Communication device, communication method, terminal, and communication system

Abstract

Provided is member user equipment (UE) selection assistance that considers an operator. A communication device according to an aspect of the present disclosure comprises: a communication unit that receives a request including specific information about a target member terminal, the specific information pertaining to the acquisition of selection assistance information about a member terminal participating in an operation of a specific application; and a control unit that identifies an operator to which the terminal identified by the specific information included in the request belongs.

Description

Communication device, communication method, terminal and communication system

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a communication device, a communication method, a terminal, and a communication system in a mobile communication system.

[0002] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP (registered trademark)), a standardization project for mobile communication systems, defines a Network Exposure Function (NEF) for exposing the network functions (NF) of a core network to the outside in its standards for 5th generation mobile communication systems (5G) (see, for example, Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] Furthermore, the 3GPP standard is considering utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML) technologies for network / device control, management, etc. For example, the above-mentioned Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2 specify a service in which the 5G Core Network (5GC) supports an application server outside the 5G Core Network (5GC) in selecting user equipment (UE) (member UE) for AI operation.

[0004] 3GPP TS 23.501 V18.4.0 (2023-12) “System architecture for the 5G System (5GS); Stage 2 (Release 18)”

[0005] The member UE selection support function allows for the selection of a preferred UE for AI operation with the cooperation of 5GC. However, the existing member UE selection support function procedure does not take into account the operator to which the UE belongs, so there is a risk that the information used for AI operation will be biased.

[0006] If an inappropriate member UE is selected, there is a risk that only certain UEs will be under high load due to AI operations, that the communication throughput of only certain operators will be reduced due to reports related to AI operations, or that the application server will not be able to perform appropriate AI operations, making it difficult to provide appropriate services.

[0007] Therefore, one of the objects of the present disclosure is to provide a communication device, a communication method, a terminal, and a communication system that can provide member UE selection support that takes the operator into consideration.

[0008] A communication device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a communication unit that receives a request including identification information of a target member terminal regarding the acquisition of selection support information for member terminals participating in the operation of a specific application, and a control unit that identifies the operator to which the terminal identified by the identification information included in the request belongs.

[0009] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide support for selecting member UEs taking operators into consideration.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a procedure of an existing member UE selection support function. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic functional configuration of each device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic hardware configuration of each device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a first procedure of the member UE selection support function according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a second procedure of the member UE selection support function according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In this specification and the drawings, elements that can be similarly described will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description may be omitted.

[0012] In the present disclosure, a word enclosed in "( )" in a sentence may indicate an explanation of the word immediately preceding it (for example, an explanation of spelling), a paraphrase, a specific example, a supplementary explanation, etc. Also, in the present disclosure, a word enclosed in "[ ]" in a sentence may be interpreted including the word in the meaning of the entire sentence, or may be interpreted excluding the word in the meaning of the entire sentence (ignoring the word in the meaning of the entire sentence). Note that "( )" and "[ ]" may also be used for purposes / meanings other than those mentioned above.

[0013] In the present disclosure, "A / B" and "at least one of A and B" may be interpreted interchangeably. Also, in the present disclosure, "A / B / C" may mean "at least one of A, B, and C."

[0014] In the present disclosure, the NF may include, for example, at least one of the following: Application Function (AF) (e.g., a function for realizing an application server outside the 5G Core Network (5GC)), Access and Mobility management Function (AMF) (e.g., a function for managing UE registration, location, etc.), Data Network (DN) (e.g., a function for realizing a data network outside the 5GC), Location Management Function (LMF) (e.g., a function for controlling communication related to location-based services), Non-3GPP Inter-Working Function (N3IWF) (e.g., a function for connecting an untrusted non-3GPP access network with 5GC), Network Exposure Function (NEF) (e.g., a function for providing an application interface for 5GC NF services to the outside), Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF) (e.g., a function for selecting a network slice), Network Data Analytics Function (NWDAF) (e.g., a function for analyzing network data), Operation, Administration and Management Maintenance (Management) (OAM) (e.g., a function that provides means for maintenance, operation, and management), Policy Control Function (PCF) (e.g., a function that controls the quality, policy, etc. of data transfer paths), Session Management Function (SMF) (e.g., a function that manages sessions), Trusted Non-3GPP Gateway Function (TNGF) (e.g., a function that connects trusted non-3GPP access networks with 5GC),- Trusted WLAN Interworking Function (TWIF) (e.g., a function to connect a trusted non-3GPP access network with 5GC for a non-5G capable UE via a Wireless Local Area Network (LAN)), - (Radio) Access Network ((R)AN) (e.g., a function to provide a radio access network), - User Equipment (UE) (e.g., a function to provide user access to network services via the radio interface), - Unified Data Management (UDM) (e.g., a function to store / manage subscriber information, UE authentication information, etc.), - Unified Data Repository (UDR) (e.g., a function to manage authentication / authorization based on subscriber information), - User Plane Function (UPF) (e.g., a function to transmit user data packets).

[0015] It should be understood that these are merely examples and that other NFs are also covered by the present disclosure.

[0016] <Issue Analysis> The 3GPP standard is considering utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML) technologies for network / device control and management.

[0017] AI / ML operations include, for example, federated learning. Federated learning corresponds to distributed learning performed using a server and multiple clients in a network, and may include at least one of the following steps: each client reports its computing resources to a server, the server provides a global AI model (a model to be learned) to selected clients, each selected client trains a local AI model based on the global AI model and its own data, each selected client reports parameters of its local AI model to the server, and the server combines the reported local AI models to update the global AI model and provides the updated global AI model to one or more clients (e.g., all clients).

[0018] In federated learning, clients do not directly transmit their own data to the server, making it possible to train an AI model while keeping highly confidential data secret. On the other hand, it is preferable that clients are selected taking into consideration factors such as the client's communication environment.

[0019] The above-mentioned Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2 specify a service in which the 5G Core Network (5GC) supports the selection of User Equipment (UE) (member UE) for AI operation for an application server outside the 5G Core Network (5GC). A member UE corresponds to a UE that may participate in (or be used for) the operation of a specific application (e.g., AI operation). Here, the member UE may correspond to, for example, a client of the above-mentioned federated learning.

[0020] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a procedure of an existing member UE selection support function.

[0021] In step S101, the AF subscribes to member UE selection assistance information by sending a first Nnef_MemberUESelectionAssistance_subscribe request including a list of target member UEs, member UE filtering criteria (hereinafter also simply referred to as filtering criteria), etc. Note that second and subsequent Nnef_MemberUESelectionAssistance_subscribe requests may not include the list of target member UEs (the filtering criteria may be updated by including only the filtering criteria).

[0022] The list of target member UEs may be a list of Generic Public Subscription Identifiers (GPSIs) or a list of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, where the IP addresses may be Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4) addresses or Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) prefixes. The filtering criteria may include Quality of Service (QoS), current / past locations of UEs, orientation of UEs, distance between UEs, service experience, etc.

[0023] In step S102, the NEF interacts with other NFs of the [selected] 5GC based on the filtering criteria to collect data (information) corresponding to each UE in the list.

[0024] In step S103, the NEF derives a list of candidate UEs that meet the filtering criteria based on the collected data corresponding to each UE, where the candidate UEs are selected from the UEs included in the list of target member UEs.

[0025] In step S104, the NEF sends a Nnef_MemberUESelectionAssistance_Notify request to the AF, which includes at least the list of candidate UEs.

[0026] The AF may select member UEs to be used in AI operations (e.g., federated learning) and control the AI ​​operations, taking into account the UEs included in the list of candidate UEs.

[0027] As described above, the member UE selection support function can select a preferred UE for AI operation with the cooperation of 5GC. However, the existing member UE selection support function procedure does not take into account the operator to which the UE belongs (hereinafter also referred to as the affiliated operator), so there is a risk that an inappropriate member UE selection operation will be performed. For example, when using the above procedure, the candidate UEs will only be selected from the same operator, and all member UEs used in the final AI operation will be UEs belonging to the same operator, which may result in biased AI operation (information used for the AI ​​operation).

[0028] Furthermore, if the target member UE in step S101 includes a UE that does not belong to the 5GC operator, even though this UE will not be derived as a candidate UE, unnecessary communication with the 5GC NF will occur in step S102, wasting 5GC computational / communication resources.

[0029] If an inappropriate member UE is selected, there is a risk that only certain UEs will be under high load due to federated learning training, that only certain operators will experience reduced communication throughput due to federated learning parameter reporting, or that the AF will be unable to perform appropriate federated learning, making it difficult to provide appropriate services.

[0030] Therefore, the present inventors have conceived a communication device and a communication method for providing member UE selection support that takes into account the operator.

[0031] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The system 1 includes an application server 10, a network function (NF) server 20, a base station (BS) 30, a user equipment (UE) 40, and an application programming interface (API) server 50. The system 1 may also be referred to as a wireless communication system, an information communication system, or the like.

[0032] The system 1 is, for example, a system that complies with the Technical Specification (TS) of 3GPP. More specifically, the system 1 may be, for example, a system that complies with the TS of a 5th generation mobile communication system (5G) or New Radio (NR).

[0033] Note that system 1 is not limited to this example, and may include systems that use Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), 4th generation mobile communication system (4G), 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), 6th generation mobile communication system (6G), xth generation mobile communication system (xG (x is, for example, an integer or a decimal)), New Radio (NR), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM (registered trademark)), CDMA2000, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.20, Ultra-WideBand (UWB), Bluetooth (registered trademark), and other wireless communication methods, as well as next-generation systems that are extended, modified, created, or defined based on these.

[0034] In other words, terms related to 5G in the present disclosure can be replaced with terms of other technologies / systems. Furthermore, when this replacement is made, it is naturally understood by those skilled in the art that, for example, NF can be replaced with a function similar to that of 5G NF (or a device having a similar function).

[0035] In the system 1, the UE 40 receives wireless communication services using networks (NWs) 2000 / 2001. The NWs 2000 and 2001 correspond to cellular NWs to which the UE 40 can connect. The UE 40 may be connectable only to the NW 2000, may be connectable only to the NW 2001, or may be connectable to both the NWs 2000 and 2001.

[0036] Hereinafter, NW2000 and NW2001 are also referred to as the first cellular NW and the second cellular NW, respectively. Note that the telecommunications carrier (which may also be referred to as an operator, carrier, administrator, etc.) of the second cellular NW is different from the telecommunications carrier of the first cellular NW. In the present disclosure, the telecommunications carrier of the first cellular NW and operator A may be interchangeable. In the present disclosure, the telecommunications carrier of the second cellular NW and operator B may be interchangeable.

[0037] In the present disclosure, the cellular network may be interchangeably referred to as a mobile network, a wireless communication network, a 5G core network (5GC), a 3GPP access network, etc. The 5GC may include, for example, an optical fiber network. In the present disclosure, the 5GC, network, physical network, and core network may be interchangeably referred to.

[0038] In system 1, the communication link going to (received from) BS 30 / going out (transmitted from) UE 40 may be referred to as the uplink (UL), and the communication link going out (transmitted from) BS 30 / going out (received from) UE 40 may be referred to as the downlink (DL).

[0039] The application server 10 is a server that executes, manages, provides, and controls the AI ​​operations of a specific application. The application server 10 may correspond to, for example, the server for federated learning described above (a server that provides a global AI model to a client and updates the global AI model by combining reported local AI models).

[0040] The application server 10 may correspond to the above-mentioned AF defined for the 5G Core Network (5GC). In the present disclosure, the application server 10, the application, the AF, etc. may be interchangeable. Note that the application server 10 belongs to a network outside the 5GC.

[0041] The NF server 20 provides at least one of the above-described NF functions. In Fig. 2, an NF server 20 that provides AMF, an NF server 20 that provides SMF, an NF server 20 that provides UPF, etc. are shown. In the present disclosure, the NF server 20 and the NF (e.g., AMF, NEF, NSSF, PCF, SMF, etc.) are interchangeable.

[0042] In the present disclosure, some or all of the NF servers 20 that are normally present in a certain NW may be present outside the NW. Also, the NF server 20 present outside a certain NW (e.g., NW2000 or NW2001) may provide NF / wireless communication services in the NW by communicating with the NF server 20 in the NW.

[0043] The BS 30 provides a radio access network (RAN) to the UE 40. An area where wireless communication is possible in the radio access network is also called a cell. In the present disclosure, the terms BS and (Radio) Access Network ((R)AN) may be interpreted as interchangeable.

[0044] BS 30 is, for example, a gNB. The gNB provides NR user plane and control plane protocol terminations towards the UE and is connected to 5GC via an NG interface. BS 30 may also be an en-gNB. The en-gNB provides NR user plane and control plane protocol terminations towards the UE and operates as a secondary node in E-UTRA-NR Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).

[0045] The UE 40 connects to the first cellular NW / second cellular NW via the BS 30. The UE 40 may be, for example, a mobile terminal (mobile communication terminal) such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a wearable terminal, or may be a fixed communication terminal. The UE 40 may be a device mounted on a moving object (e.g., a vehicle) that is a movable object, the moving object itself, or a device included in the moving object (held by a person riding in the moving object).

[0046] The UE 40 may be able to use (or may be equipped with) different Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs) / Embedded SIMs (eSIMs) for the operators A and B. The UE 40 may also switch its connection to different networks by switching an [Access Point Name (APN) configuration] profile.

[0047] The UE 40 may perform operations related to the AI ​​operations of a specific application of the above-mentioned application server 10 (e.g., training / data collection / measurement / testing / reporting [for a model] related to the AI ​​operations). The UE 40 may correspond to, for example, a client for the above-mentioned federated learning (a client that trains a local AI model based on a global AI model provided by a server and reports parameters of the trained local AI model to the server).

[0048] The API server 50 provides an API for externally accessing 5GC services (NFs, particularly control NFs). For example, when a service provider other than a telecommunications carrier provides a service related to a UE 40 using communication, the API can be used to request and acquire information about the location / status of the UE 40 or to specify the quality of service (such as communication speed) for the UE 40. The API server 50 may belong to a network external to the first cellular network / second cellular network. In the present disclosure, the terms API server 50 and API are interchangeable.

[0049] The API server 50 may also receive a [service operation] request related to [subscription to] member UE selection support information from the application server 10. The API server 50 may also send a [service operation] request related to [subscription to] member UE selection support information to the NEF of the first cellular network / second cellular network.

[0050] The API server 50 may also receive a request for a service operation regarding a report of member UE selection assistance information from the NEF of the first cellular network / second cellular network. The API server 50 may also send a request for a service operation regarding a report of member UE selection assistance information to the application server 10.

[0051] In the present disclosure, "subscription" may be interchangeably read as "acquire," "receive [periodic]," "register," "subscribe," "use," etc. Also, in the present disclosure, a request [for a service operation] regarding subscription to member UE selection assistance information may be interchangeably read as a subscription request for member UE selection assistance information. Also, in the present disclosure, report may be interchangeably read as send, notify, suggest, etc.

[0052] 2 may be referred to as a network node, a node, a server, a [wired / wireless] communication device, an information processing device, etc. The lines between devices in Fig. 2 indicate logical connections and do not necessarily have to be physically connected directly (they may be connected indirectly via another device).

[0053] <Configuration of Each Device> An example of the configuration of each device (application server 10, NF server 20, BS 30, UE 40, and API server 50) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0054] 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic functional configuration of each device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, the application server 10 includes a control unit 110, a communication unit 120, an input / output unit 130, and a storage unit 140.

[0055] Note that the NF server 20, the BS 30, the UE 40, and the API server 50 may also have similar functional configurations. For this reason, in Fig. 3, the symbols of the functional blocks corresponding to each device are also shown by replacing the highest digit of the symbol indicating each device (for example, for the BS 30, the highest digit of "30" is "3") with "1". Below, the functional blocks related to the application server 10 will be described, but it will be understood that the same description applies to the other devices.

[0056] In this example, functional blocks of the characteristic parts of this embodiment are mainly shown, and each device may also have other functional blocks necessary for other processes. Also, a configuration may be possible in which some functional blocks are not included.

[0057] The control unit 110 controls the application server 10 and provides various functions. For example, the control unit 110 may control communication with other devices via the communication unit 120. The control unit 110 may also acquire information necessary for processing based on information received via the communication unit 120. The control unit 110 may also be referred to as a processing unit.

[0058] The communication unit 120 communicates (transmits / receives) with other devices via wired / wireless communication. The communication unit 120 may obtain information from a received signal and output it to the control unit 110, or may convert information input from the control unit 110 into a signal and transmit it. The communication unit 120 may also be called a transmitting unit, a receiving unit, a transmitting / receiving unit, etc.

[0059] The input / output unit 130 may include an input unit that accepts input through human operation. The input unit may be connected to a predetermined device, storage medium, etc., and may accept data input. The input unit may output the input result to the control unit 110, for example.

[0060] The input / output unit 130 may also include an output unit that outputs data, content, etc. in a format that can be perceived by humans. The output unit may include a display unit that displays images, an audio output unit that outputs audio, etc.

[0061] The storage unit 140 stores (holds) various pieces of information used for processing by the application server 10. The control unit 110 may instruct the storage unit 140 to read and write data.

[0062] 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic hardware configuration of each device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Each device includes an antenna 910, a radio frequency (RF) circuit 920, a processor 930, a network interface 940, an input device / output device 950, a memory 960, and a storage 970.

[0063] For example, the above-mentioned control unit X10 (X=1, 2, 3, 4, 5; the same applies below) may be implemented by the processor 930. The communication unit X20 may be implemented by the antenna 910 / RF circuit 920 / network interface 940. The input / output unit X30 may be implemented by the input device / output device 950. The storage unit X40 may be implemented by the memory 960 / storage 970.

[0064] The hardware configuration of each device may be configured to include one or more of the elements shown in Fig. 4, or may be configured to exclude some of the elements. For example, UE 40 may not have a network interface 940.

[0065] The antenna 910 converts signals into radio waves and radiates the radio waves into space. The antenna 910 also receives radio waves in space and converts the radio waves into signals. Multiple antennas 910 may be installed, may include a transmitting antenna and a receiving antenna, or may include a single antenna for both transmission and reception. The antenna 910 may include a directional antenna or may include multiple antenna elements.

[0066] The RF circuitry 920 performs analog processing of signals transmitted and received via the antenna 910. The RF circuitry 920 may include filters (e.g., high frequency filters, low pass filters), amplifiers, modulators, frequency synthesizers, analog-to-digital conversion circuits, digital-to-analog conversion circuits, Fast Fourier Transform (FFT)) / Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT)) processing circuits, and the like.

[0067] The RF circuit 920 may perform amplification, filtering, demodulation to a baseband signal, etc. on the received radio frequency band signal, and output the signal to the processor 930. The RF circuit 920 may perform modulation to a radio frequency band, filtering, amplification, etc. on the baseband signal input from the processor 930, and transmit the radio frequency band signal via the transmitting / receiving antenna 910. Note that the RF circuit 920 may perform physical layer processing (e.g., processing of lower functions of the physical layer), and may perform beamforming processing such as analog beamforming processing and digital beamforming processing.

[0068] The processor 930 may control the entire device. The processor 930 may read programs (program codes), software (software modules), data, etc. from the storage 970 into the memory 960 and execute various processes in accordance with these. For example, the processor 930 may execute a program of an operating system (OS) loaded into the memory 960 to perform control.

[0069] The processor 930 may be configured by a central processing unit (CPU) including an interface with peripheral devices, a control unit, an arithmetic unit, a register, etc. The processor 930 may also include a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), etc.

[0070] The processor 930 may perform digital processing of signals transmitted and received via the antenna 910 and the RF circuitry 920. The digital processing may include physical layer processing (e.g., processing of functions higher than the physical layer), processing of the Medium Access Control (MAC) layer or higher, modulation, demodulation, encoding, decoding, scrambling, etc. The processor 930 also processes signals transmitted and received via the network interface 940.

[0071] The processor 930 may include multiple processors or may be a single processor, which may include a baseband processor that performs the digital processing and one or more processors that perform other processing (e.g., overall control).

[0072] The network interface 940 is, for example, a network adapter, and may be connected to an external network via a wired connection to send and receive signals.

[0073] The RF circuit 920, the baseband processor, and the network interface 940 may be integrated into one unit, and may be called a network controller, a network card, a communication module, or the like.

[0074] The input device / output device 950 includes input devices that accept input from the outside (e.g., keyboards, mice, microphones, switches, buttons, sensors, etc.), output devices that output to the outside (e.g., displays, speakers, Light Emitting Diode (LED) lamps, etc.), and devices that combine these (e.g., touch panels).

[0075] The memory 960 is a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium that stores programs executed by the processor 930, parameters related to the programs, and various other information. The memory 960 may include at least one of a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), an electrically programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a random access memory (RAM), and a flash memory. All or a portion of the memory 960 may be included within the processor 930. The memory 960 may also be called a register, a cache, a main memory, or the like.

[0076] Storage 970 is a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium and stores various information. Storage 970 may include, for example, at least one of a flexible disk, a floppy (registered trademark) disk, a magneto-optical disk (e.g., a compact disc ROM (CD-ROM)), a digital versatile disc, a Blu-ray (registered trademark) disc), a removable disk, a hard disc drive (HDD), a smart card, a flash memory device (e.g., a solid state drive (SSD)), and the like. Storage 970 may also be referred to as an auxiliary storage device.

[0077] Furthermore, each device such as the processor 930 and the memory 960 may be connected by a bus for communicating information. A single bus may be used within the device, or different buses may be used between the devices.

[0078] The BS 30 may be separated into three elements: a radio unit (RU), a distributed unit (DU), and a central unit (CU). The RU performs RF processing and lower-level functions of the physical layer. The DU performs higher-level functions of the physical layer, MAC layer functions, and Radio Link Control (RLC) layer functions. The CU performs Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP), and Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer functions.

[0079] In the present disclosure, BS 30 may include one device that implements all of the functions of the RU, DU, and CU, or may include multiple devices that each implement some of the functions of the RU, DU, and CU.

[0080] Other devices in the present disclosure may also be implemented by multiple devices that are physically separated from one another. Conversely, multiple different devices in the present disclosure (e.g., two or more of the application server 10, the NF server 20, the BS 30, and the API server 50) may be implemented as a single device.

[0081] Furthermore, some or all of the devices disclosed herein may refer to logical devices realized by virtual machines, containers, Dockers, etc., or physical devices that operate the logical devices.

[0082] <Operation Example> An example of the operation of each device / function according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below. The communication method (wireless communication method, control method) described below may be applied to the system 1 described above.

[0083] In the following description of the present disclosure, reference numerals may be omitted. For example, UE in the following description may refer to UE 40.

[0084] Each device / function in the following description may be interpreted as one or more functional blocks (e.g., control unit 110, communication unit 120) or hardware configurations (e.g., RF circuit 920, processor 930) within the device / function.

[0085] The following embodiments may be used to support the selection of member UEs for federated learning, or to support the selection of member UEs to be used for any AI operation (UEs that perform training / data collection / measurement / testing / reporting [for a model] related to the AI ​​operation). In the following embodiments, an example is shown in which the list of target member UEs includes UEs of operators A and B, but this is not limiting. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the following embodiments cover cases in which the target member UEs include UEs of only operator B, or UEs of three or more operators.

[0086] <<First Procedure of Member UE Selection Support Function>> FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a first procedure of the member UE selection support function according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0087] In step S201, the AF sends an initial Nnef_MemberUESelectionAssistance_subscribe request to the NEF of operator A, including a list of target member UEs, filtering criteria, etc. Operator A may be a preferred operator, as described below, or the AF may select it based on certain rules (e.g., randomly from among available operators).

[0088] In the embodiment of Figure 5, the list of target member UEs may include at least one of the following UE information for identifying the UE: GPSI, Subscription Permanent Identifier (SUPI), IP address (e.g., IPv4 address, IPv6 address, IPv6 prefix), MAC address, External Group Identifier, Internal Group Identifier, Information indicating the region / area in which the UE is located (currently, in the past, or in the future) (which may be referred to as area information, for example), Any other identifier for identifying the UE (e.g., the UE's telephone number itself or information related to the telephone number (e.g., Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number (MSISDN))).

[0089] The region / area may be indicated by at least one of a latitude / longitude range [from a reference point], a distance [from a reference point], a geographical area, a Tracking Area (TA), etc., or may be predefined in the AF / NEF [of operator A / B]. The information indicating the region / area may include at least one of a reference point, a latitude / longitude range [from a reference point], a distance [from a reference point], an address / shape indicating the geographical area, [a list of] Tracking Area Identities (TAIs), a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) ID, an Area Identifier (ID) predefined in the AF / NEF [of operator A / B], etc. The reference point may be preconfigured in the AF / NEF [of operator A / B], or may be the current location of the UE.

[0090] The information indicating the region / area may also include information regarding the time when the UE is located in the region / area. The time may be specified based on at least one of a start time, an end time, a duration from the start time, a period, an offset [of the period from a specific time], etc. The unit of time may be expressed in, for example, seconds, minutes, hours, etc. For example, the UE information may indicate a UE that is located (or was located, or will be located in) the region / area indicated by the information indicating the region / area [at the time indicated by the information regarding the time]. If this UE is selected as a member UE, the UE may perform an operation related to an AI operation in the region / area [at that time].

[0091] If the UE information is an external (unique) ID different from the 3GPP domain (5GS managed) ID (e.g., GPSI), the AF / NEF may have information on the mapping (correspondence) between the 3GPP domain ID and the external ID. In the present disclosure, the UE information may be interchangeably read as UE information converted into the 3GPP domain ID by the NEF or another NF.

[0092] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the list of target member UEs, the list of candidate UEs, the list of final candidate UEs (described later), etc. do not have to be information in list format, but may be any information (e.g., information in array format, vector format, etc.). In other words, the "list" in this embodiment may be interchangeably read as information, information for identifying, information for specifying, etc. Note that the "list" in this embodiment may include one or more values ​​indicating an individual UE (e.g., one IP address), or may include one or more values ​​indicating multiple UEs (e.g., a range of IP addresses, the above-mentioned area information).

[0093] In step S202, the NEF of operator A identifies the home operator of each UE (each target member UE) identified by the list. Identifying the home operator of a UE may be performed based on at least one of the following: - if the UE's phone number itself or information related to the phone number (e.g., Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number (MSISDN)) is known, querying a database / service related to phone numbers (e.g., a Mobile Number Portability (MNP) database); - if the UE's IP address is known, querying a database / service related to domains (e.g., a Domain Name System (DNS) server, a WHOIS server); - local configuration (e.g., configuration information on the correspondence between the above UE information and operators); - notification from the AF.

[0094] The local setting may include, for example, a setting that assumes that a specific operator (e.g., Operator B) is always present as the affiliated operator. Furthermore, the notification from the AF may include, for example, information specifying a specific operator (e.g., Operator B) (e.g., information indicating that the specific operator is included in the affiliated operators of the target member UE) in the Nnef_MemberUESelectionAssistance_subscribe request in step S201. The NEF of Operator A may determine that some UEs (e.g., UEs that cannot be identified by other methods) belong to these specific operators.

[0095] In addition, the above database / service (the server that provides it) may be located within Operator A's 5GC or outside Operator A's 5GC.

[0096] In addition, the identification of the UE's belonging operator may be performed by any NF of operator A in addition to / instead of the NEF of operator A. In the following steps, the NEF of operator A may be read as the NF that has identified the UE's belonging operator.

[0097] In this example, the following description will be made on the assumption that, as a result of identifying the affiliated operators, it has been identified that the list of target member UEs in step S201 includes UEs of Operator A (which may be referred to as a first UE) and UEs of Operator B (which may be referred to as a second UE). In the following description, affiliated operators other than Operator A (own operator) and Operator B may be read as interchangeable.

[0098] In step S203, the NEF of Operator A sends a Nnef_MemberUESelectionAssistance_subscribe request to the NEF of Operator B, which includes a list of target member UEs, filtering criteria, etc. This list of target member UEs may correspond to the list of target member UEs for only Operator B's UEs among the list of target member UEs in step S201, or may be the list of target member UEs in step S201.

[0099] If the list of target member UEs in step S203 is a list of target member UEs only for operator B's UEs, the communication overhead between operators A and B can be reduced compared to when the list of target member UEs in step S201 is used as is, and the time required to derive the list of candidate UEs in step S205 described below can be reduced (because the number of interactions with the 5GC NF is reduced).

[0100] The filtering criteria in step S203 may be the same as or different from the filtering criteria in step S201 (for example, the filtering criteria in step S201 may be adjusted for operator B by operator A's NEF (or any NF) [taking into account operator B's communication load situation, cost, etc.]).

[0101] In step S204, the Operator A NEF interacts with the appropriate 5GC NF of Operator A based on the specified filtering criteria to obtain data corresponding to each UE identified by the list of target member UEs of step S201 (or the list of target member UEs for only Operator A's UEs in the list), and derives a list of Operator A's candidate UEs that satisfy the filtering criteria. The list of Operator A's candidate UEs includes the above-mentioned UE information for identifying Operator A's candidate UEs that satisfy the filtering criteria.

[0102] Note that the above-mentioned specific filtering criteria in step S204 may be the same as or different from the filtering criteria in step S201 (for example, the filtering criteria in step S201 may be adjusted for operator A by operator A's NEF (or any NF)).

[0103] In step S205, the NEF of Operator B interacts with the appropriate 5GC NF of Operator B based on the filtering criteria of step S203 to obtain data corresponding to each UE identified by the list of target member UEs of step S203, and derives a list of candidate UEs of Operator B that satisfy the filtering criteria. The list of candidate UEs of Operator B includes the above-mentioned UE information for identifying candidate UEs of Operator B that satisfy the filtering criteria.

[0104] In step S206, the NEF of Operator B sends a Nnef_MemberUESelectionAssistance_Notify request to the NEF of Operator A, which includes at least the list of candidate UEs of said Operator B.

[0105] In step S207, the NEF of Operator A derives a list of candidate UEs to be reported to the AF (hereinafter also referred to as a list to be reported, a list of final candidate UEs, etc.) based on the list of candidate UEs of Operator A and the list of candidate UEs of Operator B. The list of final candidate UEs includes the above-mentioned UE information for identifying candidate UEs of Operator A / candidate UEs of Operator B. One or more lists of final candidate UEs may be derived.

[0106] A list of final candidate UEs may include all or some of the candidate UEs of operator A and the candidate UEs of operator B. For example, the NEF of operator A may derive the list of final candidate UEs based on at least one of the following conditions (rules): - giving priority to a specific operator (which may be called a preferred operator); - achieving a balance between the operators; - taking into account the communication load situation of each operator; - taking into account the communication cost of each operator; - taking into account the utilization rate of renewable energy (required for communication) of each operator; - taking into account the energy efficiency (EE) (which may be EE defined in 3GPP TS 28.310, TS 28.554, etc., e.g., 5GC EE) (average / maximum / minimum) of one or more UEs of each operator (e.g., Central Processing Unit (CPU) / Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) performance, amount of available storage (e.g., memory), remaining battery power).

[0107] For example, the NEF of operator A may control to preferentially include UEs belonging to operators whose communication load / cost is lower than a threshold (or whose renewable energy utilization rate / energy efficiency is higher than a threshold) in the list of final candidate UEs. Also, the NEF of operator A may control not to include UEs belonging to operators whose communication load / cost is higher than a threshold (or whose renewable energy utilization rate / energy efficiency is lower than a threshold or is not a preferred operator) in the list of final candidate UEs.

[0108] The rule of "maintaining a balance among operators" may mean that the operators to which the UEs included in the list of final candidate UEs belong are made approximately equal. Here, "approximately equal" may mean that the ratio of the number of UEs per operator included in the list of final candidate UEs to the total number of UEs included in the list of final candidate UEs is completely the same for all operators or the difference is within a threshold value (e.g., 1%).

[0109] For example, if the only operators to which the UEs identified by the list of target member UEs in step S201 belong are operators A and B, including 50.5% of the UEs belonging to operator A and 49.5% of the UEs belonging to operator B in the list of final candidate UEs may be interpreted as a balance being achieved between the operators.

[0110] Also, a maximum number of candidate UEs that can be included in the list of final candidate UEs (per operator or for all operators in total) may be specified or configured. The NEF of Operator A may select candidate UEs to be included in the list of final candidate UEs (based on at least one of the conditions (rules) described above) so that the number of candidate UEs included in the list of final candidate UEs does not exceed the maximum number. This allows for efficient member UE selection (with low computational load on the AF), for example, by having the AF further narrow down the member UEs from a preferred maximum number (e.g., 100) of candidate UEs.

[0111] Information regarding the above threshold values ​​(of course, each threshold value may be different), the above conditions (e.g., based on which conditions the list of final candidate UEs is derived), the above maximum number, etc. may be specified by the AF to the NEF of operator A (e.g., by the Nnef_MemberUESelectionAssistance_subscribe request in step S201), or may be stored in advance in the NEF of operator A by operator configuration.

[0112] The NEF of operator A may receive data related to the above conditions (communication load status / cost / renewable energy utilization rate, UE computing resources, etc.) from at least one of the AF, the API server, the NEF of operator B, any NF of operator A, etc.

[0113] When multiple lists of final candidate UEs are derived, each of these lists may correspond to one or more combinations of the conditions, for example, a first list may be a list that takes into account only the communication load status of each operator, and a second list may be a list that takes into account the communication load status of each operator and the communication cost.

[0114] The NEF of the operator A may determine the operator to which the Nnef_MemberUESelectionAssistance_subscribe request is to be sent in step S203, taking the above conditions into consideration. For example, the NEF of the operator A may not send the Nnef_MemberUESelectionAssistance_subscribe request to the affiliated operator that is determined based on the above conditions not to include the UE in the list of final candidate UEs.

[0115] In step S208, the NEF of operator A sends a Nnef_MemberUESelectionAssistance_Notify request to the AF, which includes at least the list of final candidate UEs (which may be simply referred to as the list of candidate UEs here, as the input of Nnef_MemberUESelectionAssistance_Notify).

[0116] The Nnef_MemberUESelectionAssistance_Notify request (or the list of final candidate UEs) may include information for identifying the corresponding operator for at least one candidate UE.

[0117] Furthermore, a UE currently connected to both Operator A and Operator B by using dual SIM or the like may be included in the candidate UE list of Operator A and the candidate UE list of Operator B. In this case, the NEF of Operator A may include in the Nnef_MemberUESelectionAssistance_Notify request (or the list of final candidate UEs) both information indicating that the UE is a candidate UE of Operator A (i.e., the candidate UE corresponds to Operator A) and information indicating that the UE is a candidate UE of Operator B (i.e., the candidate UE corresponds to Operator B), or may include only one of these pieces of information. In the former case, the AF can be allowed to decide which is more suitable as a member UE, and in the latter case, for example, the size of the candidate UE list can be reduced.

[0118] In addition, in each Nnef_MemberUESelectionAssistance_subscribe in the example of FIG. 5, if there is no change in the target member UE, it is not necessary to notify the target member UE.

[0119] 5 may be changed. Furthermore, Nnef_MemberUESelectionAssistance_subscribe may be interchangeably read as [service operation related to] subscribing to member UE selection assistance information, and Nnef_MemberUESelectionAssistance_Notify may be interchangeably read as [service operation related to] reporting member UE selection assistance information. The member UE selection assistance information may at least mean a list of [final] candidate UEs.

[0120] According to the first procedure described above, for example, even if the AF does not know in advance the operator to which each target member UE belongs, it can appropriately select member UEs to participate in AI operations (such as federated learning) from multiple operators.

[0121] <<Second Procedure of Member UE Selection Support Function>> Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a second procedure of the member UE selection support function according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For content not specifically mentioned, the content described in the first procedure in Fig. 5 may be similarly used.

[0122] In step S301, the AF sends an initial Nnef_MemberUESelectionAssistance_subscribe request to the API, including a list of target member UEs, filtering criteria, etc.

[0123] In step S302, the API identifies the operator to which each UE (each target member UE) identified by the list belongs. Since the identification of the operator to which each UE belongs may be performed in the same manner as in step S202 described above, the description will not be repeated (note that the terms in the description may be interpreted as appropriate. For example, the NEF of operator A in step S202 may be interpreted as the API).

[0124] In this example, the following description will be given on the assumption that, as a result of identifying the affiliated operators, it has been identified that the list of target member UEs in step S301 includes UEs of operator A and UEs of operator B.

[0125] In step S303, the API sends a Nnef_MemberUESelectionAssistance_subscribe request to the NEF of Operator A, including a list of target member UEs, filtering criteria, etc. This list of target member UEs may correspond to the list of target member UEs for only Operator A's UEs among the list of target member UEs in step S301, or may be the list of target member UEs in step S301.

[0126] The filtering criteria in step S303 may be the same as or different from the filtering criteria in step S301 (for example, the filtering criteria in step S301 may be adjusted by the API for operator A [taking into account operator A's communication load status, costs, etc.]).

[0127] In step S304, the API sends a Nnef_MemberUESelectionAssistance_subscribe request to the NEF of Operator B, including a list of target member UEs, filtering criteria, etc. This list of target member UEs may correspond to the list of target member UEs for only Operator B's UEs among the list of target member UEs in step S301, or may be the list of target member UEs in step S301.

[0128] The filtering criteria in step S304 may be the same as or different from the filtering criteria in step S301 (for example, the filtering criteria in step S301 may be adjusted by the API for operator B [taking into account operator B's communication load status, cost, etc.]).

[0129] In step S305, the NEF of operator A interacts with the appropriate 5GC NF of operator A based on the filtering criteria of step S303 to obtain data corresponding to each UE identified by the list of target member UEs of step S303, and derives a list of candidate UEs of operator A that satisfy the filtering criteria.

[0130] In step S306, the NEF of Operator B interacts with the appropriate 5GC NF of Operator B based on the filtering criteria of step S304 to obtain data corresponding to each UE identified by the list of target member UEs of step S304, and derives a list of candidate UEs of Operator B that satisfy the filtering criteria.

[0131] In step S307, the NEF of operator A sends a Nnef_MemberUESelectionAssistance_Notify request, which includes at least the list of candidate UEs of said operator A, to the API.

[0132] In step S308, the NEF of operator B sends a Nnef_MemberUESelectionAssistance_Notify request, which includes at least the list of candidate UEs of said operator B, to the API.

[0133] In step S309, the API derives a list of candidate UEs to be reported to the AF (a list to be reported, a list of final candidate UEs) based on the list of candidate UEs of the operator A and the list of candidate UEs of the operator B. The derivation of the list of final candidate UEs may be performed in the same manner as in step S207 described above, and therefore the description will not be repeated (note that the terms in the description may be interpreted as appropriate. For example, the NEF of the operator A in step S207 may be interpreted as the API and vice versa).

[0134] In step S310, the API sends a Nnef_MemberUESelectionAssistance_Notify request to the AF, which includes at least the list of final candidate UEs (which may be simply referred to as the list of candidate UEs here, as an input of Nnef_MemberUESelectionAssistance_Notify).

[0135] According to the second procedure described above, for example, even if the AF does not know in advance the operator to which each target member UE belongs, the API can appropriately subscribe to member UE selection support information from multiple operators, thereby appropriately selecting member UEs to participate in AI operations (such as federated learning).

[0136] <Supplementary Notes> The following inventions are supplemented with respect to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Supplementary Note 1] A communication device (e.g., an NF server 20 (NEF) or API server 50 [of operator A]) comprising: a communication unit that receives a request (e.g., an Nnef_MemberUESelectionAssistance_subscribe request) including identification information of a target member terminal regarding acquisition of selection assistance information for member terminals participating in the operation of a specific application; and a control unit that identifies an operator to which [one or more] terminals identified by the identification information included in the request belong. [Supplementary Note 2] The communication device according to Supplementary Note 1, in which, when information related to the telephone number of the terminal is known, the control unit identifies the operator to which the terminal belongs by querying a database related to telephone numbers or a server that provides a service. [Supplementary Note 3] The communication device according to Supplementary Note 1 or Supplementary Note 2, in which, when the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the terminal is known, the control unit identifies the operator to which the terminal belongs by querying a database providing information about domains or a server that provides a service. [Supplementary Note 4] The communication device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 3, wherein the communication unit transmits a second request (e.g., Nnef_MemberUESelectionAssistance_subscribe request) regarding the acquisition, including specification information of target member terminals of only a specific operator to which the terminal belongs (e.g., operator B), to the Network Exposure Function (NEF) of the specific operator. [Supplementary Note 5] The communication device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 4, wherein the control unit derives specification information of candidate terminals of the member terminal for one operator (e.g., operator A) when multiple terminals specified by the specification information included in the request belong to different operators. [Supplementary Note 6] The communication device according to Supplementary Note 5, which is a server providing the functionality of the Network Exposure Function (NEF) of the one operator (e.g., the NEF of operator A).[Supplementary Note 7] The communication device according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 3 (or Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 6), wherein the communication unit transmits a second request (e.g., an Nnef_MemberUESelectionAssistance_subscribe request) including identification information of target member terminals of only one operator (e.g., Operator A) regarding the acquisition to a Network Exposure Function (NEF) of the one operator when multiple terminals identified by the identification information included in the request belong to different operators, and transmits a third request (e.g., an Nnef_MemberUESelectionAssistance_subscribe request) including identification information of target member terminals of only another operator (e.g., Operator B) regarding the acquisition to a NEF of the other operator. [Supplementary Note 8] The communication device according to Supplementary Note 7 (e.g., an API server 50) that is a server providing an application interface for enabling external access to services of a 5th generation mobile communication system Core Network (5GC). [Supplementary Note 9] The communication device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 8, wherein, when multiple terminals identified by the identification information included in the request belong to different operators, the communication unit derives identification information of candidate terminals of the member terminal to be finally reported (e.g., a list of final candidate UEs) based on the identification information of candidate terminals of the member terminal for one operator (e.g., Operator A) and the identification information of candidate terminals of the member terminal for the other operator (e.g., Operator B), taking into consideration at least one of the communication load status, cost, and utilization rate of renewable energy of each operator. [Supplementary Note 10] The communication device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 9, wherein the identification information included in the request is a list of target member terminals (e.g., a list including information on one or more UEs). [Supplementary Note 11] The communication device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 10, wherein the member terminal is a member terminal for federated learning.[Supplementary Note 12] A communication method for a communication device, comprising the steps of receiving a request including identification information of a target member terminal regarding acquisition of selection support information for member terminals participating in the operation of a specific application, and identifying an operator to which the terminal identified by the identification information included in the request belongs. [Supplementary Note 13] The communication method according to Supplementary Note 12, comprising the step of identifying an operator to which the terminal belongs by querying a database or a server providing a service related to telephone numbers when information related to the telephone number of the terminal is known. [Supplementary Note 14] The communication method according to Supplementary Note 12 or Supplementary Note 13, comprising the step of identifying an operator to which the terminal belongs by querying a database or a server providing a service related to domains when the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the terminal is known. [Supplementary Note 15] The communication method according to any of Supplements 12 to 14, comprising the step of sending a second request including identification information of target member terminals of only the specific operator to which the terminal belongs, regarding the acquisition, to a Network Exposure Function (NEF) of the specific operator. [Supplementary Note 16] The communication method according to any one of Supplementary Note 12 to Supplementary Note 15, comprising a step of deriving specification information of candidate terminals for the member terminal for one operator when multiple terminals specified by the specification information included in the request belong to different operators. [Supplementary Note 17] The communication method according to Supplementary Note 16, wherein the server is a server that provides a Network Exposure Function (NEF) function for the one operator.[Supplementary Note 18] The communication method according to any one of Supplementary Note 12 to Supplementary Note 14 (or Supplementary Note 12 to Supplementary Note 17), comprising the steps of: when a plurality of terminals identified by the identification information included in the request belong to different operators, sending a second request related to the acquisition including identification information of target member terminals of only one operator to a Network Exposure Function (NEF) of the one operator; and sending a third request related to the acquisition including identification information of target member terminals of only the other operator to a NEF of the other operator. [Supplementary Note 19] The communication method according to Supplementary Note 18, wherein the server is a server providing an application interface for enabling external access to services of a 5th generation mobile communication system Core Network (5GC). [Supplementary Note 20] The communication method according to any one of Supplementary Notes 12 to 19, comprising a step of deriving, when a plurality of terminals identified by the identification information included in the request belong to different operators, identification information of candidate terminals for the member terminal to be finally reported, based on identification information of candidate terminals for the member terminal for one operator and identification information of candidate terminals for the member terminal for the other operator, taking into consideration at least one of the communication load status, cost, and utilization rate of renewable energy of each operator. [Supplementary Note 21] The communication method according to any one of Supplementary Notes 12 to 20, wherein the identification information included in the request is a list of the target member terminals. [Supplementary Note 22] The communication method according to any one of Supplementary Notes 12 to 21, wherein the member terminals are member terminals for federated learning. [Supplementary Note 23] A terminal comprising: a communication unit that communicates with an operator's network; and a control unit that controls the implementation of an operation related to the operation of a specific application when the terminal is identified by identification information of a target member terminal and the operator to which the terminal belongs is identified, wherein the identification information is included in a request for obtaining selection support information for member terminals that will participate in the operation of the specific application.[Supplementary Note 24] A communication system including the communication device according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 11 and the terminal according to Supplementary Note 23.

[0137] <Modifications> Note that terms explained in this disclosure and terms necessary for understanding this disclosure may be replaced with terms having the same or similar meanings.

[0138] In the present disclosure, the terms apparatus, circuit, device, section, unit, etc. may be read interchangeably.

[0139] The information, parameters, etc. described in the present disclosure may be expressed using absolute values, relative values ​​from a predetermined value, or other corresponding information. For example, a radio resource may be indicated by a predetermined index.

[0140] The names used for parameters and the like in this disclosure are not limiting in any way, and furthermore, the formulas and the like using these parameters may differ from those explicitly disclosed in this disclosure.

[0141] The information, signals, etc. described in this disclosure may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, chips, etc. that may be referred to throughout the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or photons, or any combination thereof.

[0142] Input and output information, signals, etc. may be stored in a specific location (for example, memory) or may be managed using a management table. Input and output information, signals, etc. may be overwritten, updated, or added. Output information, signals, etc. may be deleted. Input information, signals, etc. may be transmitted to another device.

[0143] Any information described in the present disclosure (e.g., information related to any parameter / variable) may be communicated between any devices in the present disclosure. Furthermore, in the present disclosure, communication of information is not limited to the aspects / embodiments described in the present disclosure, and may be performed using other methods.

[0144] Furthermore, notification of specified information (e.g., notification that "it is X") is not limited to explicit notification, but may be made implicitly (e.g., by not notifying the specified information or by notifying other information).

[0145] Software shall be construed broadly to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, threads of execution, procedures, functions, etc., whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise.

[0146] Software, instructions, information, etc. may also be transmitted or received over a transmission medium. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using wired technologies (such as coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)), and / or wireless technologies (such as infrared, microwave), these wired and / or wireless technologies are included within the definition of transmission media.

[0147] In the present disclosure, terms such as "Base Station (BS)," "Radio Base Station," "Relay Station," "Fixed Station," "NodeB," "eNB (eNodeB)," "gNB (gNodeB)," "Access Point," "Transmission Point (TP)," "Reception Point (RP)," "Transmission / Reception Point (TRP)," "Panel," "Cell," "Sector," "Cell Group," "Carrier," "Component Carrier," etc. may be used interchangeably.

[0148] In this disclosure, the terms "Mobile Station (MS)," "user terminal," "User Equipment (UE)," "terminal," etc. may be used interchangeably.

[0149] Any device in the present disclosure may be referred to as a server, device, transmitting device, receiving device, wireless communication device, information processing device, etc., and these terms may be interchangeable. Any device in the present disclosure may be a device mounted on a moving object, which is a movable object, a device contained within the moving object (held by a person riding the moving object), or the moving object itself. Examples of such moving objects include, but are not limited to, vehicles, transport vehicles, automobiles, motorcycles, bicycles, connected cars, excavators, bulldozers, wheel loaders, dump trucks, forklifts, trains, buses, handcarts, rickshaws, ships and other watercraft, airplanes, rockets, satellites, drones, multicopters, quadcopters, balloons, and objects mounted thereon. Furthermore, such moving objects may be autonomous / automatically driven. Note that the term "moving object" in the present disclosure may be interchangeable with a non-moving object (e.g., a non-moving object that a person can ride on).

[0150] Each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure may be used alone, in combination, or switched depending on the implementation. Furthermore, the order of the processing procedures, sequences, flowcharts, etc. of each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure may be changed unless inconsistent. For example, the methods described in this disclosure present elements of various steps using an example order, and are not limited to the particular order presented.

[0151] As used in this disclosure, the phrase "based on" does not mean "based only on," unless expressly stated otherwise. In other words, the phrase "based on" means both "based only on" and "based at least on."

[0152] As used in this disclosure, any reference to an element using a designation such as "first," "second," etc. does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. These designations may be used in this disclosure as a convenient method of distinguishing between two or more elements. Thus, a reference to a first and a second element does not imply that only two elements may be employed or that the first element must in some way precede the second element.

[0153] As used in this disclosure, the terms "connected," "coupled," or any variation thereof, refer to any direct or indirect connection or coupling between two or more elements, and may include the presence of one or more intermediate elements between two elements that are "connected" or "coupled" to each other. The coupling or connection between elements may be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. The coupling or connection between elements may be via wired and / or wireless connections.

[0154] In the present disclosure, the term "A and B are different" may mean "A and B are different from each other." The term may also mean "A and B are each different from C." Terms such as "separate" and "coupled" may also be interpreted in the same way as "different."

[0155] When the terms "include," "including," and variations thereof are used in this disclosure, these terms are intended to be inclusive, similar to the term "comprising." Furthermore, when the term "or" is used in this disclosure, it is not intended to be an exclusive or.

[0156] In this disclosure, where articles are added by translation, such as a, an, and the in English, the disclosure may include that the nouns following these articles are in the plural form.

[0157] In the present disclosure, terms such as "decide," "judge," "assess," "select," "identify," "calculate," "calculate," "process," "derive," "search," "confirm," "assume," and "expect" may be read interchangeably.

[0158] In the present disclosure, terms such as "less than or equal to," "less than," "greater than," "more than," "equal to," etc. may be interchangeable. Furthermore, in the present disclosure, terms meaning "good," "bad," "big," "small," "high," "low," "fast," "slow," "wide," "narrow," etc. may be interchangeable, not limited to the positive, comparative, and superlative. Furthermore, in the present disclosure, terms meaning "good," "bad," "big," "small," "high," "low," "fast," "slow," "wide," "narrow," etc. may be interchangeable, not limited to the positive, comparative, and superlative, as expressions with "i-th" (i is an arbitrary integer) attached (for example, "highest" may be interchangeable with "i-th highest").

[0159] In this disclosure, the terms "of," "for," "regarding," "related to," "associated with," etc. may be read interchangeably.

[0160] Although the invention according to the present disclosure has been described in detail above, it is clear to those skilled in the art that the invention according to the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described in the present disclosure. The description of the present disclosure is for illustrative purposes only and does not impose any limiting meaning on the invention according to the present disclosure.

[0161] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-015673, filed February 5, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein in their entirety.

Claims

1. A communication device having a communication unit that receives a request including identification information of a target member terminal regarding the acquisition of selection support information for member terminals participating in the operation of a specific application, and a control unit that identifies the operator to which the terminal identified by the identification information included in the request belongs.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit, when information related to the telephone number of the terminal is known, identifies the operator to which the terminal belongs by querying a database related to telephone numbers or a server that provides services.

3. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit, when the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the terminal is known, identifies the operator to which the terminal belongs by querying a database that provides information about domains or a server that provides services.

4. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit transmits a second request regarding the acquisition, the second request including specific information of target member terminals of only the specific operator to which the terminal belongs, to a Network Exposure Function (NEF) of the specific operator.

5. The communication device according to claim 4, wherein the control unit derives the identification information of candidate terminals for the member terminal for one operator when multiple terminals identified by the identification information included in the request belong to different operators.

6. The communication device according to claim 5, which is a server that provides the functionality of the Network Exposure Function (NEF) of said one operator.

7. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein, when multiple terminals identified by the identification information included in the request belong to different operators, the communication unit sends a second request including identification information of target member terminals of only one operator regarding the acquisition to the Network Exposure Function (NEF) of the one operator, and sends a third request including identification information of target member terminals of only the other operator regarding the acquisition to the NEF of the other operator.

8. The communication device according to claim 7, which is a server that provides an application interface for enabling external access to services of the 5th generation mobile communication system Core Network (5GC).

9. A communication device as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, when multiple terminals identified by the identification information included in the request belong to different operators, the communication unit derives the identification information of the candidate terminal of the member terminal to be finally reported based on the identification information of the candidate terminal of the member terminal for one operator and the identification information of the candidate terminal of the member terminal for the other operator, taking into consideration at least one of the communication load status, cost, and renewable energy utilization rate of each operator.

10. A communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the specific information included in the request is a list of the target member terminals.

11. A communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the member terminals are member terminals for federated learning.

12. A communication method for a communication device, comprising the steps of: receiving a request including identification information of a target member terminal regarding the acquisition of selection support information for member terminals participating in the operation of a specific application; and identifying the operator to which the terminal identified by the identification information included in the request belongs.

13. A communication method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of identifying the operator to which said terminal belongs by querying a database relating to telephone numbers or a server providing services when information relating to the telephone number of said terminal is known.

14. A communication method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of identifying the operator to which the terminal belongs by querying a database or a server that provides services related to domains when the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the terminal is known.

15. The communication method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of sending a second request for said acquisition, the second request including specific information of target member terminals of only the specific operator to which said terminal belongs, to a Network Exposure Function (NEF) of said specific operator.

16. A communication method according to claim 15, further comprising a step of deriving specification information of candidate terminals for said member terminal for one operator when a plurality of terminals specified by said specification information included in said request belong to different operators.

17. The communication method according to claim 16, wherein the server provides the functionality of the Network Exposure Function (NEF) of said one operator.

18. A communication method as described in claim 12, further comprising the steps of: when multiple terminals identified by the identification information included in the request belong to different operators, sending a second request including identification information of target member terminals of only one operator regarding the acquisition to the Network Exposure Function (NEF) of the one operator; and sending a third request including identification information of target member terminals of only the other operator regarding the acquisition to the NEF of the other operator.

19. The communication method according to claim 18, wherein the server provides an application interface for enabling external access to 5th generation mobile communication system Core Network (5GC) services.

20. A communication method as described in any one of claims 12 to 19, comprising a step of deriving, when multiple terminals identified by the identification information included in the request belong to different operators, the identification information of the candidate terminal of the member terminal to be finally reported based on the identification information of the candidate terminal of the member terminal for one operator and the identification information of the candidate terminal of the member terminal for the other operator, taking into consideration at least one of the communication load status, cost, and renewable energy utilization rate of each operator.

21. A communication method according to any one of claims 12 to 19, wherein the specific information included in the request is a list of the target member terminals.

22. A communication method according to any one of claims 12 to 19, wherein the member terminals are member terminals for federated learning.

23. A terminal comprising: a communication unit for communicating with an operator's network; and a control unit for controlling the implementation of operations related to the operation of a specific application when the terminal is identified by identification information of a target member terminal and the operator to which the terminal belongs is identified, wherein the identification information is included in a request for obtaining selection support information for member terminals participating in the operation of the specific application.

24. A communication system comprising a communication device according to claim 1 and a terminal according to claim 23.

Images