, 40 is realized by loading specified software (programs) onto hardware such as a processor 1001 and memory 1002, causing the processor 1001 to perform calculations, control communication by a communication device 1004, and control at least one of reading and writing data in the memory 1002 and storage 1003.

[0124] The processor 1001 controls the entire computer by running, for example, an operating system. The processor 1001 may be configured by a central processing unit (CPU) including an interface with peripheral devices, a control device, an arithmetic unit, a register, etc. For example, the above-mentioned control unit 740 and the like may be realized by the processor 1001.

[0125] The processor 1001 also reads programs (program codes), software modules, data, etc. from at least one of the storage 1003 and the communication device 1004 into the memory 1002 and executes various processes in accordance with these. The programs used are those that cause a computer to execute at least some of the operations described in the above-described embodiments. For example, the control unit 740 may be implemented by a control program stored in the memory 1002 and running on the processor 1001, and similar implementations may be made for other functional blocks. While the above-described various processes have been described as being executed by one processor 1001, they may also be executed simultaneously or sequentially by two or more processors 1001. The processor 1001 may be implemented by one or more chips. The programs may also be transmitted from a network via a telecommunications line.

[0126] The memory 1002 is a computer-readable recording medium and may be configured, for example, by at least one of a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a random access memory (RAM), etc. The memory 1002 may also be referred to as a register, a cache, a main memory (primary storage device), etc. The memory 1002 can store executable programs (program codes), software modules, etc. for implementing a wireless communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0127] Storage 1003 is a computer-readable recording medium, and may be composed of at least one of, for example, an optical disk such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc ROM), a hard disk drive, a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk (e.g., a compact disk, a digital versatile disk, a Blu-ray (registered trademark) disk), a smart card, a flash memory (e.g., a card, a stick, a key drive), a floppy (registered trademark) disk, a magnetic strip, etc. Storage 1003 may also be referred to as an auxiliary storage device. The above-mentioned storage medium may be, for example, a database, a server, or other appropriate medium including at least one of memory 1002 and storage 1003.

[0128] The communication device 1004 is hardware (transmission / reception device) for communicating between computers via at least one of a wired network and a wireless network, and is also referred to as, for example, a network device, a network controller, a network card, a communication module, etc. The communication device 1004 may be configured to include a high-frequency switch, a duplexer, a filter, a frequency synthesizer, etc. to realize at least one of frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division duplex (TDD). For example, the above-mentioned transmitter 710, receiver 720, etc. may be realized by the communication device 1004.

[0129] The input device 1005 is an input device (e.g., a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, a switch, a button, a sensor, etc.) that receives input from the outside. The output device 1006 is an output device (e.g., a display, a speaker, an LED lamp, etc.) that outputs to the outside. The input device 1005 and the output device 1006 may be integrated into one device (e.g., a touch panel).

[0130] Furthermore, each device, such as the processor 1001 and the memory 1002, is connected by a bus 1007 for communicating information. The bus 1007 may be configured using a single bus, or may be configured using different buses between each device.

[0131] Furthermore, the terminal 10, the base station 20, and the other network nodes 30-1 to 30-12, 40 may be configured to include hardware such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and some or all of the functional blocks may be realized by the hardware. For example, the processor 1001 may be implemented using at least one of these pieces of hardware.

[0132] Fig. 11 shows an example configuration of a vehicle 2001. As shown in Fig. 11, the vehicle 2001 includes a drive unit 2002, a steering unit 2003, an accelerator pedal 2004, a brake pedal 2005, a shift lever 2006, front wheels 2007, rear wheels 2008, an axle 2009, an electronic control unit 2010, various sensors 2021 to 2029, an information service unit 2012, and a communication module 2013. Each aspect / embodiment described in the present disclosure may be applied to a communication device mounted on the vehicle 2001, and may be applied to the communication module 2013, for example.

[0133] The drive unit 2002 is configured, for example, by an engine, a motor, or a hybrid of an engine and a motor. The steering unit 2003 includes at least a steering wheel (also called a handle) and is configured to steer at least one of the front wheels and the rear wheels based on the operation of the steering wheel operated by the user.

[0134] The electronic control unit 2010 is composed of a microprocessor 2031, a memory (ROM, RAM) 2032, and a communication port (IO port) 2033. Signals are input to the electronic control unit 2010 from various sensors 2021 to 2029 provided in the vehicle 2001. The electronic control unit 2010 may also be called an ECU (Electronic Control Unit).

[0135] The signals from the various sensors 2021 to 2029 include a current signal from a current sensor 2021 that senses the current of the motor, a rotation speed signal of the front and rear wheels obtained by a rotation speed sensor 2022, an air pressure signal of the front and rear wheels obtained by an air pressure sensor 2023, a vehicle speed signal obtained by a vehicle speed sensor 2024, an acceleration signal obtained by an acceleration sensor 2025, an accelerator pedal depression amount signal obtained by an accelerator pedal sensor 2029, a brake pedal depression amount signal obtained by a brake pedal sensor 2026, a shift lever operation signal obtained by a shift lever sensor 2027, and a detection signal for detecting obstacles, vehicles, pedestrians, etc. obtained by an object detection sensor 2028.

[0136] The information service unit 2012 is composed of various devices, such as a car navigation system, an audio system, speakers, a television, and a radio, for providing various types of information such as driving information, traffic information, and entertainment information, and one or more ECUs for controlling these devices. The information service unit 2012 provides various types of multimedia information and multimedia services to the occupants of the vehicle 2001 by using information acquired from external devices via the communication module 2013, etc.

[0137] The driving assistance system unit 2030 is composed of various devices that provide functions for preventing accidents and reducing the driving burden on the driver, such as millimeter-wave radar, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), cameras, positioning locators (e.g., GNSS, etc.), map information (e.g., high-definition (HD) maps, autonomous vehicle (AV) maps, etc.), gyro systems (e.g., IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), INS (Inertial Navigation System), etc.), AI (Artificial Intelligence) chips, and AI processors, as well as one or more ECUs that control these devices. In addition, the driving assistance system unit 2030 transmits and receives various information via the communication module 2013 to realize the driving assistance function or the autonomous driving function.

[0138] The communication module 2013 can communicate with the microprocessor 2031 and components of the vehicle 2001 via the communication port. For example, the communication module 2013 transmits and receives data via the communication port 2033 to and from the drive unit 2002, steering unit 2003, accelerator pedal 2004, brake pedal 2005, shift lever 2006, front wheels 2007, rear wheels 2008, axle 2009, microprocessor 2031 and memory (ROM, RAM) 2032 in the electronic control unit 2010, and sensors 2021 to 29, which are provided in the vehicle 2001.

[0139] The communication module 2013 is a communication device that can be controlled by the microprocessor 2031 of the electronic control unit 2010 and can communicate with an external device. For example, it transmits and receives various information to and from the external device via wireless communication. The communication module 2013 may be located either inside or outside the electronic control unit 2010. The external device may be, for example, a base station, a mobile station, or the like.

[0140] The communication module 2013 transmits, via wireless communication to an external device, a current signal from the current sensor that is input to the electronic control unit 2010. The communication module 2013 also transmits, via wireless communication to an external device, the rotation speed signals of the front and rear wheels acquired by a rotation speed sensor 2022, the air pressure signals of the front and rear wheels acquired by an air pressure sensor 2023, the vehicle speed signal acquired by a vehicle speed sensor 2024, the acceleration signal acquired by an acceleration sensor 2025, the accelerator pedal depression amount signal acquired by an accelerator pedal sensor 2029, the brake pedal depression amount signal acquired by a brake pedal sensor 2026, the shift lever operation signal acquired by a shift lever sensor 2027, and detection signals for detecting obstacles, vehicles, pedestrians, etc. acquired by an object detection sensor 2028, all of which are input to the electronic control unit 2010.

[0141] The communication module 2013 receives various information (traffic information, traffic signal information, vehicle distance information, etc.) transmitted from external devices and displays it on the information service unit 2012 provided in the vehicle 2001. The communication module 2013 also stores the various information received from the external devices in a memory 2032 that can be used by the microprocessor 2031. Based on the information stored in the memory 2032, the microprocessor 2031 may control the drive unit 2002, steering unit 2003, accelerator pedal 2004, brake pedal 2005, shift lever 2006, front wheels 2007, rear wheels 2008, axles 2009, sensors 2021 to 2029, etc. provided in the vehicle 2001.

[0142] (Notification of Information, Signaling) The notification of information is not limited to the aspects / embodiments described in the present disclosure and may be performed using other methods. For example, the notification of information may be performed by physical layer signaling (e.g., Downlink Control Information (DCI), Uplink Control Information (UCI)), higher layer signaling (e.g., Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, Medium Access Control (MAC) signaling, broadcast information (Master Information Block (MIB), System Information Block (SIB))), other signals, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, the RRC signaling may be referred to as an RRC message, and may be, for example, an RRC Connection Setup message, an RRC Connection Reconfiguration message, or the like.

[0143] (Applicable System) Each aspect / embodiment described in the present disclosure may be applied to at least one of a system using LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4G (4th generation mobile communication system), 5G (5th generation mobile communication system), FRA (Future Radio Access), NR (New Radio), W-CDMA (registered trademark), GSM (registered trademark), CDMA2000, UMB (Ultra Mobile Broadband), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.20, UWB (Ultra-WideBand), Bluetooth (registered trademark), or other appropriate system, and a next-generation system extended based on these. In addition, multiple systems may be combined (for example, a combination of at least one of LTE and LTE-A with 5G, etc.).

[0144] (Processing Procedures, etc.) The processing procedures, sequences, flowcharts, etc. of each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure may be rearranged unless inconsistent. For example, the methods described in this disclosure present elements of various steps using an example order, and are not limited to the particular order presented.

[0145] (Operation of Base Station) In the present disclosure, a specific operation described as being performed by a base station may also be performed by its upper node in some cases. In a network consisting of one or more network nodes having a base station, it is clear that various operations performed for communication with a terminal may be performed by at least one of the base station and another network node other than the base station (for example, an MME or an S-GW, etc., but are not limited to these). Although the above example illustrates a case where there is one other network node other than the base station, a combination of multiple other network nodes (for example, an MME and an S-GW) may also be used.

[0146] (Direction of input / output) Information, etc. (See the "Information, Signal" section) can be output from a higher layer (or a lower layer) to a lower layer (or a higher layer). It may also be input / output via multiple network nodes.

[0147] (Handling of input / output information, etc.) Input / output information, etc. may be stored in a specific location (for example, memory) or may be managed using a management table. Input / output information, etc. may be overwritten, updated, or added. Output information, etc. may be deleted. Input information, etc. may be sent to another device.

[0148] (Determination method) The determination may be made based on a value represented by one bit (0 or 1), a Boolean value (true or false), or a numerical comparison (e.g., comparison with a predetermined value).

[0149] (Software) Software shall be construed broadly to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, threads of execution, procedures, functions, etc., whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise.

[0150] Software, instructions, information, etc. may also be transmitted or received over a transmission medium. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using wired technologies (such as coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)), and / or wireless technologies (such as infrared, microwave), then these wired and / or wireless technologies are included within the definition of transmission media.

[0151] Information, Signals, etc. described in this disclosure may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, chips, etc. that may be referred to throughout the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or photons, or any combination thereof.

[0152] Note that terms described in this disclosure and terms necessary for understanding this disclosure may be replaced with terms having the same or similar meanings. For example, at least one of a channel and a symbol may be a signal (signaling). Furthermore, a signal may be a message. Furthermore, a component carrier (CC) may be called a carrier frequency, a cell, a frequency carrier, etc.

[0153] "System", "Network" As used in this disclosure, the terms "system" and "network" are used interchangeably.

[0154] (Parameters, Channel Names) The information, parameters, etc. described in the present disclosure may be expressed using absolute values, relative values ​​from a predetermined value, or other corresponding information. For example, a radio resource may be indicated by an index.

[0155] The names used for the above-described parameters are not intended to be limiting in any way. Furthermore, the mathematical expressions using these parameters may differ from those explicitly disclosed in this disclosure. The various channels (e.g., PUCCH, PDCCH, etc.) and information elements may be identified by any suitable names, and therefore the various names assigned to these various channels and information elements are not intended to be limiting in any way.

[0156] (Base Station (Radio Base Station)) In the present disclosure, terms such as "base station (BS)," "radio base station," "fixed station," "NodeB," "eNodeB (eNB)," "gNodeB (gNB)," "access point," "transmission point," "reception point," "transmission / reception point," "cell," "sector," "cell group," "carrier," and "component carrier" may be used interchangeably. A base station may also be referred to by terms such as a macrocell, a small cell, a femtocell, and a picocell.

[0157] A base station can accommodate one or more (e.g., three) cells. When a base station accommodates multiple cells, the overall coverage area of ​​the base station can be partitioned into multiple smaller areas, and each smaller area can be provided with communication service by a base station subsystem (e.g., a small indoor base station (RRH: Remote Radio Head)). The terms "cell" or "sector" refer to part or all of the coverage area of ​​a base station and / or base station subsystem that provides communication service within that coverage area.

[0158] (Terminal) In this disclosure, the terms "Mobile Station (MS)", "user terminal", "User Equipment (UE)", "terminal", etc. may be used interchangeably.

[0159] A mobile station may also be referred to by those skilled in the art as a subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile client, client, or some other suitable terminology.

[0160] (Base Station / Mobile Station) At least one of the base station and the mobile station may be called a transmitting device, a receiving device, a communication device, etc. At least one of the base station and the mobile station may be a device mounted on a mobile body, the mobile body itself, etc. The mobile body may be a vehicle (e.g., a car, an airplane, etc.), an unmanned mobile body (e.g., a drone, an autonomous vehicle, etc.), or a robot (manned or unmanned). At least one of the base station and the mobile station may also include devices that do not necessarily move during communication operations. For example, at least one of the base station and the mobile station may be an IoT (Internet of Things) device such as a sensor.

[0161] Furthermore, a base station in the present disclosure may be read as a user terminal. For example, the aspects / embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to a configuration in which communication between a base station and a user terminal is replaced with communication between multiple user terminals (which may be called, for example, Device-to-Device (D2D) or Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X)). In this case, the terminal 10 may be configured to have the functions of the base station 20 described above. Furthermore, terms such as "uplink" and "downlink" may be read as terms corresponding to terminal-to-terminal communication (for example, "side"). For example, terms such as an uplink channel and a downlink channel may be read as a side channel.

[0162] Similarly, the term "terminal" in the present disclosure may be read as "base station." In this case, the base station 20 may be configured to have the functions of the terminal 10 described above.

[0163] (Meaning and Interpretation of Terms) As used in this disclosure, the terms "determining" and "determining" may encompass a wide variety of actions. "Determining" and "determining" may include, for example, judging, calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up, searching, inquiring (e.g., searching a table, database, or other data structure), ascertaining something that is considered to be a "determining" or "judging." Also, "determining" and "determining" may include receiving (e.g., receiving information), transmitting (e.g., sending information), input, output, accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory), and the like. Furthermore, "judgment" and "decision" can include regarding resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, comparing, etc. as having been "judged" or "decided." In other words, "judgment" and "decision" can include regarding some action as having been "judged" or "decided." Furthermore, "judgment (decision)" can be interpreted as "assuming," "expecting," "considering," etc.

[0164] The terms "connected," "coupled," or any variation thereof, refer to any direct or indirect connection or coupling between two or more elements, and may include the presence of one or more intermediate elements between two elements that are "connected" or "coupled" to each other. The coupling or connection between elements may be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. For example, "connected" may be read as "access." As used in this disclosure, two elements may be considered to be "connected" or "coupled" to each other using one or more wires, cables, and / or printed electrical connections, as well as electromagnetic energy having wavelengths in the radio frequency range, microwave range, and optical (both visible and invisible) range, as some non-limiting and non-exhaustive examples.

[0165] (Reference Signal) A reference signal can also be abbreviated as RS (Reference Signal), and may be called a pilot depending on the applicable standard.

[0166] (Meaning of "Based on") As used in this disclosure, the phrase "based on" does not mean "based only on," unless expressly stated otherwise. In other words, the phrase "based on" means both "based only on" and "based at least on."

[0167] ("First", "Second") As used in this disclosure, any reference to an element using a designation such as "first", "second", etc. does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. These designations may be used in this disclosure as a convenient method of distinguishing between two or more elements. Thus, a reference to a first and a second element does not imply that only two elements may be employed or that the first element must in some way precede the second element.

[0168] (Means) The "unit" in the configuration of each device above may be replaced with "means," "circuit," "device," or the like.

[0169] (Open Format) When "include," "including," and variations thereof are used in this disclosure, these terms are intended to be inclusive, similar to the term "comprising." Furthermore, when used in this disclosure, the term "or" is not intended to be an exclusive or.

[0170] (Time unit such as TTI, frequency unit such as RB, radio frame configuration) A radio frame may be composed of one or more frames in the time domain. Each of the one or more frames in the time domain may be called a subframe. A subframe may further be composed of one or more slots in the time domain. A subframe may have a fixed time length (e.g., 1 ms) that is independent of numerology.

[0171] Numerology may be a communication parameter that applies to the transmission and / or reception of a signal or channel, and may indicate, for example, at least one of subcarrier spacing (SCS), bandwidth, symbol length, cyclic prefix length, transmission time interval (TTI), number of symbols per TTI, radio frame structure, specific filtering operations performed by the transceiver in the frequency domain, and specific windowing operations performed by the transceiver in the time domain.

[0172] A slot may be composed of one or more symbols (such as an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbol or a Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) symbol) in the time domain. A slot may be a time unit based on numerology.

[0173] A slot may include multiple minislots. Each minislot may consist of one or multiple symbols in the time domain. A minislot may also be called a subslot. A minislot may consist of fewer symbols than a slot. A PDSCH (or PUSCH) transmitted in a time unit larger than a minislot may be called PDSCH (or PUSCH) mapping type A. A PDSCH (or PUSCH) transmitted using a minislot may be called PDSCH (or PUSCH) mapping type B.

[0174] The radio frame, subframe, slot, minislot, and symbol all represent time units for transmitting signals, and may be referred to by other names corresponding to the radio frame, subframe, slot, minislot, and symbol.

[0175] For example, one subframe may be called a transmission time interval (TTI), multiple consecutive subframes may be called a TTI, or one slot or one minislot may be called a TTI. That is, at least one of the subframe and the TTI may be a subframe (1 ms) in existing LTE, a period shorter than 1 ms (for example, 1-13 symbols), or a period longer than 1 ms. Note that the unit representing the TTI may be called a slot, minislot, etc. instead of a subframe.

[0176] Here, TTI refers to, for example, the smallest time unit for scheduling in wireless communication. For example, in an LTE system, a base station performs scheduling to allocate radio resources (such as frequency bandwidth and transmission power that can be used by each user terminal) to each user terminal in TTI units. Note that the definition of TTI is not limited to this.

[0177] The TTI may be a transmission time unit for a channel-encoded data packet (transport block), a code block, a code word, etc., or may be a processing unit for scheduling, link adaptation, etc. When a TTI is given, the time interval (e.g., the number of symbols) to which a transport block, a code block, a code word, etc. is actually mapped may be shorter than the TTI.

[0178] When one slot or one minislot is called a TTI, one or more TTIs (i.e., one or more slots or one or more minislots) may be the minimum time unit for scheduling. Also, the number of slots (minislots) constituting the minimum time unit for scheduling may be controlled.

[0179] A TTI having a time length of 1 ms may be called a regular TTI (TTI in LTE Rel. 8-12), normal TTI, long TTI, regular subframe, normal subframe, long subframe, slot, etc. A TTI shorter than a regular TTI may be called a shortened TTI, short TTI, partial or fractional TTI, shortened subframe, short subframe, minislot, subslot, slot, etc.

[0180] In addition, a long TTI (e.g., a normal TTI, a subframe, etc.) may be interpreted as a TTI having a time length of more than 1 ms, and a short TTI (e.g., a shortened TTI, etc.) may be interpreted as a TTI having a TTI length shorter than the TTI length of a long TTI and greater than or equal to 1 ms.

[0181] A resource block (RB) is a resource allocation unit in the time domain and the frequency domain, and may include one or more consecutive subcarriers in the frequency domain. The number of subcarriers included in an RB may be the same regardless of numerology, for example, 12. The number of subcarriers included in an RB may be determined based on numerology.

[0182] The time domain of an RB may include one or more symbols and may have a length of one slot, one minislot, one subframe, or one TTI. One TTI, one subframe, etc. may each be composed of one or more resource blocks.

[0183] Note that one or more RBs may also be called a physical resource block (PRB), a sub-carrier group (SCG), a resource element group (REG), a PRB pair, an RB pair, etc.

[0184] Furthermore, a resource block may be composed of one or more resource elements (REs). For example, one RE may be a radio resource region of one subcarrier and one symbol.

[0185] A Bandwidth Part (BWP) (which may also be referred to as a fractional bandwidth) may represent a subset of contiguous common resource blocks (RBs) for a given numerology on a given carrier, where the common RBs may be identified by their index relative to a Common Reference Point of the carrier. PRBs may be defined in a BWP and numbered within the BWP.

[0186] The BWP may include a BWP for UL (UL BWP) and a BWP for DL ​​(DL BWP). One or more BWPs may be configured for a UE within one carrier.

[0187] At least one of the configured BWPs may be active, and the UE may not expect to transmit or receive a given signal / channel outside the active BWP. Note that the terms "cell," "carrier," etc. in this disclosure may be read as "BWP."

[0188] The above-described structures of radio frames, subframes, slots, minislots, symbols, etc. are merely examples, and various changes may be made to the number of subframes included in a radio frame, the number of slots per subframe or radio frame, the number of minislots included in a slot, the number of symbols and RBs included in a slot or minislot, the number of subcarriers included in an RB, the number of symbols in a TTI, the symbol length, the cyclic prefix (CP) length, etc.

[0189] In this disclosure, where articles are added by translation, such as a, an, and the in English, the disclosure may include that the nouns following these articles are in the plural form.

[0190] In the present disclosure, the term "A and B are different" may mean "A and B are different from each other." The term may also mean "A and B are each different from C." Terms such as "separate" and "coupled" may also be interpreted in the same way as "different."

[0191] (Variations of Aspects, etc.) Each aspect / embodiment described in the present disclosure may be used alone, in combination, or switched depending on the implementation. In addition, notification of predetermined information (e.g., notification that "X is true") is not limited to being done explicitly, but may be done implicitly (e.g., by not notifying the predetermined information).

[0192] Although the present disclosure has been described in detail above, it is clear to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described herein. The present disclosure can be implemented in modified and altered forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the claims. Therefore, the description of the present disclosure is intended to be illustrative and does not have any limiting meaning on the present disclosure.

[0193] One aspect of the present disclosure is useful in mobile communication systems.

[0194] 10 UE 20 (R)AN 30-12 SEPP 30-12v vSEPP 30-12h hSEPP 30-12i Initiating side SEPP 30-12r Responding side SEPP 710 Transmitting unit 720 Receiving unit 730 Setting unit 740 Control unit

Claims

1. A network node that connects to other network nodes via an N32 interface, the network node is a Responding Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP); the other network node is an Initiating SEPP; a receiving unit for receiving a request from the other network node, the request including data including a first attribute indicating a list of intended uses of the N32 connection; a control unit that determines whether each of the purposes of use included in the request is permitted; a transmitter configured to transmit a response indicating permission to the other network node, the response including data including a second attribute indicating a list of permitted purposes of use among the purposes of use included in the request and a third attribute indicating a list of denied purposes of use; A network node comprising:

2. The N32 connection usage purposes include Roaming, SMS_interconnect, Inter PLMN mobility, Roaming test, and SMS_interconnect test. The network node of claim 1 .

3. the first attribute and the second attribute include a usagePurpose that provides one or more values ​​of a purpose of use of the N32 connection, and an additionalInfo that provides additional information required for establishing the N32 connection; the third attribute includes the usagePurpose, the additionalInfo, and a cause that provides the reason for denial if any of the requested usage purposes is denied; The network node of claim 1 .

4. A network node that connects to other network nodes via an N32 interface, the network node is an Initiating Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP); the other network node is a Responding SEPP; a sender for sending a request to the other network node, the request including data including a first attribute informing the other network node of a list of intended uses of the N32 connection; a receiving unit configured to receive, from the other network node, a response indicating permission, the response including data including a second attribute indicating a list of permitted purposes of use and a third attribute indicating a list of denied purposes of use among the purposes of use included in the request; A network node comprising:

5. 1. A method of communication between a first network node and a second network node over an N32 interface, comprising: the first network node is an Initiating Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP); the second network node is a Responding SEPP; the first network node sends a request to the second network node, the request including data including a first attribute indicating a list of intended uses of the N32 connection; the second network node determining whether each of the intended uses included in the request is permitted; the second network node transmits to the first network node a response indicating authorization, the response including data including a second attribute indicating a list of permitted uses from the uses included in the request and a third attribute indicating a list of denied uses; Communication method.