Method and device for establishing policy in consideration of energy in communication system

The method and device for establishing energy-conscious policies in 5G networks address the challenge of inefficient energy management by using a policy control function to optimize PDU sessions based on energy consumption limits, enhancing energy efficiency and performance.

WO2026034939A1PCT designated stage Publication Date: 2026-02-12SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
PCT/KR2025/011609
Authority / Receiving Office
WO · WO
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2024-08-09
Filing Date
2025-08-04
Publication Date
2026-02-12

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing communication systems face challenges in managing energy consumption efficiently, particularly in 5G networks operating in ultra-high frequency bands, which require advanced technologies like beamforming and massive MIMO to mitigate path loss and increase transmission range, but lack effective policies to optimize energy usage.

Method used

A method and device for establishing an energy-conscious policy in communication systems, utilizing a policy control function (PCF) to obtain energy consumption limits from a unified data repository (UDR) and operations, administration, and maintenance (OAM), and control PDU sessions based on these limits to optimize energy usage.

Benefits of technology

The solution enables efficient management of energy consumption in 5G networks by dynamically adjusting policies to limit energy use, ensuring optimal performance while reducing overall energy expenditure.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a 5G or pre-5G communication system to be provided in order to support higher data transmission rates beyond 4G systems such as LTE. Provided is a method for establishing a policy in consideration of energy by means of a policy control function (PCF) in a communication system. The method may comprise the steps of: acquiring information about a limit of energy consumption from a unified data repository (UDR); acquiring information about energy consumption from operations, administration and maintenance (OAM); and controlling the policy for a PDU session related to the energy consumption on the basis of the information about the limit of energy consumption and the information about the energy consumption.
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Description

Method and device for establishing energy-conscious policies in communication systems

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method and device for establishing a policy considering energy in a communication system.

[0002] 4G (4 th -Generation) To meet the increasing demand for wireless data traffic since the commercialization of communication systems, improved 5G (5 th Efforts are being made to develop 5G communication systems or pre-5G communication systems. For this reason, 5G communication systems or pre-5G communication systems are also called Beyond 4G Network communication systems or Post-LTE systems.

[0003] To achieve high data rates, 5G communication systems are being considered for implementation in ultra-high frequency (mmWave) bands (e.g., 60 GHz bands). To mitigate path loss of radio waves in ultra-high frequency bands and increase the transmission range of radio waves, beamforming, massive multi-input multi-output (MIMO), full-dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antennas, analog beamforming, and large-scale antenna technologies are being discussed in 5G communication systems.

[0004] In addition, to improve the network of the system, technologies such as evolved small cells, advanced small cells, cloud radio access networks (cloud RAN), ultra-dense networks, device-to-device communication (D2D), wireless backhaul, moving networks, cooperative communication, CoMP (Coordinated Multi-Points), and interference cancellation are being developed in 5G communication systems.

[0005] In addition, advanced coding modulation (ACM) methods such as FQAM (Hybrid FSK and QAM Modulation) and SWSC (Sliding Window Superposition Coding), as well as advanced access technologies such as FBMC (Filter Bank Multi Carrier), NOMA (non-orthogonal multiple access), and SCMA (sparse code multiple access) are being developed in 5G systems.

[0006] The present disclosure provides a method and device for establishing a policy considering energy in a communication system.

[0007] The present disclosure provides a method and device for establishing a policy for a PDU session to which an energy usage limiting function is applied in a communication system.

[0008] The present disclosure provides a method and device for updating a policy for a PDU session to which an energy usage limiting function is applied in a communication system.

[0009] According to one embodiment, a method for establishing an energy-conscious policy by a policy control function (PCF) in a communication system is provided. The method may include: obtaining information on energy consumption limits from a unified data repository (UDR); obtaining information on energy consumption from an operations, administration, and maintenance (OAM); and controlling a policy for a PDU session related to energy consumption based on the information on the energy consumption limits and the information on the energy consumption.

[0010] According to one embodiment, a device for establishing an energy-conscious policy in a communication system is provided. The device may include a transceiver; and at least one processor connected to the transceiver. The at least one processor may be configured to obtain information on a limit on energy consumption from a unified data repository (UDR), obtain information on energy consumption from operations, administration, and maintenance (OAM), and control a policy for a PDU session related to the energy consumption based on the information on the limit on energy consumption and the information on the energy consumption.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for establishing an energy-conscious policy by a first network device in a communication system may include receiving, from a second network device, a creation request message for creating a session management policy, transmitting a subscription information request message to a third network device and receiving a subscription information response message from the third network device, obtaining a network function address for energy consumption based on the subscription information response message, transmitting, to a fourth network device, a subscription request message for obtaining information on a policy counter and a policy counter status for energy, and receiving, from the fourth network device, a response message including information on an energy policy counter status, performing a policy decision on a protocol data unit (PDU) session based on the information on the energy policy counter status, and transmitting, to the second network device, a policy and charging control (PCC) rule and PDU session policy information based on the policy decision.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a first network device for establishing an energy-conscious policy in a communication system includes a transceiver and at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive a generation request message for generating a session management policy from a second network device, transmit a subscription information request message to a third network device, receive a subscription information response message from the third network device, and obtain a network function address for energy consumption based on the subscription information response message, transmit a subscription request message for obtaining information on a policy counter and a policy counter status for energy to a fourth network device, receive a response message including information on an energy policy counter status from the fourth network device, perform a policy decision on a protocol data unit (PDU) session based on the information on the energy policy counter status, and transmit a policy and charging control (PCC) rule and PDU session policy information to the second network device based on the policy decision.

[0013] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a network structure for a 5G system.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a policy establishment procedure for a PDU session to which an energy usage restriction function is applied in a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a policy update procedure for a PDU session to which an energy usage restriction function is applied in a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of a network entity in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, detailed descriptions of related known functions or configurations will be omitted if they are deemed to unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the terms described below are defined in light of their functions within the present disclosure and may vary depending on the intent or custom of the user or operator. Therefore, their definitions should be based on the overall content of this specification.

[0018] The advantages and features of the present disclosure, and methods for achieving them, will become clearer with reference to the embodiments described in detail below together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and may be implemented in various different forms. These embodiments are provided solely to ensure that the disclosure of the present disclosure is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention, and the present disclosure is defined only by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification.

[0019] At this time, it will be understood that each block of the processing flow diagrams and combinations of the flow diagrams can be performed by computer program instructions.

[0020] Additionally, each block may represent a module, segment, or portion of code that contains one or more executable instructions for performing a specific logical function(s). It should also be noted that in some alternative implementation examples, the functions described in the blocks may occur out of order. For example, two blocks depicted in succession may actually be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on their respective functions.

[0021] Here, the term '~ part' used in this embodiment means software or hardware components such as FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), and the '~ part' performs certain roles. However, the '~ part' is not limited to software or hardware. The '~ part' may be configured to be on an addressable storage medium or may be configured to play one or more processors. Therefore, as an example, the '~ part' includes components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components, and task components, processes, functions, properties, procedures, subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuits, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables. The functions provided within the components and '~ parts' may be combined into a smaller number of components and '~ parts' or further separated into additional components and '~ parts'. Additionally, the components and '~parts' may be implemented to activate one or more CPUs within a device or secure multimedia card. In addition, in an embodiment, the '~parts' may include one or more processors.

[0022] In this disclosure, phrases such as "A and / or B", "A or B", "at least one of A and B", "at least one of A or B", "A, B, or C", "at least one of A, B, and C", and "at least one of A, B, or C" can each include any one of the items listed together in that phrase, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as "first", "second", or "first" or "second" may be used merely to distinguish the corresponding component from other corresponding components and do not limit the corresponding components in any other respect (e.g., importance or order).

[0023] The terms used in the description of the present disclosure to identify connection nodes, terms referring to network entities, terms referring to messages, terms referring to interfaces between network entities, terms referring to various identification information, and the like are provided for convenience of explanation. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the terms described below, and other terms referring to objects with equivalent technical meanings may be used.

[0024] For convenience of explanation, this disclosure uses terms and names defined in the 5GS and NR standards defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), among the existing communication standards. However, this disclosure is not limited to the above terms and names and can be equally applied to wireless communication systems that comply with other standards. This disclosure can be applied to 3GPP 5GS / NR (5th generation mobile communication standards).

[0025] In the present disclosure, a base station is an entity that performs resource allocation of a terminal, and may be at least one of an eNode B, a Node B, a BS (Base Station), a RAN (Radio Access Network), an AN (Access Network), a RAN node, a wireless access unit, a base station controller, or a node on a network. A user equipment (UE) may be at least one of a terminal, an MS (Mobile Station), a cellular phone, a smartphone, a computer, or a multimedia device capable of performing a communication function. In the present disclosure, a downlink (DL) refers to a wireless transmission path of a signal transmitted from a base station to a terminal, and an uplink (UL) refers to a wireless transmission path of a signal transmitted from a terminal to a base station. In addition, although the embodiments of the present disclosure are described below using an LTE or LTE-A system as an example, the embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to other communication systems having a similar technical background or channel type. In addition, the embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to other communication systems with some modifications without significantly departing from the scope of the present disclosure at the discretion of a person having skilled technical knowledge.

[0026] Meanwhile, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), which is responsible for cellular mobile communication standards, is naming a new core network structure 5G Core (5GC) and standardizing it to facilitate the evolution from the existing 4G LTE system to the 5G system. 5GC supports the following differentiated functions compared to the Evolved Packet Core (EPC), the network core for the existing 4G.

[0027] The 5G mobile communication network includes 5G User Equipment (UE), 5G Radio Access Network (RAN), and 5G core network. The 5G core network is composed of various network functions (NFs), such as Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) that provides UE mobility management function, Session Management Function (SMF) that provides session management function, User Plane Function (UPF) that performs data transfer role, Policy Control Function (PCF) that provides policy control function, Unified Data Management (UDM) that provides data management function such as subscriber data and policy control data, and Unified Data Repository (UDR) that stores data of various network functions (NFs) such as UDM.

[0028] In the present disclosure, network technology may refer to standard specifications defined by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) or 3GPP (e.g., TS 23.501, TS 23.502, TS 23.503, etc.), and components included in the network structure of FIG. 1 described below may mean physical entities, or may mean software performing individual functions or hardware combined with software. Reference numerals shown as N1, N2, N3, ..., Nxxx, etc. in the drawings represent known interfaces between NFs in a 5G core network (CN).

[0029] For convenience of explanation, some terms and names defined in the 3rd generation partnership project long-term evolution (3GPP) standards may be used. However, the present disclosure is not limited to these terms and names, and can be equally applied to systems conforming to other standards.

[0030] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a network structure for a 5G system.

[0031] The 5G system (100) of FIG. 1 may include a 5G UE (user equipment, terminal) (110), a 5G RAN (e.g., a radio access network, a base station, a base station, a gNB (5g nodeB), an eNB (evolved nodeB, etc.) (120), and a 5G core network. The 5G core network may include an AMF (access and mobility management function) (150) that provides a mobility management function of the UE, an SMF (session management function) (160) that provides a session management function, a UPF (user plane function) (170) that is connected to a data network (DN) (140) and performs a data transmission role, a PCF (policy control function) (180) that provides a policy control function of a network operator, a UDM (unified data management) (153) that provides a data management function such as subscriber data and policy control data, an AUSF (authentication server function) (190), and an AUSF (authentication server function) that externally transmits events occurring in the 5G system and capabilities supported. It can be composed of network functions such as a network exposure function (NEF) that transmits or receives, a network repository function (NRF) that manages registration information of various network functions (NFs), and a unified data repository (UDR) that stores data of NFs. An application function (AF) (130) that provides application services can communicate with the 5GC.

[0032] The AMF (150) is an entity for managing access and mobility of the terminal (110). For example, the AMF (150) can perform network functions such as registration, connection, reachability, mobility management, access confirmation, authentication, and mobility event generation of the terminal (110). The SMF (160) can perform a management function for a PDU (protocol data unit) session of the terminal (110). For example, the SMF (115) can perform network functions such as session establishment, modification, and release, session management function through tunnel maintenance between the UPF (170) and the base station (120), IP (internet protocol) address allocation and management function of the terminal (110), and user plane selection and control. The UPF (170) may perform a data processing function to transmit data transmitted by the terminal (110) to the external network DN (140) or to transmit data received from the DN (140) to the terminal (110). In addition, the UPF (170) may perform network functions such as serving as an anchor between radio access technologies (RATs), providing a connection between a PDU session and an AF (130), packet routing and forwarding, packet inspection, application of user plane policies, creation of traffic usage reports, and buffering. The PCF (180) may manage operator policy information for providing services in a 5G system, and the UDM (153) may perform functions such as generating authentication information for 3GPP security, managing a list of network functions (NFs) supporting the terminal (110), and managing subscription information.Additionally, 5G systems may support a technology called session and service continuity (SSC) mode, which supports session continuity for the purpose of improving users' quality-of-experience (QoE) or supporting mission-critical services.

[0033] In the 3GPP system, the conceptual links connecting NFs within a 5G system are defined as reference points. The following illustrates the reference points included in the 5G system architecture depicted in Figure 1.

[0034] - N1: Reference point between UE (110) and AMF (150)

[0035] - N2: Reference point between (R)AN(120) and AMF(150)

[0036] - N3: Reference point between (R)AN(120) and UPF(170)

[0037] - N4: Reference point between SMF (160) and UPF (170)

[0038] - N5: Reference point between PCF (180) and AF (130)

[0039] - N6: Reference point between UPF (170) and DN (140)

[0040] - N7: Reference point between SMF (160) and PCF (180)

[0041] - N8: Reference point between UDM (153) and AMF (150)

[0042] - N9: Reference point between two core UPFs (170)

[0043] - N10: Reference point between UDM (153) and SMF (160)

[0044] - N11: Reference point between AMF (150) and SMF (160)

[0045] - N12: Reference point between AMF (150) and AUSF (151)

[0046] - N13: Reference point between UDM (153) and AUSF (151)

[0047] - N14: Reference point between two AMFs (150)

[0048] - N15: For non-roaming scenarios, reference point between PCF (180) and AMF (150), for roaming scenarios, reference point between PCF (180) and AMF (150) within the visited network.

[0049] The basic functions of the network entities in the embodiments of FIGS. 2 and 3 below can be referred to the description of FIG. 1.

[0050] FIG. 2 illustrates a policy establishment procedure for a PDU session to which an energy usage limiting function is applied according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0051] Referring to FIG. 2, in operation 200, the AMF (150) can check whether subscriber information for searching / selecting an SMF (160) obtained from the UDM (153) in the PDU session establishment procedure includes information indicating whether a session management related policy should be enforced according to subscriber energy usage limit control information. If it is confirmed that the information is included, the AMF (150) can select an SMF (160) that supports energy usage limit control.

[0052] The AMF (150) may transmit an NF discovery request message to the NRF to obtain an address of an SMF (160) that supports energy consumption limit control for the S-NSSAI (single - network slice selection assistance information) and DNN (data network name) included in the NAS (non access stratum) message (e.g., a request message for establishing a PDU session) received from the UE (110) based on configuration information. The NF type of the NF discovery request message may be set to ELF (executable and linkable format) or another NF where the ELF may be located (e.g., CHF (charging function), NWDAF (network data analytics function), PCF, NSACF (network slice access control function)). The NF discovery request message may include energy consumption limiting capability, S-NSSAI, DNN, etc. The energy consumption limiting capability may be included in the NF capability. The NRF may send an NF discovery response message containing the address of the corresponding SMF (160) to the AMF (150).

[0053] AMF (150) can send an Nsmf_PDUSession_CreateSMContext request message to create a session management context with an SMF (160) address obtained from NRF. The Nsmf_PDUSession_CreateSMContext request message can include a PDU session ID, S-NSSAI, DNN, etc.

[0054] SMF (160) that receives the Nsmf_PDUSession_CreateSMContext request message can perform a PDU session establishment procedure for S-NSSAI and DNN.

[0055] In operation 201, SMF (160) can send a request message (Npcf_SMPolicyControl_Create request) to PCF (180) to create a session management policy.

[0056] The Npcf_SMPolicyControl_Create request message can contain the following information:

[0057] -UE ID: May include one of SUPI (subscription permanent identifier), GPSI (generic public subscription identifier), or UE IP address.

[0058] -S-NSSAI, DNN: The slice identifier and data network identifier of the PDU session may be included, respectively.

[0059] In operation 202, PCF (180) can send a subscription information request (Nudr_DM_Query) message to UDR if there is no subscriber information.

[0060] The Nudr_DM_Query message can contain the following information:

[0061] -SUPI, S-NSSAI, DNN, policy data, PDU session policy control data

[0062] In action 203, UDR can send a response (Nudr_DM_Query response) message to action 202.

[0063] The Nudr_DM_Query response message can contain the following information:

[0064] Subscriber energy usage limit control: Indicates whether PCF should enforce session management policies based on subscriber energy consumption limits.

[0065] -Subscriber energy usage limit information: A list of policy counter identifiers (policy counter IDs) and policy counter statuses (i.e., policy counter statuses related to energy consumption) of policy counters related to session management policy control (SM policy control).

[0066] - Energy usage limiting function (ELF): An NF address (e.g., CHF address) and optionally associated NF instance ID and NF set ID (e.g., CHF instance ID, CHF set ID) for limiting energy usage may be included. ELF may be located in CHF, OAM (operations, administration and maintenance), NWDAF, PCF, NSACF, etc.

[0067] In operation 204, the PCF (180) may determine to enforce the session management related policy according to the subscriber energy consumption limit if the information received in operation 203 includes subscriber energy usage limit control (or if the subscriber energy usage limit control indicates that the session management related policy should be enforced according to the subscriber energy consumption limit).

[0068] In operation 204, if the information received in operation 203 includes an NF address for energy usage, the PCF (180) can obtain an address of an NF (e.g., CHF) using the information.

[0069] Otherwise, the PCF (180) may transmit an NF Discovery request message to the NRF. The NF type of the NF Discovery request message may be set to ELF (executable and linkable format) or another NF where the ELF may be located (e.g., CHF (charging function), NWDAF (network data analytics function), PCF, NSACF (network slice access control function)). The NF Discovery request message may include energy usage limiting capability, S-NSSAI, DNN, etc. The energy usage limiting capability may be included in the NF capability. The NRF may transmit an NF Discovery response message including the address of the corresponding ELF to the PCF (180).

[0070] At operation 205, the PCF (180) may send a subscription request message to the ELF to obtain information about policy counters and policy counter status for energy.

[0071] The subscription request message may contain the following information:

[0072] -SUPI: Indicates the identifier of the UE.

[0073] -Event Id: This can indicate "energy usage policy counter status change."

[0074] -Event Filter Information: Can display "List of energy usage policy counter ID(s)."

[0075] -Notification Correlation ID: An identifier that indicates the notification for the request.

[0076] The ELF, which received the subscription request message in operation 205, can transmit a response message or a notify message for operation 205 to the PCF (180) in operation 206.

[0077] A response message or notify message may contain the following information:

[0078] - Energy usage policy counter status (label or value indicating energy usage status) for each energy usage policy counter ID(s) included in the request of operation 205. For example, if the energy usage limit for the policy counter ID is 5, the energy policy counter status can indicate one of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, and if this value is 5, it indicates that the energy usage has reached the limit. ELF can calculate the energy policy counter status according to the energy consumption of the UE (110) through OAM, etc.

[0079] - Pending policy counter statuses and activation times: Status information and activation time information for pending energy policy counter IDs may be included.

[0080] In action 207, PCF (180) may reject the Npcf_SMPolicyControl_Create request if the validation condition is not satisfied.

[0081] PCF(180) can call the Nbsf_Management_Register service operation to generate binding information in BSF (Binding Support Function).

[0082] A PCF (180) may report to its subscribing NF(s) that an SM policy association has been established. The report may include an indicator indicating that the PDU session is subject to an energy usage limit.

[0083] For non-roaming scenarios, PCF (180) can subscribe to analytics from NWDAF.

[0084] PCF (180) can perform a policy decision for the session based on the energy policy counter status received in operation 206.

[0085] PCF (180) can determine QoS based on the energy policy counter status.

[0086] For example, if the energy policy counter status has already reached the limit (i.e., if energy consumption has exceeded the limit), the PCF (180) may lower the session AMBR (aggregate maximum bit rate) or UE-AMBR, UE-Session-MBR (maximum bit rate) included in the PDU session policy information.

[0087] For example, if the energy policy counter status has already reached the limit, the PCF (180) can update the URSP (UE route selection policy) rule to use S-NSSAI and DNN that use low energy.

[0088] In operation 208, the PCF (180) may transmit policy and charging control (PCC) rule(s) and PDU session policy information to the SMF (160) based on the policy decision in operation 207.

[0089] For example, if the PDU session policy information has already reached the limit, the PCF (180) may lower the session AMBR or default 5QI (5G QoS identifier) / ARP (allocation and retention priority) included in the PDU session policy information.

[0090] For example, if the energy policy counter status has already reached the limit, the PCF (180) may include the following information in the PCC rule.

[0091] -SDF (service data flow): Contains information representing traffic flow.

[0092] -UL / DL Maximum Bitrate (uplink / downlink maximum bitrate): Indicates the uplink / downlink maximum bitrate. If the energy policy counter status has already reached the limit, the UL / DL maximum bitrate may be set lower than the value included in the subscription information. If the energy policy counter status has not reached the limit, the value included in the subscription information may be used as the UL / DL maximum bitrate.

[0093] -5QI: Indicates the allowed QoS level for the SDF. If the energy policy counter status has already reached the threshold, the 5QI can be set lower than the value included in the subscription information. If the energy policy counter status has not reached the threshold, the value included in the subscription information can be used as the 5QI value.

[0094] -Gate status: Indicates whether traffic to the SDF is blocked. If the energy policy counter status has already reached the threshold, a value indicating "blocked" (i.e., gate closed) can be included in the PCC rule. If the energy policy counter status has not reached the threshold, a value indicating "open" (i.e., gate open) can be included in the PCC rule.

[0095] -ARP (allocation and retention policy): Indicates priority information for the SDF. Unlike the ARP included in the subscription information, if the energy policy counter status has already reached its limit, a value that allows preemption can be included in the PCC rule, or a value indicating a lower priority can be set as the ARP.

[0096] If the energy policy counter status has not reached the limit, the value contained in the subscription information can be used as the ARP value.

[0097] For example, if the energy policy counter status has already reached the limit, the PCF (180) can update the URSP rule to use an S-NSSAI and DNN that use lower energy than the S-NSSAI and DNN included in the subscription information.

[0098] In operation 209, SMF (160) can enforce policy based on PCC rule and PDU session policy information received from PCF (180).

[0099] That is, SMF (160) can transmit parameters (UL / DL maximum bitrate, 5QI, ARP, gate status, etc.) for each SDF to RAN (120) and UPF (170) based on information included in the PCC rule. In addition, session AMBR included in PDU session policy information can be transmitted to RAN (120) and UPF (170).

[0100] FIG. 3 illustrates a policy update procedure for a PDU session to which an energy usage limiting function is applied according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0101] Referring to FIG. 3, in operation 301, ELF may transmit a notify message to PCF (180) when the energy policy counter state has changed (e.g., when the energy policy counter state has changed according to information received from OAM).

[0102] The notification message may contain the following information:

[0103] -SUPI or Notification Correlation ID

[0104] - Energy usage policy counter status (a label or value indicating the energy usage status) for each energy usage policy counter ID(s). For example, if the energy usage limit for the policy counter ID is 5, the energy policy counter status can indicate one of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, and a value of 5 indicates that energy usage has reached the limit.

[0105] - Pending policy counter statuses and activation times: Status information and activation time information for pending energy policy counter IDs may be included.

[0106] In operation 302, PCF (180) may reject the Npcf_SMPolicyControl_Create request if the validation condition is not satisfied.

[0107] PCF (180) can perform a policy update for the session based on the energy policy counter status received in operation 301.

[0108] PCF (180) can determine QoS based on the energy policy counter status.

[0109] For example, if the energy policy counter status has already reached the limit, the PCF (180) may set the session AMBR, UE-AMBR, UE-Session-MBR, etc. included in the PDU session policy information to a low value.

[0110] For example, if the energy policy counter status has already reached the limit, the PCF (180) can update the URSP rule to use S-NSSAI and DNN that use lower energy.

[0111] In operation 303, PCF (180) may transmit PCC rule and PDU session policy information to SMF (160) based on the policy decision in operation 302.

[0112] For example, if the PDU session policy information has already reached the limit, the PCF (180) may lower the session AMBR or default 5QI (5G QoS identifier) / ARP (allocation and retention priority) included in the PDU session policy information.

[0113] For example, if the energy policy counter status has already reached the limit, the PCF (180) may include the following information in the PCC rule.

[0114] -SDF (service data flow): Contains information representing traffic flow.

[0115] -UL / DL Maximum Bitrate (uplink / downlink maximum bitrate): Indicates the uplink / downlink maximum bitrate. If the energy policy counter status has already reached the limit, the UL / DL maximum bitrate may be set lower than the value included in the subscription information. If the energy policy counter status has not reached the limit, the value included in the subscription information may be used as the UL / DL maximum bitrate.

[0116] -5QI: Indicates the allowed QoS level for the SDF. If the energy policy counter status has already reached the threshold, the 5QI can be set lower than the value included in the subscription information. If the energy policy counter status has not reached the threshold, the value included in the subscription information can be used as the 5QI value.

[0117] -Gate status: Indicates whether traffic to the SDF is blocked. If the energy policy counter status has already reached the threshold, a value indicating "blocked" (i.e., gate closed) can be included in the PCC rule. If the energy policy counter status has not reached the threshold, a value indicating "open" (i.e., gate open) can be included in the PCC rule.

[0118] -ARP (allocation and retention policy): Indicates priority information for the SDF. Unlike the ARP included in the subscription information, if the energy policy counter status has already reached its limit, a value that allows preemption can be included in the PCC rule, or a value indicating a lower priority can be set as the ARP.

[0119] If the energy policy counter status has not reached the limit, the value contained in the subscription information can be used as the ARP value.

[0120] For example, if the energy policy counter status has already reached the limit, the PCF (180) may update the URSP rule or use S-NSSAI and DNN that use lower energy through S-NSSAI replacement and DNN replacement.

[0121] In operation 304, SMF (160) can enforce policy based on PCC rule and PDU session policy information received from PCF (180).

[0122] That is, SMF (160) can transmit parameters (UL / DL maximum bitrate, 5QI, ARP, gate status, etc.) for each SDF to RAN (120) and UPF (170) based on information included in the PCC rule. In addition, session AMBR included in PDU session policy information can be transmitted to RAN (120) and UPF (170).

[0123] If the information received in operation 303 includes information indicating that the S-NSSAI is to be changed, the SMF (160) may transmit a message including the PDU session ID and a new S-NSSAI to the UE (110), the RAN (120), and the UPF (170) to change the S-NSSAI of the PDU session.

[0124] The UE (110), RAN (120), and UPF (170) can change the S_NSSAI for the PDU session to a new S-NSSAI.

[0125] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of a network entity in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0126] The network entity of FIG. 4 may be one of the network entities such as UE (110), RAN (120), UPF (170), SMF (160), PCF (180), ELF, UDR, etc. described in the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 3.

[0127] As illustrated in FIG. 4, the network entity may include a processor (401), a transceiver (403), and a memory (405). The processor (401), the transceiver (403), and the memory (405) of the network entity may operate according to the communication method of the network entity described above in the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 3 . However, the components of the network entity are not limited to the examples described above. For example, the network entity may include more or fewer components than the components described above. In addition, the processor (401), the transceiver (403), and the memory (405) may be implemented in the form of a single chip.

[0128] The transceiver (403) is a general term for a receiver of a network entity and a transmitter of the network entity, and can transmit and receive signals with a terminal or another network entity. At this time, the transmitted and received signal may include at least one of control information and data. To this end, the transceiver (403) may include a wired / wireless transceiver and may include various configurations for transmitting and receiving signals. In addition, the transceiver (403) may receive a signal through a predetermined communication interface, output it to the processor (401), and transmit the signal output from the processor (401). In addition, when the network entity of FIG. 4 is a terminal, the transceiver (403) may include an RF transmitter that up-converts and amplifies the frequency of a transmitted signal, and an RF receiver that low-noise amplifies and frequency-downconverts a received signal. In addition, the transceiver (403) can receive a communication signal and output it to the processor (401), and transmit the signal output from the processor (401) to a terminal or another network entity through a network. The memory (405) can store programs and data necessary for the operation of the network entity according to at least one of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 3. In addition, the memory (405) can store control information or data included in a signal obtained from the network entity. The memory (405) can be configured as a storage medium or a combination of storage media, such as a ROM, a RAM, a hard disk, a CD-ROM, and a DVD.

[0129] The processor (401) may control a series of processes so that a network entity can operate according to at least one of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 3. The processor (401) may include at least one processor. The methods according to the embodiments described in the claims or specification of the present disclosure may be implemented in the form of hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. In the case of software implementation, a computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs (software modules) may be provided. The one or more programs stored in the computer-readable storage medium are configured for execution by one or more processors in an electronic device. The one or more programs include instructions that cause the electronic device to execute the methods according to the embodiments described in the claims or specification of the present disclosure.

[0130] These programs (software modules, software) may be stored in random access memory, non-volatile memory including flash memory, read only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disc storage devices, compact disc-ROMs (CD-ROMs), digital versatile discs (DVDs) or other forms of optical storage devices, magnetic cassettes, or may be stored in memories formed by a combination of some or all of these. In addition, each configuration memory may include multiple copies. The above program may be stored on an attachable storage device that is accessible via a communication network such as the Internet, an intranet, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a storage area network (SAN), or a combination thereof. This storage device may be connected to a device performing an embodiment of the present disclosure via an external port. Additionally, a separate storage device on the communication network may be connected to a device performing an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0131] In the specific embodiments of the present disclosure described above, components included in the disclosure are expressed in the singular or plural form, depending on the specific embodiment presented. However, the singular or plural expressions are selected to suit the presented situation for convenience of explanation, and the present disclosure is not limited to singular or plural components. Components expressed in the plural form may be composed of singular elements, or components expressed in the singular form may be composed of plural elements.

[0132] While the detailed description of this disclosure has described specific embodiments, it should be understood that various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of this disclosure should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be defined not only by the scope of the claims described below, but also by equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A method for establishing an energy-considering policy by a policy control function (PCF) in a communication system, A step of obtaining information on the limits of energy consumption from the Unified Data Repository (UDR); A step of obtaining information on energy consumption from OAM (operations, administration and maintenance); and A step of controlling a policy for a PDU session related to the energy consumption based on information about the limit of the energy consumption and information about the energy consumption, method.

2. In paragraph 1, The step of controlling a policy for the PDU session related to the energy consumption includes the step of lowering the session AMBR (aggregate maximum bit rate) for the PDU session related to the energy consumption when the energy consumption exceeds the limit of the energy consumption. method.

3. In paragraph 1, The step of controlling the policy for the PDU session related to the energy consumption includes the step of transmitting a message for policy control to a session management function (SMF). method.

4. In paragraph 1, The information about the above energy consumption includes information about the energy policy counter status. method.

5. In paragraph 4, The step of controlling the policy for the PDU session related to the energy consumption includes the step of lowering the session AMBR (aggregate maximum bit rate) for the PDU session related to the energy consumption when the energy policy counter status reaches a limit. method.

6. In paragraph 1, Further comprising a step of obtaining address information of the OAM from the UDR, method.

7. As a device for policy control function (PCF) to establish energy-conscious policies in communication systems, Transmitter and receiver; and At least one processor coupled to the transceiver, wherein the at least one processor comprises: Obtain information on energy consumption limits from the Unified Data Repository (UDR), Obtain information on energy consumption from OAM (operations, administration and maintenance), and configured to control a policy for a PDU session related to the energy consumption based on information about the limit of the energy consumption and information about the energy consumption; device.

8. In paragraph 7, The at least one processor is configured to lower the session AMBR (aggregate maximum bit rate) for the PDU session associated with the energy consumption when the energy consumption exceeds the energy consumption limit. device.

9. In paragraph 7, wherein at least one processor is configured to transmit a message for policy control to a session management function (SMF). device.

10. In paragraph 7, The information about the above energy consumption includes information about the energy policy counter status. device.

11. In paragraph 10, The at least one processor is configured to lower the session AMBR (aggregate maximum bit rate) for the PDU session associated with the energy consumption when the energy policy counter status reaches a limit. device.

12. In paragraph 7, The at least one processor is further configured to obtain address information of the OAM from the UDR. device.

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