Network node, terminal, and control method

Abstract

This network node comprises: a reception unit that receives, from a first network node, a first message that includes an identifier of a network slice related to in-network calculation and requests establishment of a data session; a control unit that, on the basis of the identifier, determines to use a user plane function related to network calculation; and a transmission unit that transmits, to the first network node, a second message that includes information indicating that the in-network calculation has been enabled and accepts the establishment of the data session.

Description

Network node, terminal, and control method

[0001] The present invention relates to network nodes, terminals, and control methods in a communication system.

[0002] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is exploring wireless communication methods known as 5G or NR (New Radio) (hereinafter referred to as "5G" or "NR") in order to achieve even greater system capacity, even faster data transmission speeds, and even lower latency in the wireless section. In 5G, various wireless technologies are being considered to meet the requirements of achieving a throughput of 10 Gbps or more while keeping the latency in the wireless section below 1 ms.

[0003] In NR, a network architecture is being considered that includes 5GC (5G Core Network) or 5GS (5G System), which corresponds to EPC (Evolved Packet Core), the core network in the LTE (Long Term Evolution) network architecture, and NG-RAN (Next Generation - Radio Access Network), which corresponds to E-UTRAN (Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network), the RAN (Radio Access Network) in the LTE network architecture (for example, Non-Patent Documents 1-2).

[0004] Also, in IMT (International Mobile Telecommunications)-2030, it is expected that many devices will be connected around the user. Furthermore, as a trend of diversifying devices, the emergence of wearable devices is expected. The user is considered to desire an immersive application experience even with devices such as wearable devices. Due to the limited computing capabilities of such devices, the user experience may be affected. Edge computing has been studied to improve the user experience in terms of low latency. However, session control based on computing capabilities in the network has not yet been considered.

[0005] 3GPP TS 23.501 V18.6.0 (2024-06) 3GPP TS 23.502 V18.6.0 (2024-06)

[0006] By accelerating the processing of data packets by hardware, it is possible to reduce jitter and delay in the network. Therefore, it is assumed that the terminal will utilize the computing services provided by the network according to the required service quality and the like.

[0007] However, in the existing technology, there is a problem that a stable service quality cannot be provided because the capabilities of the provided computing services differ for each data session.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to stabilize the service quality of an established data session in a communication system capable of providing a computing service by a network.

[0009] The disclosed technology provides a network node having: a receiving unit that receives a first message from a first network node requesting the establishment of a data session, which includes an identifier for a network slice related to in-network computing; a control unit that decides to use user plane functions related to network computing based on the identifier; and a transmitting unit that sends a second message to the first network node accepting the establishment of the data session, which includes information indicating that in-network computing has been enabled.

[0010] According to the disclosed technology, in a communication system capable of providing computing services over a network, the service quality of established data sessions can be stabilized.

[0011] This is a diagram illustrating an example of a communication system. This is a diagram illustrating an example of a communication system in a roaming environment. This is a diagram illustrating an example of a first sequence diagram in an embodiment of the present invention. This is a diagram illustrating an example of a second sequence diagram in an embodiment of the present invention. This is a diagram illustrating an extension of S-NSSAI in an embodiment of the present invention. This is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the base station 10 and network node 30 in an embodiment of the present invention. This is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the terminal 20 in an embodiment of the present invention. This is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the base station 10 and terminal 20 in an embodiment of the present invention. This is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a vehicle 2001 in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are examples, and the embodiments to which the present invention is applied are not limited to those described below.

[0013] In the operation of the wireless communication system according to the embodiments of the present invention, existing technologies may be used as appropriate. However, such existing technologies include, for example, existing LTE, but are not limited to existing LTE. Furthermore, the term "LTE" as used herein has a broad meaning that includes LTE-Advanced, LTE-Advanced and later technologies (e.g., NR), or wireless LAN (Local Area Network), unless otherwise specified.

[0014] Furthermore, in the embodiments of the present invention, "configuring" wireless parameters means that predetermined values ​​are pre-configured, or that wireless parameters notified from the network node 30 or terminal 20 are configured.

[0015] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a communication system. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system consists of a terminal 20 (UE) and multiple network nodes 30. Hereafter, one network node 30 will be assumed to correspond to each function, however, one network node 30 may implement multiple functions, or multiple network nodes 30 may implement one function. Furthermore, the "connection" described below may be a logical connection or a physical connection. In the following description, " / " means "and / or" unless otherwise specified, or unless it is clear from the context that it has a different meaning.

[0016] The RAN (Radio Access Network) is a network node 30 having wireless access functionality, which may include a base station 10, and is connected to a UE, AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function), and UPF (User plane function). The AMF is a network node 30 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 30 interconnected with the DN (Data Network) and having functions such as a PDU (Protocol Data Unit) session point to the outside, packet routing and forwarding, and user plane QoS (Quality of Service) handling. The UPF and DN constitute a network slice. In the wireless communication network in the embodiment of the present invention, multiple network slices are constructed.

[0017] AMF is connected to 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). AMF, SMF, NSSF, NEF, NRF, UDM, AUSF, PCF, and AF are network nodes 30 that are interconnected via interfaces based on their respective services: Namf, Nsmf, Nnssf, Nnef, Nnrf, Nudm, Nausf, Npcf, and Naf.

[0018] The SMF is a network node 30 that has functions such as session management, IP (Internet Protocol) address allocation and management for UEs, DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) functionality, ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) proxy, and roaming functionality. The NEF is a network node 30 that has the function of notifying other NFs (Network Functions) of capabilities and events. The NSSF is a network node 30 that has functions such as selecting the network slice to which the UE connects, determining the allowed NSSAI (Network Slice Selection Assistance Information), determining the NSSAI to be set, and determining the AMF set to which the UE connects. The PCF is a network node 30 that has the function of controlling network policies. The AF is a network node 30 that has the function of controlling application servers. The NRF is a network node 30 that has the function of discovering NF instances that provide services. The UDM is a network node 30 that manages subscriber data and authentication data. The UDM is connected to the UDR (User Data Repository) that holds the said data.

[0019] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a communication system in a roaming environment. As shown in Figure 2, the network consists of a terminal 20 (UE) and multiple network nodes 30. Hereafter, one network node 30 will be assigned to each function, but one network node 30 may implement multiple functions, or multiple network nodes 30 may implement one function. Also, the "connection" described below may be a logical connection or a physical connection.

[0020] The RAN is a network node 30 having wireless access functionality and is connected to the UE, AMF, and UPF. The AMF is a network node 30 having functions such as RAN interface termination, NAS termination, registration management, connection management, reachability management, and mobility management. The UPF is a network node 30 interconnected with the DN, having functions such as external PDU session point, packet routing and forwarding, and user plane QoS handling. The UPF and DN constitute a network slice. In the wireless communication network according to the embodiment of the present invention, multiple network slices are constructed.

[0021] AMF is connected to UE, RAN, SMF, NSSF, NEF, NRF, UDM, AUSF, PCF, AF, and SEPP (Security Edge Protection Proxy). AMF, SMF, NSSF, NEF, NRF, UDM, AUSF, PCF, and AF are network nodes 30 that are interconnected via interfaces based on their respective services: Namf, Nsmf, Nnssf, Nnef, Nnrf, Nudm, Nausf, Npcf, and Naf.

[0022] SMF is a network node 30 that has functions such as session management, IP address allocation and management for UEs, DHCP functionality, ARP proxy, and roaming functionality. NEF is a network node 30 that has the function of notifying other NFs of capabilities and events. NSSF is a network node 30 that has functions such as selecting the network slice to which the UE connects, determining which NSSAIs are allowed, determining which NSSAIs are configured, and determining which AMF set the UE connects to. PCF is a network node 30 that has the function of controlling network policies. AF is a network node 30 that has the function of controlling application servers. NRF is a network node 30 that has the function of discovering NF instances that provide services. SEPP is an opaque proxy that filters control plane messages between PLMNs (Public Land Mobile Networks). In Figure 2, vSEPP is the SEPP in the visited network, and hSEPP is the SEPP in the home network.

[0023] As shown in Figure 2, the UE is in a roaming environment connected to the RAN and AMF in the Visited PLMN. The Visited PLMN and Home PLMN are connected via vSEPP and hSEPP. The UE can communicate with the UDM of the Home PLMN, for example, via the AMF of the Visited PLMN.

[0024] (Examples) In this embodiment, two examples of a method for providing stable service quality to data sessions that can provide network-based computing services in a communication system will be described using sequence diagrams.

[0025] In this embodiment, base station 10 is a base station in 5G or 6G, etc. AMF30A is a network node 30 that has the function of managing access to the AMF in 5G or the terminal 20 in 6G, etc., and may be called, for example, an Access node control function. CPF30B is a network node 30 that handles control plane data in 5G or 6G, etc., and may be, for example, a network node 30 that has the function of SMF or In Network Compute. UPF30C is a network node 30 that handles user plane data that has the ability to provide the UPF in 5G or In Network Compute in 6G, etc. UDM30D is a network node 30 that manages subscriber data and authentication data in 5G or the UDM in 6G, etc., and may be called, for example, a Data storage control function. UDM30D stores subscriber information in its own device, including first information regarding whether the terminal 20 uses (or is permitted to use) the in-network computing service. Furthermore, the first piece of information may be set for each network slice.

[0026] Furthermore, in this embodiment, messages transmitted and received between network nodes 30 may be messages on a service-based interface. Also, sessions related to user plane data (e.g., PDU (Protocol Data Unit) sessions) may be referred to as data sessions. Network computing services may also be referred to as in-network computing. Network slices may simply be referred to as slices. Multiple data sessions may be managed using session numbers or session identifiers.

[0027] In the first embodiment, terminal 20 sends a message to the network requesting the establishment of a data session, including an identifier for a network slice related to in-network computing.

[0028] In the second embodiment, in response to a request from terminal 20 to establish a data session, the network determines, based on the subscriber information of terminal 20, whether or not the network slice corresponding to the data network is related to in-network computing.

[0029] (First Embodiment) Figure 3 shows an example of a first sequence diagram in an embodiment of the present invention. In this sequence diagram, a data session associated with a network slice corresponding to an in-network computation is established. The processing of each step is described below.

[0030] S101: Terminal 20 sends a message to base station 10 requesting the establishment of a data session. The message includes a session number, a data network name, and a slice identifier related to in-network computing.

[0031] S102: The base station 10 sends a message to the AMF30A requesting the establishment of a data session. The message includes a session number, a data network name, and a slice identifier related to in-network computing.

[0032] S103: AMF30A sends a first service-based interface message to CPF30B. The message includes the identifier of terminal 20 and a message requesting the establishment of a data session received in S102 (including the session number, data network name, and slice identifier related to in-network computation).

[0033] S104: CPF30B decides to use a user plane function (UPF) related to network computations based on the slice identifier related to in-network computations for the data network name contained in the message received in S103.

[0034] S105: CPF30B performs settings related to establishing a data session with UPF30C, which is a network node corresponding to the user plane function determined in S104.

[0035] S106: CPF30B sends a second service-based interface message to AMF30A. This message includes the identifier of terminal 20 and a second message accepting the request to establish a data session. This second message also includes information indicating that In Network Compute has been enabled.

[0036] S107: The AMF30A sends a second message to the base station 10, which accepts the data session establishment request received in S106. This second message includes information indicating that In Network Compute has been enabled.

[0037] S108: The base station 10 sends a message to the terminal 20 that includes a second message accepting the data session establishment request received in S107. The second message includes information indicating that In Network Compute has been enabled. The base station 10 sends a message accepting the establishment of the data session. The message includes the identifier of the terminal 20 and information indicating that In Network Compute has been enabled.

[0038] (Second Embodiment) Figure 4 shows an example of a second sequence diagram in an embodiment of the present invention. In this sequence diagram, a data session associated with a network slice corresponding to an in-network computation is established. The processing of each step is described below.

[0039] S201: Terminal 20 sends a message to base station 10 requesting the establishment of a data session. The message includes a session number, a slice identifier, and a data network name.

[0040] S202: The base station 10 sends a message to the AMF30A requesting the establishment of a data session. The message includes a session number, a slice identifier, and a data network name.

[0041] S203: AMF30A sends a first service-based interface message to CPF30B. This message includes the identifier of terminal 20 and a message requesting the establishment of a data session received in S202 (including the session number, slice identifier, and data network name).

[0042] S204: CPF30B sends a second service-based interface message to UDM30D. This message includes a slice identifier and an identifier for terminal 20, and requests a slice-in-network compute indication indicating whether the network slice corresponding to the slice identifier is related to in-network computing.

[0043] S205: UDM30D sends a third service-based interface message to CPF30B. This message includes a response message to the second message received in S204. This response message includes a slice identifier, an identifier for terminal 20, and information indicating whether the network slice corresponding to the slice identifier is related to in-network computing (slice-in-network compute indication). This information is set based on information contained in the subscriber information of terminal 20 stored by UDM30D, which indicates whether terminal 20 uses (or is permitted to use) in-network computing services. Here, it is assumed that the network slice is related to in-network computing.

[0044] S206: Based on the information (slice in network compute indication) indicating whether the network slice corresponding to the slice identifier included in the message received in S205 is related to in-network computing, CPF30B determines to use the user plane function (UPF) related to in-network computing. Further, CPF30B may perform settings related to the establishment of a data session for UPF30C, which is the network node corresponding to the determined user plane function.

[0045] S207: CPF30B sends a 4th service based interface message to AMF30A. The message includes the identifier of terminal 20 and a second message accepting the data session establishment request. The second message includes a slice identifier and information (in network compute activation indication) indicating that in-network computing has been activated.

[0046] S208: AMF30A sends the second message accepting the data session establishment request received in S207 to base station 10. The second message includes information indicating that in-network computing (In Network Compute) has been activated.

[0047] S209: Base station 10 sends the second message accepting the data session establishment request received in S208 to terminal 20. The second message includes information indicating that in-network computing (In Network Compute) has been activated.

[0048] (Extension of S-NSSAI) In the existing specification, Single-Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI) is used as information related to network slices (see Non-Patent Document 1). S-NSSAI in the existing specification includes SST (Slice / Service Type) and SD (Slice Differentiator).

[0049] In the first embodiment (S101 to S103 and S104) and the second embodiment (S205) described above, an extended S-NSSAI may be used that includes information indicating whether the network slice is related to (or requires) network computation.

[0050] For example, a value indicating network computing services may be newly defined in the existing SST specification, and the network slice may be shown to be related to network computing by using S-NSSAI with this value set.

[0051] Alternatively, the network slice may be associated with network computing by defining a new string in the existing SD specification, for example, to indicate a service for network computing, and using an S-NSSAI with that string set at the beginning or end of the SD.

[0052] Alternatively, information indicating whether a network slice is related to in-network computing services may be added to the existing S-NSSAI specification. Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the extension of S-NSSAI in an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 5, in addition to SST and SD, S-NSSAI includes information indicating whether a network slice is related to in-network computing services (In network compute required). This information may be, for example, a 1-bit Boolean value, where a value of 1 indicates that the network slice is related to in-network computing services, and a value of 0 indicates that the network slice is not related to in-network computing services.

[0053] (First Modification) In the first and second embodiments, if a network slice related to the in-network computing service could not be configured (for example, if resources could not be secured), instead of sending a message to terminal 20 accepting the request to establish a data session, which includes information indicating that in-network computing has been enabled, a message not accepting the request to establish a data session, which includes information indicating that the establishment of the data session failed, may be sent.

[0054] (Second Modification) In the first embodiment, if a data session cannot be established using the network slice specified by terminal 20, a data session may be established using a different network slice. Here, the different network slice may be selected from the network slices permitted when terminal 20 was registered. The response message to terminal 20 (the second message accepting the data session establishment request in S107-S108) may also include the identifier of the selected network slice.

[0055] (Effects) As described above, when establishing a data session, specifying that the network slice is related to the network computing service prevents the establishment of data sessions using network slices unrelated to the service, thus stabilizing service quality. In other words, as described above, the service quality of established data sessions can be stabilized in a communication system capable of providing network computing services.

[0056] (Device Configuration) Next, an example of the functional configuration of the base station 10, network node 30, and terminal 20 that perform the processing and operations described above will be explained. The base station 10, network node 30, and terminal 20 include the functions to perform the embodiments described above. However, the base station 10, network node 30, and terminal 20 may each be equipped with only some of the functions in the embodiments.

[0057] <Base Station 10 and Network Node 30> Figure 6 shows an example of the functional configuration of a base station 10 and a network node 30. As shown in Figure 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 Figure 6 is merely an example. The functional classifications and names of the functional units can be anything as long as they can perform the operations according to the embodiment of the present invention. The network node 30 may have the same functional configuration as the base station 10. Furthermore, a network node 30 having multiple different functions on the system architecture may be composed of multiple network nodes 30 separated by function.

[0058] The transmitting unit 110 includes the function of generating a signal to be transmitted to the terminal 20 or other network node 30 and transmitting the signal by wire or wireless. The receiving unit 120 includes the function of receiving various signals transmitted from the terminal 20 or other network node 30 and obtaining information from the received signal, for example, information from a higher layer. A communication unit including the transmitting unit 110 and the receiving unit 120 may be configured.

[0059] The setting unit 130 stores pre-configured setting information and various setting information to be transmitted to the terminal 20 in a storage device, and reads them from the storage device as needed.

[0060] The control unit 140 performs the processing described in the embodiment. The signal transmission function in the control unit 140 may be included in the transmission unit 110, and the signal reception function in the control unit 140 may be included in the reception unit 120.

[0061] <Terminal 20> Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of terminal 20. As shown in Figure 7, 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 Figure 7 is merely an example. Any functional classification and name of functional unit is acceptable as long as it can perform the operations according to the embodiment of the present invention. Furthermore, a communication device that acts as a resource holder may have a functional configuration similar to that of terminal 20.

[0062] The transmitting unit 210 creates a transmission signal from the transmission data and transmits the transmission signal wirelessly. The receiving unit 220 wirelessly receives various signals and obtains signals from higher layers from the received physical layer signals. The receiving unit 220 also has the function of receiving NR-PSS, NR-SSS, NR-PBCH, DL / UL control signals or reference signals transmitted from the network node 30. A communication unit including the transmitting unit 210 and the receiving unit 220 may be configured.

[0063] The setting unit 230 stores various setting information received from the network node 30 by the receiving unit 220 in its storage device and reads it from the storage device as needed. The setting unit 230 also stores pre-configured setting information.

[0064] The control unit 240 performs the processing described in the embodiment. The signal transmission function in the control unit 240 may be included in the transmission unit 210, and the signal reception function in the control unit 240 may be included in the reception unit 220.

[0065] (Hardware Configuration) The block diagrams (Figures 6 and 7) used in the description of the above embodiments show functional units. These functional blocks (components) are realized by any combination of at least one of hardware and software. Furthermore, the method of realizing each functional block is not particularly limited. That is, each functional block may be realized using one device that is physically or logically coupled, or it may be realized using two or more physically or logically separated devices that are directly or indirectly connected (for example, using wired or wireless connections). A functional block may be realized by combining the one device or the multiple devices with software.

[0066] Functions include, but are not limited to, judgment, decision, determination, calculation, calculation, processing, derivation, investigation, exploration, confirmation, reception, transmission, output, access, resolution, selection, selection, establishment, comparison, assumption, expectation, assumption, broadcasting, notifying, communicating, forwarding, configuring, reconfiguring, allocating (mapping), and assigning. For example, a functional block (configuration part) that enables transmission is called a transmitting unit or transmitter. In all cases, as mentioned above, the method of implementation is not particularly limited.

[0067] For example, the network node 30, terminal 20, etc. in one embodiment of the present disclosure may function as a computer that processes the wireless communication method of the present disclosure. Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a base station 10 and terminal 20 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The network node 30 may have the same hardware configuration as the base station 10. The base station 10 and terminal 20 described above 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.

[0068] In the following explanation, the term "device" can be read as "circuit," "device," "unit," etc. The hardware configuration of the base station 10 and terminal 20 may include one or more of the devices shown in the figure, or it may be configured without some of the devices.

[0069] Each function in the base station 10 and terminal 20 is realized by loading predetermined software (programs) onto hardware such as the processor 1001 and storage device 1002, which allows the processor 1001 to perform calculations, control communication by the communication device 1004, and control at least one of data reading and writing in the storage device 1002 and auxiliary storage device 1003.

[0070] The processor 1001 controls the entire computer, for example, by running an operating system. The processor 1001 may consist of a central processing unit (CPU) that includes interfaces with peripheral devices, control devices, arithmetic units, registers, etc. For example, the control unit 140, control unit 240, etc., described above may be implemented by the processor 1001.

[0071] Furthermore, the processor 1001 reads programs (program code), software modules, or data from at least one of the auxiliary storage device 1003 and the communication device 1004 into the storage device 1002, and executes various processes accordingly. The program used is one that causes the computer to execute at least a part of the operations described in the above embodiment. For example, the control unit 140 of the base station 10 shown in Figure 6 may be implemented by a control program stored in the storage device 1002 and operated by the processor 1001. Also, for example, the control unit 240 of the terminal 20 shown in Figure 7 may be implemented by a control program stored in the storage device 1002 and operated by the processor 1001. Although the above-described processes have been explained as being executed by one processor 1001, they may be executed simultaneously or sequentially by two or more processors 1001. The processor 1001 may be implemented by one or more chips. The program may also be transmitted from the network via a telecommunications line.

[0072] The storage device 1002 is a computer-readable recording medium and may consist of at least one of the following: ROM (Read Only Memory), EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The storage device 1002 may also be called a register, cache, main memory, etc. The storage device 1002 can store executable programs (program code), software modules, etc., for implementing a communication method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0073] The auxiliary storage device 1003 is a computer-readable recording medium and may consist of at least one of the following: an optical disc 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 multipurpose disk, a Blu-ray® disk), a smart card, flash memory (e.g., a card, a stick, a key drive), a floppy® disk, a magnetic strip, etc. The above-mentioned storage medium may also be a database, server, or other suitable medium that includes at least one of the storage device 1002 and the auxiliary storage device 1003.

[0074] The communication device 1004 is hardware (transmitting / receiving device) for communicating between computers via at least one of a wired network and a wireless network, and is also referred to as a network device, network controller, network card, communication module, etc. The communication device 1004 may be configured to include, for example, a high-frequency switch, duplexer, filter, frequency synthesizer, etc., in order to implement at least one of frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division duplex (TDD). For example, the transmitting and receiving antenna, amplifier section, transmitting and receiving section, transmission path interface, etc., may be implemented by the communication device 1004. The transmitting and receiving section may be implemented in a physically or logically separated manner, with a transmitting section and a receiving section.

[0075] The input device 1005 is an input device that accepts input from an external source (e.g., a keyboard, mouse, microphone, switch, button, sensor, etc.). The output device 1006 is an output device that outputs to an external source (e.g., a display, speaker, LED lamp, etc.). The input device 1005 and the output device 1006 may be configured as an integrated unit (e.g., a touch panel).

[0076] 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 different buses may be configured for each device.

[0077] Furthermore, the base station 10 and terminal 20 may be configured to include hardware such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), and an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and some or all of each functional block may be realized by such hardware. For example, the processor 1001 may be implemented using at least one of these hardware components.

[0078] Figure 9 shows an example of the configuration of vehicle 2001. As shown in Figure 9, vehicle 2001 includes an operating 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 this disclosure may be applied to a communication device mounted on vehicle 2001, for example, to the communication module 2013.

[0079] The operating unit 2002 consists of, for example, 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, which is operated by the user.

[0080] The electronic control unit 2010 consists of a microprocessor 2031, memory (ROM, RAM) 2032, and communication ports (IO ports) 2033. Signals from various sensors 2021 to 2029 installed in the vehicle 2001 are input to the electronic control unit 2010. The electronic control unit 2010 may also be called an ECU (Electronic Control Unit).

[0081] Signals from various sensors 2021 to 2029 include current signals from current sensor 2021 for sensing motor current, front and rear wheel rotation speed signals acquired by rotation speed sensor 2022, front and rear wheel air pressure signals acquired by air pressure sensor 2023, vehicle speed signals acquired by vehicle speed sensor 2024, acceleration signals acquired by acceleration sensor 2025, accelerator pedal depression signals acquired by accelerator pedal sensor 2029, brake pedal depression signals acquired by brake pedal sensor 2026, shift lever operation signals acquired by shift lever sensor 2027, and detection signals acquired by object detection sensor 2028 for detecting obstacles, vehicles, pedestrians, etc.

[0082] The Information Service Unit 2012 consists of various devices for providing (outputting) various types of information such as driving information, traffic information, and entertainment information, including a car navigation system, audio system, speakers, television, and radio, and one or more ECUs that control these devices. The Information Service Unit 2012 uses information acquired from external devices via a communication module 2013, etc., to provide various multimedia information and multimedia services to the occupants of the vehicle 2001. The Information Service Unit 2012 may include input devices that accept input from the outside (e.g., keyboard, mouse, microphone, switch, button, sensor, touch panel, etc.) and output devices that perform output to the outside (e.g., display, speaker, LED lamp, touch panel, etc.).

[0083] The driver assistance system unit 2030 consists of various devices that provide functions to prevent accidents or reduce the driver's workload, such as millimeter-wave radar, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), cameras, positioning locators (e.g., GNSS), map information (e.g., high-definition (HD) maps, autonomous vehicle (AV) maps), gyro systems (e.g., IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), INS (Inertial Navigation System)), AI (Artificial Intelligence) chips, and AI processors, as well as one or more ECUs that control these devices. The driver assistance system unit 2030 also transmits and receives various information via the communication module 2013 to realize driver assistance functions or autonomous driving functions.

[0084] The communication module 2013 can communicate with the microprocessor 2031 and components of the vehicle 2001 via its communication port. For example, the communication module 2013 sends and receives data via the communication port 2033 between the moving parts 2002, steering parts 2003, accelerator pedal 2004, brake pedal 2005, shift lever 2006, front wheels 2007, rear wheels 2008, axle 2009, the microprocessor 2031 and memory (ROM, RAM) 2032 in the electronic control unit 2010, and sensors 2021-29 provided in the vehicle 2001.

[0085] 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 external devices. For example, it can send and receive various types of information with external devices 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 or a mobile station.

[0086] The communication module 2013 may transmit at least one of the following to an external device via wireless communication: signals from the various sensors 2021-2028 input to the electronic control unit 2010, information obtained based on said signals, and information based on input from an external source (user) obtained via the information service unit 2012. The electronic control unit 2010, the various sensors 2021-2028, the information service unit 2012, etc., may also be called input units that accept input. For example, the PUSCH transmitted by the communication module 2013 may include the information based on the above input.

[0087] The communication module 2013 receives various information (traffic information, signal information, inter-vehicle information, etc.) transmitted from an external device and displays it on the information service unit 2012 provided in the vehicle 2001. The information service unit 2012 may also be called an output unit, which outputs information (for example, outputs information to devices such as displays and speakers based on the PDSCH (or data / information decoded from the PDSCH) received by the communication module 2013). The communication module 2013 also stores the various information received from the external device 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 operating unit 2002, steering unit 2003, accelerator pedal 2004, brake pedal 2005, shift lever 2006, front wheels 2007, rear wheels 2008, axles 2009, sensors 2021-2029, etc., provided in the vehicle 2001.

[0088] <Notes> (Note 1) A network node having: a receiving unit that receives a first message from a first network node requesting the establishment of a data session, which includes an identifier for a network slice related to in-network computing; a control unit that decides to use a user plane function related to network computing based on the identifier; and a transmitting unit that sends to the first network node a second message accepting the establishment of the data session, which includes information indicating that in-network computing has been enabled. (Note 2) A network node having: a receiving unit that receives a first message from a terminal requesting the establishment of a data session, which includes an identifier for a network slice related to in-network computing; and a transmitting unit that sends to the first network node a second message including the first message, wherein the receiving unit receives a third message from the first network node accepting the establishment of the data session, which includes information indicating that in-network computing has been enabled; and the transmitting unit sends to the terminal a fourth message accepting the establishment of the data session, which includes information indicating that in-network computing has been enabled. (Note 3) A terminal having: a transmitting unit that transmits a first message to a first network node requesting the establishment of a data session, which includes an identifier for a network slice related to in-network computing; and a receiving unit that receives a second message from the first network node accepting the establishment of the data session, which includes information indicating that in-network computing has been enabled.(Note 4) A network node having: a receiving unit that receives a first message from a first network node requesting the establishment of a data session, including an identifier for a network slice; and a transmitting unit that sends a second message to a second network node requesting first information indicating whether the network slice is related to in-network computing, wherein the receiving unit further has a control unit that receives a third message from the second network node including the first information, and if the first information indicates that it is related to in-network computing, decides to use user plane functions related to in-network computing, and the transmitting unit sends a fourth message to the first network node accepting the establishment of the data session, including second information indicating that in-network computing has been enabled. (Note 5) A network node having: a control unit that stores subscriber information including first information regarding whether or not to use the in-network computing service; a receiving unit that receives a first message from a first network node requesting second information indicating whether or not the network slice is related to in-network computing; and a transmitting unit that sends a second message to the first network node including the second information determined based on the first information. (Appendix 6) A control method performed by a network node, comprising: receiving a first message from a first network node requesting the establishment of a data session, which includes an identifier for a network slice related to in-network computing; determining, based on the identifier, to use a user plane function related to network computing; and sending a second message to the first network node accepting the establishment of the data session, which includes information indicating that in-network computing has been enabled.

[0089] Any of the provisions of Appendix 1 to Appendix 6 can stabilize the service quality of established data sessions in a communication system capable of providing computing services over a network.

[0090] (Supplement to Embodiments) Embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the disclosed invention is not limited to such embodiments, and those skilled in the art will understand various modifications, alterations, alternatives, substitutions, etc. Specific numerical examples have been used to facilitate understanding of the invention, but unless otherwise specified, these numerical values ​​are merely examples, and any appropriate values ​​may be used. The division of items in the above description is not essential to the present invention, and matters described in two or more items may be combined as needed, and matters described in one item may be applied to matters described in another item (as long as they do not contradict each other). The boundaries of functional units or processing units in the functional block diagram do not necessarily correspond to the boundaries of physical parts. The operation of multiple functional units may be physically performed by one part, or the operation of one functional unit may be physically performed by multiple parts. The processing procedures described in the embodiments may be rearranged as long as they do not contradict each other. For the convenience of explaining the processing, the base station 10 and terminal 20 have been described using functional block diagrams, but such devices may be realized in hardware, software, or a combination thereof. The software operated by the processor of the base station 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention and the software operated by the processor of the terminal 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be stored in any suitable storage medium such as random access memory (RAM), flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), EPROM, EEPROM, register, hard disk (HDD), removable disk, CD-ROM, database, server, or other appropriate storage medium.

[0091] Furthermore, notification of information is not limited to the embodiments described herein and may be carried out by other means. For example, notification of information may be carried out by physical layer signaling (e.g., DCI (Downlink Control Information), UCI (Uplink Control Information)), upper layer signaling (e.g., RRC (Radio Resource Control) signaling, MAC (Medium Access Control) signaling), broadcast information (MIB (Master Information Block), SIB (System Information Block)), other signals, or combinations thereof. Also, RRC signaling may be called RRC messages, and may be, for example, RRC Connection Setup messages, RRC Connection Reconfiguration messages, etc.

[0092] Each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure refers to LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE-A (LTE-Advanced), 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 (where x is, for example, an integer or decimal)), 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 802.20 may apply to at least one system utilizing UWB (Ultra-WideBand), Bluetooth®, or other appropriate systems, and to next-generation systems extended, modified, created, or defined based thereon. Alternatively, multiple systems may be applied in combination (e.g., a combination of at least one of LTE and LTE-A with 5G).

[0093] The processing procedures, sequences, flowcharts, etc., of each aspect / embodiment described herein may be reordered, provided they are consistent with each other. For example, the methods described herein present various step elements in an exemplary order and are not limited to that specific order.

[0094] In this specification, specific operations performed by the base station 10 may, in some cases, be performed by its upper node. In a network consisting of one or more network nodes having a base station 10, it is clear that various operations performed for communication with the terminal 20 can be performed by the base station 10 and at least one of the other network nodes (for example, an MME or S-GW, but not limited to these). Although the above example illustrates the case where there is one other network node besides the base station 10, the other network node may be a combination of multiple other network nodes (for example, an MME and an S-GW).

[0095] The information or signals described in this disclosure may be output from a higher layer (or lower layer) to a lower layer (or higher layer). They may also be input and output via multiple network nodes.

[0096] Input and output information may be stored in a specific location (e.g., memory) or managed using a management table. Input and output information may be overwritten, updated, or appended to. Output information may be deleted. Input information may be transmitted to other devices.

[0097] The determination in this disclosure may be made by a value represented by one bit (0 or 1), by a Boolean value (true or false), or by a numerical comparison (for example, a comparison with a predetermined value).

[0098] Software should be broadly interpreted to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, execution threads, procedures, functions, and so on, whether they are called software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description languages, or by any other name.

[0099] Furthermore, software, instructions, information, etc., may be transmitted and received via a transmission medium. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using at least one of wired technology (such as coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, or digital subscriber line (DSL)) and wireless technology (such as infrared or microwave), then at least one of these wired and wireless technologies is included in the definition of a transmission medium.

[0100] The information, signals, etc. described in this disclosure may be represented using any of the various different techniques. For example, the data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, chips, etc. that may be referred to throughout the above description may be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or photons, or any combination thereof.

[0101] In addition, terms used 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 the channel and symbol may be a signal (signaling). Also, a signal may be a message. Furthermore, a component carrier (CC) may be called a carrier frequency, cell, frequency carrier, etc.

[0102] The terms “system” and “network” as used in this disclosure are interchangeable.

[0103] Furthermore, the information, parameters, etc., described in this disclosure may be expressed using absolute values, relative values ​​from a given value, or other corresponding information. For example, wireless resources may be indicated by an index.

[0104] The names used for the parameters described above are not restrictive in any way. Furthermore, the formulas and other expressions using these parameters may differ from those expressly disclosed in this disclosure. Various channels (e.g., PUCCH, PDCCH, etc.) and information elements can be identified by any suitable name, and therefore, the various names assigned to these various channels and information elements are not restrictive in any way.

[0105] In this disclosure, terms such as "Base Station (BS)", "wireless base station", "base station equipment", "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. Base stations may also be referred to by terms such as macrocell, small cell, femtocell, and picocell.

[0106] A base station can accommodate one or more (e.g., three) cells. If a base station accommodates multiple cells, the entire coverage area of ​​the base station can be divided into multiple smaller areas, each of which may 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 all of the coverage area of ​​at least one of the base station and / or base station subsystems that provide communication services in that coverage.

[0107] In this disclosure, the transmission of information by a base station to a terminal may be interpreted as the base station instructing the terminal to perform control or operation based on the information.

[0108] In this disclosure, terms such as "Mobile Station (MS)," "user terminal," "User Equipment (UE)," and "terminal" may be used interchangeably.

[0109] 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 several other appropriate terms.

[0110] At least one of the base station and the mobile station may be called a transmitting device, a receiving device, a communication device, etc. At least one of the base station and the mobile station may also be a device mounted on a mobile body, the mobile body itself, etc. The mobile body refers to a movable object, and its speed of movement is arbitrary. This also includes the case when the mobile body is stationary. The mobile body includes, but is not limited to, vehicles, transport vehicles, automobiles, motorcycles, bicycles, connected cars, excavators, bulldozers, wheel loaders, dump trucks, forklifts, trains, buses, handcarts, rickshaws, ships and other watercraft, airplanes, rockets, satellites, drones (registered trademark), multicopters, quadcopters, balloons, and items mounted on them. The mobile body may also be a mobile body that moves autonomously based on operation commands. It 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). Furthermore, at least one of the base station and the mobile station may 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.

[0111] Furthermore, the term "base station" in this disclosure may be interpreted as "user terminal." For example, the various aspects / embodiments of this 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, D2D (Device-to-Device), V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything), etc.). In this case, the terminals 20 may have the functions that the base station 10 has. Also, terms such as "uplink" and "downlink" may be interpreted as terms corresponding to terminal-to-terminal communication (for example, "side"). For example, uplink channel, downlink channel, etc., may be interpreted as side channel.

[0112] Similarly, the term "user terminal" in this disclosure may be replaced with "base station." In this case, the base station may be configured to have the same functions as the user terminal described above.

[0113] As used in this disclosure, the terms “determining” and “determining” may encompass a wide variety of actions. “Determining” may include, for example, judging, calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up, searching, or inquiring (e.g., searching in a table, database, or other data structure), or ascertaining. “Determining” may also include receiving (e.g., receiving information), transmitting (e.g., sending information), inputting, outputting, or accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory). Furthermore, "judgment" and "decision" can include considering something as having been "judged" or "decided" after resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, comparing, etc. In other words, "judgment" and "decision" can include considering something as having been "judged" or "decided" after some action. Also, "judgment (decision)" can be reinterpreted as "assuming," "expecting," or "considering."

[0114] The terms “connected,” “coupled,” or any variation thereof, mean 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” with each other. The coupling or connection between elements may be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. For example, “connection” may be reinterpreted as “access.” As used in this disclosure, two elements may be considered to be “connected” or “coupled” with each other using at least one of one or more wires, cables, and printed electrical connections, and, in some non-limiting and non-exclusive examples, electromagnetic energy having wavelengths in the radio frequency domain, microwave domain, and optical (both visible and invisible) domain.

[0115] The reference signal can also be abbreviated as RS (Reference Signal), and may be called a pilot depending on the applicable standard.

[0116] In this disclosure, the phrase "based on" does not mean "based solely on" unless otherwise specified. In other words, the phrase "based on" means both "based solely on" and "based at least on."

[0117] Any reference to elements using the designations “first,” “second,” etc., as used in this disclosure does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. These designations may be used in this disclosure as a convenient way to distinguish between two or more elements. Accordingly, references to the first and second elements do not imply that only two elements may be employed, or that the first element must precede the second element in any way.

[0118] In the configuration of each of the above devices, "means" may be replaced with "part," "circuit," "device," etc.

[0119] Where the terms “include,” “including,” and variations thereof are used in this disclosure, these terms are intended to be inclusive, as is the term “comprising.” Furthermore, the term “or” as used in this disclosure is not intended to mean exclusive OR.

[0120] In this disclosure, if articles are added through translation, such as a, an, and the in English, this disclosure may include the fact that the noun following these articles is plural.

[0121] In this 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 "combine" may be interpreted similarly to "different."

[0122] Each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure may be used individually, in combination, or switched between as needed during implementation. Furthermore, notification of specific information (e.g., notification that "X is") is not limited to explicit notification, but may also be implicit (e.g., by not providing such notification).

[0123] Although the present disclosure has been described in detail above, it will be 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 intent and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the claims. Therefore, the descriptions in the present disclosure are illustrative and not intended to be restrictive in any way.

[0124] 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 Network node 1001 Processor 1002 Storage device 1003 Auxiliary storage device 1004 Communication device 1005 Input device 1006 Output device

Claims

1. A network node having: a receiving unit that receives a first message from a first network node requesting the establishment of a data session, which includes an identifier for a network slice related to network computing; a control unit that decides to use user plane functions related to network computing based on the identifier; and a transmitting unit that sends a second message to the first network node accepting the establishment of the data session, which includes information indicating that network computing has been enabled.

2. A network node comprising: a receiving unit that receives a first message from a terminal requesting the establishment of a data session, which includes an identifier for a network slice related to in-network computing; and a transmitting unit that transmits a second message, which includes the first message, to a first network node, wherein the receiving unit receives a third message from the first network node accepting the establishment of the data session, which includes information indicating that in-network computing has been enabled; and the transmitting unit transmits a fourth message to the terminal accepting the establishment of the data session, which includes information indicating that in-network computing has been enabled.

3. A terminal comprising: a transmitting unit that transmits a first message to a first network node requesting the establishment of a data session, which includes an identifier for a network slice related to in-network computing; and a receiving unit that receives a second message from the first network node accepting the establishment of the data session, which includes information indicating that in-network computing has been enabled.

4. A network node comprising: a receiving unit that receives a first message from a first network node requesting the establishment of a data session, including an identifier for a network slice; and a transmitting unit that sends a second message to a second network node requesting first information indicating whether the network slice is related to in-network computing, wherein the receiving unit further comprises a control unit that receives a third message from the second network node including the first information, and decides to use a user plane function related to network computing if the first information indicates that it is related to in-network computing, and the transmitting unit sends a fourth message to the first network node accepting the establishment of the data session, including second information indicating that in-network computing has been enabled.

5. A network node having: a control unit that stores subscriber information including first information regarding whether or not to use the in-network computing service; a receiving unit that receives a first message from a first network node requesting second information indicating whether or not a network slice is related to in-network computing; and a transmitting unit that transmits a second message to the first network node, including the second information determined based on the first information.

6. A control method performed by a network node, comprising: receiving a first message from a first network node requesting the establishment of a data session, which includes an identifier for a network slice related to in-network computing; determining, based on the identifier, to use a user plane function related to network computing; and sending a second message to the first network node accepting the establishment of the data session, which includes information indicating that in-network computing has been enabled.

Images