Vehicle routing for assisting services

Abstract

An example method for assisting services, the method performed by a coordinating device and comprising determining a demand for a service coordinated using a network; identifying a first mobile edge device for providing the service, wherein the first mobile edge device is associated with a first vehicle and is communicatively coupled with the network, and wherein providing the service comprises sharing device resources of an edge device associated with a vehicle for assisting edge computing; responsive to the first mobile edge device being capable of providing the service, determining a configuration for the first mobile edge device to provide the service; and sending the configuration to the first mobile edge device for providing the service.

Description

VEHICLE ROUTING FOR ASSISTING SERVICESRELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of Greek Application No. 20230101033, filed December 13, 2023, entitled “VEHICLE ROUTING FOR ASSISTING SERVICES,” which is assigned to the assignee hereof, and incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.BACKGROUND Field of Disclosure

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to the field of wireless communications, and more specifically to assisting services for edge computing. Description of Related Art

[0003] Edge computing revolutionizes data processing by bringing computation closer to data sources, like Internet of Things (loT) devices, to minimize latency and enhance security. This decentralized approach reduces infrastructure costs, leverages realtime analytics, and supports dynamic device ecosystems. With Artificial Intelligence (Al) optimization, edge computing diminishes reliance on central servers, enabling faster processing and handling of increased data volumes, essential for the rapid demands of modern applications and 5G networks.BRIEF SUMMARY

[0004] An example method for assisting services, the method performed by a coordinating device and comprising determining a demand for a service coordinated using a network; identifying a first mobile edge device for providing the service, wherein the first mobile edge device is associated with a first vehicle and is communicatively coupled with the network, and wherein providing the service comprises sharing device resources of an edge device associated with a vehicle for assisting edge computing; responsive to the first mobile edge device being capable of providing the service, determining a configuration for the first mobile edge device to provide the service; and sending the configuration to the first mobile edge device for providing the service.

[0005] An example coordinating device for assisting services comprising one or more transceivers, one or more memories, and one or more processors communicatively coupled with the one or more transceivers and the one or more memories. The one or more processors are configured to determine a demand for a service coordinated using a network; identify a first mobile edge device for providing the service, wherein the first mobile edge device is associated with a first vehicle and is communicatively coupled with the network, and wherein providing the service comprises sharing device resources of an edge device associated with a vehicle for assisting edge computing; responsive to the first mobile edge device being capable of providing the service, determine a configuration for the first mobile edge device to provide the service; and send the configuration to the first mobile edge device for providing the service.

[0006] An example apparatus for assisting services, the apparatus comprising means for determining a demand for a service coordinated using a network; means for identifying a first mobile edge device for providing the service, wherein the first mobile edge device is associated with a first vehicle and is communicatively coupled with the network, and wherein providing the service comprises sharing device resources of an edge device associated with a vehicle for assisting edge computing; means for responsive to the first mobile edge device being capable of providing the service, determining a configuration for the first mobile edge device to provide the service; and means for sending the configuration to the first mobile edge device for providing the service.

[0007] This summary is neither intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used in isolation to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter. The subject matter should be understood by reference to appropriate portions of the entire specification of this disclosure, any or all drawings, and each claim. The foregoing, together with other features and examples, will be described in more detail below in the following specification, claims, and accompanying drawings.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] FIG. 1 is an illustration of a communication / positioning / sensing system, according to some embodiments.

[0009] FIG. 2 shows a diagram of a 5G NR network, illustrating an embodiment of a wireless system (e.g., the communication / positioning / sensing system shown in FIG. 1) implemented in 5G NR.

[0010] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an edge computing architecture, according to some embodiments.

[0011] FIG. 4 is a high-level block diagram of a method for assisting services, according to some embodiments.

[0012] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for assisting services performed by a coordinating device, according to some embodiments.

[0013] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a mobile computer system, which can be utilized in embodiments as described herein.

[0014] FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a computer system, which can be utilized in embodiments as described herein.

[0015] Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements, in accordance with certain example implementations. In addition, multiple instances of an element may be indicated by following a first number for the element with a letter or a hyphen and a second number. For example, multiple instances of an element 110 may be indicated as 110-1, 110-2, 110-3 etc. or as 110a, 110b, 110c, etc. When referring to such an element using only the first number, any instance of the element is to be understood (e.g., element 110 in the previous example would refer to elements 110-1, 110-2, and 110- 3 or to elements 110a, 110b, and 110c).DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] The following description is directed to certain implementations for the purposes of describing innovative aspects of various embodiments. However, a person having ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that the teachings herein can be applied in a multitude of different ways. The described implementations may be implemented in any device, system, or network that is capable of transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals according to any communication standard, such as any of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.15.4 standards for ultra-wideband (UWB), IEEE 802.11 standards (including those identified as Wi-Fi®technologies), the Bluetooth® standard, code division multiple access (CDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), GSM / General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA), Wideband-CDMA (W-CDMA), Evolution Data Optimized (EV-DO), IxEV- DO, EV-DO Rev A, EV-DO Rev B, High Rate Packet Data (HRPD), High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA), Evolved High Speed Packet Access (HSPA+), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS), or other known signals that are used to communicate within a wireless, cellular or internet of things (loT) network, such as a system utilizing 3G, 4G, 5G, 6G, or further implementations thereof, technology.

[0017] As used herein, an “RF signal” comprises an electromagnetic wave that transports information through the space between a transmitter (or transmitting device) and a receiver (or receiving device). As used herein, a transmitter may transmit a single “RF signal” or multiple “RF signals” to a receiver. However, the receiver may receive multiple “RF signals” corresponding to each transmitted RF signal due to the propagation characteristics of RF signals through multiple channels or paths.

[0018] Additionally, unless otherwise specified, references to “reference signals,” “positioning reference signals,” “reference signals for positioning,” and the like may be used to refer to signals used for positioning of a user equipment (UE). As described in more detail herein, such signals may comprise any of a variety of signal types but may not necessarily be limited to a Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) as defined in relevant wireless standards.

[0019] Further, unless otherwise specified, the term “positioning” as used herein may absolute location determination, relative location determination, ranging, or a combination thereof. Such positioning may include and / or be based on timing, angular, phase, or power measurements, or a combination thereof (which may include RF sensing measurements) for the purpose of location or sensing services.

[0020] Various aspects generally relate to the field of wireless communications, and more specifically to assisting services for edge computing. In some embodiments, a coordinating device may determine a demand for a service coordinated using a network.The service may include sharing device resources of an edge device associated with a vehicle for assisting edge computing. The coordinating device may then identify a first mobile edge device for providing the service, where the first mobile edge device is associated with a first vehicle and is communicatively coupled with the network. Responsive to the first mobile edge device being capable of providing the service, the coordinating device may determine a configuration for the first mobile edge device to provide the service and may send the configuration to the first mobile edge device for providing the service. In some embodiments, responsive to the first mobile edge device is not capable of providing the service when the vehicle takes the first route, the coordinating device may re-route the first vehicle such that if the first vehicle and / or the first mobile edge device accepts the re-routing, the first mobile edge device may be capable or will be capable of providing the service. Accordingly, the device resources of the first mobile edge device (e.g., communication resources, processing capabilities, sensor data, application data, data storage capacities, or any combination thereof) may be shared for performing edge computing.

[0021] Although having a lot of benefits for performing edge computing compared with traditional centralized computing, existing edge computing may experience problems such as computing nodes and / or devices at the edge not being able to handle the additional demand of networking, aggregating, and decision-making. This increased workload can lead to added power requirements, potentially causing user experience (UX) to suffer. Furthermore, the infrastructure required for edge computing can be costly and often comes with long upgrade times. Additionally, there are technical challenges such as Line-Of-Sight (LOS) blockage that can affect millimeter-wave (mmWave) communications, which are crucial for high-speed data transmission in edge computing scenarios. Particular aspects of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented to assist services for edge computing by configuring (e.g., identifying and / or re-routing) edge device(s) / edge computing node(s) associated with vehicle(s) to assist the edge computing.

[0022] The technical solutions disclosed herein may be advantageous because a vehicle system (e.g., a UE, a mobile device, and / or any computing system on board of a vehicle) may often have more extensive device resources than a standard UE or mobile device, good mobility (e.g., may be re-routed to a place of interest for providing the service), and may support a larger variety of services ecosystems. By configuring thevehicle systems to assist the edge computing, device resources may be more dynamically allocated, and the above-mentioned problems may be resolved. Furthermore, providing incentives for these vehicle systems to take detours — not just those based on the shortest estimated time of arrival (ETA) — can open up additional revenue streams. Ridesharing companies could leverage this by partnering with service providers (e.g., the users of the providing devices), sharing the benefits / incentives of these detours to riders in the form of savings.

[0023] As will be discussed in detail below, a vehicle may be capable of determine a position of the vehicle (e.g., using a communication / positioning / sensing system) which could be used in conjunction with assisting services for edge computing. For example, FIG. 1 is a simplified illustration of a wireless system capable of communication, positioning, and sensing, referred to herein as a "communication / positioning / sensing system" 100 in which a mobile device 105, network function server 160, and / or other components of the communication / positioning / sensing system 100 can use the techniques provided herein for assisting services for edge computing, according to an embodiment. (That said, embodiments are not necessarily limited to such a system.) The techniques described herein may be implemented by one or more components of the communication / positioning / sensing system 100. The communication / positioning / sensing system 100 can include: a mobile device 105; one or more satellites 110 (also referred to as space vehicles (SVs)), which may include Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) satellites (e.g., satellites of the Global Positioning System (GPS), GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou, etc.) and or Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) satellites; base stations 120; access points (APs) 130; network function server 160; network 170; and external client 180. Generally put, the communication / positioning / sensing system 100 may be capable of enabling communication between the mobile device 105 and other devices, positioning of the mobile device 105 and / or other devices, performing RF sensing by the mobile device 105 and / or other devices, or a combination thereof. For example, the communication / positioning / sensing system 100 can estimate a location of the mobile device 105 based on RF signals received by and / or sent from the mobile device 105 and known locations of other components (e.g., GNSS satellites 110, base stations 120, APs 130) transmitting and / or receiving the RF signals. Additionally or alternatively, wireless devices such as the mobile device 105, base stations 120, and satellites 110 (and / or other NTN platforms) can be utilized to perform positioning (e.g., of one or more wirelessdevices) and / or perform RF sensing (e.g., of one or more objects by using RF signals transmitted by one or more wireless devices). The mobile device 105 (also referred to as UE 105 herein) may be referred to as a wireless communication device, a mobile terminal, a terminal, a mobile station (MS), a Secure User Plane Location (SUPL)-Enabled Terminal (SET), or by some other name. Moreover, mobile device 105 or UE 105 may correspond to a cellphone, smartphone, laptop, tablet, personal data assistant (PDA), navigation device, wearable device, Internet of Things (loT) device, or some other portable or moveable device. In various embodiments and implementations, the mobile device 105 (UE 105) and / or other mobile devices / UEs discussed herein (e.g., UE 205, UE 145, etc.) may also refer to a vehicle, a vehicle system, a vehicle component, or a computing device associated with the vehicle.

[0024] It should be noted that FIG. 1 provides only a generalized illustration of various components, any or all of which may be utilized as appropriate, and each of which may be duplicated as necessary. Specifically, although only one mobile device 105 is illustrated, it will be understood that many UEs (e.g., hundreds, thousands, millions, etc.) may utilize the communication / positioning / sensing system 100. Similarly, the communication / positioning / sensing system 100 may include a larger or smaller number of base stations 120 and / or APs 130 than illustrated in FIG. 1. The illustrated connections that connect the various components in the communication / positioning / sensing system 100 comprise data and signaling connections which may include additional (intermediary) components, direct or indirect physical and / or wireless connections, and / or additional networks. Furthermore, components may be rearranged, combined, separated, substituted, and / or omitted, depending on desired functionality. In some embodiments, for example, the external client 180 may be directly connected to network function server 160. A person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize many modifications to the components illustrated.

[0025] Depending on desired functionality, the network 170 may comprise any of a variety of wireless and / or wireline networks. The network 170 can, for example, comprise any combination of public and / or private networks, local and / or wide-area networks, and the like. Furthermore, the network 170 may utilize one or more wired and / or wireless communication technologies. In some embodiments, the network 170 may comprise a cellular or other mobile network, a wireless local area network (WLAN), a wireless wide- area network (WWAN), and / or the Internet, for example. Examples of network 170include a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) wireless network, a Fifth Generation (5G) wireless network (also referred to as New Radio (NR) wireless network or 5G NR wireless network), a Wi-Fi WLAN, and the Internet. LTE, 5G and NR are wireless technologies defined, or being defined, by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). In and LTE, 5G, or other cellular network, mobile device 105 may be referred to as a user equipment (UE). Network 170 may also include more than one network and / or more than one type of network.

[0026] The base stations 120 and access points (APs) 130 may be communicatively coupled to the network 170. In some embodiments, the base station 120s may be owned, maintained, and / or operated by a cellular network provider, and may employ any of a variety of wireless technologies, as described herein below. Depending on the technology of the network 170, a base station 120 may comprise a node B, an Evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), a base transceiver station (BTS), a radio base station (RBS), an NR NodeB (gNB), a Next Generation eNB (ng-eNB), or the like. A base station 120 that is a gNB or ng-eNB may be part of a Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) which may connect to a 5G Core Network (5GC) in the case that Network 170 is a 5G network. The functionality performed by a base station 120 in earlier-generation networks (e.g., 3G and 4G) may be separated into different functional components (e.g., radio units (RUs), distributed units (DUs), and central units (CUs)) and layers (e.g., L1 / L2 / L3) in view Open Radio Access Networks (O-RAN) and / or Virtualized Radio Access Network (V-RAN or vRAN) in 5G or later networks, which may be executed on different devices at different locations connected, for example, via fronthaul, midhaul, and backhaul connections. As referred to herein, a "base station" (or ng-eNB, gNB, etc.) may include any or all of these functional components. An AP 130 may comprise a Wi-Fi AP or a Bluetooth® AP or an AP having cellular capabilities (e.g., 4G LTE and / or 5G NR), for example. Thus, mobile device 105 can send and receive information with network- connected devices, such as network function server 160, by accessing the network 170 via a base station 120 using a first communication link 133. Additionally or alternatively, because APs 130 also may be communicatively coupled with the network 170, mobile device 105 may communicate with network-connected and Internet-connected devices, including network function server 160, using a second communication link 135, or via one or more other mobile devices 145.

[0027] As used herein, the term "base station" may generically refer to a single physical transmission point, or multiple co-located physical transmission points, which may be located at a base station 120. A Transmission Reception Point (TRP) (also known as transmit / receive point) corresponds to this type of transmission point, and the term "TRP" may be used interchangeably herein with the terms "gNB," "ng-eNB," and "base station." In some cases, a base station 120 may comprise multiple TRPs - e.g. with each TRP associated with a different antenna or a different antenna array for the base station 120. As used herein, the transmission functionality of a TRP may be performed with a transmission point (TP) and / or the reception functionality of a TRP may be performed by a reception point (RP), which may be physically separate or distinct from a TP. That said, a TRP may comprise both a TP and an RP. Physical transmission points may comprise an array of antennas of a base station 120 (e.g., as in a Multiple Input-Multiple Output (MIMO) system and / or where the base station employs beamforming). According to aspects of applicable 5G cellular standards, a base station 120 (e.g., gNB) may be capable of transmitting different "beams" in different directions and performing "beam sweeping" in which a signal is transmitted in different beams, along different directions (e.g., one after the other). The term "base station" may additionally refer to multiple non-co-located physical transmission points, the physical transmission points may be a Distributed Antenna System (DAS) (a network of spatially separated antennas connected to a common source via a transport medium) or a Remote Radio Head (RRH) (a remote base station connected to a serving base station).

[0028] Satellites 110 may be utilized for positioning in communication in one or more way. For example, satellites 110 (also referred to as space vehicles (SVs)) may be part of a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), GLONASS, Galileo or Beidou. Positioning using RF signals from GNSS satellites may comprise measuring multiple GNSS signals at a GNSS receiver of the mobile device 105 to perform code-based and / or carrier-based positioning, which can be highly accurate. Additionally or alternatively, satellites 110 may be utilized for NTN-based positioning, in which satellites 110 may functionally operate as TRPs (or TPs) of a network (e.g., LTE and / or NR network) and may be communicatively coupled with network 170. In particular, reference signals (e.g., PRS) transmitted by satellites 110 NTN-based positioning may be similar to those transmitted by base stations 120 and may be coordinated by a network function server 160, which may operate as a location server.In some embodiments, satellites 110 used for NTN-based positioning may be different than those used for GNSS-based positioning. In some embodiments NTN nodes may include non-terrestrial vehicles which may be in addition or as an alternative to NTN satellites. NTN satellites 110 and / or other NTN platforms may be further leveraged to perform RF sensing. As described in more detail hereafter, satellites may use a JCS symbol in an Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) waveform to allow both RF sensing and / or positioning, and communication.

[0029] The network function server 160 may comprise one or more servers and / or other computing devices configured to provide a network-managed and / or network- assisted function, such as operating as a location server and / or sensing server. A location server, for example, may determine an estimated location of mobile device 105 and / or provide data (e.g., "assistance data") to mobile device 105 to facilitate location measurement and / or location determination by mobile device 105. According to some embodiments, a location server may comprise a Home Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) Location Platform (H-SLP), which may support the SUPL user plane (UP) location solution defined by the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) and may support location services for mobile device 105 based on subscription information for mobile device 105 stored in the location server. In some embodiments, the location server may comprise, a Discovered SLP (D-SLP) or an Emergency SLP (E-SLP). The location server may also comprise an Enhanced Serving Mobile Location Center (E-SMLC) that supports location of mobile device 105 using a control plane (CP) location solution for LTE radio access by mobile device 105. The location server may further comprise a Location Management Function (LMF) that supports location of mobile device 105 using a control plane (CP) location solution for NR or LTE radio access by mobile device 105.

[0030] Similarly, the network function server 160, may function as a sensing server. A sensing server can be used to coordinate and / or assist in the coordination of sensing of one or more objects (also referred to herein as "targets") by one or more wireless devices in the communication / positioning / sensing system 100. This can include the mobile device 105, base stations 120, APs 130, other mobile devices 145, satellites 110, or any combination thereof. Wireless devices capable of performing RF sensing may be referred to herein as "sensing nodes." To perform RF sensing, a sensing server may coordinate sensing sessions in which one or more RF sensing nodes may perform RF sensing by transmitting RF signals (e.g., reference signals (RSs)), and measuring reflected signals,or "echoes," comprising reflections of the transmitted RF signals off of one or more objects / targets. Reflected signals and object / target detection may be determined, for example, from channel state information (CSI) received at a receiving device. Sensing may comprise (i) monostatic sensing using a single device as a transmitter (of RF signals) and receiver (of reflected signals); (ii) bistatic sensing using a first device as a transmitter and a second device as a receiver; or (iii) multi-static sensing using a plurality of transmitters and / or a plurality of receivers. To facilitate sensing (e.g., in a sensing session among one or more sensing nodes), a sensing server may provide data (e.g., "assistance data") to the sensing nodes to facilitate RS transmission and / or measurement, object / target detection, or any combination thereof. Such data may include an RS configuration indicating which resources (e.g., time and / or frequency resources) may be used (e.g., in a sensing session) to transmit RS for RF sensing. According to some embodiments, a sensing server may comprise a Sensing Management Function (SMF).

[0031] Although terrestrial components such as APs 130 and base stations 120 may be fixed, embodiments are not so limited. Mobile components may be used. For example, in some embodiments, a location of the mobile device 105 may be estimated at least in part based on measurements of RF signals 140 communicated between the mobile device 105 and one or more other mobile devices 145, which may be mobile or fixed. As illustrated, other mobile devices may include, for example, a mobile phone 145-1, vehicle 145-2, static communication / positioning device 145-3, or other static and / or mobile device capable of providing wireless signals used for positioning the mobile device 105, or a combination thereof. Wireless signals from mobile devices 145 used for positioning of the mobile device 105 may comprise RF signals using, for example, Bluetooth® (including Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)), IEEE 802.1 lx (e.g., Wi-Fi®), Ultra Wideband (UWB), IEEE 802.15x, or a combination thereof. Mobile devices 145 may additionally or alternatively use non-RF wireless signals for positioning of the mobile device 105, such as infrared signals or other optical technologies.

[0032] An estimated location of mobile device 105 can be used in a variety of applications - e.g., to assist direction finding or navigation for a user of mobile device 105 or to assist another user (e.g., associated with external client 180) to locate mobile device 105. A "location" is also referred to herein as a "location estimate", "estimated location", "location", "position", "position estimate", "position fix", "estimated position", "location fix" or "fix". The process of determining a location may be referred to as"positioning," "position determination," "location determination," or the like. A location of mobile device 105 may comprise an absolute location of mobile device 105 (e.g. a latitude and longitude and possibly altitude) or a relative location of mobile device 105 (e.g. a location expressed as distances north or south, east or west and possibly above or below some other known fixed location (including, e.g., the location of a base station 120 or AP 130) or some other location such as a location for mobile device 105 at some known previous time, or a location of a mobile device 145 (e.g., another UE) at some known previous time). A location may be specified as a geodetic location comprising coordinates which may be absolute (e.g., latitude, longitude and optionally altitude), relative (e.g., relative to some known absolute location) or local (e.g., X, Y and optionally Z coordinates according to a coordinate system defined relative to a local area such a factory, warehouse, college campus, shopping mall, sports stadium or convention center). A location may instead be a civic location and may then comprise one or more of a street address (e.g., including names or labels for a country, state, county, city, road and / or street, and / or a road or street number), and / or a label or name for a place, building, portion of a building, floor of a building, and / or room inside a building etc. A location may further include an uncertainty or error indication, such as a horizontal and possibly vertical distance by which the location is expected to be in error or an indication of an area or volume (e.g., a circle or ellipse) within which mobile device 105 is expected to be located with some level of confidence (e.g., 95% confidence).

[0033] The external client 180 may be a web server or remote application that may have some association with mobile device 105 (e.g., may be accessed by a user of mobile device 105) or may be a server, application, or computer system providing a location service to some other user or users which may include obtaining and providing the location of mobile device 105 (e.g., to enable a service such as friend or relative finder, or child or pet location). Additionally or alternatively, the external client 180 may obtain and provide the location of mobile device 105 to an emergency services provider, government agency, etc.

[0034] As previously noted, the example communication / positioning / sensing system 100 can be implemented using a wireless communication network, such as an LTE-based or 5G NR-based network, or a future 6G network. FIG. 2 shows a diagram of a 5G NR network 200, illustrating an embodiment of a wireless system (e.g., communication / positioning / sensing system 100) implemented in 5G NR. The 5G NRnetwork 200 may be configured to enable wireless communication, determine the location of a UE 205 (which may correspond to the mobile device 105 of FIG. 1), perform RF sensing, or a combination thereof, by using access nodes, which may include NR NodeB (gNB) 210-1 and 210-2 (collectively and generically referred to herein as gNBs 210), ng- eNB 214, and / or WLAN 216. These access nodes can use RF signaling to enable the communication, implement one or more positioning methods, and / or implement RF sensing. The gNBs 210 and / or the ng-eNB 214 may correspond with base stations 120 of FIG. 1, and the WLAN 216 may correspond with one or more access points 130 of FIG. 1. Optionally, the 5G NR network 200 additionally may be configured to determine the location of a UE 205 by using an LMF 220 (which may correspond with network function server 160) to implement the one or more positioning methods. The SMF 221 may coordinate RF sensing by the 5G NR network 200. Here, the 5G NR network 200 comprises a UE 205, and components of a 5G NR network comprising a Next Generation (NG) Radio Access Network (RAN) (NG-RAN) 235 and a 5G Core Network (5G CN) 240. A 5G NR network 200 may also be called a 5G network and / or an NR network; NG- RAN 235 may be referred to as a 5G RAN or as an NR RAN; and 5G CN 240 may be referred to as an NG Core network. Additional components of the 5G NR network 200 are described below. The 5G NR network 200 may include additional or alternative components.

[0035] The 5G NR network 200 may further utilize information from satellites 110. As previously indicated, satellites 110 may comprise GNSS satellites from a GNSS system like Global Positioning System (GPS) or similar system (e.g. GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou, Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS)). Additionally or alternatively, satellites 110 may comprise NTN satellites that may be communicatively coupled with the LMF 220 and may operatively function as a TRP (or TP) in the NG- RAN 235. As such, satellites 110 may be in communication with one or more gNB 210.

[0036] It should be noted that FIG. 2 provides only a generalized illustration of various components, any or all of which may be utilized as appropriate, and each of which may be duplicated or omitted as necessary. Specifically, although only one UE 205 is illustrated, it will be understood that many UEs (e.g., hundreds, thousands, millions, etc.) may utilize the 5G NR network 200. Similarly, the 5G NR network 200 may include a larger (or smaller) number of satellites 110, gNBs 210, ng-eNBs 214, Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) 216, Access and mobility Management Functions (AMF)s 215,external clients 230, and / or other components. The illustrated connections that connect the various components in the 5G NR network 200 include data and signaling connections which may include additional (intermediary) components, direct or indirect physical and / or wireless connections, and / or additional networks. Furthermore, components may be rearranged, combined, separated, substituted, and / or omitted, depending on desired functionality.

[0037] The UE 205 may comprise and / or be referred to as a device, a mobile device, a wireless device, a mobile terminal, a terminal, a mobile station (MS), a Secure User Plane Location (SUPL)-Enabled Terminal (SET), or by some other name. Moreover, UE 205 may correspond to a cellphone, smartphone, laptop, tablet, personal data assistant (PDA), navigation device, wearable device, Internet of Things (loT) device, or some other portable or moveable device. In various embodiments and implementations, the UE 205 and / or other UEs discussed herein (e.g., UE 105, UE 145, etc.) may also refer to a vehicle, a vehicle system, a vehicle component, or a computing device associated with the vehicle. Typically, though not necessarily, the UE 205 may support wireless communication using one or more Radio Access Technologies (RATs) such as using GSM, CDMA, W-CDMA, LTE, High-Rate Packet Data (HRPD), IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi®, Bluetooth, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX™), 5G NR (e.g., using the NG-RAN 235 and 5G CN 240), etc. The UE 205 may also support wireless communication using a WLAN 216 which (like the one or more RATs, and as previously noted with respect to FIG. 1) may connect to other networks, such as the Internet. The use of one or more of these RATs may allow the UE 205 to communicate with an external client 230 (e.g., via elements of 5G CN 240 not shown in FIG. 2, or possibly via a Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC) 225) and / or allow the external client 230 to receive location information regarding the UE 205 (e.g., via the GMLC 225). The external client 230 of FIG. 2 may correspond to external client 180 of FIG. 1, as implemented in or communicatively coupled with a 5G NR network.

[0038] The UE 205 may include a single entity or may include multiple entities, such as in a personal area network where a user may employ audio, video and / or data I / O devices, and / or body sensors and a separate wireline or wireless modem. An estimate of a location of the UE 205 may be referred to as a location, location estimate, location fix, fix, position, position estimate, or position fix, and may be geodetic, thus providing location coordinates for the UE 205 (e.g., latitude and longitude), which may or may notinclude an altitude component (e.g., height above sea level, height above or depth below ground level, floor level or basement level). Alternatively, a location of the UE 205 may be expressed as a civic location (e.g., as a postal address or the designation of some point or small area in a building, such as a particular room or floor). A location of the UE 205 may also be expressed as an area or volume (defined either geodetically or in civic form) within which the UE 205 is expected to be located with some probability or confidence level (e.g., 67%, 95%, etc.). A location of the UE 205 may further be a relative location comprising, for example, a distance and direction or relative X, Y (and Z) coordinates defined relative to some origin at a known location which may be defined geodetically, in civic terms, or by reference to a point, area, or volume indicated on a map, floor plan or building plan. In the description contained herein, the use of the term location may comprise any of these variants unless indicated otherwise. When computing the location of a UE, it is common to solve for local X, Y, and possibly Z coordinates and then, if needed, convert the local coordinates into absolute ones (e.g., for latitude, longitude, and altitude above or below mean sea level).

[0039] Base stations in the NG-RAN 235 shown in FIG. 2 may correspond to base stations 120 in FIG. 1 and may include gNBs 210. Pairs of gNBs 210 in NG-RAN 235 may be connected to one another (e.g., directly as shown in FIG. 2 or indirectly via other gNBs 210). The communication interface between base stations (gNBs 210 and / or ng- eNB 214) may be referred to as an Xn interface 237. Access to the 5G network is provided to UE 205 via wireless communication between the UE 205 and one or more of the gNBs 210, which may provide wireless communications access to the 5G CN 240 on behalf of the UE 205 using 5GNR. The wireless interface between base stations (gNBs 210 and / or ng-eNB 214) and the UE 205 may be referred to as a Uu interface 239. 5G NR radio access may also be referred to as NR radio access or as 5G radio access. In FIG. 2, the serving gNB for UE 205 is assumed to be gNB 210-1, although other gNBs (e.g., gNB 210-2) may act as a serving gNB if UE 205 moves to another location or may act as a secondary gNB to provide additional throughput and bandwidth to UE 205.

[0040] Base stations in the NG-RAN 235 shown in FIG. 2 may also or instead include a next-generation evolved Node B, also referred to as an ng-eNB, 214. Ng-eNB 214 may be connected to one or more gNBs 210 in NG-RAN 235-e.g., directly or indirectly via other gNBs 210 and / or other ng-eNBs. An ng-eNB 214 may provide LTE wireless access and / or evolved LTE (eLTE) wireless access to UE 205. Some gNBs 210 (e.g., gNB 210-2) and / or ng-eNB 214 in FIG. 2 may be configured to function as positioning-only beacons which may transmit signals (e.g., Positioning Reference Signal (PRS)) and / or may broadcast assistance data to assist positioning of UE 205 but may not receive signals from UE 205 or from other UEs. Some gNBs 210 (e.g., gNB 210-2 and / or another gNB not shown) and / or ng-eNB 214 may be configured to function as detecting-only nodes may scan for signals containing, e.g., PRS data, assistance data, or other location data. Such detecting-only nodes may not transmit signals or data to UEs but may transmit signals or data (relating to, e.g., PRS, assistance data, or other location data) to other network entities (e.g., one or more components of 5G CN 240, external client 230, or a controller) which may receive and store or use the data for positioning of at least UE 205. It is noted that while only one ng-eNB 214 is shown in FIG. 2, some embodiments may include multiple ng-eNBs 214. Base stations (e.g., gNBs 210 and / or ng-eNB 214) may communicate directly with one another via an Xn communication interface. Additionally or alternatively, base stations may communicate directly or indirectly with other components of the 5GNR network 200, such as the LMF 220 and AMF 215.

[0041] 5G NR network 200 may also include one or more WLANs 216 which may connect to a Non-3GPP InterWorking Function (N3IWF) 250 in the 5G CN 240 (e.g., in the case of an untrusted WLAN 216). For example, the WLAN 216 may support IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi access for UE 205 and may comprise one or more Wi-Fi APs (e.g., APs 130 of FIG. 1). Here, the N3IWF 250 may connect to other elements in the 5G CN 240 such as AMF 215. In some embodiments, WLAN 216 may support another RAT such as Bluetooth. The N3IWF 250 may provide support for secure access by UE 205 to other elements in 5G CN 240 and / or may support interworking of one or more protocols used by WLAN 216 and UE 205 to one or more protocols used by other elements of 5G CN 240 such as AMF 215. For example, N3IWF 250 may support IPSec tunnel establishment with UE 205, termination of IKEv2 / IPSec protocols with UE 205, termination of N2 and N3 interfaces to 5G CN 240 for control plane and user plane, respectively, relaying of uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) control plane Non-Access Stratum (NAS) signaling between UE 205 and AMF 215 across an N1 interface. In some other embodiments, WLAN 216 may connect directly to elements in 5G CN 240 (e.g., AMF 215 as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 2) and not via N3IWF 250. For example, a direct connection of WLAN 216 to 5GCN 240 may occur if WLAN 216 is a trusted WLAN for 5GCN 240 and may be enabled using a Trusted WLAN Interworking Function (TWIF) (not shownin FIG. 2) which may be an element inside WLAN 216. It is noted that while only one WLAN 216 is shown in FIG. 2, some embodiments may include multiple WLANs 216.

[0042] Access nodes may comprise any of a variety of network entities enabling communication between the UE 205 and the AMF 215. As noted, this can include gNBs 210, ng-eNB 214, WLAN 216, and / or other types of cellular base stations. However, access nodes providing the functionality described herein may additionally or alternatively include entities enabling communications to any of a variety of RATs not illustrated in FIG. 2, which may include non-cellular technologies. Thus, the term "access node," as used in the embodiments described herein below, may include but is not necessarily limited to a gNB 210, ng-eNB 214 or WLAN 216.

[0043] In some embodiments, an access node, such as a gNB 210, ng-eNB 214, and / or WLAN 216 (alone or in combination with other components of the 5G NR network 200), may be configured to, in response to receiving a request for location information from the LMF 220, obtain location measurements of uplink (UL) signals received from the UE 205) and / or obtain downlink (DL) location measurements from the UE 205 that were obtained by UE 205 for DL signals received by UE 205 from one or more access nodes. As noted, while FIG. 2 depicts access nodes (gNB 210, ng-eNB 214, and WLAN 216) configured to communicate according to 5G NR, LTE, and Wi-Fi communication protocols, respectively, access nodes configured to communicate according to other communication protocols may be used, such as, for example, a Node B using a Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) protocol for a Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), an eNB using an LTE protocol for an Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN), or a Bluetooth® beacon using a Bluetooth protocol for a WLAN. For example, in a 4G Evolved Packet System (EPS) providing LTE wireless access to UE 205, a RAN may comprise an E- UTRAN, which may comprise base stations comprising eNBs supporting LTE wireless access. A core network for EPS may comprise an Evolved Packet Core (EPC). An EPS may then comprise an E-UTRAN plus an EPC, where the E-UTRAN corresponds to NG- RAN 235 and the EPC corresponds to 5GCN 240 in FIG. 2. The methods and techniques described herein for obtaining a civic location for UE 205 may be applicable to such other networks.

[0044] The gNBs 210 and ng-eNB 214 can communicate with an AMF 215, which, for positioning functionality, communicates with an LMF 220. The AMF 215 may support mobility of the UE 205, including cell change and handover of UE 205 from an access node (e.g., gNB 210, ng-eNB 214, or WLAN 216) of a first RAT to an access node of a second RAT. The AMF 215 may also participate in supporting a signaling connection to the UE 205 and possibly data and voice bearers for the UE 205. The LMF 220 may support positioning of the UE 205 using a CP location solution when UE 205 accesses the NG-RAN 235 or WLAN 216 and may support position procedures and methods, including UE assisted / UE based and / or network-based procedures / methods, such as Assisted GNSS (A-GNSS), Observed Time Difference Of Arrival (OTDOA) (which may be referred to in NR as Time Difference Of Arrival (TDOA)), Frequency Difference Of Arrival (FDOA), Real Time Kinematic (RTK), Precise Point Positioning (PPP), Differential GNSS (DGNSS), Enhanced Cell ID (ECID), angle of arrival (AoA), angle of departure (AoD), WLAN positioning, round trip signal propagation delay (RTT), multicell RTT, and / or other positioning procedures and methods. The LMF 220 may also process location service requests for the UE 205, e.g., received from the AMF 215 or from the GMLC 225. The LMF 220 may be connected to AMF 215 and / or to GMLC 225. In some embodiments, a network such as 5GCN 240 may additionally or alternatively implement other types of location-support modules, such as an Evolved Serving Mobile Location Center (E-SMLC) or a SUPL Location Platform (SLP). It is noted that in some embodiments, at least part of the positioning functionality (including determination of a UE 205's location) may be performed at the UE 205 (e.g., by measuring downlink PRS (DL-PRS) signals transmitted by wireless nodes such as gNBs 210, ng-eNB 214 and / or WLAN 216, and / or using assistance data provided to the UE 205, e.g., by LMF 220).

[0045] The Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC) 225 may support a location request for the UE 205 received from an external client 230 and may forward such a location request to the AMF 215 for forwarding by the AMF 215 to the LMF 220. A location response from the LMF 220 (e.g., containing a location estimate for the UE 205) may be similarly returned to the GMLC 225 either directly or via the AMF 215, and the GMLC 225 may then return the location response (e.g., containing the location estimate) to the external client 230.

[0046] A Network Exposure Function (NEF) 245 may be included in 5GCN 240. The NEF 245 may support secure exposure of capabilities and events concerning 5GCN 240and UE 205 to the external client 230, which may then be referred to as an Access Function (AF) and may enable secure provision of information from external client 230 to 5GCN 240. NEF 245 may be connected to AMF 215 and / or to GMLC 225 for the purposes of obtaining a location (e.g., a civic location) of UE 205 and providing the location to external client 230.

[0047] As further illustrated in FIG. 2, the LMF 220 may communicate with the gNBs 210 and / or with the ng-eNB 214 using an NR Positioning Protocol annex (NRPPa) as defined in 3 GPP Technical Specification (TS) 38.455. NRPPa messages may be transferred between a gNB 210 and the LMF 220, and / or between an ng-eNB 214 and the LMF 220, via the AMF 215. As further illustrated in FIG. 2, LMF 220 and UE 205 may communicate using an LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP) as defined in 3GPP TS 37.355. Here, LPP messages may be transferred between the UE 205 and the LMF 220 via the AMF 215 and a serving gNB 210-1 or serving ng-eNB 214 for UE 205. For example, LPP messages may be transferred between the LMF 220 and the AMF 215 using messages for service-based operations (e.g., based on the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)) and may be transferred between the AMF 215 and the UE 205 using a 5G NAS protocol. The LPP protocol may be used to support positioning of UE 205 using UE assisted and / or UE based position methods such as A-GNSS, RTK, TDOA, multi-cell RTT, AoD, and / or ECID. The NRPPa protocol may be used to support positioning of UE 205 using network-based position methods such as ECID, AoA, uplink TDOA (UL- TDOA) and / or may be used by LMF 220 to obtain location-related information from gNBs 210 and / or ng-eNB 214, such as parameters defining DL-PRS transmission from gNBs 210 and / or ng-eNB 214.

[0048] In the case of UE 205 access to WLAN 216, LMF 220 may use NRPPa and / or LPP to obtain a location of UE 205 in a similar manner to that just described for UE 205 access to a gNB 210 or ng-eNB 214. Thus, NRPPa messages may be transferred between a WLAN 216 and the LMF 220, via the AMF 215 and N3IWF 250 to support networkbased positioning of UE 205 and / or transfer of other location information from WLAN 216 to LMF 220. Alternatively, NRPPa messages may be transferred between N3IWF 250 and the LMF 220, via the AMF 215, to support network-based positioning of UE 205 based on location-related information and / or location measurements known to or accessible to N3IWF 250 and transferred from N3IWF 250 to LMF 220 using NRPPa. Similarly, LPP and / or LPP messages may be transferred between the UE 205 and theLMF 220 via the AMF 215, N3IWF 250, and serving WLAN 216 for UE 205 to support UE assisted or UE based positioning of UE 205 by LMF 220.

[0049] FIG. Error! Reference source not found, is a block diagram of an edge computing architecture, according to some embodiments. Components include a network 310 comprising edge devices 320, which is in communication with one or more edge computing nodes 330. The edge devices 320 may include devices / sy stems that collect and / or generate data, e.g., smart building systems (e.g., with Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems), surveillance cameras, UEs associated with vehicles and / or vehicle systems, industrial robots, drones, etc. In some cases, the edge devices 320 may initially process and / or filter the data before sending the data to one or more edge computing nodes 330 for further analysis / processing through various network protocols (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, UWB, near field communication (NFC), or any other suitable wireless, cellular, or internet of things (loT) network). The network 310 may further include a centralized cloud (e.g., a server 340) configured to provide centralized cloud computing resources for data aggregation (e.g., aggregate data from the one or more edge computing nodes 330 for further use or insights) and / or for global management (e.g., coordinating the edge devices 320 and / or the one or more edge computing nodes 330).

[0050] In FIG. 3, the network 310 may correspond with aspects of the communication / positioning / sensing system 100 of FIG. 1 and the 5G NR network 200 of FIG. 2 related to edge computing. It is noted that one component in FIG. 1 or 2 may correspond to different components in the network 310 (e.g., the same component may either correspond to an edge device 320 or one or more edge computing nodes 330, depending on different configurations). For example, the edge devices 320 may correspond with wireless devices in FIGS. 1 or 2 (e.g., mobile device 105, UE 205, mobile devices 145, or any combination thereof). In network 310, the one or more edge computing nodes 330 may be devices responsible for immediate, local data processing to reduce latency and network load. For example, the role of the one or more edge computing nodes 330 may be assumed by mobile device 105, the base stations 120, APs 130, and / or network function server 160. The server 340 may be configured to handle more resourceintensive tasks, long-term data storage, and complex analytics that are less time-sensitive. For example, the function of the server 340 may be host by the network 170, the external client 180, and / or the 5G CN 240, and may be a proprietary server or any other suitable server, such as the computer system 700 illustrated in FIG. 7. Therefore, the network 310be implemented by a communication / positioning / sensing system 100, a 5G NR network 200, and / or another suitable network (e.g., a mesh network, peer-to-peer network, an edge network, etc.).

[0051] The integration of edge computing into modern networks addresses many operational objectives by leveraging on the processing of collected data (e.g., sensor data) at its source, which enhances the responsiveness and relevance of actionable insights. The edge computing inherently enhances the security of sensitive information, as less data traverses through vulnerable networks, thereby reducing exposure to potential breaches. Also, by decentralizing data processing there is less dependency on expansive central data centers, leading to savings in both operational and capital costs. Furthermore, edge computing may improve latency, and thus ensure real-time or near-real-time data processing, which is indispensable for applications requiring instantaneous feedback, like autonomous vehicles or remote surgery. Moreover, the architecture of edge computing seamlessly incorporates mesh and ad-hoc networks, supported by software-defined networking (SDN), to provide resilient and flexible connectivity solutions that can dynamically adapt to varying network demands and configurations.

[0052] Although having a lot of benefits compared with traditional centralized computing, existing edge computing may experience problems such as the edge device 320 being not able to collect sufficient data and / or the one or more edge computing nodes 330 not being able to handle the additional demand of networking, aggregating, and decision-making. This increased workload can lead to added device resources requirements, potentially causing user experience to suffer. Furthermore, the infrastructure required for edge computing can be costly and often comes with long upgrade times. Additionally, there are technical challenges such as LOS blockage that can affect mmWave communications, which are crucial for high-speed data transmission in edge computing scenarios. The technical solution disclosed herein can be implemented to assist services for edge computing by configuring (e.g., identifying and / or re-routing) available edge device(s) / edge computing node(s) associated with vehicle(s) to support the edge computing. Therefore, by dynamically allocating more device resources, the above- mentioned problems may be resolved.

[0053] FIG. 4 is a high-level block diagram of a method for assisting services for edge computing, according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, thefunctionality at a block 405 may be performed by a coordinating device 401 (e.g., corresponding to one or more edge computing nodes 330 and / or the server 340 in FIG. 3), such as the computer system 700 illustrated in FIG. 7 and described hereafter. Requesting device 402 may be an edge device (e.g., an edge device 320 in FIG. 3) and / or edge computing nodes (e.g., one or more edge computing nodes 330). Providing device 403 may be an edge mobile device (e.g., an edge device 320 in FIG. 3 with mobilities, UEs discussed herein, such as UE 105, UE 145, and / or UE 205) and / or edge computing nodes (e.g., one or more edge computing nodes 330) associated with a vehicle, such as the edge mobile device 600 illustrated in FIG. 6 and / or the computer system 700 illustrated in FIG. 7. For example, the providing device 403 may include a vehicle system that comprises more device resources than a conventional UE or mobile device. Communication between the coordinating device 401, the requesting device 402, and the providing device 403 may be facilitated via any suitable network (e.g., the communication / positioning / sensing system in FIGS. 1 and / or 2, a mesh network, peer-to- peer network, an edge network, etc.).

[0054] Starting at block 410, a request may be received from the requesting device 402 and a demand for a service comprising sharing device resources of a providing device (e.g., an edge device) for edge computing may be determined. In some embodiments, the request may include an edge computing related task / service, such as overcoming LOS blockage in communication, anti-spoofing, anti-crime, air quality control, content sharing, or other suitable edge-computing related services. To address the request, a providing device may be configured (e.g., identified and / or re-routed) to share its device resources. For example, the providing device may be configured to share communication resources (e.g., relay signals and / or re-routing data for overcoming LOS blockage in communication), processing capabilities (e.g., assist the edge devices for initially processing and / or filtering the data, and / or assist the edge computing node for immediate, local data processing), sensor data (e.g., provide camera footages for anti-spoofing and / or anti-crime, provide suitable sensor data for air quality control, etc.), application data (e.g., transmit pre-loaded map and / or other content data), data storage capacities, or any combination thereof. The service may be coordinated using any suitable network (e.g., mesh network, server-based network, peer-to-peer network, edge network, etc.).

[0055] At block 415, a first mobile edge device associated with a first vehicle may be identified for providing the service. In some embodiments, the coordinating device 401may identify the first mobile edge device by transmitting a request to the first mobile edge device and / or monitoring the network and making predictions. In some embodiments, in addition or alternative to receiving the request from the requesting device 402, the identification of the first mobile edge device may also be triggered based on other events (e.g., messages from UEs within a locale, historic data obtained by the coordinating device 401, security concerns (e.g., spoofing), rising risk (e.g., due to potential for accident or increase in harm), etc.). The first mobile edge device may be identified from one or more available edge devices with predetermined capabilities (e.g., requested device resources and / or parameters) and within a predetermined range of a place of interest determined according to the demand. For example, in situations where the service relates to sharing camera footage for anti-spoofing and / or anti-crime, the place of interest may be determined according to the location of the alleged spoofing device and / or the crime scene. In some embodiments, identifying the first mobile edge device may include determining that the first mobile edge device is within a predetermined range of the requesting device based on e.g., a message broadcast by the first mobile edge device. It is noted that the size of the predetermined range and / or the location of the place of interest (e.g., a predetermined area for providing the service) may vary according to different demands for desired performance.

[0056] At block 420, if the first mobile edge device is capable of providing the service when the first vehicle takes a first route may be determined. In some embodiments, the first route may be the route currently taking by the first vehicle. For example, to provide the service, the providing device may need to meet certain time and space requirements (e.g., be at a predetermined area (e.g., within a predetermined range of the place of interest) during a predetermined time period). The coordinating device 401 may determine if the identified first mobile edge device may be capable of meeting those time and space requirements (e.g., being within the predetermined area during the predetermined time period) if taking the current route.

[0057] At block 430, responsive to the first mobile edge device is not capable of providing the service when the first vehicle takes the first route, route options for the first vehicle may be determined such that when the first vehicle takes one of the route options, the first mobile edge device is capable or will be capable of providing the service. In some embodiments, the route options may include a specific route (e.g., a second route) considering the first route (e.g., the route the first vehicle is taking). In someembodiments, more than one demand of different services may be coordinated together, and a route option may specify a defined area where the providing device should be located over time. This may include a gradation of location priority tailored for specific services. In some embodiments, the route option (e.g., the second route) may require the first vehicle to take a “detour” with respect to its original destination to meet the certain time and space requirements for providing the service. In some embodiments, the determination of the option routes may consider the impact on the first vehicle. For example, predetermined criteria may be set to limit the impact on the first vehicle (e.g., setting an upper limit for the additional distance and / or time to the first vehicle caused by the detour).

[0058] At block 440, whether the first vehicle and / or the first mobile edge device agrees to take the route options (e.g., the second route) may be determined. For example, the route options may be transmitted to the first vehicle and / or the first mobile edge device where the user may determine whether to take the route options by e.g., sending a message back to the coordinating device 401 (e.g., a message accepting or rejecting the route options). In case no route option is not taken (e.g., “No” at block 440), the functionality at the current block 405 may end and the coordinating device 401 may identify another edge device for providing the service.

[0059] In case the second route is taken (e.g., “Yes” at block 440, where at least one route option is taken) and / or responsive to the first mobile edge device being capable of providing the service without the need of re-routing (e.g., “Yes” at block 420), the functionality at the block 405 moves to block 450, where a configuration for the first mobile edge device to provide the service may be determined.

[0060] At block 460, the configuration may be transmitted to the first mobile edge device (e.g., now after performing functionalities at block 405 becomes the providing device 403) configuring the first mobile edge device to provide the service.

[0061] In some embodiments, the providing device 403 may provide one or more of the services determined by the coordinating device 401. In some embodiments, the configuration may be adjusted over time based on a location of the providing device 403, a process of the service, or both.

[0062] In some embodiments, the coordinating device 401 and the providing device 403 may be a same device (e.g., the coordinating device 401 determines the demand fromthe requesting device 402 and determines if itself may provide the service). When the coordinating device 401 and the providing device 403 are a same device, the functionality in block 405 may remain largely the same / similar except for blocks 415 and 460. Specifically, after receiving the request and determining the demand at block 410, instead of performing the functionality of block 415, at block 416, the coordinating device 401 may determine if itself is capable of providing the service (e.g., if the parameter and / or the available device resources of the coordinating device 401 meet the requirements for providing the service). If yes is determined at block 416, the functionalities at block 405 may go to block 420 as discussed above. If no is determined at block 416, the functionalities at block 405 may end or the coordinating device 401 may identify another edge device for providing the service. Moreover, after determining the configuration for performing the service at block 450, instead of performing the functionality of block 460, at block 461, the coordinating device 401 may provide the service according to the configuration itself.

[0063] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of an example method 500 for assisting services performed by a coordinating device, according to an embodiment. This functionality may reflect the functionality of the coordinating device in the previously-described embodiments. As such, means for performing the functionality illustrated in one or more of the blocks shown in FIG. 5 may be performed by hardware and / or software components of a computer device. Example components of a computer device are illustrated in FIG. 7, which is described in more detail below.

[0064] At block 510, the functionality comprises determining a demand for a service coordinated using a network. As noted with respect to FIG. 4, this functionality may correspond to the functionality indicated at block 410 of FIG. 4, as described herein. As described in the embodiments herein, the request may include an edge computing related task / service, such as overcoming LOS blockage in communication, anti-spoofing, anticrime, air quality control, content sharing, or other suitable edge-computing related services. The resources for sharing include communication resources, processing capabilities, sensor data, application data, data storage capacities, or any combination thereof. The service may be coordinated using any suitable network (e.g., mesh network, server-based network, peer-to-peer network, edge network, etc.).

[0065] Means for performing functionality at block 510 may comprise a bus 705, processor(s) 710, communications subsystem 730, memory 735, and / or other components of a computer system 700, as illustrated in FIG. 7.

[0066] At block 520, the functionality comprises identifying a first mobile edge device for providing the service, wherein the first mobile edge device is associated with a first vehicle and is communicatively coupled with the network, and wherein providing the service comprises sharing device resources of an edge device associated with a vehicle. As noted with respect to FIG. 4, this functionality may correspond to the functionality indicated at block 415 of FIG. 4, as described herein. As described in the embodiments herein, the coordinating device may identify the first mobile edge device by transmitting a request to the first mobile edge device and / or monitoring the network. The first mobile edge device may be identified from one or more available edge devices with predetermined capabilities (e.g., requested device resources and / or parameters) and within a predetermined range of a place of interest determined according to the demand. For example, in situations where the service relates to sharing camera footage for antispoofing and / or anti-crime, the place of interest may be determined according to the location of the alleged spoofing device and / or the crime scene. In some embodiments, identifying the first mobile edge device may include determining that the first mobile edge device is within a predetermined range of the requesting device based on e.g., a message broadcast by the first mobile edge device (e.g., a relative location between the first mobile edge device and the requesting device is determined based on a message broadcast by the first mobile edge device). It is noted that the size of the predetermined range and / or the location of the place of interest (e.g., a predetermined area for providing the service) may be varied according to different demands for desired performance..

[0067] Means for performing functionality at block 520 may comprise a bus 705, processor(s) 710, communications subsystem 730, memory 735, and / or other components of a computer system 700, as illustrated in FIG. 7.

[0068] At block 530, the functionality comprises responsive to the first mobile edge device being capable of providing the service, determining a configuration for the first mobile edge device to provide the service. As noted with respect to FIG. 4, this functionality may correspond to the functionality indicated at block 450 of FIG. 4, as described herein.

[0069] Means for performing functionality at block 530 may comprise a bus 705, processor(s) 710, communications subsystem 730, memory 735, and / or other components of a computer system 700, as illustrated in FIG. 7.

[0070] At block 540, the functionality comprises sending the configuration to the first mobile edge device for providing the service. As noted with respect to FIG. 4, this functionality may correspond to the functionality indicated at block 460 of FIG. 4, as described herein.

[0071] Means for performing functionality at block 540 may comprise a bus 705, processor(s) 710, communications subsystem 730, memory 735, and / or other components of a computer system 700, as illustrated in FIG. 7.

[0072] In some embodiments, the edge device may comprise a vehicle system or a User Equipment.

[0073] In some embodiments, method 500 may further comprise determining if the first mobile edge device is capable of providing the service when the first vehicle takes a first route. As noted with respect to FIG. 4, this functionality may correspond to the functionality indicated at block 420 of FIG. 4, as described herein. As noted above, in some embodiments, the first route may be the route currently taking by the first vehicle. For example, to provide the service, the providing device may need to meet certain time and space requirements (e.g., be at a predetermined area (e.g., within a predetermined range of the place of interest) during a predetermined time period). The coordinating device may determine if the identified first mobile edge device may be capable of meeting those time and space requirements (e.g., being within the predetermined area during the predetermined time period) if taking the current route.

[0074] In some embodiments, responsive to the first mobile edge device is not capable of providing the service when the first vehicle takes the first route, method 500 may further comprise determining a second route for the first vehicle such that when the first vehicle takes the second route, the first mobile edge device is capable or will be capable of providing the service. As noted with respect to FIG. 4, this functionality may correspond to the functionality indicated at block 430 of FIG. 4, as described herein. As noted above, in some embodiments, the route option (e.g., the second route) may require the first vehicle to take a “detour” with respect to its original destination to meet the certain time and space requirements for providing the service. In some embodiments, thedetermination of the second route may consider the impact on the first vehicle. For example, predetermined criteria may be set to limit the impact on the first vehicle (e.g., setting an upper limit for the additional distance and / or time to the first vehicle caused by the detour).

[0075] In some embodiments, method 500 may further comprise determining whether the first vehicle agrees to take the second route. As noted with respect to FIG. 4, this functionality may correspond to the functionality indicated at block 440 of FIG. 4, as described herein.

[0076] In some embodiments, method 500 may further comprise dynamically adjusting the configuration over time based on a location of the first mobile edge device, a process of the service, or both.

[0077] In some embodiments, as noted above, the coordinating device and the first mobile edge device are a same network device. As noted with respect to FIG. 4, when the coordinating device and the providing device are a same device, the functionality in block 405 may remain largely the same / similar except for blocks 415 and 460. Specifically, after receiving the request and determining the demand at block 410, instead of performing the functionality of block 415, at block 416, the coordinating device 401 may determine if itself is capable of providing the service (e.g., if the parameter and / or the available device resources of the coordinating device 401 meet the requirements for providing the service). If yes, the functionalities at block 405 may go to block 420 as discussed above. If no, the functionalities at block 405 may end or the coordinating device 401 may identify another edge device for providing the service. Moreover, after determining the configuration for performing the service at block 450, instead of performing the functionality of block 460, at block 461, the coordinating device 401 may provide the service according to the configuration itself.

[0078] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an embodiment of an mobile edge device 600, which can be utilized as described herein above (e.g., in association with FIGS. 1-5). For example, the mobile edge device 600 can perform one or more of the functions of the method shown in FIGS. 3-5. It should be noted that FIG. 6 is meant only to provide a generalized illustration of various components, any or all of which may be utilized as appropriate. For example, as discussed below, some of the components illustrated by FIG. 6 may be optional (e.g., a GNSS receiver 680, sensor(s) 640, a wireless communicationinterface 630, etc.) and some components may not be shown (e.g., a wired communication interface). It can also be noted that, in some instances, components illustrated by FIG. 6 can be localized to a single physical device and / or distributed among various networked devices, which may be disposed at different physical locations. Furthermore, as previously noted, the functionality of the UE discussed in the previously described embodiments may be executed by one or more of the hardware and / or software components illustrated in FIG. 6.

[0079] The mobile edge device 600 is shown comprising hardware elements that can be electrically coupled via a bus 605 (or may otherwise be in communication, as appropriate). The hardware elements may include a processor(s) 610 which can include without limitation one or more general-purpose processors (e.g., an application processor), one or more special-purpose processors (such as digital signal processor (DSP) chips, graphics acceleration processors, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and / or the like), and / or other processing structures or means. Processor(s) 610 may comprise one or more processing units, which may be housed in a single integrated circuit (IC) or multiple ICs. As shown in FIG. 6, some embodiments may have a separate DSP 620, depending on desired functionality. Location determination and / or other determinations based on wireless communication may be provided in the processor(s) 610 and / or wireless communication interface 630 (discussed below). The mobile edge device 600 also can include one or more input devices 670, which can include without limitation one or more keyboards, touch screens, touch pads, microphones, buttons, dials, switches, and / or the like; and one or more output devices 615, which can include without limitation one or more displays (e.g., touch screens), light emitting diodes (LEDs), speakers, and / or the like.

[0080] The mobile edge device 600 may also include a wireless communication interface 630, which may comprise without limitation a modem, a network card, an infrared communication device, a wireless communication device, and / or a chipset (such as a Bluetooth® device, an IEEE 802.11 device, an IEEE 802.15.4 device, a Wi-Fi device, a WiMAX device, a WAN device, and / or various cellular devices, etc.), and / or the like, which may enable the mobile edge device 600 to communicate with other devices as described in the embodiments above. The wireless communication interface 630 may permit data and signaling to be communicated (e.g., transmitted and received) with TRPs of a network, for example, via eNBs, gNBs, ng-eNBs, access points, various base stationsand / or other access node types, and / or other network components, computer systems, and / or any other electronic devices communicatively coupled with TRPs, as described herein. The communication can be carried out via one or more wireless communication antenna(s) 632 that send and / or receive wireless signals 634. According to some embodiments, the wireless communication antenna(s) 632 may comprise a plurality of discrete antennas, antenna arrays, or any combination thereof. The antenna(s) 632 may be capable of transmitting and receiving wireless signals using beams (e.g., Tx beams and Rx beams). Beam formation may be performed using digital and / or analog beam formation techniques, with respective digital and / or analog circuitry. The wireless communication interface 630 may include such circuitry.

[0081] Depending on desired functionality, the wireless communication interface 630 may comprise a separate receiver and transmitter, or any combination of transceivers, transmitters, and / or receivers to communicate with base stations (e.g., ng-eNBs and gNBs) and other terrestrial transceivers, such as wireless devices and access points. The mobile edge device 600 may communicate with different data networks that may comprise various network types. For example, a Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) may be a CDMA network, a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) network, a Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) network, an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) network, a Single-Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) network, a WiMAX (IEEE 802.16) network, and so on. A CDMA network may implement one or more RATs such as CDMA2000®, WCDMA, and so on. CDMA2000® includes IS-95, IS-2000 and / or IS-856 standards. A TDMA network may implement GSM, Digital Advanced Mobile Phone System (D-AMPS), or some other RAT. An OFDMA network may employ LTE, LTE Advanced, 5G NR, and so on. 5G NR, LTE, LTE Advanced, GSM, and WCDMA are described in documents from 3GPP. CDMA2000® is described in documents from a consortium named “3rd Generation Partnership Project 2” (3GPP2). 3GPP and 3GPP2 documents are publicly available. A wireless local area network (WLAN) may also be an IEEE 802.1 lx network, and a wireless personal area network (WPAN) may be a Bluetooth network, an IEEE 802.15x, or some other type of network. The techniques described herein may also be used for any combination of WWAN, WLAN and / or WPAN.

[0082] The mobile edge device 600 can further include sensor(s) 640. Sensor(s) 640 may comprise, without limitation, one or more inertial sensors and / or other sensors (e.g.,accelerometer(s), gyroscope(s), camera(s), magnetometer(s), altimeter(s), microphone(s), proximity sensor(s), light sensor(s), barometer(s), and the like), some of which may be used to obtain position-related measurements and / or other information.

[0083] Embodiments of the mobile edge device 600 may also include a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver 680 capable of receiving signals 684 from one or more GNSS satellites using an antenna 682 (which could be the same as antenna 632). Positioning based on GNSS signal measurement can be utilized to complement and / or incorporate the techniques described herein. The GNSS receiver 680 can extract a position of the mobile edge device 600, using conventional techniques, from GNSS satellites 110 of a GNSS system, such as Global Positioning System (GPS), Galileo, GLONASS, Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) over Japan, IRNSS over India, BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) over China, and / or the like. Moreover, the GNSS receiver 680 can be used with various augmentation systems (e.g., a Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS)) that may be associated with or otherwise enabled for use with one or more global and / or regional navigation satellite systems, such as, e.g., Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS), Multi-functional Satellite Augmentation System (MSAS), and Geo Augmented Navigation system (GAGAN), and / or the like.

[0084] It can be noted that, although GNSS receiver 680 is illustrated in FIG. 6 as a distinct component, embodiments are not so limited. As used herein, the term “GNSS receiver” may comprise hardware and / or software components configured to obtain GNSS measurements (measurements from GNSS satellites). In some embodiments, therefore, the GNSS receiver may comprise a measurement engine executed (as software) by one or more processors, such as processor(s) 610, DSP 620, and / or a processor within the wireless communication interface 630 (e.g., in a modem). A GNSS receiver may optionally also include a positioning engine, which can use GNSS measurements from the measurement engine to determine a position of the GNSS receiver using an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF), Weighted Least Squares (WLS), a hatch filter, particle filter, or the like. The positioning engine may also be executed by one or more processors, such as processor(s) 610 or DSP 620.

[0085] The mobile edge device 600 may further include and / or be in communication with a memory 660. The memory 660 can include, without limitation, local and / ornetwork accessible storage, a disk drive, a drive array, an optical storage device, a solid- state storage device, such as a random access memory (RAM), and / or a read-only memory (ROM), which can be programmable, flash-updateable, and / or the like. Such storage devices may be configured to implement any appropriate data stores, including without limitation, various file systems, database structures, and / or the like.

[0086] The memory 660 of the mobile edge device 600 also can comprise software elements (not shown in FIG. 6), including an operating system, device drivers, executable libraries, and / or other code, such as one or more application programs, which may comprise computer programs provided by various embodiments, and / or may be designed to implement methods, and / or configure systems, provided by other embodiments, as described herein. Merely by way of example, one or more procedures described with respect to the method(s) discussed above may be implemented as code and / or instructions in memory 660 that are executable by the mobile edge device 600 (and / or processor(s) 610 or DSP 620 within mobile edge device 600). In some embodiments, then, such code and / or instructions can be used to configure and / or adapt a general-purpose computer (or other device) to perform one or more operations in accordance with the described methods.

[0087] FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a computer system 700, which may be used, in whole or in part, to provide the functions of one or more components and / or devices as described in the embodiments herein. Thus, the computer system 700 may be utilized as and / or correspond with, for example, the network function server 160 in FIG. 1, the LMF 220 and the SMF 221 in FIG. 2, the edge device 320 and the one or more edge computing nodes 330 and / or the server 340 in FIG. 3, the coordinating device 402 and / or the providing device 403 in FIG. 4, and / or a cloud, server, and / or remote device, or any combination thereof, as described herein. The computer system 700 may perform one or more of the operations of the block 405illustrated in FIG. 4. The computer system 700 may include, for example, a computer server, personal computer, personal electronic device, or the like. It should be noted that FIG. 7 is meant only to provide a generalized illustration of various components, any or all of which may be utilized as appropriate. FIG. 7, therefore, broadly illustrates how individual system elements may be implemented in a relatively separated or relatively more integrated manner. In addition, it can be noted that components illustrated by FIG. 7 can be localized to a single deviceand / or distributed among various networked devices, which may be disposed at different geographical locations.

[0088] The computer system 700 is shown comprising hardware elements that can be electrically coupled via a bus 705 (or may otherwise be in communication, as appropriate). The hardware elements may include processor(s) 710, which may comprise without limitation one or more general-purpose processors, one or more special-purpose processors (such as digital signal processing chips, graphics acceleration processors, and / or the like), and / or other processing structure, which can be configured to perform one or more of the methods described herein. The computer system 700 also may comprise one or more input devices 715, which may comprise without limitation a mouse, a keyboard, a camera, a microphone, and / or the like; and one or more output devices 720, which may comprise without limitation a display device, a printer, and / or the like.

[0089] The computer system 700 may further include (and / or be in communication with) one or more non-transitory storage devices 725, which can comprise, without limitation, local and / or network accessible storage, and / or may comprise, without limitation, a disk drive, a drive array, an optical storage device, a solid-state storage device, such as a random-access memory (RAM) and / or read-only memory (ROM), which can be programmable, flash-updateable, and / or the like. Such storage devices may be configured to implement any appropriate data stores, including without limitation, various file systems, database structures, and / or the like. Such data stores may include database(s) and / or other data structures used store and administer messages and / or other information to be sent to one or more devices via hubs, as described herein.

[0090] The computer system 700 may also include a communications subsystem 730, which may comprise wireless communication technologies managed and controlled by a wireless communication interface 733, as well as wired technologies (such as Ethernet, coaxial communications, universal serial bus (USB), and the like). The wireless communication interface 733 may comprise one or more wireless transceivers that may send and receive wireless signals 755 (e.g., signals according to 5G NR or LTE) via wireless antenna(s) 750. Thus the communications subsystem 730 may comprise a modem, a network card (wireless or wired), an infrared communication device, a wireless communication device, and / or a chipset, and / or the like, which may enable the computer system 700 to communicate on any or all of the communication networks described hereinto any device on the respective network, including a User Equipment (UE), base stations and / or other transmission reception points (TRPs), and / or any other electronic devices described herein. Hence, the communications subsystem 730 may be used to receive and send data as described in the embodiments herein.

[0091] In many embodiments, the computer system 700 will further comprise a working memory 735, which may comprise a RAM or ROM device, as described above. Software elements, shown as being located within the working memory 735, may comprise an operating system 740, device drivers, executable libraries, and / or other code, such as one or more applications 745, which may comprise computer programs provided by various embodiments, and / or may be designed to implement methods, and / or configure systems, provided by other embodiments, as described herein. Merely by way of example, one or more procedures described with respect to the method(s) discussed above might be implemented as code and / or instructions executable by a computer (and / or a processor within a computer); in an aspect, then, such code and / or instructions can be used to configure and / or adapt a general-purpose computer (or other device) to perform one or more operations in accordance with the described methods.

[0092] A set of these instructions and / or code might be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, such as the storage device(s) 725 described above. In some cases, the storage medium might be incorporated within a computer system, such as computer system 700. In other embodiments, the storage medium might be separate from a computer system (e.g., a removable medium, such as an optical disc), and / or provided in an installation package, such that the storage medium can be used to program, configure, and / or adapt a general-purpose computer with the instructions / code stored thereon. These instructions might take the form of executable code, which is executable by the computer system 700 and / or might take the form of source and / or installable code, which, upon compilation and / or installation on the computer system 700 (e.g., using any of a variety of generally available compilers, installation programs, compression / decompression utilities, etc.), then takes the form of executable code.

[0093] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that substantial variations may be made in accordance with specific requirements. For example, customized hardware might also be used and / or particular elements might be implemented in hardware, software(including portable software, such as applets, etc.), or both. Further, connection to other computing devices such as network input / output devices may be employed.

[0094] With reference to the appended figures, components that can include memory can include non-transitory machine-readable media. The term “machine-readable medium” and “computer-readable medium” as used herein, refer to any storage medium that participates in providing data that causes a machine to operate in a specific fashion. In embodiments provided hereinabove, various machine-readable media might be involved in providing instructions / code to processors and / or other device(s) for execution. Additionally or alternatively, the machine-readable media might be used to store and / or carry such instructions / code. In many implementations, a computer-readable medium is a physical and / or tangible storage medium. Such a medium may take many forms, including but not limited to, non-volatile media and volatile media. Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, magnetic and / or optical media, any other physical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a programmable ROM (PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM), a FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, or any other medium from which a computer can read instructions and / or code.

[0095] The methods, systems, and devices discussed herein are examples. Various embodiments may omit, substitute, or add various procedures or components as appropriate. For instance, features described with respect to certain embodiments may be combined in various other embodiments. Different aspects and elements of the embodiments may be combined in a similar manner. The various components of the figures provided herein can be embodied in hardware and / or software. Also, technology evolves and, thus many of the elements are examples that do not limit the scope of the disclosure to those specific examples.

[0096] It has proven convenient at times, principally for reasons of common usage, to refer to such signals as bits, information, values, elements, symbols, characters, variables, terms, numbers, numerals, or the like. It should be understood, however, that all of these or similar terms are to be associated with appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels. Unless specifically stated otherwise, as is apparent from the discussion above, it is appreciated that throughout this Specification discussion utilizing terms such as “processing,” “computing,” “calculating,” “determining,” “ascertaining,” “identifying,” “associating,” “measuring,” “performing,” or the like refer to actions orprocesses of a specific apparatus, such as a special purpose computer or a similar special purpose electronic computing device. In the context of this Specification, therefore, a special purpose computer or a similar special purpose electronic computing device is capable of manipulating or transforming signals, typically represented as physical electronic, electrical, or magnetic quantities within memories, registers, or other information storage devices, transmission devices, or display devices of the special purpose computer or similar special purpose electronic computing device.

[0097] Terms, “and” and “or” as used herein, may include a variety of meanings that also is expected to depend, at least in part, upon the context in which such terms are used. Typically, “or” if used to associate a list, such as A, B, or C, is intended to mean A, B, and C, here used in the inclusive sense, as well as A, B, or C, here used in the exclusive sense. In addition, the term “one or more” as used herein may be used to describe any feature, structure, or characteristic in the singular or may be used to describe some combination of features, structures, or characteristics. However, it should be noted that this is merely an illustrative example and claimed subject matter is not limited to this example. Furthermore, the term “at least one of’ if used to associate a list, such as A, B, or C, can be interpreted to mean any combination of A, B, and / or C, such as A, AB, AA, AAB, AABBCCC, etc.

[0098] Having described several embodiments, various modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents may be used without departing from the scope of the disclosure. For example, the above elements may merely be a component of a larger system, wherein other rules may take precedence over or otherwise modify the application of the various embodiments. Also, a number of steps may be undertaken before, during, or after the above elements are considered. Accordingly, the above description does not limit the scope of the disclosure.

[0099] In view of this description embodiments may include different combinations of features. Implementation examples are described in the following numbered clauses:Clause 1. An example method for assisting services, the method performed by a coordinating device and comprising determining a demand for a service coordinated using a network; identifying a first mobile edge device for providing the service, wherein the first mobile edge device is associated with a first vehicle and is communicatively coupled with the network, and wherein providing theservice comprises sharing device resources of an edge device associated with a vehicle for assisting edge computing; responsive to the first mobile edge device being capable of providing the service, determining a configuration for the first mobile edge device to provide the service; and sending the configuration to the first mobile edge device for providing the service.Clause 2. The method of clause 1, further comprising determining if the first mobile edge device is capable of providing the service when the first vehicle takes a first route.Clause 3. The method of clause 1 or 2, wherein responsive to the first mobile edge device is not capable of providing the service when the first vehicle takes the first route, the method further comprises determining a second route for the first vehicle such that when the first vehicle takes the second route, the first mobile edge device is capable or will be capable of providing the service.Clause 4. The method of any of clauses 1-3, further comprising determining whether the first vehicle agrees to take the second route.Clause 5. The method of any of clauses 1-4, further comprising dynamically adjusting the configuration over time based on a location of the first mobile edge device, a process of the service, or both.Clause 6. The method of any of clauses 1-5, wherein identifying the first mobile edge device further comprises transmitting a request to the first mobile edge device, monitoring the network, or both.Clause 7. The method of any clauses 1-6, wherein identifying the first mobile edge device for providing the service further comprises determining that the first mobile edge device is within a predetermined range of a requesting device that originated the demand for the service.Clause 8. The method of any of clauses 1-7, wherein a relative location between the first mobile edge device and the requesting device is determined based on a message broadcast by the first mobile edge device.Clause 9. The method of any of clauses 1-8, wherein the coordinating device and the first mobile edge device are a same network device.Clause 10. An example coordinating device for assisting services comprising one or more transceivers, one or more memories, and one or more processors communicatively coupled with the one or more transceivers and the one or more memories. The one or more processors are configured to determine a demand for a service coordinated using a network; identify a first mobile edge device for providing the service, wherein the first mobile edge device is associated with a first vehicle and is communicatively coupled with the network, and wherein providing the service comprises sharing device resources of an edge device associated with a vehicle for assisting edge computing; responsive to the first mobile edge device being capable of providing the service, determine a configuration for the first mobile edge device to provide the service; and send the configuration to the first mobile edge device for providing the service.Clause 11. The coordinating device of clauses 10, the one or more processors are further configured to determine if the first mobile edge device is capable of providing the service when the first vehicle takes a first route.Clause 12. The coordinating device of any of clauses 10 or 11, wherein responsive to the first mobile edge device is not capable of providing the service when the first vehicle takes the first route, the one or more processors are further configured to determine a second route for the first vehicle such that when the first vehicle takes the second route, the first mobile edge device is capable or will be capable of providing the service.Clause 13. The coordinating device of any of clauses 10-12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine whether the first vehicle agrees to take the second route.Clause 14. The coordinating device of any of clauses 10-13, the one or more processors are further configured to dynamically adjust the configuration over time based on a location of the first mobile edge device, a process of the service, or both.Clause 15. The coordinating device of any of clauses 10-14, to identify the first mobile edge device for providing the service, the one or more processors are further configured to transmit a request to the first mobile edge device, monitoring the network, or both.Clause 16. The coordinating device of any of clauses 10-15, to identify the first mobile edge device for providing the service, the one or more processors are further configured to determine that the first mobile edge device is within a predetermined range of a requesting device that originated the demand for the service.Clause 17. The coordinating device of any of clauses 10-16, wherein a relative location between the first mobile edge device and the requesting device is determined based on a message broadcast by the first mobile edge device.Clause 18. The coordinating device of any of clauses 10-17, wherein the coordinating device and the first mobile edge device are a same network device.Clause 19. An example apparatus for assisting services, the apparatus comprising means for determining a demand for a service coordinated using a network; means for identifying a first mobile edge device for providing the service, wherein the first mobile edge device is associated with a first vehicle and is communicatively coupled with the network, and wherein providing the service comprises sharing device resources of an edge device associated with a vehicle for assisting edge computing; means for responsive to the first mobile edge device being capable of providing the service, determining a configuration for the first mobile edge device to provide the service; and means for sending the configuration to the first mobile edge device for providing the service.Clause 20. The apparatus of clause 19, wherein sharing the device resources comprises sharing communication resources, processing capabilities, sensor data, application data, data storage capacities, or any combination thereof.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A method for assisting services performed by a coordinating device, comprising: determining a demand for a service coordinated using a network; identifying a first mobile edge device for providing the service, wherein the first mobile edge device is associated with a first vehicle and is communicatively coupled with the network, and wherein providing the service comprises sharing device resources of an edge device associated with a vehicle for assisting edge computing; responsive to the first mobile edge device being capable of providing the service, determining a configuration for the first mobile edge device to provide the service; and sending the configuration to the first mobile edge device for providing the service.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining if the first mobile edge device is capable of providing the service when the first vehicle takes a first route.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein responsive to the first mobile edge device is not capable of providing the service when the first vehicle takes the first route, the method further comprises determining a second route for the first vehicle such that when the first vehicle takes the second route, the first mobile edge device is capable or will be capable of providing the service.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising determining whether the first vehicle agrees to take the second route.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising dynamically adjusting the configuration over time based on a location of the first mobile edge device, a process of the service, or both.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the first mobile edge device further comprises transmitting a request to the first mobile edge device, monitoring the network, or both.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the first mobile edge device for providing the service further comprises determining that the first mobile edge device is within a predetermined range of a requesting device that originated the demand for the service.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a relative location between the first mobile edge device and the requesting device is determined based on a message broadcast by the first mobile edge device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the coordinating device and the first mobile edge device are a same network device.

10. A coordinating device for assisting services: one or more transceivers; one or more memories; and one or more processors communicatively coupled with the one or more transceivers and the one or more memories, wherein the one or more processors are configured to: determine a demand for a service coordinated using a network; identify a first mobile edge device for providing the service, wherein the first mobile edge device is associated with a first vehicle and is communicatively coupled with the network, and wherein providing the service comprises sharing device resources of an edge device associated with a vehicle for assisting edge computing; responsive to the first mobile edge device being capable of providing the service, determine a configuration for the first mobile edge device to provide the service; and send the configuration to the first mobile edge device for providing the service.

11. The coordinating device of claim 10, the one or more processors are further configured to determine if the first mobile edge device is capable of providing the service when the first vehicle takes a first route.

12. The coordinating device of claim 11, wherein responsive to the first mobile edge device is not capable of providing the service when the first vehicle takes the first route, the one or more processors are further configured to determine a second route for the first vehicle such that when the first vehicle takes the second route, the first mobile edge device is capable or will be capable of providing the service.

13. The coordinating device of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine whether the first vehicle agrees to take the second route.

14. The coordinating device of claim 10, the one or more processors are further configured to dynamically adjust the configuration over time based on a location of the first mobile edge device, a process of the service, or both.

15. The coordinating device of claim 10, to identify the first mobile edge device for providing the service, the one or more processors are further configured to transmit a request to the first mobile edge device, monitoring the network, or both.

16. The coordinating device of claim 10, to identify the first mobile edge device for providing the service, the one or more processors are further configured to determine that the first mobile edge device is within a predetermined range of a requesting device that originated the demand for the service.

17. The coordinating device of claim 16, wherein a relative location between the first mobile edge device and the requesting device is determined based on a message broadcast by the first mobile edge device.

18. The coordinating device of claim 10, wherein the coordinating device and the first mobile edge device are a same network device.

19. An apparatus for assisting services, the apparatus comprising: means for determining a demand for a service coordinated using a network; means for identifying a first mobile edge device for providing the service, wherein the first mobile edge device is associated with a first vehicle and iscommunicatively coupled with the network, and wherein providing the service comprises sharing device resources of an edge device associated with a vehicle for assisting edge computing; means for responsive to the first mobile edge device being capable of providing the service, determining a configuration for the first mobile edge device to provide the service; and means for sending the configuration to the first mobile edge device for providing the service.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein sharing the device resources comprises sharing communication resources, processing capabilities, sensor data, application data, data storage capacities, or any combination thereof.

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