Consumer, network node, and communication system

Abstract

According to the present embodiment, a consumer using a service of a network node comprises: a reception unit that receives, from a first network node, a restoration notification including information indicating occurrence of a transfer of a subscriber database from the first network node to a second network node; and a control unit that determines, on the basis of the restoration notification, that the restoration of the transfer should be executed. The restoration notification further includes information indicating switching from the first network node to the second network node accompanying the transfer of the subscriber database. The control unit determines that the restoration of the transfer should be executed, when the use of the service of the first network node is after the start of the transfer of the subscriber database and before the switching from the first network node to the second network node.

Description

Consumers, network nodes and communication systems

[0001] The present invention relates to a consumer in a communication system, a network node, and a communication system.

[0002] The 5GC standard of 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) defines a restoration procedure, which has also been used for subscriber database transfer (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1).

[0003] 3GPP TS 29.504 V18.6.0 (2024-06)

[0004] However, the conventional restoration procedure is defined in a scenario assuming data corruption in a UDR (User Data Repository). Therefore, when the conventional restoration procedure is applied to the transfer of a subscriber database, there is a risk that the NF Consumer will not be notified of the change of the UDR of the transfer source to the UDR of the transfer destination, or that restoration will be performed on an NF Consumer that does not actually require restoration.

[0005] According to this embodiment, a consumer using a service of a network node comprises a receiving unit that receives a restoration notification from the first network node, the restoration notification including information indicating the occurrence of a transfer of a subscriber database from a first network node to a second network node, and a control unit that determines, based on the restoration notification, that restoration of the transfer should be performed, wherein the restoration notification further includes information indicating a switch from the first network node to the second network node accompanying the transfer of the subscriber database, and the control unit determines that restoration of the transfer should be performed when use of the service of the first network node occurs after the start of the transfer of the subscriber database and before the switch from the first network node to the second network node.

[0006] According to this embodiment, a procedure for appropriately executing restoration in the transfer of a subscriber database is defined, making it possible to reduce the network load during restoration.

[0007] 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 diagram for explaining an example of a restoration procedure in subscriber database transfer. FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a restoration procedure in subscriber database transfer in this embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of attributes included in a data restoration notification in this embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a base station and a network node in this embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a terminal in this embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a base station, a network node and a terminal in this embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle in this embodiment.

[0008] The present embodiment will be described below 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.

[0009] In the operation of the wireless communication system of this embodiment, existing technology is used as appropriate. However, the existing technology is, for example, the existing LTE, but is not limited to the existing LTE. Furthermore, the term "LTE" used in this specification has a broad meaning including LTE-Advanced and systems after LTE-Advanced (e.g., NR), or wireless LAN (Local Area Network), unless otherwise specified.

[0010] In this embodiment, "configuring" radio parameters etc. may mean that predetermined values ​​are pre-configured, or that radio parameters notified from a network node or terminal 20 are set.

[0011] Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a communication system. As shown in Fig. 1, the communication system is composed of a UE (terminal 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.

[0012] The RAN (Radio Access Network) is a network node having a radio access function, which may include a base station 10, and is connected to a UE, an AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function), and a UPF (User plane function). The AMF 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 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. In the wireless communication network of this embodiment, multiple network slices may be constructed.

[0013] The AMF is connected to the UE, RAN, SMF (Session Management function), NSSF (Network Slice Selection Function), NEF (Network Exposure Function), NRF (Network Repository Function), UDM (Unified Data Management), AUSF (Authentication Server Function), PCF (Policy Control Function), and AF (Application Function). The AMF, SMF, NSSF, NEF, NRF, UDM, AUSF, PCF, and AF are network nodes interconnected via interfaces based on their respective services: Namf, Nsmf, Nnssf, Nnef, Nnrf, Nudm, Nausf, Npcf, and Naf.

[0014] The SMF is a network node that has functions such as session management, UE IP (Internet Protocol) address allocation and management, DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) function, ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) proxy, and roaming function. The NEF is a network node that has the function of notifying other NFs (Network Functions) of capabilities and events. The NSSF is a network node that has functions such as selecting a network slice to which a UE connects, determining the allowed NSSAI (Network Slice Selection Assistance Information), determining the NSSAI to be configured, and determining the AMF set to which the UE connects. The PCF is a network node that has the function of controlling network policies. The AF is a network node that has the function of controlling application servers. The NRF is a network node that has the 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.

[0015] Fig. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of a communication system in a roaming environment. As shown in Fig. 2, the network is composed of a UE, which is a terminal 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.

[0016] The RAN is a network node having a radio access function and is connected to the UE, the AMF, and the UPF. The AMF is a network node having functions such as RAN interface termination, NAS termination, registration management, connection management, reachability management, and mobility management. The UPF is a network node having functions such as a PDU session point to the outside that interconnects with the DN, packet routing and forwarding, and user plane QoS handling. The UPF and the DN constitute a network slice. In the wireless communication network of this embodiment, multiple network slices are constructed.

[0017] The AMF is connected to the UE, RAN, SMF, NSSF, NEF, NRF, UDM, AUSF, PCF, AF, and SEPP (Security Edge Protection Proxy). The AMF, SMF, NSSF, NEF, NRF, UDM, AUSF, PCF, and AF are network nodes interconnected via respective service-based interfaces, Namf, Nsmf, Nnssf, Nnef, Nnrf, Nudm, Nausf, Npcf, and Naf.

[0018] The SMF is a network node having functions such as session management, UE IP address allocation and management, DHCP function, ARP proxy, and roaming function. The NEF is a network node having a function of notifying other NFs of capabilities and events. The NSSF is a network node having functions such as selecting a network slice to which a UE connects, determining allowed NSSAIs, determining a configured NSSAI, and determining an AMF set to which a UE 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 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.

[0019] As shown in Figure 2, a UE 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. The UE can communicate with a UDM in the HPLMN via the AMF in the VPLMN, for example.

[0020] RESET has been used in the subscriber database (subscriber data) transfer procedure since before 4G. The restoration procedure specified in Rel-17 for 5GC is used in the subscriber database transfer. However, the conventional restoration procedure is specified in a scenario assuming data corruption in UDR, not in the subscriber database transfer.

[0021] In 5GC, more network functions (NFs (Network Functions)) hold context data than in 4G, and the risk of maintaining consistency among multiple network functions increases. In other words, in 5GC, it is necessary to notify more network functions than in 4G that the subscriber database has been transferred.

[0022] Furthermore, in 5GC, the NRF is the basis of routing, and there are multiple mechanisms for associating NF_Id (UDM, UDR) with subscriber identifiers (for example, retention by User Context, retention by NF Profile, and retention by NRF). In 4G, the DRA steered traffic, and management of subscriber identifiers was not complicated.

[0023] Therefore, if the conventional restoration procedure is applied to the subscriber database transfer, if the association of the stored UDRs is changed due to the subscriber database transfer, there is a risk that the AMF may access the UDRs of the source of the transfer, as in step 4).

[0024] As shown in Figure 3, in step 1), when "UE A" in UDM / UDR1 is transferred to UDM / UDR2, in step 2a), the UDM / UDR notifies the NRF of a profile update, and the NRF sends a notification to the AMF with the updated UDM profile. However, if the UDM profile contains only a group ID and does not contain a UE_ID range, the UDM profile is not changed. This is because, if the UDM profile does not contain a UE_ID range, the UE_ID is managed locally by the NRF or obtained from the UDR via Nudr_GroupIDmap.

[0025] In step 2b), even if the NRF sends a notification containing the updated UDM profile (and the new range of UEs), it is difficult and inefficient for the AMF to determine whether the existing UE context (including the UDM group ID for each UE_ID) is affected by the transition performed in step 1). For example, if a UDM group ID serves millions of UE IDs, but only a few UE_IDs are affected by the subscriber database transfer, after receiving the notification from the NRF, the AMF must recheck whether a UE ID still belongs to a UDM group ID for all UEs it serves or (at least) all UEs in the affected group IDs (millions).

[0026] As described above, the conventional restoration procedure when transferring a subscriber database does not specify a mechanism for notifying the NF Consumer of a change in the association between the NFId of the UDM / UDR and the subscriber identifier, and a mechanism for completing the restoration within a set time period in order to minimize the impact on services.

[0027] According to this embodiment, in the restoration procedure for transferring the subscriber database, the NF Consumer can make an inquiry to the NRF and limit the subscribers to be resynchronized.

[0028] 4, in step S101, a subscriber database is transferred between an (old) UDR 40, which is the source of the subscriber database, and a (new) UDR 50, which is the destination of the subscriber database. The start time of the transfer of the subscriber database from the old UDR to the new UDR in step S101 may be the "transfer time" ("SubscriberDataMigrationStartedTime") described later.

[0029] After the subscriber database transfer is performed, in step S102, the Consumer 60 uses the UDR service for the old UDR 40. The Consumer 60 may transmit a request signal (e.g., a service request) for using the UDR service to the UDR 40. The Consumer 60 is a Network Function (NF) Consumer. In the example of Fig. 4, the Consumer 60 may be referred to as a UDR / UDM / NRF Consumer.

[0030] In step S103, the Consumer 60 holds (stores) "lastSynchronizationTime." "lastSynchronizationTime" indicates the time when a synchronization process (synchronization event) was last executed between different network elements. "lastSynchronizationTime" may be the time when the UDM / UDR was last accessed. "lastSynchronizationTime" may be the time when the Consumer 60 used the UDR service (for example, the time when the Consumer 60 sent a request signal to the old UDR 40 or the time when the Consumer 60 received a response signal from the old UDR 40).

[0031] "lastSynchronizationTime" is expressed in a predetermined timestamp format (for example, UTC (Coordinated Universal Time)).

[0032] In step S104, the NRF 30 determines to switch from the old UDR to the new UDR, and in step S105, the NRF 30 notifies the old UDR 40 of the UDR switch.

[0033] In step S105, the notification indicating the UDR switching transmitted from the NRF 30 may include a timestamp indicating the time when the switch from the old UDR to the new UDR was performed (old-new switch time). That is, the old-new switch time is a timestamp of the time when the profile including the migration of subscriber data from the old UDR to the new UDR was updated in the NRF 30. Note that the old-new switch time may be the time when the NRF 30 transmitted the notification indicating the UDR switching in step S105, or the time when the old UDR 40 received the notification indicating the UDR switching.

[0034] In step S106, the UDR 40 transmits to the Consumer 60 a "DataRestorationNotification" including attributes (information or parameters) indicating the transfer time and the old / new switch time.

[0035] 5 is a table showing attributes included in "DataRestorationNotification" in this embodiment. In this embodiment, "DataRestorationNotification" includes "SubscriberDataMigrationStartedTime", an attribute indicating the transfer time, and "NFProfileUpdated Time", an attribute indicating the time of switch between old and new. "SubscriberDataMigrationStartedTime" is an example of information indicating the occurrence of a transfer of a subscriber database. "NFProfileUpdated Time" is an example of information indicating the switch from the old UDR to the new UDR accompanying the transfer of the subscriber database.

[0036] If "NFProfileUpdated Time" is present in "DataRestorationNotification", it contains the timestamp of when the UDR updated the profile including the migration of subscriber data from the old UDR to the new UDR in the NRF 30.

[0037] If "SubscriberDataMigrationStartedTime" exists in "DataRestorationNotification", it contains a timestamp of the start time of the transfer of subscriber data from the old UDR to the new UDR (e.g., step S101 in FIG. 4). "SubscriberDataMigrationStartedTime" is an example of the name of an attribute indicating the transfer time, and the attribute indicating the transfer time may be expressed by another name. The time contained in "SubscriberDataMigrationStartedTime" is not limited to the start time of the transfer of subscriber data from the old UDR to the new UDR, but may also be the start time plus a predetermined time offset.

[0038] 4, the Consumer 60 evaluates whether restoration is necessary. For example, the Consumer 60 (NF Consumer) compares the last access time to the UDM / UDR ("lastSynchronizationTime"), the transfer time ("SubscriberMigrationStartTime"), and the old / new switch time ("NFProfileUpdatedTime").

[0039] As a result of the comparison, if "lastSynchronizationTime" is between the transfer time ("SubscriberMigrationTime") and the old / new switch time ("NFProfileUpdated Time") (i.e., if "lastSynchronizationTime" is after "SubscriberMigrationTime" and before "NFProfileUpdated Time"), there is a difference between the data stored in the old UDR 40 and the data stored in the new UDR 50, so the Consumer 60 may determine that restoration should be performed. On the other hand, if "lastSynchronizationTime" is not between the transfer time ("SubscriberMigrationTime") and the old / new switch time ("NFProfileUpdated Time"), there is no difference between the data stored in the old UDR 40 and the data stored in the new UDR 50, so the Consumer 60 may determine not to perform restoration.

[0040] Upon receiving the "DataRestorationNotification" including the "SubscriberDataMigrationStartedTime", the Consumer 60 may inquire about the storage location (for example, FQDN (Fully Qualified Domain Name)) of the new UDR on the network in order to access the UDR.

[0041] In the example of FIG. 4, the transfer time ("SubscriberDataMigrationStartedTime") (step S101) is before the time when the UDR service usage occurred ("lastSynchronizationTime") (step S102), so the consumer 60 evaluates that restoration is necessary.

[0042] In step S108, the Consumer 60 inquires of the NRF 30 about the FQDN of the new UDR. It may be specified that the Consumer 60 must inquire of the NRF 30 about the FQDN of the new UDR 50 when the transfer time ("SubscriberDataMigrationStartedTime") and / or the old / new switch time ("NFProfileUpdatedTime") are set to "DataRestorationNotification." In other words, for example, the Consumer 60 always inquires of the NRF 30 about the FQDN of the new UDR 50 based on the transfer time notification from the old UDR 40, regardless of the evaluation result in step S107. In this way, the occurrence of a subscriber database transfer allows the Consumer 60 to access the NRF 30 and obtain the FQDN of the latest UDR.

[0043] In step S109 , the NRF 30 transmits an inquiry result response including the FQDN of the new UDR 50 to the Consumer 60 .

[0044] In step S110, the Consumer 60 resynchronizes with the UDR 50 using the FQDN of the new UDR 50.

[0045] As described above, according to this embodiment, in the restoration procedure for transferring the subscriber database, the NF Consumer can be made to evaluate whether restoration is necessary.

[0046] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, based on the notification of the time of subscriber database transfer from the source UDR, it is possible to make the NF Consumer inquire of the NRF about the FQDN of the new UDR.

[0047] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, only users who truly need restoration perform restoration, which makes it possible to reduce signals for restoration, avoid signal congestion, and shorten processing time by the system.

[0048] (Device Configuration) Next, a description will be given of an example of the functional configuration of the base station 10, network node, and terminal 20 that perform the processes and operations described above. The network nodes are the NRF 30, the UDR 40, the UDR 50, and the Consumer 60. The base station 10, the network node, and the terminal 20 include functions for performing the above-described embodiments. However, the base station 10, the network node, and the terminal 20 may each include only a part of the functions of the embodiments.

[0049] <Base Station and Network Node> Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a base station 10 and a network node. As shown in Fig. 6, the base station 10 has a transmitting unit 110, a receiving unit 120, a setting unit 130, and a control unit 140. The functional configuration shown in Fig. 6 is merely an example. As long as the operation according to this embodiment can be performed, the names of the functional divisions and functional units may be any. Note that the network node may have the same functional configuration as the base station 10. Furthermore, a network node having multiple different functions in the system architecture may be composed of multiple network nodes separated by function.

[0050] The transmitter 110 has a function of generating a signal to be transmitted to the terminal 20 or another network node and transmitting the signal via a wired or wireless connection. The receiver 120 has a function of receiving various signals transmitted from the terminal 20 or another network node and acquiring, for example, information of a higher layer from the received signal. A communication unit including the transmitter 110 and the receiver 120 may be configured.

[0051] The setting unit 130 stores preset setting information and various setting information to be transmitted to the terminal 20 in a storage device, and reads out the information from the storage device as needed.

[0052] The control unit 140 performs the processes described in the embodiments. The function unit related to signal transmission in the control unit 140 may be included in the transmitting unit 110, and the function unit related to signal reception in the control unit 140 may be included in the receiving unit 120.

[0053] <Terminal> Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the terminal 20. As shown in Fig. 7, 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. 7 is merely an example. As long as the operation according to this embodiment can be performed, the names of the functional divisions and functional units may be any. In addition, the communication device that becomes the resource holder may have the same functional configuration as the terminal 20.

[0054] The transmitter 210 creates a transmission signal from transmission data and transmits the transmission signal wirelessly. The receiver 220 receives various signals wirelessly and acquires higher layer signals from the received physical layer signals. The receiver 220 also has a function of receiving NR-PSS, NR-SSS, NR-PBCH, DL / UL control signals, reference signals, and the like transmitted from a network node. A communication unit including the transmitter 210 and the receiver 220 may be configured.

[0055] The setting unit 230 stores various setting information received from the network node by the receiving unit 220 in a storage device, and reads it out from the storage device as needed. The setting unit 230 also stores setting information that is set in advance.

[0056] The control unit 240 performs the processes described in the embodiments. The function unit related to signal transmission in the control unit 240 may be included in the transmitting unit 210, and the function unit related to signal reception in the control unit 240 may be included in the receiving unit 220.

[0057] (Hardware Configuration) The block diagrams (FIGS. 6 and 7) 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 connected directly or indirectly (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.

[0058] 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.

[0059] For example, the network node, the terminal 20, etc. according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may function as a computer that performs processing of the wireless communication method of the present disclosure. Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the base station 10 and the terminal 20 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The network node may have the same hardware configuration as the base station 10. The above-described base station 10 and the terminal 20 may be physically configured as a computer device 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.

[0060] In the following description, the term "apparatus" can be interpreted as a circuit, a device, a unit, etc. The hardware configuration of the base station 10 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.

[0061] Each function in the base station 10 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 by 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.

[0062] 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.

[0063] Furthermore, the processor 1001 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 base station 10 shown in FIG. 6 may be implemented by a control program stored in the storage device 1002 and running on the processor 1001. Furthermore, for example, the control unit 240 of the terminal 20 shown in FIG. 7 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.

[0064] 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.

[0065] 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.

[0066] 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, a communication module, etc. 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.

[0067] 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).

[0068] 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.

[0069] Furthermore, the base station 10 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.

[0070] Fig. 9 shows an example configuration of a vehicle 2001. As shown in Fig. 9, 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.

[0071] 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.

[0072] 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).

[0073] 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.

[0074] 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 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 provides various types of multimedia information and multimedia services to the occupants of the vehicle 2001 by using information acquired from external devices via the communication module 2013, etc.

[0075] 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.

[0076] 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.

[0077] 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.

[0078] The communication module 2013 transmits, via wireless communication to an external device, a current signal from the current sensor that is input to the electronic control unit 2010. The communication module 2013 also transmits, via wireless communication to an external device, the rotation speed signals of the front and rear wheels acquired by a rotation speed sensor 2022, the air pressure signals of the front and rear wheels acquired by an air pressure sensor 2023, the vehicle speed signal acquired by a vehicle speed sensor 2024, the acceleration signal acquired by an acceleration sensor 2025, the accelerator pedal depression amount signal acquired by an accelerator pedal sensor 2029, the brake pedal depression amount signal acquired by a brake pedal sensor 2026, the shift lever operation signal acquired by a shift lever sensor 2027, and detection signals for detecting obstacles, vehicles, pedestrians, etc. acquired by an object detection sensor 2028, all of which are input to the electronic control unit 2010.

[0079] The communication module 2013 receives various information (traffic information, traffic signal information, vehicle distance information, etc.) transmitted from external devices and displays it on the information service unit 2012 provided in the vehicle 2001. The communication module 2013 also stores the various information received from the 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.

[0080] <Additional Notes> (Additional Note 1) A consumer (e.g., Consumer 60) that uses the services of a network node, comprising: a receiving unit that receives a restoration notification from a first network node (e.g., UDR 40) including information indicating the occurrence of a transfer of a subscriber database from the first network node to a second network node (e.g., UDR 50); and a control unit that determines, based on the restoration notification, that restoration of the transfer should be performed, wherein the restoration notification further includes information indicating a switch from the first network node to the second network node accompanying the transfer of the subscriber database, and the control unit determines that restoration of the transfer should be performed when use of the services of the first network node occurs after the start of the transfer of the subscriber database and before the switch from the first network node to the second network node.

[0081] (Supplementary Item 2) A consumer as described in Supplementary Item 1, further comprising a memory unit that stores a first time at which the service of the first network node is used, wherein the restoration notification includes a second time indicating the time at which the transfer occurred and a third time indicating the time at which the profile associated with the transfer was updated, and wherein the control unit determines that restoration of the transfer should be performed when the first time is after the second time and before the third time.

[0082] (Supplementary Item 3) The consumer according to Supplementary Item 2, further comprising a transmitting unit that queries a third network node (e.g., NRF 30) about the location of the second network node based on receipt of the restoration notification.

[0083] (Supplementary Item 4) The consumer according to Supplementary Item 1, wherein the receiving unit receives a query result indicating the location of the second network node, and the control unit uses the location to resynchronize with the second network node.

[0084] (Supplementary Item 5) A first network node comprising: a control unit that initiates transfer of a subscriber database from the first network node to a second network node; and a transmission unit that transmits a restoration notification to a network function consumer, the restoration notification including information indicating the occurrence of the transfer, wherein the restoration notification further includes information indicating switching from the first network node to the second network node due to the transfer of the subscriber database.

[0085] (Supplementary clause 6) A communications system comprising a consumer using a service of a network node, a first network node, a second network node, and a third network node, wherein the first network node sends a restoration notification to the consumer, the restoration notification including information indicating the occurrence of a transfer of a subscriber database from the first network node to the second network node and information indicating a switch from the first network node to the second network node accompanying the transfer, and the consumer determines, based on the restoration notification, that restoration of the transfer should be performed when use of the service of the first network node occurs after the start of the transfer of the subscriber database and before the switch from the first network node to the second network node.

[0086] According to Supplementary Items 1-6, procedures for appropriately executing restoration during subscriber database transfer are defined, thereby reducing the network load during restoration.

[0087] According to Supplementary Items 1, 2, 5 and 6, in the restoration procedure for subscriber database transfer, it can be determined whether restoration of the transfer should be performed based on a restoration notification including the occurrence of subscriber database transfer from the source UDR.

[0088] According to supplementary items 3 and 4, only users who truly need restoration perform restoration, which makes it possible to reduce signals for restoration, avoid signal congestion, and shorten processing time by the system.

[0089] 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) and 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) and 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.

[0090] Each aspect / embodiment described in the present disclosure may be applied to at least one of systems using LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4G (4th generation mobile communication system), 5G (5th generation mobile communication system), FRA (Future Radio Access), NR (New Radio), 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 802.20, UWB (Ultra-Wide Band), Bluetooth (registered trademark), or other suitable systems, and next-generation systems enhanced based on these. Furthermore, a combination of multiple systems (e.g., a combination of at least one of LTE and LTE-A with 5G, etc.) may also be applied.

[0091] 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).

[0092] 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.

[0093] In this specification, a specific operation that is described as being performed by a network node may also be performed by its upper node in some cases. In a network consisting of one or more network nodes having a network node, it is clear that various operations performed for communication with the terminal 20 may be performed by at least one of the network node and another network node other than the network node (for example, an MME or an S-GW, etc., but are not limited to these). Although the above example illustrates a case where there is one other network node other than the network node, the other network node may be a combination of multiple other network nodes (for example, an MME and an S-GW).

[0094] 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.

[0095] 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 sent to another device.

[0096] 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).

[0097] 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.

[0098] 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.

[0099] 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.

[0100] 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.

[0101] As used in this disclosure, the terms "system" and "network" are used interchangeably.

[0102] 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.

[0103] 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.

[0104] 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.

[0105] 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 remote radio head (RRH)). The terms "cell" or "sector" refer to part or the entire coverage area of ​​a base station and / or base station subsystem that provides communication services within that coverage area.

[0106] In this disclosure, the terms "Mobile Station (MS)," "user terminal," "User Equipment (UE)," "terminal," and the like may be used interchangeably.

[0107] 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.

[0108] At least one of the base station and the mobile station may be referred to as a transmitting device, a receiving device, a communication device, etc. At least one of the base station and the mobile station may be a device mounted on a mobile body, the mobile body itself, etc. The mobile body may be a vehicle (e.g., a car, an airplane, etc.), an unmanned mobile body (e.g., a drone, an autonomous vehicle, etc.), or a robot (manned or unmanned). At least one of the base station and the mobile station may also include devices that do not necessarily move during communication operations. For example, at least one of the base station and the mobile station may be an IoT (Internet of Things) device such as a sensor.

[0109] Furthermore, a base station in the present disclosure may be read as a user terminal. For example, the aspects / embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to a configuration in which communication between a base station and a user terminal is replaced with communication between multiple terminals 20 (which may be called, for example, Device-to-Device (D2D) or Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X)). In this case, the terminal 20 may be configured to have the functions of the above-mentioned network node. Furthermore, terms such as "uplink" and "downlink" may be read as terms corresponding to terminal-to-terminal communication (for example, "side"). For example, terms such as an uplink channel and a downlink channel may be read as a side channel.

[0110] Similarly, the user terminal in the present disclosure may be read as a base station, in which case the base station may be configured to have the functions of the user terminal described above.

[0111] 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.

[0112] 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.

[0113] The reference signal may be abbreviated as RS (Reference Signal) or may be called a pilot depending on the applicable standard.

[0114] 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."

[0115] 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.

[0116] The "means" in the configuration of each of the above devices may be replaced with "part," "circuit," "device," etc.

[0117] 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.

[0118] 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.

[0119] 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."

[0120] 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).

[0121] 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.

[0122] 10 Base station 110 Transmitter 120 Receiver 130 Setting unit 140 Control unit 20 Terminal 210 Transmitter 220 Receiver 230 Setting unit 240 Control unit 30 NRF 40 UDR 50 UDR 60 Consumer 1001 Processor 1002 Storage device 1003 Auxiliary storage device 1004 Communication device 1005 Input device 1006 Output device 2001 Vehicle 2002 Drive unit 2003 Steering unit 2004 Accelerator pedal 2005 Brake pedal 2006 Shift lever 2007 Front wheels 2008 Rear wheels 2009 Axle 2010 Electronic control unit 2012 Information service unit 2013 Communication module 2021 Current sensor 2022 RPM sensor 2023 Air pressure sensor 2024 Vehicle speed sensor 2025 Acceleration sensor 2026 Brake pedal sensor 2027 Shift lever sensor 2028 Object detection sensor 2029 Accelerator pedal sensor 2030 Driving assistance system unit 2031 Microprocessor 2032 Memory (ROM, RAM) 2033 Communication port (IO port)

Claims

1. A consumer that uses the services of a network node, comprising: a receiving unit that receives a restoration notification from the first network node, the restoration notification including information indicating the occurrence of a transfer of a subscriber database from a first network node to a second network node; and a control unit that determines, based on the restoration notification, that a restoration of the transfer should be performed, wherein the restoration notification further includes information indicating a switch from the first network node to the second network node accompanying the transfer of the subscriber database; and the control unit determines that the restoration of the transfer should be performed when use of the services of the first network node occurs after the start of the transfer of the subscriber database and before the switch from the first network node to the second network node.

2. A consumer as described in claim 1, further comprising a memory unit that stores a first time at which the service of the first network node is used, wherein the restoration notification includes a second time indicating the time at which the transfer occurred and a third time indicating the time at which the profile associated with the transfer was updated, and wherein the control unit determines that restoration of the transfer should be performed when the first time is later than the second time and earlier than the third time.

3. The consumer of claim 1, further comprising a transmitter that queries a third network node for the location of the second network node based on receipt of the restoration notification.

4. The consumer of claim 3, wherein the receiver receives a query result indicating the location of the second network node, and the controller uses the location to resynchronize with the second network node.

5. A first network node comprising: a control unit that initiates a transfer of a subscriber database from the first network node to a second network node; and a transmission unit that transmits a restoration notification to a network function consumer, the restoration notification including information indicating the occurrence of the transfer, wherein the restoration notification further includes information indicating a switch from the first network node to the second network node accompanying the transfer of the subscriber database.

6. A communication system comprising a consumer using a service of a network node, a first network node, a second network node and a third network node, wherein the first network node sends a restoration notification to the consumer, the restoration notification including information indicating the occurrence of a transfer of a subscriber database from the first network node to the second network node and information indicating a switch from the first network node to the second network node accompanying the transfer, and the consumer determines, based on the restoration notification, that restoration of the transfer should be performed when use of the service of the first network node occurs after the start of the transfer of the subscriber database and before the switch from the first network node to the second network node.

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