Method and apparatus for managing signaling data in mobile communication system

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a 5G or 6G communication system for supporting a higher data transmission rate. Specifically, disclosed in the present disclosure are a method and an apparatus for collecting, analyzing, and managing signaling data between network entities in an edge computing system.

Description

Method and device for managing signaling data in a mobile communication system

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a mobile communication system (or wireless communication system), and more specifically, to a method and device for collecting and managing signaling data between network devices (or network entities) in a mobile communication system.

[0002] 5G mobile communication technology defines a wide frequency band to enable fast transmission speeds and new services, and can be implemented not only in the sub-6GHz frequency band such as 3.5 gigahertz (3.5GHz), but also in the ultra-high frequency band called millimeter wave (mmWave) such as 28GHz and 39GHz ('Above 6GHz'). In addition, for 6G mobile communication technology, which is called the system after 5G communication (Beyond 5G), implementation in the terahertz (THz) band (for example, 3 THz band at 95GHz) is being considered to achieve a transmission speed that is 50 times faster than 5G mobile communication technology and an ultra-low latency time that is reduced to one-tenth.

[0003] In the early stages of 5G mobile communication technology, the goal is to support services and satisfy performance requirements for enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communications (URLLC), and massive Machine-Type Communications (mMTC). These include beamforming and massive MIMO to mitigate path loss of radio waves in ultra-high frequency bands and increase the transmission distance of radio waves, support for various numerologies (such as operation of multiple subcarrier intervals) and dynamic operation of slot formats for efficient use of ultra-high frequency resources, initial access technology to support multi-beam transmission and wideband, definition and operation of BWP (Bidth Part), new channel coding methods such as LDPC (Low Density Parity Check) codes for large-capacity data transmission and Polar Code for reliable transmission of control information, and L2 pre-processing (L2). Standardization has been made for network slicing, which provides dedicated networks specialized for specific services, and pre-processing.

[0004] Currently, discussions are underway to improve and enhance the initial 5G mobile communication technology in consideration of the services that 5G mobile communication technology was intended to support, and physical layer standardization is in progress for technologies such as V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) to help autonomous vehicles make driving decisions and increase user convenience based on their own location and status information transmitted by vehicles, NR-U (New Radio Unlicensed) for the purpose of system operation that complies with various regulatory requirements in unlicensed bands, NR terminal low power consumption technology (UE Power Saving), Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN), which is direct terminal-satellite communication to secure coverage in areas where communication with terrestrial networks is impossible, and Positioning.

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

[0006] Once these 5G mobile communication systems are commercialized, an explosive increase in connected devices will be connected to the communication network, necessitating enhanced functionality and performance of 5G mobile communication systems and integrated operation of these connected devices. To this end, new research will be conducted on improving 5G performance and reducing complexity, supporting AI services, supporting metaverse services, and drone communications by utilizing eXtended Reality (XR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML) to efficiently support Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Mixed Reality (MR).

[0007] In addition, the development of these 5G mobile communication systems includes new waveforms to ensure coverage in the terahertz band of 6G mobile communication technology, multi-antenna transmission technologies such as Full Dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), Array Antenna, and Large Scale Antenna, metamaterial-based lenses and antennas to improve the coverage of terahertz band signals, high-dimensional spatial multiplexing technology using Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM), Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS) technology, as well as full duplex technology to improve the frequency efficiency and system network of 6G mobile communication technology, satellite, AI (Artificial Intelligence) from the design stage and AI-based communication technology that realizes system optimization by internalizing end-to-end AI support functions, and ultra-high-performance communication and computing resources to provide services with complexity that exceeds the limits of terminal computing capabilities. It can serve as a basis for the development of next-generation distributed computing technologies that can be realized by utilizing them.

[0008] Meanwhile, with the development of communication systems, the demand for effective management of signaling data between network entities is increasing.

[0009] A method is needed to collect signaling-related data that can trigger network abnormalities during mobile communications network operation. Existing signaling overload control between network devices at two directly communicating endpoints is inadequate to address the rapid, cascading increase in signaling. For example, in the event of an abnormality where the same procedure is performed on multiple terminals, network functions, or devices, signaling across all network functions or devices involved in the procedure can increase cascadingly, making it difficult to reduce signaling through one-to-one overload control between network functions or devices.

[0010] Therefore, the present disclosure proposes a method for reducing signaling overload between network entities or network functions and enabling efficient signaling processing by collecting and analyzing network signaling data.

[0011] A method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises the steps of: receiving a first control signal by a first network entity; processing the received first signal; and transmitting a second control signal generated based on the processing result to a second network entity.

[0012] According to various embodiments proposed in the present disclosure, it is possible to collect and analyze signaling data between network entities, thereby preventing signaling overload between network entities or network functions.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a communication system related to the present disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a process in which a network entity collects signaling data according to an embodiment proposed in the present disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a process in which a network entity collects signaling data from a service communication proxy (SCP) according to an embodiment proposed in the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a process of searching and selecting an SCP for signaling data collection according to an embodiment proposed in the present disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a terminal according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a base station according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a network function (or network entity) according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0020] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. It should be noted that, where possible, identical components are represented by identical reference numerals throughout the attached drawings. Furthermore, detailed descriptions of well-known functions and configurations that may obscure the gist of the present disclosure will be omitted.

[0021] In describing the embodiments in this specification, descriptions of technical details that are well known in the technical field to which the present disclosure pertains and are not directly related to the present disclosure will be omitted. This is to avoid obscuring the gist of the present disclosure by omitting unnecessary explanations and to convey the gist more clearly.

[0022] For the same reason, some components in the attached drawings are exaggerated, omitted, or schematically depicted. Furthermore, the dimensions of each component do not entirely reflect its actual size. Identical or corresponding components in each drawing are assigned the same reference numbers.

[0023] The advantages and features of the present disclosure, and methods for achieving them, will become clearer with reference to the embodiments described below in detail together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and may be implemented in various different forms. These embodiments are provided only to ensure that the disclosure of the present disclosure is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the disclosure, and the present disclosure is defined only by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification.

[0024] At this time, it will be understood that each block of the processing flow diagrams and combinations of the flow diagrams can be performed by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be installed in a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing equipment, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing equipment create a means for performing the functions described in the flow diagram block(s). These computer program instructions can also be stored in a computer-available or computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to implement the functions in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-available or computer-readable memory can also produce a manufactured item that includes an instruction means for performing the functions described in the flow diagram block(s). Since the computer program instructions may be installed on a computer or other programmable data processing device, a series of operational steps may be performed on the computer or other programmable data processing device to create a computer-executable process, and the instructions that cause the computer or other programmable data processing device to perform the steps for performing the functions described in the flowchart block(s) may also provide steps for performing the functions described in the flowchart block(s).

[0025] Additionally, each block may represent a module, segment, or portion of code that includes one or more executable instructions for performing a specific logical function(s). It should also be noted that in some alternative embodiments, the functions described in the blocks may occur out of order. For example, two blocks depicted in succession may actually be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on their respective functions.

[0026] Here, the term '~ part' used in the present embodiment means software or hardware components such as FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), and the '~ part' performs certain roles. However, the '~ part' is not limited to software or hardware. The '~ part' may be configured to be on an addressable storage medium and may be configured to play one or more processors. Therefore, as an example, the '~ part' includes components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components, and task components, processes, functions, properties, procedures, subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuits, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables. The functions provided within the components and '~ parts' may be combined into a smaller number of components and '~ parts' or further separated into additional components and '~ parts'. Additionally, the components and '~parts' may be implemented to activate one or more CPUs within a device or secure multimedia card. In addition, in an embodiment, the '~parts' may include one or more processors.

[0027] The terms used in the following description to identify connection nodes, terms referring to network entities, terms referring to messages, terms referring to interfaces between network entities, and terms referring to various identification information are provided as examples for convenience of explanation. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the terms described below, and other terms referring to objects with equivalent technical meanings may be used.

[0028] For convenience of explanation, this disclosure uses terms and names defined in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project Long Term Evolution (3GPP) LTE (Long Term Evolution) standard or the New Radio (NR) standard. However, this disclosure is not limited to these terms and names and can be equally applied to systems conforming to other standards.

[0029] Hereinafter, a base station (BS) is an entity that performs resource allocation of a terminal, and may be at least one of a radio access network (RAN) node, a next generation node B (gNB), an evolved node B (eNB), a Node B, a wireless access unit, a base station controller, or a node on a network. In the present disclosure, eNB may be used interchangeably with gNB for convenience of explanation. That is, a base station described as an eNB may represent a gNB.

[0030] Hereinafter, a terminal may include a UE (User Equipment), an MS (Mobile Station), a cellular phone, a smartphone, a computer, or a multimedia system capable of performing communication functions. Of course, the above examples are not limited thereto.

[0031] The terms used in this disclosure, such as network entities, network functions (NFs), network nodes, and objects of edge computing systems, terms referring to messages, and terms referring to identification information, are provided for convenience of explanation. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the terms described below, and other terms referring to objects with equivalent technical meanings may be used.

[0032] In particular, the present disclosure is applicable to 3GPP NR (the 5th generation mobile communications standard). Furthermore, the present disclosure may be applied to intelligent services (e.g., smart homes, smart buildings, smart cities, smart or connected cars, healthcare, digital education, retail, security, and safety-related services) based on 5G communication technology and IoT (Internet of Things)-related technologies. Furthermore, the term "terminal" may refer to not only mobile phones, NB-IoT devices, and sensors, but also other wireless communication devices.

[0033] Wireless communication systems are evolving from providing voice-oriented services in the early days to broadband wireless communication systems that provide high-speed, high-quality packet data services, such as communication standards such as 3GPP's HSPA (High Speed ​​Packet Access), LTE (Long Term Evolution or E-UTRA (Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access)), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), LTE-Pro, 3GPP2's HRPD (High Rate Packet Data), UMB (Ultra Mobile Broadband), and IEEE's 802.16e.

[0034] As a representative example of a broadband wireless communication system, the LTE system adopts the OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) method in the downlink (DL) and the SC-FDMA (Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access) method in the uplink (UL). The uplink refers to a wireless link in which a terminal (or UE) transmits data or control signals to a base station (or eNB, gNB), and the downlink refers to a wireless link in which a base station transmits data or control signals to a terminal. The above multiple access method distinguishes the data or control information of each user by allocating and operating the time-frequency resources to be transmitted to each user so that they do not overlap, that is, so as to achieve orthogonality.

[0035] As a future communications system beyond LTE, 5G communications systems must be able to freely reflect the diverse needs of users and service providers. Therefore, they must support services that simultaneously satisfy these diverse requirements. Services being considered for 5G communications systems include enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), massive machine-type communication (mMTC), and ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC).

[0036] In one embodiment, eMBB may aim to provide data transmission rates that are significantly higher than those supported by existing LTE, LTE-A, or LTE-Pro. For example, in a 5G communication system, eMBB should be able to provide a peak data rate of 20 Gbps in the downlink and a peak data rate of 10 Gbps in the uplink from the perspective of a single base station. Furthermore, a 5G communication system may need to provide both the peak data rate and the increased user-perceived data rate of a terminal. To meet these requirements, a 5G communication system may require improvements in various transmission and reception technologies, including improved multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission technology. Furthermore, while current LTE transmits signals using a maximum 20 MHz transmission bandwidth in the 2 GHz band, a 5G communication system can use a wider frequency bandwidth than 20 MHz in the 3-6 GHz or higher 6 GHz band, thereby meeting the data transmission rates required by the 5G communication system.

[0037] At the same time, mMTC is being considered to support application services such as the Internet of Things (IoT) in 5G communication systems. To efficiently provide the IoT, mMTC may require support for large-scale terminal connections within a cell, improved terminal coverage, improved battery life, and reduced terminal costs. The IoT requires the ability to support a large number of terminals (e.g., 1,000,000 terminals / km^2) within a cell, as it provides communication capabilities through the attachment of various sensors and devices. Furthermore, due to the nature of the service, terminals supporting mMTC are likely to be located in shadow areas not covered by cells, such as basements, which may require wider coverage than other services provided by 5G communication systems. Terminals supporting mMTC should be comprised of low-cost terminals, and since frequent battery replacement is unlikely, very long battery lifespans, such as 10 to 15 years, may be required.

[0038] Finally, URLLC is a cellular-based wireless communication service used for specific purposes (mission-critical), such as remote control of robots or machinery, industrial automation, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), remote health care, and emergency alerts. Therefore, the communication provided by URLLC may need to provide very low latency (ultra-low latency) and very high reliability (ultra-reliability). For example, a service supporting URLLC may have to satisfy an air interface latency of less than 0.5 milliseconds and may also have a requirement of a packet error rate (PER) of 10^-5 or less. Therefore, for services supporting URLLC, 5G systems may be required to provide a smaller transmission time interval (TTI) than other services, while simultaneously allocating a wide range of resources in the frequency band to ensure the reliability of the communication link.

[0039] The three services considered in the aforementioned 5G communication system—eMBB, URLLC, and mMTC—can be multiplexed and transmitted in a single system. To meet the differing requirements of each service, different transmission and reception techniques and parameters may be used between services. However, the aforementioned mMTC, URLLC, and eMBB are merely examples of different service types, and the service types applicable to this disclosure are not limited to the aforementioned examples.

[0040] Furthermore, although embodiments of the present disclosure are described below using LTE, LTE-A, LTE Pro, 5G (or NR), or 6G systems as examples, the embodiments of the present disclosure may also be applied to other communication systems having similar technical backgrounds or channel types. Furthermore, the embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to other communication systems with some modifications, as determined by a person skilled in the art, without significantly departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0041] For convenience, the present disclosure uses terms and names defined in the 5G system specifications, but is not limited by such terms and names and may be equally applied to systems conforming to other specifications.

[0042] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a communication system related to the present disclosure.

[0043] The 5G mobile communication system architecture may include various network entities or network functions (NFs), and FIG. 1 illustrates some of them, such as an access and mobility management function (AMF), a session management function (SMF), a policy control function (PCF), a unified data management (UDM), a data network (DN) or a local part of DN that can locally access the data network, a user plane function (UPF), a (radio) access network (R)AN, and a user equipment (UE).

[0044] Each NF can support the following functions, and the functions described below are only examples.

[0045] - AMF provides functions for access and mobility management at the UE level, and one UE can be connected to one AMF by default.

[0046] - DN refers to, for example, operator services, Internet access, or third-party services. DN transmits downlink protocol data units (PDUs) to UPF or receives PDUs transmitted from UEs from UPF. Local part of DN refers to a data network with a short data transmission path that allows local access to a portion of DN. Local part of DN can be used to refer to a DN where an edge application server supporting edge computing services is deployed.

[0047] - PCF receives information about packet flows from application servers and provides the function to determine policies such as mobility management and session management. Specifically, PCF supports functions such as supporting a unified policy framework for controlling network operations, providing policy rules so that control plane functions(e.g., AMF, SMF, etc.) can enforce the policy rules, and implementing a front end to access relevant subscription information for policy decision within the unified data repository (UDR).

[0048] - SMF provides session management functions, and when a UE has multiple sessions, each session can be managed by a different SMF.

[0049] - UDM stores user subscription data, policy data, etc.

[0050] - The UPF forwards the downlink PDU received from the DN to the UE via the (R)AN, and forwards the uplink PDU received from the UE via the (R)AN to the DN. ULCL (uplink classifier) ​​refers to a UPF that has the function of classifying and transmitting the uplink. L-UPF (local UPF) performs the termination role (i.e., PDU Session Anchor) of the session transmitted to the local part of the DN.

[0051] The Network Data Analytics Function (NWDAF) collects data within the network and provides analytics services. NWDAF can be composed of logically separate functions, such as data collection, model training, and analytics service provision. Each function can be deployed within the network as a single NWDAF instance. Furthermore, each function can provide NWDAF services, and NWDAF service calls can be made between functions.

[0052] - SCP (Service Communication Proxy) can perform actions such as signaling transmission between network functions (supporting indirect communication between network functions), network function discovery, signaling communication security, and monitoring. Multiple SCPs can be distributed and deployed within a mobile communication system. An SCP domain can be defined as consisting of one or more SCPs and network function instances, and an SCP can communicate with all SCPs and network functions within its SCP domain.

[0053] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a process in which a network entity collects signaling data according to an embodiment proposed in the present disclosure.

[0054] In step 1, an NF (i.e., an NWDAF consumer NF) can send an analytics service request message to NWDAF. This message can be an Nnwdaf_AnalyticsInfo_Request message or an Nnwdaf_AnalyticsSubscription_subscribe request message. The analytics service request message can include information indicating that it is a signaling load-related analytics service request, such as an analytics ID, which can be expressed as a signaling transaction or signaling load. In addition, the analytics service request message can include a target of analytics reporting and analytics filter information. The analytics service request message can include information indicating that at least one of statistics or prediction is requested, and a specific time window.

[0055] The corresponding analysis service request message may also include information indicating that analysis information about a signaling transaction occurring for a particular network function service or procedure is being requested, such as an ID indicating a particular network function service name or network procedure name.

[0056] In step 2, when the NWDAF receives the analysis service request message, it can initiate a procedure for data collection targeting the OAM (Operations, Administration and Maintenance or Orchestration and Management) system. The information collected by the NWDAF from the OAM may include one or more of various information, such as the number of NF signaling occurrences, NF resource usage (usage of assigned virtual resources currently in use for specific NF instance(s) (mean usage of virtual CPU, memory, disk)), NF resource configuration (life cycle changes of specific NF resources (e.g., NF operational or interrupted during virtual / physical resources reconfiguration)). In addition, the NWDAF can collect terminal-related information (data collected through MDT (Minimization of Drive Tests) operation, such as UE speed, UE orientation, etc.) from the OAM.

[0057] In step 3, the NWDAF can perform terminal-related data collection. The NWDAF can collect terminal data from the AF. The terminal-related signaling transaction data collected by the NWDAF can include one or more various parameters such as signaling-related operations (information indicating specific operations such as access and mobility management, session management, and UE configuration update), the number of signaling occurrences, and the time. For example, the NWDAF can call a service provided by the AF to provide Event ID, Collective Behavior, event filter information, target of event reporting, etc., and receive terminal-related data from the AF. At this time, the data provided by the AF is terminal data collected by the terminal, and the terminal data collected by the terminal is stored in the AF and can be provided to the NWDAF upon request of the NWDAF. According to another embodiment, the NWDAF can collect data through various paths. For example, the NWDAF can collect terminal-related signaling data through signaling via the AMF or through the user plane via the UPF.

[0058] In step 4a, the NWDAF can determine the NFs (e.g., NF1, NF2, and NF3 in the drawing) for collecting signaling transaction-related data based on the information received in step 1, and can transmit a request for providing related data to each NF. For example, if the NWDAF receives a specific network function service or procedure name or identifier in step 1, the NWDAF can determine the network functions (e.g., NF1, NF2, NF3 in the drawing) for collecting data by specifying the network functions that provide the corresponding network function service or all network functions involved in the corresponding network procedure. The NWDAF can transmit an NF signaling transaction data request message to the determined data collection target network functions. The NF signaling transaction data request procedure can be performed in various ways. For example, the NWDAF can be performed by calling an event exposure service provided by the data collection target network functions and making a subscription request for the corresponding service. To this end, each network function can provide a service capable of providing signaling transaction-related data to the NWDAF.

[0059] In step 4b, each network function that receives a signaling transaction data collection request from the NWDAF may provide the signaling transaction data to the NWDAF. The data that each network function (NF1, NF2, and NF3 in the diagram) provides to the NWDAF may include at least one of the following information:

[0060] - NF service name or ID, NF procedure name or ID

[0061] - Information on the number and time of signaling occurrences related to a specific NF service or procedure.

[0062] - Overload control occurrence information: Overload control occurrence information may include at least one of the NF that caused the Overload control, the number of times Overload control was activated / executed, the time when Overload control was activated / executed, and Overload control scope information (e.g., NF service, NF instance level scope, NF set level scope, etc.). Overload control performed by the NF may mean an action in which the NF service producer instructs or requests the NF service consumer to reduce service request signaling based on the HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) status code, or induces the NF service producer to reduce notification signaling.

[0063] In Step 5, NWDAF can generate signaling transaction analytics using the data collected from the previous step. For example, NWDAF can analyze the collected data to generate signaling transaction statistics or train a machine learning model using the collected data to perform signaling transaction predictions.

[0064] In step 6, NWDAF can provide the statistics or prediction analysis information generated in the previous step to the NWDAF consumer NF. This process can be performed by sending the Nnwdaf_AnalyticsInfo_Request response message or the Nnwdaf_AnalyticsSubscription_Notify message.

[0065] In steps 7a to 7d, if NWDAF has performed a subscription request for data collection through the operations of steps 2 to 4 above, it can be notified of updated data related to signaling transactions from terminals, OAMs, and NFs.

[0066] In step 8, NWDAF can update the statistics or prediction analytics generated in step 5 based on the update data received in the previous step.

[0067] In step 9, NWDAF can provide updated Signaling transaction analytics to NWDAF consumer NFs. This can be done by sending the Nnwdaf_AnalyticsSubscription_Notify message.

[0068] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a process in which a network entity collects signaling data from an SCP according to an embodiment proposed in the present disclosure.

[0069] In step 1, an NWDAF consumer NF can send an analytics service request message to NWDAF. This message can be an Nnwdaf_AnalyticsInfo_Request message or an Nnwdaf_AnalyticsSubscription_subscribe request message. The analytics service request message can include information indicating that the analytics service request is related to a signaling load, such as an analytics ID, which can be expressed as a signaling transaction or a signaling load. In addition, the analytics service request message can include a target of analytics reporting and analytics filter information. The analytics service request message can include information indicating that at least one of statistics or prediction is requested, and a specific time window.

[0070] The corresponding analysis service request message may also include information indicating that analysis information about a signaling transaction occurring for a particular network function service or procedure is being requested, such as an ID indicating a particular network function service name or network procedure name.

[0071] In step 2, when the NWDAF receives the analysis service request message, it can initiate a procedure for data collection targeting the OAM system. The information collected by the NWDAF from the OAM may include one or more of various information, such as the number of NF signaling occurrences, NF resource usage (usage of assigned virtual resources currently in use for specific NF instance(s) (mean usage of virtual CPU, memory, disk)), NF resource configuration (life cycle changes of specific NF resources (e.g., NF operational or interrupted during virtual / physical resources reconfiguration)). In addition, the NWDAF can collect terminal-related information (data collected through MDT (Minimization of Drive Tests) operation, such as UE speed, UE orientation, etc.) from the OAM.

[0072] In step 3, the NWDAF can perform terminal-related data collection. The NWDAF can collect terminal data from the AF. The terminal-related signaling transaction data collected by the NWDAF can include one or more various parameters such as signaling-related operations (information indicating specific operations such as access and mobility management, session management, and UE configuration update), the number of signaling occurrences, and the time. For example, the NWDAF can call a service provided by the AF to provide Event ID, Collective Behavior, event filter information, target of event reporting, etc., and receive terminal-related data from the AF. At this time, the data provided by the AF is terminal data collected by the terminal, and the terminal data collected by the terminal is stored in the AF and can be provided to the NWDAF upon request of the NWDAF. According to another embodiment, the NWDAF can collect data through various paths. For example, the NWDAF can collect terminal-related signaling data through signaling via the AMF or through the user plane via the UPF.

[0073] In step 4, NWDAF can determine the NFs (e.g., NF1, NF2, NF3 in the drawing) for data collection related to signaling transactions based on the information received in step 1, and check whether SCPs are deployed and in use. For example, NWDAF can use the information set in NWDAF or collect information related to NF1, NF2, and NF3 from NRF to check whether the service mesh is set up and in use or whether SCPs are in use for the NFs for data collection. NWDAF can check whether SCPs are in use for the NFs for data collection (or NF services or procedures for signaling transaction analytics) and perform discovery and selection for the corresponding SCPs. The SCP discovery and selection operations of NWDAF are specifically described in Fig. 4.

[0074] In step 5, the NWDAF may send an NF signaling transaction data request message to the SCP selected in the previous step. The request message may include at least one of information about the target NF (e.g., NF1, NF2, and NF3 in the drawing), an ID indicating a specific network function service name, or a network procedure name. This may be to inform the SCP that the NWDAF is requesting data collection for a signaling transaction occurring for a specific network function service or procedure.

[0075] Data provided by NWDAF to SCP for data collection may include at least one of the following pieces of information, and may include multiple pieces of each of the following pieces of information, as exemplified below. Each of the pieces of information below may be used as a filter to selectively obtain information collected by SCP.

[0076] - NF information (e.g. NF identifier and address information)

[0077] - NF service name or ID, NF procedure name or ID

[0078] - SCP domain information or service mesh information

[0079] - Information on the number and time of signaling occurrences related to a specific NF service or procedure.

[0080] - Request for information on overload control occurrence

[0081] In step 6, SCP may transmit to NWDAF at least one of the following information, which is signaling transaction related data, upon NWDAF request:

[0082] - NF information (e.g. NF identifier and address information)

[0083] - NF service name or ID, NF procedure name or ID

[0084] - SCP domain information or service mesh information

[0085] - Information on the number and time of signaling occurrences related to a specific NF service or procedure.

[0086] - Overload control occurrence information: Overload control occurrence information may include at least one of the following: the target NF for the Overload control occurrence, the number of times Overload control is activated / executed, the time of activation / execution of Overload control, and Overload control scope information (e.g., NF service, NF instance level scope, NF set level scope).

[0087] In step 7, NWDAF can collect SCP load information or SCP resource status (SCP resource usage or SCP resource configuration), which are factors that can indirectly cause signaling transaction congestion, and NWDAF can collect the information through OAM or NRF.

[0088] In Step 8, NWDAF can use the data collected from the previous steps to generate signaling transaction analytics. For example, NWDAF can analyze the collected data to generate signaling transaction statistics or train a machine learning model using the collected data to perform signaling transaction predictions.

[0089] In step 9, NWDAF can provide the statistics or prediction analysis information generated in the previous step to the NWDAF consumer NF. This process can be performed by sending the Nnwdaf_AnalyticsInfo_Request response message or the Nnwdaf_AnalyticsSubscription_Notify message.

[0090] In steps 10a to 10d, if NWDAF has performed a subscription request for data collection through the operations of steps 2 to 7 above, it can be notified of updated data related to signaling transactions from terminals, OAMs, and SCPs.

[0091] In step 11, NWDAF can update the statistics or prediction analytics generated in step 5 based on the update data received in the previous step.

[0092] In step 12, NWDAF can provide updated Signaling transaction analytics to NWDAF consumer NF. This can be done by sending the Nnwdaf_AnalyticsSubscription_Notify message.

[0093] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a process of searching and selecting an SCP for signaling data collection according to an embodiment proposed in the present disclosure.

[0094] In step 1, the NWDAF consumer NF can send an analytics service request message to NWDAF. This message can be a Nnwdaf_AnalyticsInfo_Request message or a Nnwdaf_AnalyticsSubscription_subscribe request message. The NWDAF consumer NF can send at least one of target SCP information, target service mesh information, target procedure information, and SCP domain information to NWDAF in addition to the information provided by NWDAF as described in FIG. 3 or FIG. 4 to obtain analytics information about the SCP.

[0095] In step 2, NWDAF can proceed with data collection from OAM. The process of NWDAF collecting data from OAM can be applied in the same or similar manner as the embodiment described above in FIG. 3.

[0096] In step 3, NWDAF can proceed with terminal data collection. The process by which NWDAF collects terminal data can be applied in the same or similar manner as the embodiment described above in FIG. 3.

[0097] In Step 4, NWDAF can perform SCP discovery and selection operations. For example, NWDAF can determine the network function to be analyzed (NF1, NF2, NF3) and perform operations to select the SCP responsible for the corresponding NF.

[0098] According to one embodiment (option 1 of FIG. 4), NWDAF can obtain serving SCP information by requesting it from each of NF1, NF2, and NF3. NWDAF can send a serving SCP information request message to NF1, NF2, and NF3, and each NF can send the configured serving SCP information (identifier and address information) to NWDAF.

[0099] According to another embodiment (option 2 of FIG. 4), the NWDAF may provide NF1, NF2, and NF3 information to the NRF, and receive SCP information responsible for the corresponding NF from the NRF. The NWDAF may transmit a network function service name or network procedure name, SCP domain information, an NF list, etc. to the NRF, and receive SCP information in response thereto. According to one embodiment, the SCP information that the NWDAF may obtain from the NRF may refer to SCP Profile information registered in the NRF. In this case, after the SCP is deployed in the core network, the SCP may perform an NRF registration procedure that transmits a service request message such as NF_Management_NFRegister to the NRF, and may provide at least one of the following information to the NRF: SCP identifier and address information, whether the event exposure function is supported (information such as whether the function of providing information collected by the SCP to other NFs is supported), SCP domain information, and NF list (NF identifier and address list information).

[0100] In step 5, NWDAF can use the SCP information acquired through exploration in the previous step to send a data request related to a signaling transaction to the SCP and receive data related to the signaling transaction from the SCP. The process of NWDAF sending a data request to the SCP and receiving data from the SCP can be applied in the same or similar manner as the embodiment described in FIG. 3 above.

[0101] In step 6, NWDAF can generate signaling transaction analytics, and this process can be applied in the same or similar manner as the embodiment described in FIG. 3.

[0102] In step 7, NWDAF can provide the generated statistics or prediction analysis information to NWDAF consumer NF, and the embodiment described in FIG. 3 can be applied in the same or similar manner.

[0103] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a terminal according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0104] As illustrated in FIG. 5, the terminal of the present disclosure may include a transceiver (510), a memory (520), and a terminal control unit (or processor 530). The terminal control unit (530), the transceiver (510), and the memory (520) may operate according to the communication method of the terminal described above. However, the components of the terminal are not limited to the examples described above. For example, the terminal may include more or fewer components than the components described above. In addition, the terminal control unit (530), the transceiver (510), and the memory (520) may be implemented in the form of a single chip.

[0105] The transceiver (510) is a general term for the terminal's receiving unit and the terminal's transmitting unit, and can transmit and receive signals with a base station or a network entity. The signals transmitted and received with the base station may include control information and data. To this end, the transceiver (510) may be configured with an RF (radio frequency) transmitter that up-converts and amplifies the frequency of a transmitted signal, and an RF receiver that low-noise amplifies and frequency-downconverts the received signal. However, this is only one embodiment of the transceiver (510), and the components of the transceiver (510) are not limited to an RF transmitter and an RF receiver.

[0106] In addition, the transceiver (510) may include a wired or wireless transceiver, and may include various configurations for transmitting and receiving signals. In addition, the transceiver (510) may receive a signal through a wireless channel and output it to the terminal control unit (530), and transmit the signal output from the terminal control unit (530) through the wireless channel. In addition, the transceiver (510) may receive a communication signal and output it to the terminal control unit (530), and transmit the signal output from the terminal control unit (530) to a base station or network entity through a wired or wireless network.

[0107] The memory (520) can store programs and data necessary for the operation of the terminal. In addition, the memory (520) can store control information or data included in signals obtained from the terminal. The memory (520) can be configured as a storage medium or a combination of storage media, such as a ROM, a RAM, a hard disk, a CD-ROM, and a DVD.

[0108] The terminal control unit (530) can control a series of processes so that the terminal can operate according to the embodiments of the present disclosure described above. The terminal control unit (530) may include at least one processor. For example, the terminal control unit (530) may include a communication processor (CP) that performs control for communication and an application processor (AP) that controls upper layers such as application programs.

[0109] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a base station according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The base station illustrated in FIG. 6 may correspond to the RAN (radio access network) node described above in FIGS. 1 to 4.

[0110] As illustrated in FIG. 6, the base station of the present disclosure may include a transceiver (610), a memory (620), and a base station control unit (or processor, 630). The base station control unit (630), the transceiver (610), and the memory (620) may operate according to the communication method of the base station described above. However, the components of the base station are not limited to the examples described above. For example, the base station may include more or fewer components than the components described above. According to one embodiment, the base station of FIG. 6 may be implemented so that its entire function is separated into a CU and a DU, in which case the CU and the DU may each perform some of the functions performed by the base station of FIG. 6. In addition, the base station control unit (630), the transceiver (610), and the memory (620) of FIG. 6 may be implemented in the form of a single chip.

[0111] The transceiver (610) is a general term for the receiving unit and the transmitting unit of the base station, and can transmit and receive signals with a terminal and / or a network entity. At this time, the transmitted and received signals may include control information and data. To this end, the transceiver (610) may be configured with an RF transmitter that up-converts and amplifies the frequency of a transmitted signal, and an RF receiver that low-noise amplifies and frequency-downconverts the received signal. However, this is only one embodiment of the transceiver (610), and the components of the transceiver (610) are not limited to the RF transmitter and RF receiver. The transceiver (610) may include wired and wireless transceivers, and may include various configurations for transmitting and receiving signals.

[0112] In addition, the transceiver (610) can receive a signal through a communication channel (e.g., a wireless channel) and output it to the base station control unit (630), and transmit the signal output from the base station control unit (630) through the communication channel. In addition, the transceiver (610) can receive a communication signal and output it to the processor, and transmit the signal output from the processor to a terminal or network entity through a wired or wireless network.

[0113] The memory (620) can store programs and data required for the operation of the base station. In addition, the memory (620) can store control information or data included in signals acquired from the base station. The memory (620) can be configured as a storage medium or a combination of storage media, such as a ROM, a RAM, a hard disk, a CD-ROM, and a DVD.

[0114] The base station control unit (630) can control a series of processes so that the base station can operate according to the embodiments of the present disclosure described above. The base station control unit (630) 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.

[0115] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a network function (or network entity) according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The network function (or network entity) illustrated in FIG. 7 may correspond to various functions or entities of the core network described above in FIGS. 1 to 4.

[0116] As illustrated in FIG. 7, the network function (NF) (or network entity) of the present disclosure may include a transceiver (710), a memory (720), and an NF control unit (or processor, 730). The NF control unit (730), the transceiver (710), and the memory (720) of the network function (or network entity) may operate according to the communication method of the network function (or network entity) described above. However, the components of the network function (or network entity) are not limited to the examples described above. For example, the network function (or network entity) may include more or fewer components than the components described above.

[0117] The transceiver (710) is a general term for the receiving unit of a network function (or network entity) and the transmitting unit of a base station, and can transmit and receive signals with a terminal, a base station, and / or other network functions (or network entities). At this time, the transmitted and received signals may include control information and data. For this purpose, the transceiver (710) can communicate with nodes of the core network through a wired or wireless transceiver. However, this is only one embodiment of the transceiver (710), and the components of the transceiver (710) may be configured as an RF transmitter that up-converts and amplifies the frequency of a transmitted signal, an RF receiver that low-noise amplifies a received signal and down-converts the frequency, and may include various configurations for transmitting and receiving signals.

[0118] In addition, the transceiver (710) can receive a signal through a communication channel (e.g., a wireless channel or a channel of a core network) and output it to the NF control unit (730), and transmit the signal output from the NF control unit (730) through the communication channel. In addition, the transceiver (710) can receive a communication signal and output it to the NF control unit (730), and transmit the signal output from the NF control unit (730) to a terminal, a base station, or a network entity through a wired or wireless network.

[0119] The memory (720) can store programs and data required for the operation of a network function (or network entity). Furthermore, the memory (720) can store control information or data included in signals obtained from the network function (or network entity). The memory (720) can be configured as a storage medium, such as a ROM, a RAM, a hard disk, a CD-ROM, a DVD, or a combination of storage media.

[0120] The NF control unit (730) may control a series of processes so that a network function (or network entity) can operate according to the embodiments of the present disclosure described above. The NF control unit (730) may include at least one processor. The methods according to the embodiments described in the claims or specification of the present disclosure may be implemented in the form of hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0121] The methods according to the embodiments described in the claims or specification of the present disclosure may be implemented in the form of hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0122] When implemented 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 within an electronic device. The one or more programs include instructions that cause the electronic device to execute methods according to the embodiments described in the claims or specification of the present disclosure.

[0123] These programs (software modules, software) may 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 discs (DVDs) or other forms of optical storage device, magnetic cassette. Or, they may be stored in a memory configured as a combination of some or all of these. In addition, each configuration memory may be included in multiple numbers.

[0124] Additionally, the program may be stored in an attachable storage device that is accessible via a communication network such as the Internet, an intranet, a local area network (LAN), a wide local area network (WLAN), a storage area network (SAN), or a combination thereof. Such a storage device may be connected to a device performing an embodiment of the present disclosure via an external port. Additionally, a separate storage device on the communication network may be connected to a device performing an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0125] In the specific embodiments of the present disclosure described above, components included in the disclosure are expressed in the singular or plural form, depending on the specific embodiment presented. However, the singular or plural expressions are selected to suit the presented situation for convenience of explanation, and the present disclosure is not limited to singular or plural components. Components expressed in the plural form may be composed of singular elements, or components expressed in the singular form may be composed of plural elements.

[0126] While the detailed description of the present disclosure has described specific embodiments, it should be understood that various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, some or all of the embodiments may be combined with some or all of one or more other embodiments, and it should be understood that such combinations also correspond to embodiments proposed in the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be determined not only by the scope of the claims described below, but also by equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A method performed by a network data analytics function (NWDAF) entity of a wireless communication system, A step of receiving a first message for requesting an analysis service from a first network function entity; Step 1: Select an SCP (service communication proxy) entity; A step of transmitting a second message to the selected SCP entity for requesting data related to the signaling transaction; A step of receiving a third message including data related to the signaling transaction from the selected SCP entity; A step of generating analysis results based on data related to the signaling transaction; and A method comprising the step of transmitting a fourth message including the analysis result to the first network function entity.

2. In paragraph 1, The steps to select the above SCP entity are: A step of requesting information about the SCP entity related to the second network function entity to the second network function entity; A method comprising the step of receiving information about the SCP entity from the second network function entity.

3. In paragraph 1, The steps to select the above SCP entity are: A step of requesting information about the SCP entity related to the second network function entity to the NRF (network repository function) entity, A method comprising the step of receiving information about the SCP entity from the NRF entity.

4. In paragraph 1, The second message above is, A method comprising at least one of information about a network function entity that is a subject of analysis, information about a service of the network function, information about a network procedure, SCP domain information, service mesh information, information about the number and time of signaling, or information about the occurrence of overload control.

5. In paragraph 1, Further comprising a step of receiving information about the terminal from OAM (operations, administration and maintenance), A method wherein the information about the terminal includes information about the speed and direction of the terminal.

6. In paragraph 1, A method wherein the first message includes information indicating that the first message is a request for an analysis service for a signaling transaction.

7. A method performed by an SCP (service communication proxy) entity of a wireless communication system, A step of receiving a first message for requesting data related to a signaling transaction from a network data analytics function (NWDAF) entity; and A method comprising the step of transmitting a second message to an NWDAF entity, the second message comprising data related to the signaling transaction.

8. In paragraph 7, The first message above is, A method comprising at least one of information about a network function entity that is a subject of analysis, information about a service of the network function, information about a network procedure, SCP domain information, service mesh information, information about the number and time of signaling, or information about the occurrence of overload control.

9. In the NWDAF (network data analytics function) entity of a wireless communication system, Transmitter and receiver; and Including a control unit connected to the above transmitter and receiver, The above control unit: Receive a first message from a first network function entity to request an analysis service, Select the SCP (service communication proxy) entity, Sending a second message to the selected SCP entity to request data related to the signaling transaction, Receive a third message from the selected SCP entity, which includes data related to the signaling transaction; Generate analysis results based on data related to the above signaling transaction, and An NWDAF entity configured to transmit a fourth message including the analysis result to the first network function entity.

10. In paragraph 9, the control unit: Requesting information about said SCP entity related to said second network function entity from said second network function entity; An NWDAF entity configured to receive information about the SCP entity from the second network function entity.

11. In paragraph 9, the control unit: Requests information about the SCP entity related to the second network function entity to the NRF (network repository function) entity, An NWDAF entity configured to receive information about the SCP entity from the NRF entity.

12. In paragraph 9, The second message above is, An NWDAF entity that contains at least one of information about a network function entity that is the subject of analysis, information about a service of the network function, information about a network procedure, SCP domain information, service mesh information, information about the number and time of signaling, or information about an overload control occurrence.

13. In paragraph 9, the control unit, It is set to receive information about the terminal from OAM (operations, administration and maintenance), Information about the above terminal is an NWDAF entity that includes information about the terminal's speed and direction.

14. In the SCP (service communication proxy) entity of a wireless communication system, Transmitter and receiver; and Including a control unit connected to the above transmitter and receiver, The above control unit: Receive a first message from a network data analytics function (NWDAF) entity for requesting data related to a signaling transaction, and An SCP entity configured to transmit a second message to the NWDAF entity, the second message comprising data related to the signaling transaction.

15. In paragraph 14, The first message above is, An SCP entity that includes at least one of information about a network function entity that is the subject of analysis, information about a service of the network function, information about a network procedure, SCP domain information, service mesh information, information about the number and time of signaling, or information about the occurrence of overload control.

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