Devices and methods for mobile computing network control and management

Abstract

A user equipment, UE, (110) for communication in a mobile network (100), in particular a 3GPP 5G or 6G network (100), with an Edge Data Network is disclosed. The UE (110) is configured to operate in a UE mode and in a Mobile Computing Node, MCN, mode, wherein the UE (110) comprises a Mobile Edge Application Server (111) configured to operate the UE (110) in the MCN mode to behave as an Edge Data Network node, for instance, as an Edge Application Server, of the mobile network (100). Thus, in its MCN mode the UE (110) allows to contribute its computation and / or communication resources to the Edge Data Network.

Description

[0001] DEVICES AND METHODS FOR MOBILE COMPUTING NETWORK CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present disclosure relates to wireless communications. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to devices and methods for mobile computing network control and management.

[0004] BACKGROUND

[0005] Technologies, such as Mobile Edge Computing, Multi-Access Edge Computing, Fog Computing and the like, enable cloud computing and an IT service environment at or close to the edge of a cellular, i.e. mobile network. The basic idea behind these technologies is that by running applications and performing related processing tasks closer to the cellular customer, network congestion is reduced and applications perform better. Usually, these technologies are designed to be implemented at the base stations or other edge nodes of the access network of the mobile network, and enable flexible and rapid deployment of new applications and services for customers, for instance, in the field of autonomous driving, V2X communication, robot applications and the like.

[0006] SUMMARY

[0007] It is an objective to provide improved devices and methods for mobile computing network control and management.

[0008] The foregoing and other objectives are achieved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Further implementation forms are apparent from the dependent claims, the description and the figures.

[0009] According to a first aspect a user equipment, UE, for communication in a mobile network with an Edge Data Network is provided. The mobile network may be a 3GPP network, in particular a 5G or 6G network, with an Edge Data Network. The UE according to the first aspect is configured to operate in a UE mode and in a Mobile Computing Node, MCN, mode, wherein the UE mode is the usual UE operation mode, where the UE behaves like an UE. The UE according to the first aspect comprises a Mobile Edge Application Server configured to operate the UE in the MCN mode to behave as an Edge Data Network node, in particular as an Edge Application Server, of the Edge Data Network of the mobile network. Thus, in its MCN mode the UE according to the first aspect allows to contribute its computation and communication resources to the Edge Data Network.

[0010] Herein one or more of the following abbreviations and / or acronyms may be used above and below:

[0011] V2X Vehicle-to-everything

[0012] MaaS Mobility as a Service uRLLC Ultra reliable low latency communication

[0013] KPI Key performance indicator

[0014] FOG Fog computing

[0015] MEC Multi-access edge computing

[0016] V2I Vehicle to Infrastructure

[0017] MCN Mobile computing node

[0018] EDN Edge Data Network

[0019] MEAS Mobile edge application server

[0020] MEES Mobile edge Enabler Server MECS Mobile edge Configuration Server

[0021] CMC Connection Management Client

[0022] CMS Connection Management Server

[0023] MECSP Mobile edge computing service provider

[0024] ECSP Edge computing Service provider

[0025] PLMN Public Land Mobile Network

[0026] In a further possible implementation form, the UE according to the first aspect further comprises a Mobile Edge Enabler Server configured to enable discovery of the Mobile Edge Application Server of the UE by other entities, in particular other UEs, in the Edge Data Network of the mobile network. This allows the UE operating as a MCN, i.e. in the MCN mode to be efficiently discovered in the EDN of the mobile network.

[0027] In a further possible implementation form, the UE according to the first aspect further comprises a Mobile Edge Configuration Server configured to provide configuration information to the respective Edge Enabler Client of one or more further UEs for connecting with the Mobile Edge Application Server of the UE. This allows one or more further UEs of the mobile network to efficiently connect with the UE operating as a MCN, i.e. in the MCN mode.

[0028] In a further possible implementation form, the UE according to the first aspect further comprises a Connection Management Client configured to receive control data from a Connection Management Server of the Edge Data Network of the mobile network. This allows to efficiently control the UE operating as a MCN, i.e. in the MCN mode by the EDN.

[0029] In a further possible implementation form, the Connection Management Client of the UE according to the first aspect is configured to operate as a gateway for a core network of the mobile network. This allows to provide further computation and communication resources of the UE operating as a MCN, i.e. in the MCN mode to the mobile network.

[0030] In a further possible implementation form, the Connection Management Client of the UE according to the first aspect is configured to interact directly with the Edge Data Network of the mobile network. This allows for a efficient and fast communication between the UE operating as a MCN, i.e. in the MCN mode and the EDN.

[0031] In a further possible implementation form, the Connection Management Client is configured to report an IP address of the UE according to the first aspect to the Connection Management Server of the Edge Data Network of the mobile network, in particular in response to a corresponding request from the Connection Management Server. This allows for an efficient control of the UE operating as a MCN, i.e. in the MCN mode by the EDN.

[0032] In a further possible implementation form, the Connection Management Client of the UE according to the first aspect is configured to send a unique UE identifier, in particular a Universally Unique Identifier (UUID), to the Connection Management Server of the Edge Data Network of the mobile network for registering with the Connection Management Server. This allows for an efficient control of the UE operating as a MCN, i.e. in the MCN mode by the EDN.

[0033] In a further possible implementation form, in response to sending the unique UE identifier, in particular UUID, to the Connection Management Server of the Edge Data Network of the mobile network, the Connection Management Client of the UE according to the first aspect is configured to receive an MCN identifier from the Connection Management Server. This allows for an efficient control of the UE operating as a MCN, i.e. in the MCN mode by the EDN.

[0034] In a further possible implementation form, in response to receiving a message, in particular a SMS message, from the Connection Management Server of the Edge Data Network of the mobile network including an address of the Connection Management Server, the Connection Management Client of the UE according to the first aspect is configured to reconnect with the Connection Management Server. This provides an efficient mechanism for maintaining a communication connection between the UE operating as a MCN, i.e. in the MCN mode and the EDN.

[0035] In a further possible implementation form, the UE according to the first aspect further comprises a Mobile Edge Computing Service Provider, MECSP, wherein the MECSP is configured to interact with a PLMN management system of the mobile network for managing the operation of the UE in the MCN mode to behave as an Edge Data Network node, in particular as an Edge Application Server, of the mobile network. This allows for a seamless integration of the UE operating as a MCN, i.e. in the MCN mode into existing and / or standardized architectures of mobile networks.

[0036] According to a second aspect a method of operating a user equipment, UE, is provided for communication in a mobile network, in particular a 3GPP network, having an Edge Data Network, wherein the UE is configured to operate in a UE mode and in a Mobile Computing Node, MCN, mode. The method according to the second aspect comprises a step of operating the UE in the MCN mode to behave as an Edge Data Network node, in particular as an Edge Application Server, of the mobile network.

[0037] The method according to the second aspect can be performed by the UE according to the first aspect. Thus, further features of the method according to the second aspect result directly from the functionality of the UE according to the first aspect as well as its different implementation forms described above and below.

[0038] According to a third aspect an Edge Data Network node is provided for communication in a mobile network, in particular a 3GPP network with a plurality of user equipments, UEs. The Edge Data Network node according to the third aspect comprises a Connection Management Server configured to interact with a Connection Management Client of a UE of the plurality of UEs for managing the UE to operate in a Mobile Computing Node, MCN, mode, wherein in the MCN mode the UE behaves as an Edge Data Network node, in particular as an Edge Application Server, of the mobile network. Thus, the EDN node according to the third aspect allows to operate a UE to contribute its computation and communication resources to the Edge Data Network.

[0039] In a further possible implementation form, the Connection Management Server of the Edge Data Network node according to the third aspect is configured to send control data to the Connection Management Client of the UE for operating the UE in the MCN mode. This allows to efficiently control, for instance, configure the UE operating as a MCN, i.e. in the MCN mode by the EDN node.

[0040] In a further possible implementation form, the Connection Management Server is configured to request an IP address of the UE from the Connection Management Client and to receive the IP address of the UE from the Connection Management Client. This allows to efficiently control the UE operating as a MCN, i.e. in the MCN mode by the EDN node.

[0041] In a further possible implementation form, the Connection Management Server is configured to register the UE in response to a registration request from the Connection Management Client, wherein the registration request comprises a unique UE identifier, in particular a UUID, of the UE. This allows to efficiently control the UE operating as a MCN, i.e. in the MCN mode by the EDN node.

[0042] In a further possible implementation form, in response to receiving the registration request from the Connection Management Client, the Connection Management Server is configured to send an MCN identifier to the Connection Management Client. This allows to efficiently control the UE operating as a MCN, i.e. in the MCN mode by the EDN node. In a further possible implementation form, the Connection Management Server is configured to send a message, in particular a SMS message, to the Connection Management Client, wherein the message includes an address of the Connection Management Server for allowing the Connection Management Client to reconnect with the Connection Management Server. This provides an efficient mechanism for maintaining a communication connection between the UE operating as a MCN, i.e. in the MCN mode and the EDN.

[0043] According to a fourth aspect, a method is provided for operating an Edge Data Network node for communication in a mobile network, in particular a 3GPP network, with a plurality of user equipments, UEs wherein the Edge Data Network node comprises a Connection Management Server. The method according to the fourth aspect comprises a step of interacting between the Connection Management Server and a Connection Management Client of a UE of the plurality of UEs for managing the UE to operate in a Mobile Computing Node, MCN, mode, wherein in the MCN mode the UE behaves as an Edge Data Network node, in particular as an Edge Application Server, of the mobile network.

[0044] The method according to the fourth aspect can be performed by the Edge Data Network node according to the third aspect. Thus, further features of the method according to the fourth aspect result directly from the functionality of the Edge Data Network node according to the third aspect as well as its different implementation forms described above and below.

[0045] According to a fifth aspect a computer program product is provided, comprising a computer-readable storage medium for storing program code which causes a computer or a processor to perform the method according to the second aspect or the method according to the fourth aspect when the program code is executed by the computer or the processor.

[0046] Details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages will be apparent from the description, drawings, and claims.

[0047] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0048] In the following, embodiments of the present disclosure are described in more detail with reference to the attached figures and drawings, in which:

[0049] Fig. la shows a schematic diagram illustrating a mobile network including a user equipment according to an embodiment and an Edge Data Network node according to an embodiment;

[0050] Fig. lb shows a schematic diagram illustrating a general architecture implemented by the mobile network of figure la;

[0051] Fig. 2 shows a schematic diagram illustrating a further embodiment of the mobile network of figure la;

[0052] Fig. 3 shows a schematic diagram illustrating a further embodiment of the mobile network of figure la;

[0053] Fig. 4 shows a signalling diagram illustrating an interaction between an user equipment according to an embodiment and an Edge Data Network node according to an embodiment;

[0054] Fig. 5 shows a signalling diagram illustrating an interaction between an user equipment according to a further embodiment and an Edge Data Network node according to a further embodiment; Fig. 6 shows a signalling diagram illustrating an interaction between an user equipment according to a further embodiment and an Edge Data Network node according to a further embodiment;

[0055] Fig. 7 shows a schematic diagram illustrating several implementation examples for an user equipment according to an embodiment in the form of a vehicle;

[0056] Fig. 8 shows a signalling diagram illustrating an interaction between an user equipment according to a further embodiment in the form of vehicle and an Edge Data Network node according to a further embodiment;

[0057] Fig. 9 shows a flow diagram illustrating a method of operating a user equipment according to an embodiment; and

[0058] Fig. 10 shows a flow diagram illustrating a method for operating an Edge Data Network Node according to an embodiment.

[0059] In the following, identical reference signs refer to identical or at least functionally equivalent features.

[0060] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0061] In the following description, reference is made to the accompanying figures, which form part of the disclosure, and which show, by way of illustration, specific aspects of embodiments of the present disclosure or specific aspects in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be used. It is understood that embodiments of the present disclosure may be used in other aspects and comprise structural or logical changes not depicted in the figures. The following detailed description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims.

[0062] For instance, it is to be understood that a disclosure in connection with a described method may also hold true for a corresponding device or system configured to perform the method and vice versa. For example, if one or a plurality of specific method steps are described, a corresponding device may include one or a plurality of units, e.g. functional units, to perform the described one or plurality of method steps (e.g. one unit performing the one or plurality of steps, or a plurality of units each performing one or more of the plurality of steps), even if such one or more units are not explicitly described or illustrated in the figures. On the other hand, for example, if a specific apparatus is described based on one or a plurality of units, e.g. functional units, a corresponding method may include one step to perform the functionality of the one or plurality of units (e.g. one step performing the functionality of the one or plurality of units, or a plurality of steps each performing the functionality of one or more of the plurality of units), even if such one or plurality of steps are not explicitly described or illustrated in the figures. Further, it is understood that the features of the various exemplary embodiments and / or aspects described herein may be combined with each other, unless specifically noted otherwise.

[0063] Figure la shows a schematic diagram illustrating a mobile network 100 including a user equipment, UE, 110 according to an embodiment and an Edge Data Network with one or more Edge Data Network node 120 according to an embodiment. In the embodiment shown in figure la the mobile network 100 further comprises a Core Network 105 and is implemented as a 3GPP network, for instance, a 3GPP 5G or 6G network.

[0064] The UE 110 is configured to operate in a UE mode and in a Mobile Computing Node, MCN, mode, wherein the UE mode is the usual UE operation mode, where the UE 110 behaves like an UE. As will be described in more detail in the following and is illustrated in figure la, the UE 110 comprises a Mobile Edge Application Server 111 configured to operate the UE 110 in the MCN mode to behave as an Edge Data Network node, in particular as an Edge Application Server, of the Edge Data Network of the mobile network 110. In other words, in the MCN mode the UE 110 is configured to contribute its computation and / or communication resources to the Edge Data Network so that for other UEs (being operated in the normal UE mode) the UE 110 appears as a component of the Edge Data Network.

[0065] The Edge Data Network comprises an Edge Data Network node 120, which comprises or is implemented as a Connection Management Server 122. As will be described in more detail in the following, the Connection Management Server 122 is configured to interact with a Connection Management Client 115 of the UE 110 for managing the UE 110 to operate in the MCN mode. As already described above, in the MCN mode the UE behaves as an Edge Data Network node, in particular as an Edge Application Server, of the mobile network 100.

[0066] As will be appreciated under further reference to figure lb, which shows a schematic diagram illustrating a general architecture implemented by the mobile network 100 of figure la and its components, according to embodiments disclosed herein a MCN enabler, MCN management and MCN connectivity are provided. The MCN Enabler, which may be implemented as part of an Edge Enabler Layer 202 located below an application lay er 201 , defines the overall functionality provided by the MCN enabler entities in support of the consumer applications. The MCN Management, which may be implemented as part of an Edge Management Layer 205 associated with an Edge Hosting Environment 203, provides management of the MCN edge system, including the network, MCN enabling layer, and the application. The MCN Connectivity, which may be implemented as part of the 3GPP transport layer 204, to support the consumer applications and MCN edge enabler entities. The MCN connectivity may be configured to monitor MCN status, handle MCN mobility, and / or ensure the connection QoS of MCN. The general architecture illustrated in figure lb may be based on the architectures compliant with 3GPP and / or ETSI standards.

[0067] Returning back to figure la, for implementing the MCN enabler of figure lb, the control connectivity between the MCN and the EDN is performed through the Connection Management Client 115 of the UE 110 and the Connection Management Server 122 of the EDN. In an embodiment, the Connection Management Client 115 and the Connection Management Server 122 are configured to exchange control data through the 3GPP Network using the EDGE-8M and EDGE-9MS interfaces. This operation may be based on the principle of EDGE-9 connectivity of multiple ECS among different EDN. The MCN could be regarded as a “separate EDN”. Based on the same principles, the EDGE-2M interface may enable interactions between the MEES and the 3GPP Core Network functions and APIs for retrieval of network capability information and the EDGE-7M reference point may enable interactions between the EAS and the 3GPP Core Network functions and APIs for retrieval of network capability information. In an embodiment, the Mobile Edge Enabler Layer is responsible for one or more of the following functions and / or services: Service provisioning; Registration; MEAS discovery; Capability exposure to EAS; Support for service continuity; Security; Dynamic MEAS instantiation triggering; and / or MCN charging.

[0068] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram illustrating a further embodiment of the mobile network of figure la for providing the MCN management shown in figure lb. More specifically, in the embodiment shown in figure 2 the UE 110 further comprises a Mobile Edge Computing Service Provider, MECSP, management system 117 (or short MECSP 117), wherein the MECSP 117 is responsible for the lifecycle management of the MCN service, such as instantiation, termination, modification and query of the MCN service and components. In an embodiment, the MECSP 117 may be configured to: synchronize with an Edge Computing Service Provider, ECSP, management system 150 (or short ECSP 150); interact with aPLMN management system 140; and / or cooperate with 3GPP defined management services to enable consumers (e.g., ASP, ECSP) to orchestrate and manage the MCN.

[0069] Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram illustrating a further embodiment of the mobile network of figure la for providing the MCN connectivity shown in figure lb. As already described above in the context of figure 1, the Connection Management Client 115 of the UE 110 and the Connection Management Server 122 are the entities to support the connectivity issues. Since the MCN might belong to a different network, in an embodiment the MCN Connection Management Client 155 and Server 122 may be further configured to provide a bridge between an untrusted non-3GPP MCN and the 5G Core. This may be based on 3GPP compliant architectures for Edge Computing Management.

[0070] According to an embodiment, the MCN Connectivity may have two types of implementations, namely for an untrusted MCN and for a trusted MCN.

[0071] In case of an untrusted MCN, the Connection Management Client 115 may act as a gateway for the 5GCN with support for EDGE-10MC and EDGE-2M interfaces towards the 5GCN. At the EDN, using the EDGE-9MS interfaces, the RAN may redirect the untrusted signaling to the Connection Management Server 122. This procedure may be similar to the N3IWF proposed in 3 GPP.

[0072] In a case of a trusted MCN, the MCN can interact directly with the EDN through a UPF. In this case, the UPF has a direct connection with the Edge application server 121.

[0073] Many distributed computing architectures may be required in many use cases to send data to the UE 110. However, it may be challenging for the Mobile Service Provider Servers to effectively reach the MCN due to mobility and network functions such as NAT / NAPT and firewalls. Possible cases could be that: an IP anchor point changes due to a change of MSP Edge Server; Network functions such as NAT / NAPT have timers that may have expired; Service outages may occurs when Vehicles with UEs move into an area without network coverage; and / or a handover between different access networks.

[0074] Figure 4 shows a signalling diagram illustrating an interaction between the UE 110 according to an embodiment and an Edge Data Network node according to an embodiment for providing a direct exposure. Network Exposure Functions, such as SCEF defined in 3GPP TS 23.682 and NEF defined in 3GPP TS 29.522, specify various Network APIs for third parties. According to an embodiment the MCN 110, in particular the Connection Management Client 115 may be triggered via these exposure functions to report its IP address to the MSP servers. More specifically, in a step 401 of figure 4 the Connection Management Server 122 registers the ID of the MCN 110 with the mobile network 100, in particular the core network 105 thereof. Any IP changes (see 403 of figure 4) within the mobile network 100 may be notified to the MCN Connection Management Client 115 in step 405, and to the EDN Connection Management Server 122 in step 407 of figure 4. The procedure illustrated in figure 4 guarantees a seamless synchronization between the MCN 110 and the EDN 120 under network variation in the Mobile Network 100.

[0075] Figure 5 shows a signalling diagram illustrating an interaction between the UE 110 according to a further embodiment and an Edge Data Network node according to a further embodiment implementing a notification scheme. In the embodiment shown in figure 5 a push notification is a message that is “pushed” automatically from the MCN Connection Management Server 122 to remote clients. Each MCN mgmt CLIENT application needs to be registered with the MCN mgmt server using a unique key or UUID. More specifically, in a step 501 of figure 5 the Connection Management Client 115 of the UE 110 sends a UUID registration to the Connection Management Server 122. As a consequence of an unexpected connection failure and / or problem between the entities 115 and 122 (see 503 of figure 5), the MCN Connection Management Server 122 sends a push notification with unique MCN Application ID to the MCN Connection Management Client 115, as illustrated in step 505 of figure 5. The procedure illustrated in figure 5 guarantees the re-synchronization and authentication between the entities 115 and 122 without involving / triggering the mobile network 100. Figure 6 shows a signalling diagram illustrating an interaction between the UE 110 according to a further embodiment and an Edge Data Network node according to a further embodiment for providing a SMS call-in. A push SMS is an SMS “call-in” trigger message in current Over the Air (OTA) software delivery systems. According to an embodiment, the trigger message may be sent to the target MCN by the EDN Connection Management Server 122. The application may maintain links to a database operated by the OEM that contains the IMEI number of each MCN Client within the fleet. More specifically, in a step 601 of figure 6 the connection between the Connection Management Server 122 and the Connection Management Client

[0076] 115 may be lost. In this extreme case, as illustrated with step 603 of figure 6, the EDN Connection Management Server 122 contacts / triggers the reconnection procedure with the MCN Connection Management Client 115 using a SMS push notification. The SMS contains the IP address of the management server. In step 605 of figure 6 the MCN Connection Management Client 115 uses the new IP information to reconnect with the EDN Connection Management Client 112. Although the Mobile Network 100 and the EDN Connection Management Server 112 cannot connect this procedure guarantees an active synchronization and communication medium between the entities 115 and 122.

[0077] Figure 7 shows a schematic diagram illustrating an operational flow for an activation phase of the MCN mode of the UE 110 according to an embodiment implemented as a vehicle or a component thereof, i.e. for a V2X use case, for four different scenarios. In a first scenario la, the MCN Application Client 112 of the MCN UE 110 requests to perform onboard MCN processing. In a second scenario lb, the EDN node 120 requests the MCN UE 110 to perform onboard MCN processing. In a third scenario 1c, a further UE 130 in communication with the EDN requests to be served by the MCN UE 110. In a fourth scenario Id, the MCN Edge Enabler Server 113 of the MCN UE 110 detaches from the EDN and performs onboard MCN processing.

[0078] Figure 8 shows a signalling diagram illustrating an interaction between the UE 110 according to a further embodiment in the form of vehicle or as a component thereof and an Edge Data Network node 120 according to a further embodiment. In this example, two UEs, one without MCN capabilities 130 and one with MCN capabilities 110 are connected to the same EDN 120. The EDN 120 would like to steer / redirect the traffic from the UE 130 to the UE-MCN 110. In a first step 801 of figure 8, the V2X enabler server 123 of the EDN node 120 sends a registration request to the Mobile V2X Enabler Server 113 of the UE 110 Inside the UE 110, the Mobile V2X enabler server 113 and the mobile V2X Configuration server 116 perform an feasibility check in step 803 to evaluate if the current UE-MCN 110 system capabilities and service load are sufficient to guarantee the optimal UE 130 service performance, without compromising other potential users which might be currently served. In this example, the request from step 801 is accepted, and an acknowledgement is sent to the EDN in step 805. In parallel, the entity 113 sends a notification request with the MCN connection request in step 807 to the VAE server 132 of the UE 130. In step 809 the VAE server 132 and the Mobile V2X enabler server 113 perform the handshaking procedure to register / authenticate the UE 130 with the UE-MCN 110. After this procedure, the VAE Server 132 does not redirect anymore its data to the V2X enabler server 123, but directly to the Mobile V2X enabler server 113. The procedure is acknowledged in step 811 from the VAE server 132 to the Mobile V2X enabler server 113. Since multiple VAE Client 134 could be instantiated on top of the same UE 130, the desired VAE Client 134 should register with the mobile V2X Application server 111 following the step 813. Once the application registration procedure is complete, the Mobile V2X Configuration Server

[0079] 116 of the UE-MCN 110 detaches from the EDN 120 following the step 815.

[0080] Figure 9 shows a flow diagram illustrating a method 900 of operating a UE, such as the UE 110 described above, for communication in a mobile network having an Edge Data Network, such as the mobile network 100 described above. As alreadv described above, the UE 110 is configured to be operated in a UE mode and in a Mobile Computing Node, MCN, mode, i.e. as a MCN UE 110. The method 900 comprises the step 901 of operating the UE 110 in the MCN mode to behave as an Edge Data Network node of the mobile network 100. Figure 10 shows a flow diagram illustrating a method 1000 of operating an Edge Data Network node, such as the EDN node 120 described above, for communication in a mobile network, such as the mobile network 100 described above, with a plurality of user equipments, UEs, including the UE 110 described above. As already described above, the Edge Data Network node 120 comprises a Connection Management Server 122. The method 1000 comprises a step 1001 of interacting between the Connection Management Server 122 and a Connection Management Client 115 of the UE 110 for managing the UE 110 to operate in a Mobile Computing Node, MCN, mode, wherein in the MCN mode the UE 110 behaves as an Edge Data Network node of the mobile network 100.

[0081] Embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented, for instance, in use cases involving a plurality of mobile robots, in low latency robotic and / or V2X applications or for legacy low coverage infrastructure. Based on embodiments disclosed herein vehicle / robot OEMs may provide not only mobility services but also computing resources and services. The dedicated investment on computing infrastructure (server rooms, fibers, road-side unit) may be reduced with a flexible deployment of edge / fog computing capability. Vehicle owners / operations may profit from sharing unused computing resources. Complex scenarios and low coverage situations no longer represent a limitation for low latency and high reliable communications.

[0082] As will be appreciated, embodiments disclosed herein provide an improved architecture and improved functionalities that enable an accurate characterization of network KPIs through models, ensuring limited overhead and high privacy. Transferring models instead of data significantly reduces the amount of information exchanged between network nodes and the central node responsible for optimization. Also, data is kept local and only useful data is stored. Moreover, according to embodiments disclosed herein ML models may be updated based on different centralized or local triggers. This is because embodiments disclosed herein make use of available data to detect network changes and model performance degradation and update models accordingly. Network models can be kept up-to-date while limiting communication overhead and energy consumption. The management framework / system 130 can push a model update based on e.g. optimized network performance or models received by different RAN nodes 120a-n. Embodiments disclosed herein leverage ML / AI capabilities available in the network nodes 120a-n. Thus, available local processing capability can be efficiently exploited, i.e., model trained at night when traffic load is low. Moreover, embodiments disclosed herein allow coordination across nodes in different domains. For instance, the management framework / system 130 can exploit distributed learning and expert knowledge to define the features required to construct each model, select model hyperparameters, create global models from the local ones, and / or identify new model architectures. Models can be shared to characterize KPIs which cannot be usually shared through standardize interfaces.

[0083] The person skilled in the art will understand that the "blocks" ("units") of the various figures (method and apparatus) represent or describe functionalities of embodiments of the present disclosure (rather than necessarily individual "units" in hardware or software) and thus describe equally functions or features of apparatus embodiments as well as method embodiments (unit = step).

[0084] In the several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed system, apparatus, and method may be implemented in other manners. For example, the described embodiment of an apparatus is merely exemplary. For example, the unit division is merely logical function division and may be another division in an actual implementation. For example, a plurality of units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not performed. In addition, the displayed or discussed mutual couplings or direct couplings or communication connections may be implemented by using some interfaces. The indirect couplings or communication connections between the apparatuses or units may be implemented in electronic, mechanical, or other forms. The units described as separate parts may or may not be physically separate, and parts displayed as units may or may not be physical units, may be located in one position, or may be distributed on a plurality of network units. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the objectives of the solutions of the embodiments. In addition, functional units in the embodiments of the invention may be integrated into one processing unit, or each of the units may exist alone physically, or two or more units are integrated into one unit.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A user equipment, UE, (110) for communication in a mobile network (100) with an Edge Data Network, wherein the UE (110) is configured to be operated in a UE mode and in a Mobile Computing Node, MCN, mode and wherein the UE (110) comprises a Mobile Edge Application Server (111 ) configured to operate the UE (110) in the MCN mode to behave as an Edge Data Network node of the mobile network (100).

2. The UE (110) of claim 1, wherein the UE (110) further comprises a Mobile Edge Enabler Server (113) configured to enable discovery of the Mobile Edge Application Server (111) of the UE (110) in the Edge Data Network of the mobile network (100).

3. The UE (110) of claim 1 or 2, wherein the UE (110) further comprises a Mobile Edge Configuration Server (116) configured to provide configuration information to the respective Edge Enabler Client (114) of one or more further UEs (130) for connecting with the Mobile Edge Application Server (111) of the UE (110).

4. The UE (110) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the UE (110) further comprises a Connection Management Client (115) configured to receive control data from a Connection Management Server (122) of the Edge Data Network of the mobile network (100).

5. The UE (110) of claim 4, wherein the Connection Management Client (115) is configured to operate as a gateway for a core network (105) of the mobile network (100).

6. The UE (110) of claim 5, wherein the Connection Management Client (115) is configured to interact directly with the Edge Data Network of the mobile network (100).

7. The UE (110) of claim 4, wherein the Connection Management Client (115) is configured to report an IP address of the UE (110) to the Connection Management Server (122) of the Edge DataNetwork of the mobile network (100).

8. The UE (110) of claim 4, wherein the Connection Management Client (115) is configured to send a unique UE identifier to the Connection Management Server (122) of the Edge Data Network of the mobile network (100) for registering with the Connection Management Server (122).

9. The UE (110) of claim 8, wherein, in response to sending the unique UE identifier to the Connection Management Server (122) of the Edge DataNetwork of the mobile network (100), the Connection Management Client (115) is configured to receive an MCN identifier from the Connection Management Server (122).

10. The UE (110) of claim 4, wherein, in response to receiving a message from the Connection Management Server (122) of the Edge Data Network of the mobile network (100) including an address of the Connection Management Server (122), the Connection Management Client (115) is configured to reconnect with the Connection Management Server (122).

11. The UE (110) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the UE (110) further comprises a Mobile Edge Computing Service Provider, MECSP, (117) and wherein the MECSP (117) is configured to interact with a PLMN management system (140) of the mobile network (100) for managing the operation of the UE (110) to behave as an Edge Data Network node of the mobile network (100).

12. A method (900) of operating a user equipment, UE, (110) for communication in a mobile network (100) having an Edge DataNetwork, wherein the UE (110) is configured to be operated in a UE mode and in a Mobile Computing Node, MCN, mode, wherein the method (900) comprises operating (901) the UE (110) in the MCN mode to behave as an Edge Data Network node of the mobile network (100).

13. An Edge Data Network node (120) for communication in a mobile network (100) with a plurality of user equipments, UEs, wherein the Edge Data Network node (120) comprises a Connection Management Server (122), wherein the Connection Management Server (122) is configured to interact with a Connection Management Client (115) of a UE (110) of the plurality of UEs for managing the UE (110) to operate in a Mobile Computing Node, MCN, mode, wherein in the MCN mode the UE (110) behaves as an Edge Data Network node of the mobile network (100).

14. The Edge Data Network node (120) of claim 13, wherein the Connection Management Server (122) is configured to send control data to the Connection Management Client (115) for operating the UE (110) in the MCN mode.

15. The Edge Data Network node (120) of claim 13 or 14, wherein the Connection Management Server (122) is configured to request an IP address of the UE (110) from the Connection Management Client (115) and to receive the IP address of the UE (110) from the Connection Management Client (115).

16. The Edge Data Network node (120) of any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein the Connection Management Server (122) is configured to register the UE (110) in response to a registration request from the Connection Management Client (115), wherein the registration request comprises a unique UE identifier of the UE (110).

17. The Edge Data Network node (120) of claim 16, wherein, in response to receiving the registration request from the Connection Management Client (115), the Connection Management Server (122) is configured to send an MCN identifier to the Connection Management Client (115).

18. The Edge data network node (120) of any one of claims 13 to 17, wherein the Connection Management Server (122) is configured to send a message to the Connection Management Client (115), wherein the message includes an address of the Connection Management Server (122) for allowing the Connection Management Client (115) to reconnect with the Connection Management Server (122).

19. A method (1000) of operating an Edge Data Network node (120) for communication in a mobile network (100) with a plurality of user equipments, UEs, wherein the Edge Data Network node (120) comprises a Connection Management Server (122), wherein the method (1000) comprises interacting (1001) between the Connection Management Server (122) and a Connection Management Client (115) of a UE (110) of the plurality of UEs (110, 130) for managing the UE (110) to operate in a Mobile Computing Node, MCN, mode, wherein in the MCN mode the UE (110) behaves as an Edge Data Network node of the mobile network (100).

20. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium for storing program code which causes a computer or a processor to perform the method (900) of claim 12 or the method (1000) of claim 19 when the program code is executed by the computer or the processor.

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