Network node, terminal, and control method

Abstract

This network node comprises: a reception unit that receives, from a first node, capability information indicating whether a roaming destination network has network calculation service capability; a control unit that on the basis of the capability information, determines to transmit information pertaining to selecting the roaming destination network to a terminal, wherein the information includes information pertaining to whether a network assists in capability of providing a calculation service; and a transmission unit that transmits the capability information to a second node. The reception unit receives, from the second node, information pertaining to network selection of a roaming destination, wherein the information includes a list in which an access technology and network calculation capability are associated with each other for each network of the roaming destination. The transmission unit transmits, to the first node, the information pertaining to network selection of the roaming destination, wherein the information includes the list in which the access technology and the network calculation capability are associated with each other for each network of the roaming destination.

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) 3GPP TS 23.122 V18.7.1 (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. Here, when roaming, the terminal needs to select, as candidates for the visited network, networks where computing services are available.

[0007] However, with existing technologies, it is not possible to select the visited network based on information regarding the availability of computing services.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to select a visited network based on information regarding the availability of computing services in a communication system.

[0009] According to the disclosed technology, a network node is provided which includes: a receiving unit that receives a first message from a first network node containing capability information indicating whether or not the roaming destination network has the capability to provide network computing services; a control unit that decides to transmit to a terminal, based on the capability information, information regarding the selection of the roaming destination network, which includes information regarding whether or not the network supports the capability to provide computing services; and a transmitting unit that transmits a third message containing the capability information to a second network node, wherein the receiving unit receives a fourth message from the second network node containing information regarding the selection of the roaming destination network, which includes a list associating access technology with network computing capability for each roaming destination network; and the transmitting unit transmits a fifth message to the first network node containing information regarding the selection of the roaming destination network, which includes a list associating access technology with network computing capability for each roaming destination network.

[0010] According to the disclosed technology, a communication system can select a destination network based on information regarding the availability of computing services.

[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 showing an example of a sequence diagram relating to roaming processing in the prior art. This is a diagram showing an example of a first sequence diagram in an embodiment of the present invention. This is a diagram showing an example of a second sequence diagram in an embodiment of the present invention. This is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a base station 10 and a network node 30 in an embodiment of the present invention. This is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a terminal 20 in an embodiment of the present invention. This is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a base station 10 and a terminal 20 in an embodiment of the present invention. This is a diagram showing 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] Figure 3 shows an example of a sequence diagram related to roaming processing in the prior art. This sequence relates to the process of providing the terminal 20 with a list containing combinations of preferred destination networks (PLMN) and access technologies to be designated as candidate destinations. Details of this process can be found in Annex C of Non-Patent Document 3. The processing of each step is described below.

[0025] S101: A network node (AF30C) having an application function related to the selection of a roaming destination network (SoR, Steering of Roaming) sends a request message (Nndm_ParameterProvision_Update request) to the UDM (UDM30B) in the home network of terminal 20 to trigger an update of SoR information on terminal 20. The request message may include a list of combinations of preferred destination networks / access technologies to be designated as candidate destinations, SOR-CMCI (the steering of roaming connected mode control information), and an instruction to store the SOR-CMCI on terminal 20.

[0026] S102: UDM30B sends a request message (Nndm_SDM_Notification request) to AMF30A requesting notification of updates to subscriber information related to SoR. This request message may include the information contained in the request message received in S101.

[0027] S103: The AMF30A sends a message (DL NAS Transport) containing the request message received in S102 to terminal 20.

[0028] S104: After performing security verification on the request message received by 103, terminal 20 stores the information contained in the request message based on the request message. Furthermore, if the request message includes a list of combinations of preferred destination networks (PLMN) and access technologies to be designated as candidate destinations, terminal 20 may update the SoR information stored in its device based on the list.

[0029] S105: Terminal 20 may send a message (UL NAS Transport) to AMF30A that includes a response message to the request message contained in the message received in S103. This message may also include information about SoR.

[0030] S106: AMF30A may send a request message (Num_SDM_Info request) to UDM30B regarding notification of subscriber information. This request message includes the SoR information received in S105.

[0031] S107: UDM30B may send a request message to AF30C for notification of information regarding the SoR (Nsoraf_SoR_Info request). This request message includes the information regarding the SoR received in S106.

[0032] (Information regarding roaming network selection (Steering of roaming information)) Information regarding SoR (see Non-Patent Document 3) may include information regarding whether the UDM requests a response from terminal 20 and whether the UDM requests that terminal 20 store SOR-CMCI. Information regarding SoR may also include information including a list of preferred PLMN / access technology combinations designated as candidate destinations, SOR-CMCI, SOR-SNPN (Standalone Non-Public Network)-SI (Selection Information), and SOR-SNPN-SI-LS (Localized Services).

[0033] (Example) A method for selecting a destination network in a communication system based on information regarding the availability of computing services will be explained using a sequence diagram.

[0034] In this sequence diagram, AMF30A and AMF30A2 are network nodes 30 that have 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. UDM30B is a network node 30 that manages subscriber data and authentication data in 5G or the subscriber DM in 6G, etc., and may be called, for example, a Data management function. AF30C is a network node 30 that has an application function (SOR-AF) related to the selection of the roaming destination network in 5G or 6G, etc.

[0035] Furthermore, in this sequence diagram, the messages transmitted and received between the network nodes 30 may be messages on a service-based interface. These messages may also be based on HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) 2 / .

[0036] Figure 4 shows an example of a first sequence diagram in an embodiment of the present invention. In this sequence diagram, terminal 20 obtains information regarding the roaming destination network selection (SoR), which includes information on whether the network supports the ability to provide computing services. The processing of each step will be described below.

[0037] S201: AF30C sends a first service-based interface message to UDM30B. The message includes the identifier of terminal 20 and a list of roaming networks with access technology and in network compute capability per roaming network, which associates access technology with network compute capability (the ability to provide services that perform computations on the network). The list includes, for example, information on whether or not each network has network compute capability. The list may also be an Operator-Controlled PLMN Selector with Access Technology list, which includes access technologies managed by the network operator.

[0038] S202: UDM30B sends a second service-based interface message to AMF30A. This message includes the identifier of terminal 20 received in S201, and a list associating access technology and network computing capabilities for each roaming network.

[0039] S203: The AMF30A sends a downlink message to terminal 20. This message includes a list received in S202, which associates access technology with network computing capabilities for each roaming network.

[0040] S204: Terminal 20 stores the list received in S203 in its own device. Based on this list, terminal 20 may decide to give higher priority to selecting a network with network computing capabilities when selecting a destination network (VPLMN) during roaming.

[0041] S205: The terminal 20 transmits an uplink message to the AMF 30A. The message includes an acknowledge indication indicating a response to the information included in the message received in S203.

[0042] S206: The AMF 30A transmits a third service-based interface message to the UDM 30B. The message includes an acknowledge indication indicating a response to the information included in the message received in S202.

[0043] S207: The UDM 30B transmits a fourth service-based interface message to the AF 30C. The message includes an acknowledge indication indicating a response to the information included in the message received in S201.

[0044] Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of a second sequence diagram in an embodiment of the present invention. In this sequence diagram, when the terminal 20 registers in the visited network (VPLMN), the terminal 20 acquires updated information regarding selection of the visited network (SoR) including information regarding whether the network supports the ability to provide a computing service. Note that details regarding the registration procedure in the existing specification can be referred to Non-Patent Document 2. Hereinafter, the processing of each step will be described.

[0045] S301: The terminal 20 transmits a message requesting registration of the terminal 20 to the network to the AMF 30A2 in the visited network (PLMN). The message includes an identifier of the terminal 20 and information indicating whether the terminal 20 requests the ability of the network computing service. Here, in this sequence, it is assumed that the terminal 20 requests the ability of the network computing service.

[0046] S302: AMF30A2 sends a first service-based interface message to the UDM30B of the home network (HPLMN). The message includes the identifier of the terminal 20 and the capability information indicating whether the visited network (VPLMN) has the capability of the network computing service. Here, in this sequence, the capability information indicates that the visited network (VPLMN) does not have the capability of the network computing service.

[0047] S303: Based on the fact that the capability information received in S302 indicates that the visited network does not have the capability of the network computing service, the UDM30B determines to send information related to the visited network selection (SoR) including information on whether the network supports the capability of providing the computing service to the terminal 20.

[0048] S304: The UDM30B sends a second service-based interface message to the AF30C. The message includes the identifier of the terminal 20, the capability information indicating whether the visited network (VPLMN) has the capability of the network computing service, the identifier of the VPLN, and information related to the access type in the VPLN (access type parameter). The information related to the access type may include, for example, information related to the (radio) access technology in the VPLMN.

[0049] S305: AF30C sends a third service-based interface message to UDM30B. The message includes the identifier of terminal 20 and a list of roaming networks with access technology and in network compute capability per roaming network, which associates access technology with network computing capability (the ability to provide services that perform computations on the network). The list may also be an Operator-Controlled PLMN Selector with Access Technology list, which includes access technologies managed by the network operator.

[0050] S306: UDM30B sends a fourth service-based interface message to AMF30A2. This message includes the identifier of terminal 20 and a list associating access technology and network computing capabilities for each roaming network (VPLMN).

[0051] S307: The AMF30A2 sends a message to terminal 20 accepting the registration request received in S301. This message includes a list of access technologies and network computing capabilities associated with each roaming network (VPLMN).

[0052] S308: Terminal 20 updates the list stored in its device by storing the list received in S307. Based on the updated list, Terminal 20 may decide to give higher priority to selecting a network with network computing capabilities when selecting a destination network (VPLMN) during roaming. For example, if a network with network computing capabilities (VPLMN) that was not included in the list stored in its device is included in the updated list, Terminal 20 may decide to give higher priority to selecting that network (VPLMN).

[0053] In the sequence diagrams of Figures 4 and 5, a list associating access technology and network computing capabilities for each roaming destination network (VPLMN) may be included in the information on roaming destination network selection (SoR information), and this information (SoR information) may be transmitted and received.

[0054] The above embodiment allows the communication system to select a destination network based on information regarding the availability of computing services.

[0055] (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.

[0056] <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.

[0057] 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.

[0058] 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.

[0059] 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.

[0060] <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.

[0061] 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.

[0062] 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.

[0063] 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.

[0064] (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.

[0065] 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.

[0066] 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.

[0067] 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.

[0068] 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.

[0069] 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.

[0070] 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.

[0071] 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.

[0072] 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.

[0073] 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.

[0074] 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).

[0075] 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.

[0076] 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.

[0077] 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.

[0078] 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.

[0079] 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).

[0080] 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.

[0081] 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.).

[0082] 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.

[0083] 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.

[0084] 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.

[0085] 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.

[0086] 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.

[0087] <Note> (Note 1) A network node comprising: a receiving unit that receives a first message from a first network node that includes capability information indicating whether or not the roaming destination network has the capability to provide network computing services; a control unit that decides to transmit to a terminal, based on the capability information, information regarding the selection of the roaming destination network, which includes information regarding whether or not the network supports the capability to provide computing services; and a transmitting unit that transmits a third message to a second network node that includes the capability information, wherein the receiving unit receives a fourth message from the second network node that includes information regarding the selection of the roaming destination network, which includes a list associating access technology with network computing capability for each roaming destination network; and the transmitting unit transmits a fifth message to the first network node that includes information regarding the selection of the roaming destination network, which includes a list associating access technology with network computing capability for each roaming destination network. (Note 2) A network node comprising: a receiving unit that receives a first message from a terminal requesting registration to the network; and a transmitting unit that transmits a second message to a first network node that includes capability information indicating whether or not the roaming destination network has the capability to provide network computing services, wherein the receiving unit receives a third message from the first network node that includes information regarding the selection of a roaming destination network, which includes a list of access technologies and network computing capabilities associated with each roaming destination network; and the transmitting unit transmits a fourth message to the terminal that includes information regarding the selection of a roaming destination network, which includes a list of access technologies and network computing capabilities associated with each roaming destination network.(Note 3) A network node having: a receiving unit that receives a first message from a first network node that includes capability information indicating whether or not the roaming destination network has the capability to provide network computing services; and a transmitting unit that sends to the first network node a second message that includes information regarding the selection of a roaming destination network, which includes a list of access technologies and network computing capabilities associated with each roaming destination network. (Note 4) A terminal having: a transmitting unit that sends a first message to the first network node requesting registration to the network; a receiving unit that receives a second message from the first network node that includes information regarding the selection of a roaming destination network, which includes a list of access technologies and network computing capabilities associated with each roaming destination network; and a control unit that stores the information regarding the selection of the roaming destination network. (Appendix 5) A control method performed by a network node, comprising: receiving a first message from a first network node, which includes capability information indicating whether or not the roaming destination network has the capability to provide network computing services; deciding, based on the capability information, to transmit to a terminal information regarding the selection of the roaming destination network, which includes information regarding whether or not the network supports the capability to provide computing services; transmitting a third message to a second network node, which includes the capability information; receiving a fourth message from the second network node, which includes information regarding the selection of the roaming destination network, which includes a list associating access technology with network computing capabilities for each roaming destination network; and transmitting a fifth message to the first network node, which includes information regarding the selection of the roaming destination network, which includes a list associating access technology with network computing capabilities for each roaming destination network.

[0088] In any of the provisions of Appendix 1 to Appendix 5, the communication system can select the destination network based on information regarding the availability of computing services.

[0089] (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.

[0090] 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.

[0091] 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).

[0092] 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.

[0093] 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).

[0094] 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.

[0095] 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.

[0096] 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).

[0097] 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.

[0098] 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.

[0099] 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.

[0100] 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.

[0101] The terms “system” and “network” as used in this disclosure are interchangeable.

[0102] 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.

[0103] 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.

[0104] 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.

[0105] 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.

[0106] 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.

[0107] In this disclosure, terms such as "Mobile Station (MS)," "user terminal," "User Equipment (UE)," and "terminal" may be used interchangeably.

[0108] 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.

[0109] 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.

[0110] 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.

[0111] 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.

[0112] 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."

[0113] 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.

[0114] The reference signal can also be abbreviated as RS (Reference Signal), and may be called a pilot depending on the applicable standard.

[0115] 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."

[0116] 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.

[0117] In the configuration of each of the above devices, "means" may be replaced with "part," "circuit," "device," etc.

[0118] 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.

[0119] 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.

[0120] 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."

[0121] 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).

[0122] 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.

[0123] 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 comprising: a receiving unit that receives a first message from a first network node containing capability information indicating whether or not the roaming destination network has the capability to provide network computing services; a control unit that decides to transmit to a terminal, based on the capability information, information regarding the selection of the roaming destination network, which includes information regarding whether or not the network supports the capability to provide computing services; and a transmitting unit that transmits a third message containing the capability information to a second network node, wherein the receiving unit receives a fourth message from the second network node containing information regarding the selection of the roaming destination network, which includes a list associating access technology with network computing capability for each roaming destination network; and the transmitting unit transmits a fifth message to the first network node containing information regarding the selection of the roaming destination network, which includes a list associating access technology with network computing capability for each roaming destination network.

2. A network node comprising: a receiving unit that receives a first message from a terminal requesting registration to the network; and a transmitting unit that transmits a second message to a first network node that includes capability information indicating whether or not the roaming destination network has the capability to provide network computing services, wherein the receiving unit receives a third message from the first network node that includes information regarding the selection of a roaming destination network, including a list of access technologies and network computing capabilities associated with each roaming destination network; and the transmitting unit transmits a fourth message to the terminal that includes information regarding the selection of a roaming destination network, including a list of access technologies and network computing capabilities associated with each roaming destination network.

3. A network node having: a receiving unit that receives a first message from a first network node, which includes capability information indicating whether or not the roaming destination network has the capability to provide network computing services; and a transmitting unit that sends a second message to the first network node, which includes information regarding the selection of a roaming destination network, which includes a list associating access technology with network computing capability for each roaming destination network.

4. A terminal comprising: a transmitting unit that transmits a first message to a first network node requesting registration to the network; a receiving unit that receives a second message from the first network node that includes information regarding the selection of a roaming network, including a list in which access technology and network computing capabilities are associated for each roaming network; and a control unit that stores the information regarding the selection of the roaming network.

5. A control method performed by a network node, comprising: receiving a first message from a first network node containing capability information indicating whether the roaming destination network has the capability to provide network computing services; deciding, based on the capability information, to transmit to a terminal information regarding the selection of the roaming destination network, which includes information regarding whether the network supports the capability to provide computing services; transmitting a third message containing the capability information to a second network node; receiving a fourth message from the second network node containing information regarding the selection of the roaming destination network, which includes a list associating access technology with network computing capability for each roaming destination network; and transmitting a fifth message to the first network node containing information regarding the selection of the roaming destination network, which includes a list associating access technology with network computing capability for each roaming destination network.

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