Network node and communication method

Abstract

This network node comprises: a reception unit that receives an establishment request for a PDU session from a terminal; and a control unit that executes setting of an inactive timer of the PDU session to another network node on the basis of the type of establishment request.

Description

Network node and communication method

[0001] The present invention relates to a network node and a communication method for controlling a network slice.

[0002] 3GPP (registered trademark) (3rd Generation Partnership Project) has introduced a wireless communication system called 5G or NR (New Radio) (hereinafter, the wireless communication system will be referred to as "5G" or "NR") in order to achieve a larger system capacity, a higher data transmission speed, and a lower latency in wireless sections. 5G introduces various wireless technologies to meet the requirement of achieving a throughput of 10 Gbps or more while reducing latency in wireless sections to 1 ms or less. Furthermore, 6G, a future communication system, is also being studied.

[0003] In addition, network slices (which may also be called slices) are being operated in 5GC to enable telecommunications carriers to provide services to users.

[0004] 3GPP TS 23.501 V18.3.0 (2023-09)3GPP TS 23.502 V18.3.0 (2023-09)3GPP TS 24.501 V18.3.0 (2023-06)3GPP TS 29.244 V18.2.1 (2023-06)

[0005] In the prior art, when an SMF receives a PDU session establishment request for a connection that is distinguished from a normal call connection, such as an emergency call connection, it is unclear how to set the Network Slice PDU Session inactivity timer set by the SMF to the UPF.

[0006] The network node in this embodiment can control the setting of the inactivity timer of the PDU session to other network nodes depending on the type of PDU session establishment request.

[0007] The network node in this embodiment includes a receiving unit that receives a PDU session establishment request from a terminal, and a control unit that sets an inactivity timer for the PDU session to another network node based on the type of the establishment request.

[0008] The network node in this embodiment can control the setting of the inactivity timer of the PDU session to other network nodes depending on the type of PDU session establishment request.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of a communication system. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of a communication system in a roaming environment. FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram showing an example of an operation procedure of a communication system in Example 1. FIG. 4 is a flowchart diagram showing an example of an operation of an SMF in Example 1. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of network nodes 30, 40, 50 in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a terminal 20 in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of network nodes 30, 40, 50 and terminal 20 in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiment described below is an example, and the embodiment to which the present invention is applied is not limited to the following embodiment.

[0011] In the operation of the wireless communication system according to the embodiment of the present invention, existing technologies are used as appropriate. However, the existing technologies include, but are not limited to, the existing LTE or the existing NR.

[0012] Below, we will first explain an example of a 5G network configuration as an example of a network, and then explain each example of the issues and operations for solving the issues.

[0013] Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a communication system corresponding to a mobile network. As shown in Fig. 1, this communication system is composed of a UE 20 and multiple network nodes. Hereinafter, it is assumed that one network node corresponds to each function, but multiple functions may be realized by one network node, or multiple network nodes may realize one function. Furthermore, the "connection" described below may be a logical connection or a physical connection.

[0014] The RAN (Radio Access Network) 10 is a network node having a radio access function, which may include a base station, and is connected to the UE 20, the AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function) 30, and the UPF (User plane function) 50. The AMF 30 is a network node having functions such as terminating the RAN interface, terminating the NAS (Non-Access Stratum), registration management, connection management, reachability management, and mobility management. The UPF 50 is a network node having functions such as a PDU (Protocol Data Unit) session point to the outside that interconnects with the DN (Data Network), packet routing and forwarding, and user plane QoS (Quality of Service) handling. The UPF and the DN constitute a network slice.

[0015] The AMF 30 is connected to the UE 20, the RAN 10, a Session Management function (SMF) 40, a Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF), a Network Exposure Function (NEF), a Network Repository Function (NRF), a Unified Data Management (UDM), an Authentication Server Function (AUSF), a Policy Control Function (PCF), and an Application Function (AF). The AMF 30, the SMF 40, the NSSF, the NEF, the NRF, the UDM, the AUSF, the PCF, and the AF are network nodes connected to each other via interfaces, Namf, Nsmf, Nnssf, Nnef, Nnrf, Nudm, Nausf, Npcf, and Naf, based on their respective services.

[0016] The SMF 40 is a network node having functions such as session management, IP (Internet Protocol) address allocation and management for the UE 20, DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) function, ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) proxy, and roaming function. The NEF is a network node having a function of notifying other NFs (Network Functions) of capabilities and events. The NSSF is a network node having functions such as selecting a network slice to which the UE 20 connects, determining an allowed NSSAI (Network Slice Selection Assistance Information), determining an NSSAI to be set, and determining an AMF set to which the UE 20 connects. The PCF is a network node having a function of controlling network policies. The AF is a network node having a function of controlling application servers. The NRF is a network node having a function of discovering NF instances that provide services. The UDM is a network node that manages subscriber data and authentication data. The UDM is connected to a UDR (User Data Repository) that stores the data.

[0017] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a communication system in a roaming environment. As shown in FIG. 2, the network is made up of a UE 20 and a plurality of network nodes.

[0018] The SEPP is a non-transparent proxy that filters control plane messages between PLMNs (Public Land Mobile Networks). The vSEPP shown in Fig. 2 is a SEPP in a visited network, and the hSEPP is a SEPP in a home network. Note that the UE 20 may also be referred to as a terminal 20.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 2, UE 20 is in a roaming environment connected to a RAN and an AMF in a Visited PLMN (VPLMN). The VPLMN and a Home PLMN (HPLMN) are connected via a vSEPP and an hSEPP. UE 20 can communicate with a UDM in the HPLMN via the AMF in the VPLMN, for example.

[0020] The UE 20 and each network node in this embodiment can perform operations described in existing 3GPP (registered trademark) specifications (e.g., Non-Patent Documents 1 to 4). However, there are problems with only the operations described in the existing specifications. These problems are described below.

[0021] In the above-mentioned 5G network, slices are operated. S-NSSAI is used to identify slices.

[0022] In a PDU session establishment procedure after the registration procedure, the UE 20 establishes a PDU session by transmitting a PDU session establishment request including an S-NSSAI indicating a desired slice to the AMF 30, and performs communication using the desired slice. In relation to the establishment of a PDU session, a PDU Session Inactivity Timer and a User Plane Inactivity Timer are specified as timers that enable stopping the use of a slice for which a PDU session is established but no data is transmitted in the user plane. In addition, a PDU session slice usage inactivity timer has been proposed as a timer with finer granularity.

[0023] As described in Non-Patent Document 1 and the like, the UPF 50 starts the PDU Session inactivity timer when data transmission / reception ceases. If the PDU Session inactivity timer expires without data transmission / reception, the UPF 50 notifies the SMF 40 that the PDU Session inactivity timer has expired, and causes the SMF 40 to release the PDU session. Furthermore, if a slice of the released PDU session is not being used by another PDU session, the AMF 30 executes a procedure to delete the slice from the Allowed NSSAI.

[0024] Furthermore, as described in Non-Patent Document 4 and the like, the UPF 50 notifies the SMF 40 when no traffic is detected for the time indicated by the User Plane Inactivity Timer.

[0025] However, in the conventional technology described in existing specifications, the operation of the network node (e.g., SMF 40) related to the timer described above is not specified, and there is a risk that the network node may not operate properly.

[0026] According to this embodiment, the network node can control the setting of the PDU session inactivity timer based on the type of PDU session establishment request.

[0027] 3A is a sequence diagram showing an example of an operation procedure of the communication system according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3A, in step S11, a procedure is executed to establish an Emergency PDU session to be used by the UE 20. In step S12, the SMF 40 controls the setting of the Network Slice PDU Session inactivity timer based on the type of the PDU session establishment request (e.g., a PDU session establishment request for an emergency call connection).

[0028] The Network Slice PDU Session inactivity timer is a timer set by the SMF 40 to the UPF 50, which processes a PDU session in a network slice. The Network Slice PDU Session inactivity timer starts after no data packet has been transmitted or received, and runs until the next data packet is transmitted or received and the timer starts again. If the Network Slice PDU Session inactivity timer expires before a packet is received or transmitted, the UPF 50 reports a Network Slice PDU Session inactivity event to the SMF 40, causing the SMF 40 to release the PDU Session. During the release of the PDU Session, the SMF 40 may indicate the cause of the release due to slice inactivity. When AMF 30 receives a notification of a PDU session release, and the notification includes a release cause of slice inactivity, and the network slice of the released PDU session is not used by other PDU sessions (i.e., the last PDU session using the network slice has been released), depending on the corresponding access type, AMF 30 triggers a UE configuration update procedure and removes the network slice from the NSSAI allowed on the corresponding access type or starts the slice deregistration inactivity timer of the network slice.

[0029] The operation of this embodiment is not limited to a PDU session establishment request for an emergency call connection, and may be applied to a PDU session establishment request for other call connections.

[0030] FIG. 3B is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the SMF 40 corresponding to step S12 in FIG. 3A.

[0031] 3B , in step S12-1, the SMF 40 determines whether the PDU session establishment request is a PDU session establishment request for an emergency call connection. The PDU session establishment request for an emergency call connection may be a PDU session establishment request (e.g., a PDU SESSION ESTABLISHMENT REQUEST) transmitted from the UE 20 to the SMF 40, in which the request type included in the PDU session establishment request is set to "initial emergency request."

[0032] If the received PDU session establishment request is a PDU session establishment request for an emergency call connection (Yes in step S12-1), in step S12-2, the SMF 40 does not set the Network Slice a PDU Session inactivity timer (or a value corresponding to the Network Slice PDU Session inactivity timer) in the UPF 50.

[0033] On the other hand, if the received PDU session establishment request is not a PDU session establishment request for an emergency call connection (No in step S12-1), in step S12-3, the SMF 40 sets the Network Slice PDU Session inactivity timer (or a value corresponding to the Network Slice PDU Session inactivity timer) in the UPF 50.

[0034] As described above, according to the present embodiment, a method for determining whether or not to set the Network Slice PDU Session inactivity timer by the SMF 40 is defined, and the SMF 40 can control the setting of the Network Slice PDU Session inactivity timer to the UPF 50 based on the type of PDU session establishment request (e.g., a PDU session establishment request for an emergency call connection).

[0035] (Other examples (variations)) In all the examples described so far, the target of monitoring is a slice, and the S-NSSAI, which is the identifier of the slice, is associated with a timer and registered / deregistered, etc., but the target of the technology related to this embodiment is not limited to slices and S-NSSAI.

[0036] For example, the monitoring target may be a network path (path for each quality) instead of a slice, and the target of association with a timer and registration / deregistration, etc. may be an identifier that identifies a path for each quality instead of an S-NSSAI. That is, in all the embodiments described so far, the slice may be replaced with the above path, and the S-NSSAI may be replaced with the above identifier. In another example, the monitoring target may be a slice instance instead of a slice identified by an S-NSSAI, and the target of association with a timer and registration / deregistration, etc. may be a slice instance ID instead of an S-NSSAI. That is, in all the embodiments described so far, the slice identified by an S-NSSAI may be replaced with the above slice instance, and the S-NSSAI may be replaced with the above slice instance ID.

[0037] (Device Configuration) Here, the UE 20 is referred to as the terminal 20. An example of the functional configuration of the AMF 30, SMF 40, UPF 50, and terminal 30 that perform the processes and operations described above will be described. The AMF 30, SMF 40, and UPF 50 are all examples of network nodes, and have the same functional configuration. Therefore, hereinafter, the AMF 30, SMF 40, and UPF 50 will be collectively referred to as the network nodes 30, 40, and 50.

[0038] <Processing device 10> Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the network nodes 30, 40, and 50. As shown in Fig. 4, the network nodes 30, 40, and 50 have a transmitting unit 110, a receiving unit 120, a setting unit 130, and a control unit 140. The functional configuration shown in Fig. 4 is merely an example. The names of the functional divisions and functional units may be any as long as they can perform the operations related to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] The transmitting unit 110 has a function of generating a signal to be transmitted to another device and transmitting the signal via a wired or wireless connection. The receiving unit 120 has a function of receiving various signals transmitted from other devices and acquiring, for example, information of a higher layer from the received signal. A communication unit including the transmitting unit 110 and the receiving unit 120 may be configured. The transmitting unit 110 and the receiving unit 120 may be called a transmitter and a receiver, respectively.

[0040] The setting unit 130 stores preset setting information and various setting information to be transmitted to other devices in a storage device, and reads out the information from the storage device as needed.

[0041] The control unit 140 controls the network nodes 30, 40, and 50. The function unit in the control unit 140 related to signal transmission may be included in the transmitting unit 110, and the function unit in the control unit 140 related to signal reception may be included in the receiving unit 120.

[0042] <Terminal 20> Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the terminal 20. As shown in Fig. 5, the terminal 20 has a transmitting unit 210, a receiving unit 220, a setting unit 230, and a control unit 240. The functional configuration shown in Fig. 5 is merely an example. The names of the functional divisions and functional units may be any as long as they can perform the operations related to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] The transmitting unit 210 has a function of generating a signal to be transmitted to another device and transmitting the signal wirelessly (or via a wired connection). The receiving unit 220 has a function of receiving various signals transmitted from another device (e.g., the base station 10) and acquiring, for example, information of a higher layer from the received signal. A communication unit including the transmitting unit 210 and the receiving unit 220 may be configured. The transmitting unit 210 and the receiving unit 220 may be called a transmitter and a receiver, respectively.

[0044] The setting unit 230 stores preset setting information and various setting information to be transmitted to other devices in a storage device, and reads out the information from the storage device as needed.

[0045] The control unit 240 controls the requesting device 20. The functional units in the control unit 240 related to signal transmission may be included in the transmitting unit 210, and the functional units in the control unit 240 related to signal reception may be included in the receiving unit 120.

[0046] (Hardware Configuration) The block diagrams (FIGS. 4 and 5) used to explain the above embodiments show functional blocks. These functional blocks (components) are realized by any combination of at least one of hardware and software. Furthermore, the method for realizing each functional block is not particularly limited. That is, each functional block may be realized using a single device that is physically or logically coupled, or may be realized using two or more physically or logically separated devices that are directly or indirectly connected (for example, using wires, wirelessly, etc.) and these multiple devices. The functional block may be realized by combining software with the single device or the multiple devices.

[0047] Functions include, but are not limited to, judgment, determination, assessment, calculation, computation, processing, derivation, investigation, search, confirmation, reception, transmission, output, access, resolution, selection, selection, establishment, comparison, assumption, expectation, consideration, broadcasting, notifying, communicating, forwarding, configuring, reconfiguring, allocating, mapping, and assignment. For example, a functional block (component) that performs transmission is called a transmitting unit or transmitter. As mentioned above, there are no particular limitations on how these functions are implemented.

[0048] For example, the network nodes 30, 40, 50 and the terminal 20 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may function as computers that perform processing of the communication method of the present disclosure. Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the network nodes 30, 40, 50 and the terminal 20 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The network nodes 30, 40, 50 and the terminal 20 described above may be physically configured as computer devices including a processor 1001, a storage device 1002, an auxiliary storage device 1003, a communication device 1004, an input device 1005, an output device 1006, a bus 1007, etc.

[0049] In the following description, the term "apparatus" can be read as a circuit, a device, a unit, etc. The hardware configurations of the network nodes 30, 40, 50 and the terminal 20 may be configured to include one or more of the apparatuses shown in the drawings, or may be configured to exclude some of the apparatuses.

[0050] Each function in the network nodes 30, 40, 50 and the terminal 20 is realized by loading specified software (programs) onto hardware such as the processor 1001, the memory device 1002, etc., so that the processor 1001 performs calculations, controls communication via the communication device 1004, and controls at least one of reading and writing data in the memory device 1002 and the auxiliary memory device 1003.

[0051] The processor 1001 controls the entire computer by running, for example, an operating system. The processor 1001 may be configured as a central processing unit (CPU) including an interface with peripheral devices, a control device, an arithmetic unit, a register, etc. For example, the above-mentioned control unit 140, control unit 240, etc. may be realized by the processor 1001.

[0052] The processor 1001 also reads programs (program codes), software modules, data, etc. from at least one of the auxiliary storage device 1003 and the communication device 1004 into the storage device 1002 and executes various processes in accordance with the programs. The programs used are those that cause a computer to execute at least some of the operations described in the above-described embodiments. For example, the control unit 140 of the network nodes 30, 40, and 50 shown in FIG. 4 may be implemented by a control program stored in the storage device 1002 and running on the processor 1001. For example, the control unit 240 of the terminal 20 shown in FIG. 5 may be implemented by a control program stored in the storage device 1002 and running on the processor 1001. While the above-described various processes have been described as being executed by one processor 1001, they may also be executed simultaneously or sequentially by two or more processors 1001. The processor 1001 may be implemented by one or more chips. The programs may also be transmitted from a network via a telecommunications line.

[0053] The storage device 1002 is a computer-readable recording medium and may be configured, for example, by at least one of a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a random access memory (RAM), etc. The storage device 1002 may also be called a register, a cache, a main memory, etc. The storage device 1002 can store executable programs (program codes), software modules, etc. for implementing a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0054] The secondary storage device 1003 is a computer-readable recording medium, and may be, for example, at least one of an optical disk such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc ROM), a hard disk drive, a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk (e.g., a compact disk, a digital versatile disk, a Blu-ray (registered trademark) disk), a smart card, a flash memory (e.g., a card, a stick, a key drive), a floppy (registered trademark) disk, a magnetic strip, etc. The above-mentioned storage medium may be, for example, a database, a server, or other appropriate medium including at least one of the storage device 1002 and the secondary storage device 1003.

[0055] The communication device 1004 is hardware (transmission / reception device) for communicating between computers via at least one of a wired network and a wireless network, and is also referred to as, for example, a network device, a network controller, a network card, or a communication module. The communication device 1004 may be configured to include a high-frequency switch, a duplexer, a filter, a frequency synthesizer, etc. to realize at least one of frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division duplex (TDD). For example, a transmission / reception antenna, an amplifier unit, a transmission / reception unit, a transmission path interface, etc. may be realized by the communication device 1004. The transmission / reception unit may be implemented as a transmission unit and a reception unit that are physically or logically separated.

[0056] The input device 1005 is an input device (e.g., a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, a switch, a button, a sensor, etc.) that receives input from the outside. The output device 1006 is an output device (e.g., a display, a speaker, an LED lamp, etc.) that outputs to the outside. Note that the input device 1005 and the output device 1006 may be integrated into one device (e.g., a touch panel).

[0057] Furthermore, each device such as the processor 1001 and the storage device 1002 is connected by a bus 1007 for communicating information. The bus 1007 may be configured using a single bus, or may be configured using different buses between each device.

[0058] Furthermore, the network nodes 30, 40, 50 and the terminal 20 may be configured to include hardware such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and some or all of the functional blocks may be realized by the hardware. For example, the processor 1001 may be implemented using at least one of these pieces of hardware.

[0059] 7 shows a configuration example of a vehicle 2001 that can include network nodes 30, 40, and 50, and a terminal 20. As shown in FIG. 7 , the vehicle 2001 includes a drive unit 2002, a steering unit 2003, an accelerator pedal 2004, a brake pedal 2005, a shift lever 2006, front wheels 2007, rear wheels 2008, an axle 2009, an electronic control unit 2010, various sensors 2021 to 2029, an information service unit 2012, and a communication module 2013. Each aspect / embodiment described in the present disclosure may be applied to a communication device mounted on the vehicle 2001, and may be applied to the communication module 2013, for example. For example, the network nodes 30, 40, and 50, or the terminal 20, may be included in the communication module 2013.

[0060] The drive unit 2002 is configured, for example, by an engine, a motor, or a hybrid of an engine and a motor. The steering unit 2003 includes at least a steering wheel (also called a handle) and is configured to steer at least one of the front wheels and the rear wheels based on the operation of the steering wheel operated by the user.

[0061] The electronic control unit 2010 is composed of a microprocessor 2031, a memory (ROM, RAM) 2032, and a communication port (IO port) 2033. Signals are input to the electronic control unit 2010 from various sensors 2021 to 2029 provided in the vehicle 2001. The electronic control unit 2010 may also be called an ECU (Electronic Control Unit).

[0062] The signals from the various sensors 2021 to 2029 include a current signal from a current sensor 2021 that senses the current of the motor, a rotation speed signal of the front and rear wheels obtained by a rotation speed sensor 2022, an air pressure signal of the front and rear wheels obtained by an air pressure sensor 2023, a vehicle speed signal obtained by a vehicle speed sensor 2024, an acceleration signal obtained by an acceleration sensor 2025, an accelerator pedal depression amount signal obtained by an accelerator pedal sensor 2029, a brake pedal depression amount signal obtained by a brake pedal sensor 2026, a shift lever operation signal obtained by a shift lever sensor 2027, and a detection signal for detecting obstacles, vehicles, pedestrians, etc. obtained by an object detection sensor 2028.

[0063] The information service unit 2012 is composed of various devices, such as a car navigation system, an audio system, speakers, a television, and a radio, for providing (outputting) various types of information, such as driving information, traffic information, and entertainment information, and one or more ECUs for controlling these devices. The information service unit 2012 uses information acquired from external devices via the communication module 2013 or the like to provide various types of multimedia information and multimedia services to the occupants of the vehicle 2001. The information service unit 2012 may include input devices (e.g., a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, a switch, a button, a sensor, a touch panel, etc.) that accept input from the outside, and may also include output devices (e.g., a display, a speaker, an LED lamp, a touch panel, etc.) that output information to the outside.

[0064] The driving assistance system unit 2030 is composed of various devices that provide functions for preventing accidents and reducing the driving burden on the driver, such as millimeter-wave radar, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), cameras, positioning locators (e.g., GNSS, etc.), map information (e.g., high-definition (HD) maps, autonomous vehicle (AV) maps, etc.), gyro systems (e.g., IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), INS (Inertial Navigation System), etc.), AI (Artificial Intelligence) chips, and AI processors, as well as one or more ECUs that control these devices. In addition, the driving assistance system unit 2030 transmits and receives various information via the communication module 2013 to realize the driving assistance function or the autonomous driving function.

[0065] The communication module 2013 can communicate with the microprocessor 2031 and components of the vehicle 2001 via the communication port. For example, the communication module 2013 transmits and receives data via the communication port 2033 to and from the drive unit 2002, steering unit 2003, accelerator pedal 2004, brake pedal 2005, shift lever 2006, front wheels 2007, rear wheels 2008, axle 2009, microprocessor 2031 and memory (ROM, RAM) 2032 in the electronic control unit 2010, and sensors 2021 to 29, which are provided in the vehicle 2001.

[0066] The communication module 2013 is a communication device that can be controlled by the microprocessor 2031 of the electronic control unit 2010 and can communicate with an external device. For example, it transmits and receives various information to and from the external device via wireless communication. The communication module 2013 may be located either inside or outside the electronic control unit 2010. The external device may be, for example, a base station, a mobile station, or the like.

[0067] The communication module 2013 may transmit, via wireless communication, to an external device at least one of signals from the various sensors 2021-2028 input to the electronic control unit 2010, information obtained based on the signals, and information based on input from the outside (user) obtained via the information service unit 2012. The electronic control unit 2010, the various sensors 2021-2028, the information service unit 2012, etc. may be referred to as input units that accept input.

[0068] The communication module 2013 receives various information (traffic information, traffic signal information, vehicle-to-vehicle information, etc.) transmitted from external devices and displays it on an information service unit 2012 provided in the vehicle 2001. The information service unit 2012 may be called an output unit that outputs information (for example, outputs information to a device such as a display or speaker based on the PDSCH (or data / information decoded from the PDSCH) received by the communication module 2013). The communication module 2013 also stores the various information received from external devices in a memory 2032 that can be used by the microprocessor 2031. Based on the information stored in the memory 2032, the microprocessor 2031 may control the drive unit 2002, steering unit 2003, accelerator pedal 2004, brake pedal 2005, shift lever 2006, front wheels 2007, rear wheels 2008, axles 2009, sensors 2021 to 2029, etc. provided in the vehicle 2001. When the communication module 2013 includes a network node 30, 40, 50 or a terminal 20, the communication module 2013 can perform the operations of the included network node 30, 40, 50 or terminal 20.

[0069] This specification discloses at least the configurations described in Supplementary Notes 1 to 5 below.

[0070] (Supplementary Item 1) A network node comprising: a receiving unit that receives a PDU session establishment request from a terminal; and a control unit that executes setting of an inactivity timer for the PDU session in another network node based on a type of the establishment request. (Supplementary Item 2) The network node according to Supplementary Item 1, wherein the type of the establishment request is an emergency call connection. (Supplementary Item 3) The network node according to Supplementary Item 2, wherein the control unit does not set the inactivity timer for the other network node when the type of the establishment request is the emergency call connection. (Supplementary Item 4) The network node according to Supplementary Item 1, wherein the control unit sets the inactivity timer for the other network node when the type of the establishment request is not an emergency call connection. (Supplementary Item 5) A communications method executed by a network node, comprising: receiving a PDU session establishment request from a terminal; and executing setting of an inactivity timer for the PDU session in another network node based on the type of the establishment request.

[0071] Any of Supplementary clauses 1 to 5 may specify how to set the Network Slice PDU Session inactivity timer set by the SMF to the UPF when the SMF receives a PDU session establishment request for a connection that is distinguished from a normal call connection, such as an emergency call connection. This allows the SMF to appropriately control the setting of the PDU session inactivity timer in the UPF depending on the type of the PDU session establishment request.

[0072] (Supplementary Notes on the Embodiments) Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the disclosed invention is not limited to such embodiments, and those skilled in the art will understand various modifications, alterations, alternatives, and substitutions. While specific numerical examples have been used to facilitate understanding of the invention, unless otherwise specified, these numerical values ​​are merely examples, and any appropriate values ​​may be used. The division of items in the above description is not essential to the present invention; matters described in two or more items may be used in combination as needed, and matters described in one item may apply to matters described in another item (unless inconsistent). Boundaries between functional units or processing units in functional block diagrams do not necessarily correspond to physical component boundaries. The operations of multiple functional units may be performed by a single physical component, or the operations of a single functional unit may be performed by multiple physical components. The order of processing steps described in the embodiments may be reversed as long as there is no contradiction. For convenience of processing description, the processing device 10 and requesting device 20 have been described using functional block diagrams. However, such devices may be implemented using hardware, software, or a combination thereof. The software operated by the processor of the base station 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention and the software operated by the processor of the terminal 20 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention may each be stored in random access memory (RAM), flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), EPROM, EEPROM, register, hard disk (HDD), removable disk, CD-ROM, database, server, or any other suitable storage medium.

[0073] Furthermore, the notification of information is not limited to the aspects / embodiments described in the present disclosure, and may be performed using other methods. For example, the notification of information may be performed by physical layer signaling (e.g., Downlink Control Information (DCI), Uplink Control Information (UCI)), higher layer signaling (e.g., Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, Medium Access Control (MAC) signaling), broadcast information (Master Information Block (MIB), System Information Block (SIB)), other signals, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, the RRC signaling may be referred to as an RRC message, and may be, for example, an RRC Connection Setup message, an RRC Connection Reconfiguration message, or the like.

[0074] Each aspect / embodiment described in the present disclosure may be implemented using any of the following standards: LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4G (4th generation mobile communication system), 5G (5th generation mobile communication system), 6th generation mobile communication system (6G), xth generation mobile communication system (xG) (xG (x is, for example, an integer or a decimal number)), FRA (Future Radio Access), NR (new Radio), New radio access (NX), Future generation radio access (FX), W-CDMA (registered trademark), GSM (registered trademark), CDMA2000, UMB (Ultra Mobile Broadband), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.17 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.19 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.20 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.21 (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.22 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.23 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.24 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.25 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.26 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.27 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.28 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.29 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.30 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.31 (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.32 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.33 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.34 ( The present invention may be applied to at least one of systems using 802.20, UWB (Ultra-Wide Band), Bluetooth (registered trademark), or other suitable systems, and next-generation systems that are extended, modified, created, or defined based on these systems. The present invention may also be applied to a combination of multiple systems (e.g., a combination of LTE and / or LTE-A with 5G).

[0075] The order of the procedures, sequences, flowcharts, etc. of each aspect / embodiment described herein may be rearranged unless it is consistent. 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.

[0076] The information, signals, etc. described in the present disclosure may be output from a higher layer (or a lower layer) to a lower layer (or a higher layer), or may be input / output via multiple network nodes.

[0077] Input and output information may be stored in a specific location (for example, memory) or may be managed using a management table. Input and output information may be overwritten, updated, or added to. Output information may be deleted. Input information may be transmitted to another device.

[0078] In the present disclosure, the determination may be made by a value represented by one bit (0 or 1), by a Boolean value (true or false), or by a comparison of numerical values ​​(e.g., comparison with a predetermined value).

[0079] 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.

[0080] Software, instructions, information, etc. may also be transmitted or received over a transmission medium. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using wired technologies (such as coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)), and / or wireless technologies (such as infrared, microwave), then these wired and / or wireless technologies are included within the definition of transmission media.

[0081] 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.

[0082] Note that terms described in this disclosure and terms necessary for understanding this disclosure may be replaced with terms having the same or similar meanings. For example, at least one of a channel and a symbol may be a signal (signaling). Furthermore, a signal may be a message. Furthermore, a component carrier (CC) may be called a carrier frequency, a cell, a frequency carrier, etc.

[0083] As used in this disclosure, the terms "system" and "network" are used interchangeably.

[0084] Furthermore, the information, parameters, etc. described in the present disclosure may be expressed using absolute values, may be expressed using relative values ​​from a predetermined value, or may be expressed using other corresponding information. For example, a radio resource may be indicated by an index.

[0085] The names used for the above-described parameters are not intended to be limiting in any way. Furthermore, the mathematical expressions using these parameters may differ from those explicitly disclosed in this disclosure. The various channels (e.g., PUCCH, PDCCH, etc.) and information elements may be identified by any suitable names, and therefore the various names assigned to these various channels and information elements are not intended to be limiting in any way.

[0086] In the present disclosure, terms such as "base station (BS)," "radio base station," "base station device," "fixed station," "NodeB," "eNodeB (eNB)," "gNodeB (gNB)," "access point," "transmission point," "reception point," "transmission / reception point," "cell," "sector," "cell group," "carrier," and "component carrier" may be used interchangeably. A base station may also be referred to by terms such as a macrocell, a small cell, a femtocell, and a picocell.

[0087] A base station can accommodate one or more (e.g., three) cells. When a base station accommodates multiple cells, the overall coverage area of ​​the base station can be partitioned into multiple smaller areas, and each smaller area can also be provided with communication services by a base station subsystem (e.g., a small indoor base station (RRH: Remote Radio Head)). The terms "cell" or "sector" refer to part or all of the coverage area of ​​a base station and / or base station subsystem that provides communication services within that coverage.

[0088] In the present disclosure, the network nodes 30, 40, 50 transmitting information to a terminal may be interpreted as the network nodes 30, 40, 50 instructing the terminal to control or operate based on the information.

[0089] In this disclosure, the terms "Mobile Station (MS)," "user terminal," "User Equipment (UE)," "terminal," and the like may be used interchangeably.

[0090] A mobile station may also be referred to by those skilled in the art as a subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile client, client, or some other suitable terminology.

[0091] At least one of the network nodes 30, 40, 50 and the terminal 20 may be referred to as a transmitting device, a receiving device, a communication device, or the like. At least one of the network nodes 30, 40, 50 and the terminal 20 may be a device mounted on a mobile object, the mobile object itself, or the like. The mobile object refers to a movable object, and may move at any speed. Naturally, this also includes cases where the mobile object is stationary. Examples of the mobile object 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 (registered trademark), multicopters, quadcopters, balloons, and objects mounted thereon. The mobile object may also be a mobile object that travels autonomously based on operational commands. The device may be a vehicle (e.g., a car, an airplane, etc.), an unmanned mobile object (e.g., a drone, an autonomous vehicle, etc.), or a robot (manned or unmanned). Note that at least one of the processing device 10 and the requesting device 20 may be a device that does not necessarily move during communication operations. For example, at least one of the processing device 10 and the requesting device 20 may be an IoT (Internet of Things) device such as a sensor.

[0092] As used in this disclosure, the terms "determining" and "determining" may encompass a wide variety of actions. "Determining" and "determining" may include, for example, judging, calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up, searching, inquiring (e.g., searching in a table, database, or other data structure), ascertaining, and the like. "Determining" and "determining" may also include receiving (e.g., receiving information), transmitting (e.g., sending information), input, output, accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory), and the like. Furthermore, "judgment" and "decision" can include regarding resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, comparing, etc. as having been "judged" or "decided." In other words, "judgment" and "decision" can include regarding some action as having been "judged" or "decided." Furthermore, "judgment (decision)" can be interpreted as "assuming," "expecting," "considering," etc.

[0093] The terms "connected," "coupled," or any variation thereof, refer to any direct or indirect connection or coupling between two or more elements, and may include the presence of one or more intermediate elements between two elements that are "connected" or "coupled" to each other. The coupling or connection between elements may be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. For example, "connected" may be read as "access." As used in this disclosure, two elements may be considered to be "connected" or "coupled" to each other using one or more wires, cables, and / or printed electrical connections, as well as electromagnetic energy having wavelengths in the radio frequency range, microwave range, and optical (both visible and invisible) range, as some non-limiting and non-exhaustive examples.

[0094] The reference signal may be abbreviated as RS (Reference Signal) or may be called a pilot depending on the applicable standard.

[0095] 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."

[0096] 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.

[0097] The "means" in the configuration of each of the above devices may be replaced with "part," "circuit," "device," etc.

[0098] 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.

[0099] 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.

[0100] 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."

[0101] The aspects / embodiments described in this disclosure may be used alone, in combination, or switched depending on the implementation. Notification of predetermined information (e.g., notification that "X is true") is not limited to explicit notification, but may be implicit (e.g., not notifying the predetermined information).

[0102] Although the present disclosure has been described in detail above, it is clear to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described herein. The present disclosure can be implemented in modified and altered forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the claims. Therefore, the description of the present disclosure is intended to be illustrative and does not have any limiting meaning on the present disclosure.

[0103] 10 Base station 20 Terminal 30 AMF 40 SMF 50 UPF 110 Transmitter 120 Receiver 130 Setting unit 140 Controller 210 Transmitter 220 Receiver 230 Setting unit 240 Controller 1001 Processor 1002 Storage device 1003 Auxiliary storage device 1004 Communication device 1005 Input device 1006 Output device

Claims

1. A network node comprising: a receiving unit that receives a PDU session establishment request from a terminal; and a control unit that sets an inactivity timer for the PDU session in another network node based on the type of the establishment request.

2. The network node according to claim 1, wherein the type of the establishment request is an emergency call connection.

3. The network node according to claim 2, wherein the control unit does not set the inactivity timer for the other network node when the type of the establishment request is the emergency call connection.

4. The network node according to claim 1, wherein the control unit sets the inactivity timer for the other network node when the type of the establishment request is not an emergency call connection.

5. A communication method executed by a network node, comprising: a step of receiving a PDU session establishment request from a terminal; and a step of setting an inactivity timer for the PDU session in another network node based on the type of the establishment request.

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