Method and device for supporting multimodal service in wireless communication system

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a 5G or 6G communication system for supporting higher data transmission rates. The present disclosure provides a method for supporting a multimodal service performed by a session management function (SMF) in a wireless communication system, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a first message including a policy and charging control (PCC) rule from a policy control function (PCF); transmitting a second message including first N2 session management (SM) information to a radio access network (RAN) through an access and mobility management function (AMF); receiving, from the RAN through the AMF, a third message including second N2 SM information; determining quality of service (QOS) flow handling by considering multimodality characteristics; and transmitting, to the RAN through the AMF, a fourth message including third N2 SM information, wherein the PCC rule includes at least one of a first multimodal service identifier (MMS ID), an MMS handling policy, or MMS handling information.

Description

Method and apparatus for supporting multimodal services in a wireless communication system

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a wireless communication system, and more specifically, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for managing traffic based on information related to a multimodal service in a wireless communication system.

[0002] 5G mobile communication technology defines a wide frequency band to enable fast transmission speeds and new services, and can be implemented not only in frequency bands below 6 GHz ('Sub 6 GHz'), such as 3.5 gigahertz (3.5 GHz), but also in ultra-high frequency bands ('above 6 GHz'), known as millimeter wave (mmWave), such as 28 GHz and 39 GHz. In addition, for 6G mobile communication technology, which is referred to as a system beyond 5G, implementation in the terahertz (THz) band (e.g., the 3 terahertz (3 THz) band at 95 GHz) is being considered to achieve transmission speeds 50 times faster and ultra-low latency reduced to one-tenth compared to 5G mobile communication technology.

[0003] In the early stages of 5G mobile communication technology, aiming to satisfy service support and performance requirements for enhanced Mobile BroadBand (eMBB), Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communications (URLLC), and massive Machine-Type Communications (mMTC), technologies included beamforming and massive MIMO to mitigate path loss and increase transmission distance in ultra-high frequency bands; support for various numerologies (such as operating multiple subcarrier spacings) and dynamic operation of slot formats for the efficient utilization of ultra-high frequency resources; initial access technologies to support multi-beam transmission and broadband; definition and operation of Band-Width Parts (BWPs); Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) codes for high-volume data transmission; new channel coding methods such as polar codes for the reliable transmission of control information; and L2 pre-processing. Standardization has been carried out for network slicing, which provides a dedicated network specialized for specific services.

[0004] Currently, discussions are underway to improve and enhance the performance of the initial 5G mobile communication technology, taking into account the services that the 5G mobile communication technology was intended to support. Additionally, standardization of the physical layer is in progress for technologies such as V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything), which helps autonomous vehicles make driving decisions and enhance user convenience based on their own location and status information transmitted by the vehicle; NR-U (New Radio Unlicensed), which aims for system operation in unlicensed bands to comply with various regulatory requirements; NR terminal low power consumption technology (UE power saving); Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN), which is direct terminal-satellite communication for securing coverage in areas where communication with the terrestrial network is impossible; and positioning.

[0005] In addition, standardization is underway in the field of wireless interface architecture / protocols for technologies such as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) for supporting new services through linkage and convergence with other industries, Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) which provides nodes for expanding network service areas by integrating wireless backhaul links and access links, mobility enhancement technologies including conditional handover and Dual Active Protocol Stack (DAPS) handover, and 2-step RACH for NR which simplifies random access procedures. Standardization is also underway in the field of system architecture / services for 5G baseline architectures (e.g., service-based architecture, service-based interface) for incorporating Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) and Software-Defined Networking (SDN) technologies, and Mobile Edge Computing (MEC), which provides services based on the location of the terminal.

[0006] When such 5G mobile communication systems are commercialized, connected devices, which are increasing explosively, will be connected to communication networks. Accordingly, it is expected that there will be a need to enhance the functionality and performance of 5G mobile communication systems and to integrate the operation of connected devices. To this end, new research is planned to be conducted on 5G performance improvement and complexity reduction, support for AI services, support for metaverse services, and drone communication using eXtended Reality (XR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML) to efficiently support Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Mixed Reality (MR).

[0007] Furthermore, the advancement of these 5G mobile communication systems will serve as a foundation for the development of new waveforms for guaranteeing coverage in the terahertz band of 6G mobile communication technology, multi-antenna transmission technologies such as Full Dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antennas, and large-scale antennas, metamaterial-based lenses and antennas, high-dimensional spatial multiplexing technology using Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM), and Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS) technology to improve terahertz band signal coverage, as well as full duplex technology for enhancing frequency efficiency and system networks in 6G mobile communication technology, AI-based communication technology that realizes system optimization by utilizing satellites and AI from the design stage and internalizing end-to-end AI support functions, and next-generation distributed computing technology that realizes services of complexity exceeding the limits of terminal computing capabilities by utilizing ultra-high-performance communication and computing resources. It will be possible.

[0008] The present disclosure provides a method for supporting a multimodal service performed by a Session Management Function (SMF) in a wireless communication system, comprising: receiving a first message containing a Policy and Charging Control (PCC) rule from a Policy Control Function (PCF); transmitting a second message containing first Session Management (N2) information to a radio access network (RAN) through an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF); receiving a third message containing second Session Management (N2) information from the RAN through the AMF; determining Quality of Service (QoS) flow handling in consideration of multimodal characteristics; and transmitting a fourth message containing third Session Management (N2) information to the RAN through the AMF, wherein the PCC rule includes at least one of a Multimodal Service Identifier (MMS) ID, an MMS handling policy, or MMS handling information.

[0009] The present disclosure provides a method for supporting a multimodal service performed by a Radio Access Network (RAN) in a wireless communication system, comprising: receiving a first message containing first N2 SM (Session Management) information from a Session Management Function (SMF) through an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF); transmitting a second message containing second N2 SM information to the SMF through the AMF; receiving a third message containing third N2 SM information from the SMF through the AMF; and processing a Quality of Service (QoS) flow in consideration of multimodal characteristics, wherein the first N2 SM information includes at least one of a multimodal service support indicator, a Multimodal Service (MMS) handling policy, or MMS handling information.

[0010] The present disclosure provides a Session Management Function (SMF) entity for supporting multimodal services in a wireless communication system, comprising: a transceiver; and at least one processor for controlling the transceiver, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: receive a first message containing a Policy and Charging Control (PCC) rule from a Policy Control Function (PCF), transmit a second message containing first Session Management (SSM) information to a radio access network (RAN) through an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), receive a third message containing second SSM information from the RAN through the AMF, determine Quality of Service (QoS) flow processing considering multimodal characteristics, and transmit a fourth message containing third SSM information to the RAN through the AMF, wherein the PCC rule includes at least one of a Multimodal Service Identifier (MMS ID), an MMS handling policy, or MMS handling information.

[0011] The present disclosure provides a Radio Access Network (RAN) device for supporting a multimodal service in a wireless communication system, comprising: a transceiver; and at least one processor for controlling the transceiver, wherein the at least one processor receives a first message containing first N2 SM (Session Management) information from a Session Management Function (SMF) through an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), transmits a second message containing second N2 SM information to the SMF through the AMF, receives a third message containing third N2 SM information from the SMF through the AMF, and is configured to handle a Quality of Service (QoS) flow in consideration of multimodal characteristics, and wherein the first N2 SM information includes at least one of a multimodal service support indicator, a Multimodal Service (MMS) handling policy, or MMS handling information.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method performed by a session management function (SMF) entity in a wireless communication system comprises: a multi-modal service ID (MMSID) and multi-modal service policy information transmitted from the AF to the PCF; and service requirements for each data flow that belongs to the multi-modal service associated with the multi-modal service ID (e.g.A step of receiving updated policy control information and a QoS monitoring policy including required QoS parameters generated based on QoS information and service requirements for each data flow, and QoS monitoring requirements for each data flow; a step of generating an N4 rule including QoS profile creation and QoS monitoring requirements based on PCC rule information including policy control information and a QoS monitoring policy, which includes a Multi-Modal Service ID (MMSID), QoS parameters per service data flow related to multimodal service, from the PCF; a step of transmitting multimodal service support indicator information to the RAN to check whether multimodal service is supported; a step of receiving multimodal service support information from the RAN, which includes information on whether multimodal service is supported or information on the multimodal service method that is supported; and a step of, after receiving multimodal service support information from the RAN, determining a Priority level or ARP (allocation and retention priority) considering the media characteristics or service characteristics of QoS flows grouped under the same Multimodal Service ID according to the multimodal service method It may include the steps of setting and generating information, and transmitting N2 SM information including Priority level or ARP information and MMSID, considering the media characteristics or service characteristics of QoS flows grouped with the same multimodal service ID generated, to the RAN.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method performed by a Radio Access Network (RAN) entity in a wireless communication system comprises: receiving multimodal service support indicator information that checks whether multimodal service is supported from an SMF; transmitting multimodal service support-related information of the RAN, including whether multimodal service is supported or information on a multimodal service method that supports multimodal service, to the SMF; receiving N2 SM information including a Priority level or ARP information and an MMSID that considers the media characteristics or service characteristics of QoS flows grouped by the same generated multimodal service ID; transmitting a multimodal service ID (MMS ID), mapping information between QoS flows bound to the MMS ID, a multimodal service support indicator, a multimodal service policy, or multimodal service support information from a Source RAN to a Target RAN during a RAN handover procedure according to the movement of a terminal, etc.; and transmitting a multimodal service ID (MMS ID), mapping information between QoS flows bound to the MMS ID, a multimodal service support indicator, a multimodal service policy, or multimodal service support information from the Source RAN. Steps for managing handover acceptance (Admission control) and generating related information for QoS flows bound to multimodal service IDs based on multimodal service policy or multimodal service support information received from the Target RAN, and result information of handover acceptance control (Admission control) for QoS flows bound to multimodal service IDs based on multimodal service policy or multimodal service support information from the Target RAN (e.g.It may include the step of forwarding QoS Flows of a PDU Session are not accepted by the Target NG-RAN, rejected PDU Session by the Target NG-RAN, List of PDU Sessions to Hand-over with N2 SM information, List of PDU Sessions that failed to be established with the failure cause given in the N2 SM information element) to the AMF.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing an example of a network structure and interface of a 5G system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of transmitting multimodal service-related information received from AF to RAN in a PCF according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIGS. 3a and 3b illustrate an example of checking whether a RAN supports a multimodal service and transmitting multimodal service-related information based on multimodal-related information received from an AF within a PCC rule in an SMF according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIGS. 4a and 4b illustrate an example of a handover acceptance control method for a QoS flow supporting multimodal services during a handover procedure between NG-RAN according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 5 shows an example of a handover acceptance control method for a QoS flow that supports multimodal services during a handover procedure between NG-RAN according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 6 is an exemplary diagram of a method for supporting multimodal services in SMF according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 7 is an exemplary diagram of a method for supporting multimodal services in a RAN according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 8 is a drawing illustrating the device configuration of an SMF according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 9 is a drawing illustrating the device configuration of a RAN according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] 3GPP, which is responsible for cellular mobile communication standards, has named a new core network structure the 5G core (5GC) and is proceeding with standardization to facilitate the evolution from 4G LTE systems to 5G systems. Compared to the Evolved Packet Core (EPC), which is the network core for 4G, 5GC can support the following differentiated features.

[0024] Network slicing capabilities are introduced in 5GC. As a requirement for 5G, 5GC must support various types of terminals and services. Examples include enhanced Mobile BroadBand (eMBB), Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communications (URLC), and massive Machine Type Communications (mMTC). Each of these terminals / services may have different requirements for the core network. For instance, eMBB services may require high data rates, while URLLC services may require high stability and low latency. Network slicing technology has been proposed to satisfy these diverse service requirements.

[0025] Network slicing refers to a method of creating multiple logical networks (e.g., network slices) by virtualizing a single physical network. An active network slice can be referred to as a network slice instance (NSI), and each network slice instance can have different characteristics. Mobile operators can satisfy various service requirements for terminals / services by configuring network functions (NFs) suited to the characteristics of each NSI. For example, mobile operators can efficiently support various 5G services (e.g., eMBB, URLLC, or mMTC) by allocating an NSI that matches the characteristics of the service required by each terminal.

[0026] 5GC facilitates support for network virtualization paradigms by separating mobility management functions and session management functions. In 4G LTE, all terminals can receive services from the network through signaling exchanges with a single core entity called the Mobility Management Entity (MME), which is responsible for registration, authentication, mobility management, and session management functions. In 5G, as the number of terminals (e.g., including MTC terminals) increases explosively and the mobility and traffic / session characteristics that must be supported vary depending on the terminal type, having a single entity (e.g., MME) support all functions inevitably leads to reduced scalability, which requires adding entities for specific functions. Therefore, to improve scalability in terms of the functional / implementation complexity and signaling load of the core entity responsible for the control plane, various functions are being developed based on a structure that separates mobility management functions and session management functions.

[0027] Embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, in describing the present disclosure, specific descriptions of related known functions or configurations are omitted if it is determined that such detailed descriptions would unnecessarily obscure the essence of the present disclosure. Additionally, terms used below are defined considering their functions in the present disclosure, and these may vary depending on the intentions or practices of the user or operator. Therefore, their definitions should be based on the content throughout this specification.

[0028] For the same reason, some components in the attached drawings have been exaggerated, omitted, or schematically depicted. Additionally, the dimensions of each component do not entirely reflect their actual dimensions. Identical or corresponding components in each drawing may be assigned the same reference number.

[0029] The advantages and features of the technical concept according to the present disclosure, and the methods for achieving them, will become clear by referring to the embodiments described below in detail together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below but may be implemented in various different forms. These embodiments are provided merely to make the present disclosure complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the disclosure, and the present disclosure is defined only by the scope of the claims. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals may refer to the same components.

[0030] Hereinafter, the base station is an entity that performs resource allocation for terminals and may be at least one of an eNode B, Node B, BS (Base Station), RAN (Radio Access Network), AN (Access Network), RAN node, wireless access unit, base station controller, or a node on a network. The terminal may include a UE (User Equipment), MS (Mobile Station), cellular phone, smartphone, computer, or a multimedia system capable of performing communication functions. In this disclosure, the downlink (DL) refers to the wireless transmission path of a signal transmitted by the base station to the terminal, and the uplink (UL) refers to the wireless transmission path of a signal transmitted by the terminal to the base station.

[0031] In addition, while one or more embodiments of the present disclosure may be described below using LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE-A (LTE-Advanced), or 5G (5th-generation) systems as examples, one or more embodiments of the present disclosure may also be applied to other communication systems having similar technical backgrounds or channel types. For example, 5th-generation mobile communication technology (5G, new radio, NR) developed after LTE-A may be included in a system to which the embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied, and the 5G below may be a concept that includes existing LTE, LTE-A, and other similar services. Furthermore, the embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to other communication systems with some modifications made at the discretion of a person with skilled technical knowledge, without significantly departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0032] It will be understood that each block of the process flow diagrams and combinations of the flow diagrams can be executed by computer program instructions. Since these computer program instructions can be loaded into the processor of a general-purpose computer, a specialized computer, or other programmable data processing equipment, the instructions executed through the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing equipment create means to perform the functions described in the flow diagram block(s). Since these computer program instructions can also be stored in computer-available or computer-readable memory that can be directed toward the computer or other programmable data processing equipment to implement the function in a specific way, the instructions stored in such computer-available or computer-readable memory can also produce a manufactured item containing the means of instruction to perform the function described in the flow diagram block(s). Since computer program instructions can be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing equipment, instructions that perform a series of operation steps on the computer or other programmable data processing equipment to create a process executed by the computer can also provide steps for executing the functions described in the flowchart block(s).

[0033] Additionally, each block may represent a module, segment, or part of code containing one or more executable instructions for executing a specified logical function(s). It should also be noted that in some alternative execution examples, the functions mentioned in the blocks may occur out of order. For example, two blocks described in succession may actually be executed substantially simultaneously, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in reverse order.

[0034] As used in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the term “part” refers to a software or hardware component, such as a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), and the “part” may perform certain roles. However, the “part” is not limited to software or hardware. The “part” may be configured to reside in an addressable storage medium or may be configured to run one or more processors. Thus, by example, the “part” includes components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components, and task components, as well as processes, functions, attributes, procedures, subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuits, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables. The functions provided within the components and “parts” may be combined into a smaller number of components and “parts” or further separated into additional components and “parts.” In addition, the components and 'parts' may be implemented to utilize one or more CPUs within the device or secure multimedia card. Also, in the embodiments, 'parts' may include one or more processors.

[0035] In the case of metaverse and XR applications, terminals must transmit and receive a large amount of traffic, so effectively processing traffic requires solving significant technical problems, unlike in existing applications. Unlike previous research, which has mainly focused on effectively transmitting traffic from application servers to terminals, effectively processing the large volume of traffic and service flows with various characteristics in metaverse / XR traffic presents a new challenge that must be addressed.

[0036] For metaverse and XR applications, a large amount of data must be transmitted, and methods to reduce network congestion can be applied to effectively schedule this.

[0037] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing an example of a network structure and interface of a 5G system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] The network entity included in the network structure of the 5G system of Fig. 1 may include a network function (NF) depending on the system implementation.

[0039] Referring to Fig. 1, the network structure of a 5G system may include various network entities. For example, a 5G system includes an authentication server function (AUSF(107)), a network slice selection function (NSSF(101)), a network repository function (NRF(103)), a (core) access and mobility management function (AMF(108)), a session management function (SMF(109)), a policy control function (PCF(104)), an application function (AF(106)), unified data management (UDM(105)), a data network (DN(113)), a network exposure function (NEF(102)), an edge application service domain repository (EDR), an edge application server (EAS), an EAS discovery function (EASDF), and a user plane function, It may include a UPF (112)), a (radio) access network ((R)AN (111)), and a terminal, i.e., a user device (user equipment, UE (110)).

[0040] Each NF of the 5G system can support the following functions.

[0041] AUSF (107) can process and store data for the authentication of UE (110).

[0042] The AMF (108) provides functions for access and mobility management at the UE (110) level, and can be connected to one AMF (108) by default per UE (110). Specifically, the AMF (108) can support signaling between Core Network (CN) nodes for mobility between 3GPP access networks, termination of Radio Access Network (RAN) Control Plane (CP) interfaces (i.e., N2 interfaces), termination of Non Access Stratum (NAS) signaling (N1), NAS signaling security (NAS ciphering and integrity protection), Access Stratum (AS) security control, registration management (registration area management), connection management, idle mode UE reachability (including control and execution of paging retransmission), mobility management control (subscription and policy), support for intra-system mobility and inter-system mobility, support for network slicing, and SMF (109) selection. Additionally, the AMF (108) may support functions such as Lawful Intercept (LI) (for AMF events and interfaces to LI systems), providing the delivery of Session Management (SM) messages between the UE (110) and the SMF (109), a transparent proxy for routing SM messages, access authentication, access authorization including roaming authorization checks, providing the delivery of SMS messages between the UE (110) and the SMSF, a Security Anchor Function (SAF) and / or Security Context Management (SCM).Some or all of the functions of the AMF (108) can be supported within a single instance of the AMF (108).

[0043] DN (113) may mean, for example, operator services, internet access, or third-party services. DN (113) can transmit downlink protocol data units (PDUs) to UPF or receive PDUs transmitted from UE from UPF.

[0044] PCF (104) can receive information about packet flow from an application server and provide functions to determine policies such as mobility management and session management. Specifically, PCF (104) can support functions such as supporting a unified policy framework to control network behavior, providing policy rules so that control plane function(s) (e.g., AMF, SMF, etc.) can enforce policy rules, and front-end implementations to access relevant subscription information for policy decisions within a User Data Repository (UDR).

[0045] The SMF (109) provides session management functions, and if a UE has multiple sessions, each session may be managed by a different SMF (109). Specifically, the SMF (109) may support session management (e.g., session establishment, modification, and termination including maintaining a tunnel between a UPF and a (R)AN node), UE IP address allocation and management (optional, including authentication), selection and control of UP functions, traffic steering settings to route traffic from the UPF to an appropriate destination, termination of interfaces toward policy control functions, enforcement of control parts of policies and QoS (Quality of Service), and lawful interception (for SM events and interfaces to LI systems). Additionally, the SMF (109) can support functions such as termination of the SM portion of a NAS message, downlink data notification, initiator of AN-specific SM information (transmitted to (R)AN via N2 through the AMF), determination of the session's SSC mode, and roaming functions. Some or all of the functions of the SMF (109) may be supported within a single instance of the SMF (109).

[0046] The UDM (105) stores user subscription data, policy data, etc. The UDM (105) may include two parts: an application front end (FE) and a user data repository (UDR).

[0047] The FE may include a UDM FE responsible for location management, subscription management, and credential processing, and a PCF responsible for policy control. The UDR can store data required for the functions provided by the UDM-FE and policy profiles required by the PCF. The data stored in the UDR may include user subscription data, such as subscription identifiers, security credentials, access and mobility-related subscription data, and session-related subscription data, as well as policy data. The UDM-FE can access subscription information stored in the UDR and support functions such as authentication credential processing, user identification handling, access authentication, enrollment / mobility management, subscription management, and SMS management.

[0048] UPF (112) can forward downlink PDUs received from DN to UE via (R)AN and forward uplink PDUs received from UE to DN via (R)AN. Specifically, UPF (112) can support anchor points for intra / inter RAT mobility, external PDU session points for interconnects to data networks, packet routing and forwarding, user plane portions for packet inspection and policy rule enforcement, lawful intercept, traffic usage reporting, and uplink classifiers to support routing of traffic flows to data networks. Additionally, the UPF (112) may support functions such as branching points to support multi-homed PDU sessions, QoS handling for the user plane (e.g., packet filtering, gating, uplink / downlink rate enforcement), uplink traffic verification (SDF mapping between Service Data Flow (SDF) and QoS flow), transport level packet marking within the uplink and downlink, downlink packet buffering, and downlink data notification triggering. Some or all of the functions of the UPF may be supported within a single instance of the UPF (112).

[0049] AF (106) can interact with the 3GPP core network to provide services (e.g., support for application impact on traffic routing, access to network capability exposure, and interaction with policy frameworks for policy control).

[0050] (R)AN can be a collective term for a new radio access network that supports both evolved E-UTRA, which is an evolved version of 4G radio access technology, and new radio (NR) (e.g., gNB).

[0051] The gNB can support functions for radio resource management (e.g., radio bearer control, radio admission control, connection mobility control, dynamic allocation of resources (i.e., scheduling) to UEs in uplink / downlink), IP (internet protocol) header compression, encryption and integrity protection of user data streams, selection of AMF at UE attachment when routing to AMF is not determined from information provided to UE, routing of user plane data to UPF(s), routing of control plane information to AMF, and connection setup and termination. In addition, the gNB can support functions such as scheduling and transmission of paging messages (generated from AMF), scheduling and transmission of system broadcast information (generated from AMF or Operating and Maintenance (O&M), measurement and measurement reporting settings for mobility and scheduling, transport level packet marking on the uplink, session management, support for network slicing, QoS flow management and mapping to data wireless bearers, support for UEs in inactive mode, distribution of NAS messages, NAS node selection, wireless access network sharing, dual connectivity, and tight interworking between NR and E-UTRA.

[0052] UE (110) may refer to a user device. The user device may be referred to by terms such as terminal, ME (mobile equipment), MS (mobile station). Additionally, the user device may be a portable device such as a laptop, mobile phone, PDA (personal digital assistant), smartphone, multimedia device, etc., or it may be a non-portable device such as a PC (personal computer) or vehicle-mounted device.

[0053] NEF (102) may provide means to securely expose services and capabilities for third parties, internal exposure / re-exposure, application functions, and edge computing, provided by 3GPP network functions. NEF (102) may receive information from other NF(s) (based on the exposed capability(s) of other NF(s). NEF (102) may store the received information as structured data using a standardized interface to a data storage network function. The stored information may be re-exposed to other NF(s) and AF(s) by NEF (102) and used for other purposes such as analysis.

[0054] EASDF can be an NF that can add ECS (EDNS Client Subnet) options, which can be expressed as the address of the DNS server to forward the terminal's DNS (Domain Name System) requests for each FQDN (Fully Qualified Domain Name) and the IP subnet address that must be added when forwarding the terminal's DNS requests. EASDF receives EAS domain configuration information from EDR and, based on the received information, can perform processing on DNS request messages received from the terminal.

[0055] Additionally, the EASDF may be an NF that receives the terminal IP address, the terminal's location information within 3GPP, DNS message processing rules, and DNS message reporting rules from the SMF, processes DNS query messages received from the terminal and DNS response messages received from the DNS server, and transmits information within DNS messages and processed statistical information therefrom to the SMF in accordance with DNS message reporting rules. The NRF may support service discovery functions. The NRF may receive NF discovery requests from NF instances and provide information about discovered NF instances to the NF instances. Additionally, the NRF may maintain available NF instances and the services they support.

[0056] Meanwhile, for convenience of explanation, FIG. 1 illustrates a reference model for the case where a UE accesses a single DN using a single PDU session, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0057] The UE (110) can access two (i.e., local and central) data networks simultaneously using multiple PDU sessions. In this case, two SMFs may be selected for different PDU sessions. However, each SMF may have the ability to control both the local UPF and the central UPF within the PDU session.

[0058] In addition, the UE can simultaneously access two data networks (i.e., a local and a central) provided within a single PDU session.

[0059] In 3GPP systems, a conceptual link connecting NFs within a 5G system can be defined as a reference point. For example, the reference point(s) included in the 5G system of FIG. 1 are as follows.

[0060] - N1: Reference point between UE (110) and AMF (108)

[0061] - N2: Reference point between (R)AN(111) and AMF(108)

[0062] - N3: Reference point between (R)AN(111) and UPF(112)

[0063] - N4: Reference point between SMF (109) and UPF (112)

[0064] - N5: Reference point between PCF (112) and AF (106)

[0065] - N6: Reference point between UPF (112) and DN (113)

[0066] - N7: Reference point between SMF (109) and PCF (104)

[0067] - N8: Reference point between UDM (105) and AMF (108)

[0068] - N9: Reference point between 2 core UPFs

[0069] - N10: Reference point between UDM (105) and SMF (109)

[0070] - N11: Reference point between AMF (108) and SMF (109)

[0071] - N12: Reference point between AMF (108) and AUSF (107)

[0072] - N13: Reference point between UDM (105) and AUSF (107)

[0073] - N14: Reference point between 2 AMFs (108)

[0074] - N15: Reference point between PCF (104) and AMF (108) in the case of a non-roaming scenario, reference point between PCF (104) and AMF (108) within the visited network in the case of a roaming scenario

[0075] - Nx: Reference point between SMF(109) and EASDF

[0076] - Ny: Reference point between NEF(EDF) and EASDF

[0077] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of transmitting multimodal service-related information received from AF to RAN in a PCF according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0078] Referring to FIG. 2, the AF (202) can determine a request for a multimodal service to appropriately process service data flows constituting the same service on the control plane through a 5G system, considering characteristic information of the service data flows in the 5GC and RAN according to multimodal service requirements. A service provider according to an embodiment of the present invention may request the processing of packets within an appropriate QoS flow based on characteristic information of the media constituting each service data flow, considering the correlation between service data flows constituting the same service. For example, in the case of a service composed of three media types such as audio (A in FIG. 2), video (V in FIG. 2), and haptic (H in FIG. 2), service data flows for each media type may be transmitted from the AS to the UPF (207). A multimodal service may mean a service that includes multiple media types (i.e., modalities). In this case, AF (202) can bind each service data flow to a single multimodal service ID and then transmit the MMS ID and QoS or service requirement information for processing the service data flow constituting the multimodal service together to PCF (201). The service requirements associated with the MMS ID may include information for processing each QoS flow when a handover or congestion situation occurs in the NG-RAN (such as a multimodal service policy, MMS integrated handling information, MMS integrated handling indication, or joint admission control requirement including joint admission control policy).Additionally, the requirements related to multimodal service may include acceptable delay threshold or synchronization threshold values ​​between each QoS flow. For example, AF (202) may perform an action to control the delay within the delay threshold or synchronization threshold by reducing the value of the transmission delay difference between each QoS flow through the application of alternative QoS requirements to reduce the delay between QoS flows or by updating QoS parameters when the delay between QoS flows transmitting video and audio media exceeds 50ms.

[0079] Afterwards, AF (202) can transmit to PCF (201) the Multi-Modal Service ID (MMSID), Multi-Modal Service policy information (e.g., joint admission control requirement including joint admission control policy), and service requirements for each data flow that belongs to the multi-modal service related to the Multi-Modal Service ID (e.g., QoS information and service requirements for each data flow, QoS monitoring requirements for each data flow).

[0080] Based on the Multi-Modal Service ID (MMSID) and Multi-Modal Service Policy Information (e.g., Joint Admission Control Requirement, Joint Admission Control Policy) and Service Requirements for Each Data Flow That Belongs to the Multi-Modal Service ID (e.g., QoS Information and Service Requirements for Each Data Flow, QoS Monitoring Requirements for Each Data Flow) received from AF (202), PCF can perform PCC rule creation or update operations including updated policy control information and QoS monitoring policy, including required QoS parameters.

[0081] The SMF (204), having received from the PCF (201) policy control information including multimodal service-related information (MMSID and joint admission control policy) and PCC rules including QoS monitoring policy, can request the UPF (207) to perform QoS monitoring operations for QoS flows that support the multimodal service requested by the PCF based on the QoS monitoring policy. Additionally, the SMF (204) can determine whether the NG-RAN supports multimodal services based on the multimodal service-related information (e.g., MMSID) within the PCC rules. If the NG-RAN is informed that multimodal services are supported during the terminal's PDU session establishment request procedure, the SMF (204) may skip the procedure to check for support. If the support for multimodal services can be changed according to the status of the NG-RAN based on the policy of the service provider, etc., the SMF (204) may need to check whether multimodal services are supported by transmitting information related to whether multimodal services are supported (e.g., Indication for supporting MMS to NG-RAN for a corresponding QoS flow in UL and / or DL ​​direction) to the NG-RAN regardless of the multimodal service support indicator information received from the NG-RAN during the terminal's PDU session establishment request procedure.

[0082] Based on the multimodal service support information requested by the SMF (e.g., Indication for supporting MMS to NG-RAN for a corresponding QoS flow in UL and / or DL ​​direction or MMSID and joint admission control policy / joint admission control indication), the NG-RAN may consider status information in the NG-RAN, the network operator's policy, and whether the NG-RAN supports multimodal services, and if the NG-RAN supports multimodal services, transmit to the SMF multimodal service handling policy or information (e.g., MMS integrated handling information or indication) or multimodal service-based handling support indication (e.g., MMS based handling support indication). The NG-RAN may simply transmit only the information regarding the support for the multimodal service requested by the SMF through the multimodal service-based handling support indication, or additionally transmit the multimodal service handling policy or information (e.g., MMS integrated handling information or indication) supported by the NG-RAN together. Multimodal service processing policies or information supported by NG-RAN (e.g., joint admission control policy / joint admission control indication) may include information regarding handover acceptance control methods, etc., when performing a handover procedure due to movement of a terminal in the NG-RAN.

[0083] For example, when considering the processing of QoS flows for multimodal services based on the operator's configuration, if the acceptance of a handover for a single QoS flow is rejected as the default multimodal service processing policy, it may be determined to reject the acceptance of handovers for all QoS flows bound to the multimodal service ID. Alternatively, based on the network operator's configuration or the service provider's request, an action may be performed to accept handover requests for at least one QoS flow based on priority.

[0084] The basic policy for processing QoS flows considering multimodal services can be set to an action that performs scheduling starting with the QoS flow having priority, based on the priority information of the QoS flow, during the terminal handover procedure in the NG-RAN or during congestion situations in the NG-RAN. In this case, the AF may transmit additional multimodal service processing policies or information (e.g., MMS integrated handling information or indication, or joint admission control policy / joint admission control indication) to the PCF to perform QoS processing actions for multimodal service support, such as rejecting the handover request of all QoS flows or not transmitting them to the terminal if one or more QoS flows do not have their handover requests accepted or are not transmitted to the terminal during scheduling in the NG-RAN. In the above multimodal service processing policies or information, the joint admission control indication may refer to indicator information indicating that QoS flows bound to the multimodal service ID must be processed together during congestion situations or the handover acceptance process. Upon receiving this, the NG-RAN may drop related packets when congested with QoS flows bound to the multimodal service, or if the handover of one or more QoS flows is rejected during the handover acceptance procedure, it may reject the handover of related bound QoS flows together. In the multimodal service processing policy or information mentioned above, the joint admission control policy may process QoS flows bound to the multimodal service ID together according to the information within the policy, or process QoS flows bound to the multimodal service ID based on priority according to the network operator's policy.

[0085] When the SMF (204) performs processing of QoS flows considering multimodal services based on the multimodal service processing policy or information received from the NG-RAN according to priority information among QoS flows, the SMF (204) can generate priority information to support this and transmit it to the NG-RAN. When transmitting the priority, the SMF can transmit the MMSID and mapping information of QoS flows bound to the MMSID (e.g., QFI (QoS flow Id)) together to the NG-RAN. Additionally, the priority information of QoS flows can be newly set among the QoS flows configuring the multimodal service in the SMF, or utilize the ARP (allocation and retention priority) within the existing QoS profile or the Priority level information within the QoS parameter.

[0086] When a handover procedure is performed in which the NG-RAN changes due to terminal movement, etc., the Source NG-RAN may transmit the MMS ID, mapping info between MMSID and QoS flows, MMS-based handling support indication and / or MMS handling policy / information (e.g., MMS integrated handling information or joint admission control policy / joint admission control indication) from the Source NG-RAN to the Target NG-RAN through a Source to Target transparent container (N2 Handover case) or directly through an Xn interface (Xn Handover case). The Target NG-RAN, having received a handover request for QoS flows including a handover request for QoS flows constituting a multimodal service from the Source NG-RAN, may perform a handover acceptance control operation based on the multimodal service-related information received from the Source NG-RAN, depending on whether the Target NG-RAN supports the multimodal service. If the Target NG-RAN does not support the multimodal service, a standard handover procedure may be performed. However, if the Target NG-RAN supports multimodal services, it can perform handover acceptance control operations for QoS flows configuring multimodal services based on multimodal service processing policies or information (e.g., MMS integrated handling information or indication) received from the existing Source RAN.If the processing of one or more QoS flows among the QoS flows constituting the entire multimodal service within the multimodal service processing policy fails in the NG-RAN, a policy setting (joint admission control policy / joint admission control indication) may be configured to perform an action of refusing the transmission or acceptance of handover for all QoS flows. Based on the above multimodal processing policy or information, if the Target NG-RAN does not accept or support handover requests for one or more QoS flows, it may refuse handover requests for all QoS flows constituting the multimodal service. However, if the policy is configured to process QoS flows based on priority information within the multimodal service processing policy (joint admission control policy / joint admission control indication), the Target NG-RAN may decide to accept handover requests starting with the QoS flow having the highest priority based on the priority information among the QoS flows. If the processing of one or more QoS flows fails according to the multimodal service processing policy, or if the processing of all QoS flows is treated as rejected or failed, the failure of handover for the QoS flows or the failure of scheduling in the NG-RAN can be transmitted to the PCF via the SMF, thereby transmitting the processing results of the QoS flows considering the multimodal service in the NG-RAN to the AF. Additionally, the SMF (204) can determine whether the processing of the QoS flow related to the rejected QoS flow was properly performed based on the QoS flow information that rejected the handover request received from the Target NG-RAN, if the QoS flow is a QoS flow bound to the multimodal service. If the requirements for supporting the multimodal service received from the AF (e.g.If the PCC rule information received from the PCF (201) based on the joint admission control requirement includes requirements for supporting multimodal services, the SMF (204) can determine whether the handover acceptance control (Admission control) decision was properly made based on the information of QoS flows that were accepted or rejected during the handover procedure received from the Target NG-RAN (List of PDU Sessions to Hand-over with N2 SM information, List of PDU Sessions that failed to be established with the failure cause given in the N2 SM information element). If the Target NG-RAN fails to make an appropriate handover acceptance control decision or fails to support multimodal services based on multimodal service information and multimodality-related policy information, the SMF (204) can perform a handover acceptance control (Admission control) operation per QoS flow (accepting or rejecting handover to the Target NG-RAN of the QoS flow) to perform an appropriate handover operation based on the joint admission control policy / joint admission control indication. SMF (204) can accept a handover acceptance control operation to reject the acceptance of the HO for one or more QoS flows bound to a multimodal service together when the HO is rejected by one or more QoS flows based on the joint admission control policy / joint admission control indication received from AF (202) through PCF (201).Additionally, the SMF (204) may decide to perform a handover acceptance control operation for at least one QoS flow when it receives information regarding priority information to process QoS flows bound to a multimodal service based on the information within the joint admission control policy / joint admission control indication received from the PCF (201). Multimodality-related policy information may be set differently for each multimodal service ID and transmitted to the SMF (204) and NG-RAN.

[0087] FIGS. 3a and 3b illustrate an example of checking whether a RAN supports a multimodal service and transmitting multimodal service-related information based on multimodal-related information received from an AF within a PCC rule in an SMF according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0088] In step S301, AF can determine a request for a multimodal service to appropriately process service data flows constituting the same service on the control plane through the 5G system, considering characteristic information of the service data flows in the 5GC and RAN according to multimodal service requirements. A service provider according to an embodiment of the present invention may request processing of packets within an appropriate QoS flow based on characteristic information of the media constituting each service data flow, considering the correlation between service data flows constituting the same service.

[0089] In step S302, the AF may bind one or more service data flows to a single multimodal service ID and then transmit the corresponding MMS ID and QoS or service requirement information for processing the service data flows constituting the multimodal service together to the PCF. The service requirement (joint admission control requirement) associated with the MMS ID may include information for processing each QoS flow when a handover or congestion situation occurs in the NG-RAN (multimodal service policy, MMS integrated handling information, MMS integrated handling indication, or joint admission control policy / joint admission control indication), etc. The AF may transmit the multimodal service ID and multimodal service-related requirement information (e.g., joint admission control requirement) to the NEF via the AFsessionWithQoS Create / Update request message.

[0090] In step S303, the NEF may transmit the MMSID received from the AF and QoS or service requirement information for processing the service data flow constituting the multimodal service to the PCF via a Policy Authorization create / update request message. The Policy Authorization create / update request message may include an MMS ID, multimodal service requirements, an MMS handling policy or requirements (e.g., MMS integrated handling information) or joint admission control requirements including joint admission control policy.

[0091] In steps S304 and S305, the PCF may convey to the AF, via the PolicyAuthorization_Create / update response and AFsessionWithQoS Create / update response messages, whether to accept or reject a multimodal service support request for processing service data flows constituting the same service according to multimodal service requirements. For example, the PCF may forward the PolicyAuthorization_Create / update response message to the NEF, and the NEF may forward the AFsessionWithQoS Create / update response message to the AF.

[0092] Based on the Multi-Modal Service ID (MMSID) and Multi-Modal Service Policy Information (joint Admission control requirement including joint admission control policy / joint admission control indication) received from AF in step S306a or S306b, and service requirements for each data flow that belongs to the multi-modal service related to the Multi-Modal Service ID (e.g., QoS information and service requirements for each data flow, QoS monitoring requirements for each data flow), the PCF may perform an operation to create or update PCC rules including updated policy control information including required QoS parameters, etc., and QoS monitoring policy, etc.

[0093] In step S306a, PCF can check whether the operator policy supports QoS flow processing based on multimodal service requirements in NG-RAN.

[0094] In step S306b, if the NG-RAN does not support QoS flow processing based on multimodal service requirements due to operator policy or network conditions, the PCF may perform PCC rule creation or update operations based on QoS monitoring requirements of QoS flows bound to the same multimodal service ID. If the NG-RAN supports QoS flow processing based on multimodal service requirements due to operator policy or network conditions, the PCF may perform PCC rule creation or update operations including policy control information containing multimodal service ID and multimodal service requirement information, and QoS monitoring policy. Based on the Multi-Modal Service ID (MMSID) and Multi-Modal Service Policy Information received from AF, and service requirements for each data flow associated with the Multi-Modal Service ID (e.g., QoS information and service requirements for each data flow, QoS monitoring requirements for each data flow), the PCF can perform PCC rule creation or update operations including updated policy control information containing required QoS parameters, etc., and QoS monitoring policies, etc.

[0095] In step S307, the PCF may transmit policy control information containing MMSID and multimodal service-related information (e.g., an MMS handling policy or MMS handling information including QoS flow binding information for each MMSID, or a joint admission control policy / joint admission control indication, etc.) or PCC rules containing QoS monitoring policy, etc. to the SMF via the Npcf_SMPolicyControl_Update request message. The multimodal service-related information (joint admission control policy / joint admission control indication) and MMSID may not be included in the policy control information but may be transmitted separately by being included in the PCC rule information.

[0096] In step S308, the SMF may request the UPF to perform QoS monitoring operations on QoS flows that support the multimodal service requested by the PCF, based on the QoS monitoring policy. Additionally, the SMF may know that it must check whether the NG-RAN supports multimodal services based on multimodal service-related information (e.g., MMSID, joint admission control policy / joint admission control indication) within the PCC rule. If it is received from the NG-RAN that multimodal services are supported during the terminal's PDU session establishment request procedure, the procedure to check for support may be omitted.

[0097] In step S309, the SMF may transmit N2 SM information, including a multimodal service support indicator (e.g., Indication for supporting MMS to NG-RAN for a corresponding QoS flow in UL and / or DL ​​direction), to the AMF via the Namf_Communication_N1N2MessageTransfer message to receive information on whether the NG-RAN supports multimodal services. If the support status of multimodal services can be changed according to the status of the NG-RAN based on the service provider's policy, etc., the SMF may check the support status of multimodal services by transmitting information related to whether multimodal services are supported (e.g., Indication for supporting MMS to NG-RAN for a corresponding QoS flow in UL and / or DL ​​direction) to the NG-RAN, regardless of the multimodal service support indicator information received from the NG-RAN during the terminal's PDU session establishment request procedure. If the SMF does not perform a separate check operation regarding multimodal service support, or if it receives notification from the NG-RAN that multimodal service is supported during the PDU session establishment request procedure, the SMF may include multimodal service-related information (MMSID and joint admission control policy) within the N2 SM information transmitted in step S309 and transmit it to the AMF, and steps S315 through S317 below may be omitted. The multimodal service policy information within the multimodal service-related information may be transmitted to the AMF through MMS handling policy / information (egMMS integrated handling information) or joint admission control policy / joint admission control indication, etc.

[0098] In step S310, the AMF may transmit an N2 message to the NG-RAN containing N2 SM information, such as a multimodal service support indicator (e.g., Indication for supporting MMS to NG-RAN for a corresponding QoS flow in UL and / or DL ​​direction) and / or multimodal service related information (MMSID and joint admission control policy / joint admission control indication), to receive multimodal service support information of the NG-RAN received from the SMF.

[0099] In step S311, NG-RAN can deliver an N1 SM container containing QoS rules to the terminal.

[0100] In step S312, the NG-RAN may transmit information regarding the support of the multimodal service requested by the SMF, received through the AMF via steps S309 and S310, through a multimodal service-based handling support indicator, or additionally transmit to the AMF via an N2 message response message the multimodal service handling policy or information (e.g., MMS integrated handling information or indication) supported by the NG-RAN. Based on the multimodal service support information (e.g., Indication for supporting MMS to NG-RAN for a corresponding QoS flow in UL and / or DL ​​direction or MMSID) requested by the SMF, the NG-RAN may consider the status information in the NG-RAN, the network operator's policy, and whether the NG-RAN supports the multimodal service, and if the NG-RAN supports the multimodal service, transmit to the SMF the multimodal service handling policy or information (e.g., MMS integrated handling information or indication) or the multimodal service-based handling support indicator (e.g., MMS based handling support indication).

[0101] In step S313, the AMF can transmit N2 SM information, including multimodal service handling policies or information supported by NG-RAN (e.g., MMS integrated handling information or policy) or multimodal service-based handling support indications (e.g., MMS based handling support indication) received from NG-RAN, to the SMF via the Nsmf_PDUSession_UpdateSMContext request message.

[0102] In step S314, SMF can pass the Nsmf_PDUSession_UpdateSMContext response message to AMF.

[0103] In step S315, the SMF can determine the generation and transmission of information for supporting multimodal services based on the multimodal service processing policy or information (e.g., MMS integrated handling information or indication) or multimodal service-based processing support indicator (e.g., MMS based handling support indication) received from the NG-RAN in step 13. In other words, the SMF can determine the processing of QoS flows considering multimodal characteristics. If the basic policy for processing QoS flows considering multimodal services is set to an action that performs scheduling starting with the QoS flow having priority in the NG-RAN during the terminal handover procedure or congestion situation in the NG-RAN according to the priority information of the QoS flows, the SMF can determine the processing of QoS flows considering multimodal services. In this case, AF may transmit additional multimodal service processing policies or information (e.g., MMS integrated handling information or indication) to PCF to perform QoS processing operations for multimodal service support, such as rejecting the handover request of all QoS flows or not transmitting them to the terminal when one or more QoS flows are not accepted for handover or are not transmitted to the terminal during scheduling in NG-RAN.

[0104] In step S316, if the NG-RAN performs processing of QoS flows considering multimodal services based on priority information among QoS flows according to the multimodal service processing policy or information received by the SMF from the NG-RAN, the SMF may generate priority information to support this and transmit it to the NG-RAN. Additionally, the priority information of QoS flows may be newly set by the SMF among the QoS flows constituting the multimodal service, or priority level information within the ARP in the existing QoS profile or QoS parameter may be utilized. When transmitting the priority, the SMF may also transmit the MMSID and mapping information (e.g., QFI) of the QoS flows bound to the MMSID to the NG-RAN. N2 SM information including priority information (e.g., ARP), information on QoS flows bound to the multimodal service ID, and joint admission control policy / joint admission control indications can be transmitted from SMF to AMF via the Namf_Communication_N1N2MessageTransfer message according to the above multimodal service ID and multimodal service processing policy or information.

[0105] At step S317, the AMF, having received N2 SM information including a multimodal service ID and a multimodal service processing policy (joint admission control policy / joint admission control indication) or priority information per QoS flow according to the multimodal service processing policy, and information on QoS flows bound to the multimodal service ID, can transmit the N2 SM information to the NG-RAN using an N2 message. Subsequently, the NG-RAN can perform processing of QoS flows bound to the multimodal service ID based on multimodal service requirement information. Specifically, the NG-RAN can perform processing of each QoS flow based on the multimodal service processing policy (joint admission control policy / joint admission control indication) information for each multimodal service ID.

[0106] FIGS. 4a and 4b illustrate an example of a handover acceptance control method for a QoS flow supporting multimodal services during a handover procedure between NG-RAN according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0107] When a handover procedure is performed in which the NG-RAN changes due to terminal movement, etc., and the current Source NG-RAN supports the processing of QoS flows considering multimodal service requirements, the Source NG-RAN can directly transmit multimodal service-related information received from the SMF (e.g., MMS ID, mapping info between MMSID and QoS flows, MMS-based handling support indication and / or MMS handling policy / information (e.g., MMS integrated handling information)) to the Target NG-RAN through the Xn interface (Xn Handover case). If the processing of one or more QoS flows fails according to the multimodal service processing policy, or if the processing of all QoS flows is rejected or treated as a failure, the failure of the handover of the relevant QoS flows or the failure of scheduling in the NG-RAN can be transmitted to the PCF via the SMF, thereby transmitting the processing results of the QoS flows considering multimodal services from the NG-RAN to the AF.

[0108] In step S401, the Source NG-RAN (402) can transmit multimodal service-related information received from the SMF (405) (e.g., MMS ID, mapping info between MMSID and QoS flows, MMS based handling support indication and / or MMS handling policy / information (e.g., MMS integrated handling information) or joint admission control policy / joint admission control indication) to the Target NG-RAN (403) using an Xn Handover Request message.

[0109] In step S402, the Target NG-RAN, having received handover requests for QoS flows including handover requests for QoS flows constituting a multimodal service from the Source NG-RAN, can perform handover admission control based on multimodal service-related information received from the Source NG-RAN, depending on whether the Target NG-RAN supports multimodal services. If the Target NG-RAN does not support multimodal services, the Source NG-RAN and the Target NG-RAN can perform a general handover procedure. If the Target NG-RAN supports multimodal services, they can perform handover admission control for QoS flows constituting the multimodal service based on the multimodal service handling policy or information (e.g., MMS integrated handling information or indication) received from the existing Source RAN. If the processing of one or more QoS flows among the QoS flows constituting the entire multimodal service within the multimodal service processing policy fails in the NG-RAN, the policy may be configured to perform an action of refusing the transmission or handover acceptance of all QoS flows. Based on the above multimodal processing policy or information, if the Target NG-RAN does not accept or support the handover request of one or more QoS flows, the handover request of all QoS flows constituting the multimodal service may be refused.However, if a policy is configured to process QoS flows based on priority information within the multimodal service processing policy, the Target NG-RAN can decide to accept handover requests starting with the QoS flow that has the highest priority based on priority information among the QoS flows.

[0110] In step S403, the Target NG-RAN may decide whether to accept the handover of QoS flows constituting the multimodal service based on the information regarding multimodal service requirements transmitted from the Source NG-RAN in the above step, and then transmit a HANDOVER REQUEST ACKNOWLEDGE message to the Source NG-RAN. The message may include information for a conditional handover.

[0111] In step S404, the Source NG-RAN may send an RRC Reconfiguration message to the terminal.

[0112] In the case of a DRB configured as a DAPS in step S405, the Source NG-RAN can transmit an EARLY STATUS TRANSFER to the Target NG-RAN.

[0113] UE, Source NG-RAN, and Target NG-RAN may also perform the RACH (Random Access Channel) procedure.

[0114] In step S406, the Target NG-RAN can complete the conditional Handover setup by receiving an RRC Reconfiguration Complete message from the terminal.

[0115] In step S407, the Target NG-RAN can send an Xn Handover Success message to the Source NG-RAN to indicate that the preparation step for performing the handover is complete.

[0116] Source NG-RAN can forward data to Target NG-RAN.

[0117] In step S408, the Target NG-RAN can transmit N2 SM information to the AMF via an N2 Path Switch Request message, which includes result information (List of PDU Sessions To Be Switched with N2 SM Information, List of PDU Sessions that failed to be established with the failure cause given in the N2 SM information element) resulting from the decision (step S402) on whether to accept the handover of QoS flows constituting the multimodal service based on the multimodal service requirements in the Source RAN.

[0118] In step S409a, the AMF can transmit N2 SM information to the SMF via the Nsmf_PDUSession_UpdateSMContext Request message, which includes result information (List of PDU Sessions To Be Switched with N2 SM Information, List of PDU Sessions that failed to be established with the failure cause given in the N2 SM information element) resulting from the decision on whether to accept the handover of QoS flows constituting the multimodal service received from the Target NG-RAN.

[0119] In step S409b, the SMF may perform an operation to check the result of the handover acceptance control operation of the QoS flow supporting the multimodal service received from the Target NG-RAN based on the result of the handover acceptance control operation of the QoS flow supporting the multimodal service received from the Target NG-RAN (information on handover acceptance or rejection to the Target NG-RAN per QoS flow). The operation to check the result of the handover acceptance control operation of the QoS flow supporting the multimodal service may be performed based on the joint admission control policy / joint admission control indication received from the PCF. If there is an incorrect result among the results of the handover acceptance control operation received from the Target NG-RAN, the SMF may update the handover acceptance or rejection information of the corresponding QoS flow. For example, a multimodal service-related policy may be configured to process QoS flows bound to a specific multimodal service ID together, but the Target NG-RAN may fail to make an appropriate handover acceptance decision or the Target NG-RAN may not support the multimodal service. In this case, the Target NG-RAN may not be able to perform the action of processing QoS flows bound to the multimodal service ID together. Specifically, if a handover refusal is determined for one or more QoS flows bound to the multimodal service ID, the action of refusing the handover of that QoS flow along with other QoS flows bound to the multimodal service ID may not be performed. In this case, based on the result of the handover acceptance control action performed by the Target NG-RAN received from the Target NG-RAN, if the result of the acceptance control action for the QoS flows within the corresponding multimodal service ID differs (e.g.If one or more QoS flows among the QoS flows bound to the multimodal service ID refuse a handover, an action to modify the corresponding result value (e.g., an action to refuse the handover of other QoS flows bound to the multimodal service ID together) may be performed. Subsequently, based on the updated result of the QoS flow handover acceptance control action, if one or more QoS flows have refused handover acceptance as described above, the SMF may perform a PDU session modification procedure to remove the QoS flow(s) associated with that QoS flow, i.e., other QoS flows bound to the multimodal service ID. Whether to perform step S409b, which checks the result of the QoS flow handover acceptance control action in the SMF, may be determined according to the network operator's policy or configuration.

[0120] In step S410, the SMF may transmit an N4 Session Modification Request message to the UPF to update N4 rules for modifying or removing QoS flows within the UPF, based on result information (List of PDU Sessions To Be Switched with N2 SM Information, List of PDU Sessions that failed to be established with the failure cause given in the N2 SM information element) regarding the decision on whether to accept the handover of QoS flows constituting the multimodal service received from the Target NG-RAN. For example, if the handover request for all QoS flows constituting the multimodal service is rejected, the SMF may perform a resource deletion operation for the relevant QoS flows based on information indicating that PDU session establishment failed (List of PDU Sessions that failed to be established with the failure cause given in the N2 SM information element). If the handover request for some QoS flows is rejected based on priority information, the SMF may perform a resource deletion operation related to the rejected QoS flows.

[0121] In step S411, UPF can transmit the result of the N4 rule update operation requested by SMF to SMF via an N4 session change response message.

[0122] In step S412, the UPF may send one or more "N3 end marker" packets to the Source NG-RAN via the old path per N3 tunnel immediately after the path switch to support the reordering function in the Target NG-RAN. The Source NG-RAN may forward the "N3 end marker" to the Target NG-RAN. Afterwards, the UPF may begin sending downlink packets to the Target NG-RAN.

[0123] In step S413, SMF can transmit N2 SM Information containing UPF-related CN Tunnel Info to AMF via the Nsmf_PDUSession_UpdateSMContext response message.

[0124] In step S414, when the AMF receives the Nsmf_PDUSession_UpdateSMContext response from all SMFs, it transmits N2 SM Information containing aggregated CN Tunnel Info received from the AMF SMFs, along with Failed PDU Sessions information, to the Target NG-RAN using an N2 Path Switch Response message (e.g., N2 Path Switch Request Ack). The Target NG-RAN can transmit a Release Resources message to the Source NG-RAN to convey whether the Handover was successful. Based on the above message, the release of resources to the Source NG-RAN can be triggered. The terminal may initiate the Mobility Registration Update procedure if it satisfies one of the triggers for the registration procedure.

[0125] FIG. 5 shows an example of a handover acceptance control method for a QoS flow that supports multimodal services during a handover procedure between NG-RAN according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0126] Source NG-RAN can transmit information regarding whether to use a QoS flow handling service that considers multimodality characteristics and related information to Target NG-RAN.

[0127] The Target NG-RAN can determine whether to accept a handover (HO) for a QoS flow having the same multimodal service ID (MMSID) based on MMS handling policy information. If the Target NG-RAN processes all QoS flows together based on MMS handling policy information, it may reject the HO for all QoS flows and PDU sessions having the corresponding MMSID if one or more QoS flows are not supported by the Target NG-RAN. On the other hand, if considering QoS handling based on priority-based multimodality characteristics, it may accept the HO for at least one QoS flow based on priority information.

[0128] In step S501, the Source NG-RAN may send a Handover Required message to the AMF. The Handover Required message may include at least one of an MMS ID, mapping information between the MMS ID and the QoS flow, an MMS-based processing support indicator, a joint admission control policy / joint admission control and / or an MMS processing policy / information (e.g., MMS integrated handling information).

[0129] In step S502, the AMF may send an Nsmf_PDUSession_UpdateSMContext Request message to the SMF. The Nsmf_PDUSession_UpdateSMContext Request message may include at least one of an MMS ID, mapping information between the MMS ID and the QoS flow, an MMS-based processing support indicator, a joint admission control policy / joint admission control, and / or an MMS processing policy / information (e.g., MMS integrated handling information).

[0130] In step S503, the SMF can send the Nsmf_PDUSession_UpdateSMContext Response message to the AMF.

[0131] In step S504, the AMF can perform PDU Handover Response supervision.

[0132] In step S505, the AMF may send a Handover Request message to the Target NG-RAN. The Handover Request message may include at least one of an MMS ID, mapping information between the MMS ID and the QoS flow, an MMS-based processing support indicator, a joint admission control policy / joint admission control and / or an MMS processing policy / information (e.g., MMS integrated handling information).

[0133] In step S506, the Target NG-RAN can perform acceptance control for the QoS flow bound to the MMSID based on an acceptance control method for the MMS.

[0134] In step S507, the Target NG-RAN may transmit a Handover Request ACK (Acknowledgement) message to the AMF. The Target NG-RAN may transmit a Handover Request ACK message to the AMF containing result information resulting from the execution in step S506 (at least one of List of PDU Sessions To handover with N2 SM Information, List of PDU Sessions that failed to be established with the failure cause given in the N2 SM information element, PDU set based handling support indication included in the N2 SM information).

[0135] In step S508a, the AMF can send an Nsmf_PDUSession_UpdateSMContext Request message to the SMF.

[0136] In step S508b, the SMF may perform an operation to check the result of the handover acceptance control operation of the QoS flow supporting the multimodal service received from the Target NG-RAN based on the result of the handover acceptance control operation of the QoS flow supporting the multimodal service received from the Target NG-RAN (information on handover acceptance or rejection to the Target NG-RAN per QoS flow). The operation to check the result of the handover acceptance control operation of the QoS flow supporting the multimodal service may be performed based on the joint admission control policy / joint admission control indication received from the PCF. If there is an incorrect result among the results of the handover acceptance control operation received from the Target NG-RAN, the SMF may update the handover acceptance or rejection information of the corresponding QoS flow. For example, a multimodal service-related policy may be configured to process QoS flows bound to a specific multimodal service ID together, but the Target NG-RAN may fail to make an appropriate handover acceptance decision or the Target NG-RAN may not support the multimodal service. In this case, the Target NG-RAN may not be able to perform the action of processing QoS flows bound to the multimodal service ID together. Specifically, if a handover refusal is determined for one or more QoS flows bound to the multimodal service ID, the Target NG-RAN may not be able to perform the action of refusing the handover of that QoS flow along with other QoS flows bound to the multimodal service ID. In this case, based on the result of the handover acceptance control action performed by the Target NG-RAN received from the Target NG-RAN, if the result of the acceptance control action for the QoS flows within that multimodal service ID differs (e.g.One or more QoS flows among the QoS flows bound to the multimodal service ID may refuse a handover; an action to modify the corresponding result value (e.g., an action to refuse the handover of other QoS flows bound to the multimodal service ID together) can be performed. Subsequently, based on the updated result of the QoS flow handover acceptance control action, if one or more QoS flows have refused handover acceptance as described above, the SMF may perform a PDU session modification procedure to remove the QoS flow(s) associated with that QoS flow, i.e., other QoS flows bound to the multimodal service ID. Whether to perform step S508b, which checks the result of the QoS flow handover acceptance control action in the SMF, may be determined according to the network operator's policy or configuration.

[0137] In step S509a, the SMF may send an N4 Session Modification Request message to the UPF. The N4 Session Modification Request message may include at least one of a PDU session ID and an N2 SM response received from Target NG-RAN.

[0138] In step S509b, UPF can send an N4 Session Modification Response message to SMF.

[0139] In step S510, the SMF can send the Nsmf_PDUSession_UpdateSMContext Response to the AMF.

[0140] In step S511, the AMF may send a Handover Command message to the Source NG-RAN. The Handover Command message may include at least one of: List of PDU Sessions To be handed-over with N2 SM Information containing information received from T-RAN during the handover preparation phase, List of PDU Sessions failed to be setup.

[0141] FIG. 6 is an exemplary diagram of a method for supporting multimodal services in SMF according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0142] The SMF can receive a first message containing a PCC (Policy and Charging Control) rule from the PCF (Policy Control Function) (610). The PCC rule may include at least one of an MMS ID (Multimodal Service Identifier), an MMS handling policy, or MMS handling information.

[0143] The above SMF can transmit a second message containing first N2 (link between AN (Access Network) and AMF) SM (Session Management) information to the RAN through the AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function) (620). The first N2 SM information may include at least one of a multimodal service support indicator, an MMS ID (Multimodal Service Identifier), an MMS handling policy, MMS handling information, or an N1 (link between user equipment and the AMF) container.

[0144] The above SMF can receive a third message containing second N2 SM information from the RAN through the above AMF (630). The second N2 SM information may include at least one of an MMS handling policy or MMS handling information.

[0145] The above SMF can determine the Quality of Service (QoS) flow processing by taking into account multimodal characteristics. (640)

[0146] The above SMF can transmit a fourth message containing third N2 SM information to the RAN through the above AMF (650). The third N2 SM information may include MMS ID (Multimodal Service Identifier), QFI (QoS Flow Identifier), or ARP (allocation and retention priority) information within the QoS profile.

[0147] FIG. 7 is an exemplary diagram of a method for supporting multimodal services in a RAN according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0148] The RAN can receive a first message containing first N2 SM (Session Management) information from the SMF (Session Management Function) through the AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function) (710). The first N2 SM information may include at least one of a multimodal service support indicator, a Multimodal Service (MMS) handling policy, or MMS handling information. The multimodal service support indicator may be an indicator for MMS support for a QoS flow corresponding to an uplink or downlink direction.

[0149] The above RAN can transmit a second message containing second N2 SM information to the above SMF through the above AMF (720). The second message may include a Multimodal Service (MMS) handling policy or MMS handling information.

[0150] The above RAN can receive a third message containing third N2 SM information from the above SMF through the above AMF (730). The above third N2 SM information may include at least one of an MMS ID (Multimodal Service Identifier), a QoS Flow Identifier (QoS Flow Identifier), or an ARP (allocation and retention priority) priority information within a QoS profile.

[0151] The above RAN can process QoS (Quality of Service) flows by taking into account multimodal characteristics (740).

[0152] FIG. 8 illustrates the device configuration of an SMF according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0153] The operation of the SMF described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7 can be performed by the SMF (800) device of FIG. 8.

[0154] According to the method of the SMF (800) described above, the transceiver (810), control unit (820), and storage unit (830) of the SMF (800) may operate. However, the components of the SMF (800) are not limited to the examples described above. For example, the SMF (800) may include more components or fewer components than the components described above. In addition, the transceiver (810), control unit (820), and storage unit (830) may be implemented in the form of a single chip. Furthermore, the control unit (820) may include one or more processors.

[0155] The transceiver (810) is a collective term for the receiver and the transmitter of the SMF (800), and can transmit and receive signals with other devices. To this end, the transceiver (810) may be composed of an RF transmitter that up-converts and amplifies the frequency of a transmitted signal, and an RF receiver that low-noise amplifies a received signal and down-converts the frequency. However, this is merely one embodiment of the transceiver (810), and the components of the transceiver (810) are not limited to an RF transmitter and an RF receiver. In the present disclosure, the transceiver (810) may also be referred to as a transceiver.

[0156] Additionally, the transceiver (810) can receive a signal through a wireless channel and output it to the control unit (820), and transmit the signal output from the control unit (820) through the wireless channel.

[0157] The storage unit (830) can store programs and data necessary for the operation of the SMF (800). Additionally, the storage unit (830) can store control information or data included in signals obtained from the SMF (800). The storage unit (830) may be composed of a storage medium or a combination of storage media such as ROM, RAM, hard disk, CD-ROM, and DVD. Additionally, the storage unit (830) may not exist separately but may be configured to be included in the control unit (820).

[0158] The control unit (820) can control a series of processes so that the SMF (800) can operate according to the embodiment of the present disclosure described above.

[0159] FIG. 9 illustrates the device configuration of a Radio Access Network (RAN) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0160] The operation of the RAN described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7 can be performed by the RAN (900) of FIG. 9.

[0161] According to the method of the RAN (900) described above, the transceiver (910), control unit (920), and storage unit (930) of the RAN (900) may operate. However, the components of the RAN (900) are not limited to the examples described above. For example, the RAN (900) may include more components or fewer components than the components described above. In addition, the transceiver (910), control unit (920), and storage unit (930) may be implemented in the form of a single chip. Furthermore, the control unit (920) may include one or more processors.

[0162] The transceiver (910) is a collective term for the receiver and the transmitter of the RAN (900), and can transmit and receive signals with other devices. To this end, the transceiver (910) may be composed of an RF transmitter that up-converts and amplifies the frequency of a transmitted signal, and an RF receiver that low-noise amplifies a received signal and down-converts the frequency. However, this is merely one embodiment of the transceiver (910), and the components of the transceiver (910) are not limited to an RF transmitter and an RF receiver. In the present disclosure, the transceiver (910) may also be referred to as a transceiver.

[0163] Additionally, the transmitting and receiving unit (910) can receive a signal through a wireless channel and output it to the control unit (920), and transmit the signal output from the control unit (920) through the wireless channel.

[0164] The storage unit (930) can store programs and data necessary for the operation of the RAN (900). Additionally, the storage unit (930) can store control information or data included in signals obtained from the RAN (900). The storage unit (930) may be composed of a storage medium or a combination of storage media such as ROM, RAM, hard disk, CD-ROM, and DVD. Additionally, the storage unit (930) may not exist separately but may be configured to be included in the control unit (920).

[0165] The control unit (920) can control a series of processes to enable the RAN (900) to operate according to the embodiments of the present disclosure described above. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a device and a method for effectively providing services in a wireless communication system may be provided. The technical problems to be solved by the present disclosure are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood from the present disclosure by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs.

[0166] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, an apparatus and a method capable of effectively providing services in a mobile communication system may be provided. The technical effects according to one embodiment of the present disclosure are not limited to the effects described in the present disclosure, and other effects not described in the present disclosure will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the detailed description of the present disclosure.

[0167] It should be noted that the aforementioned configuration diagrams, exemplary diagrams of control / data signal transmission methods, exemplary diagrams of operation procedures, and configuration diagrams are not intended to limit the scope of the rights of the present disclosure. That is, all components, entities, or steps of operation described in the embodiments of the present disclosure should not be interpreted as essential components for the implementation of the disclosure, and may be implemented to the extent that the essence of the disclosure is not compromised even if only some components are included. Furthermore, each embodiment may be combined with one another as needed. For example, parts of the methods proposed in the present disclosure may be combined with one another to operate network entities and terminals.

[0168] The operations of the base station or terminal described above can be realized by providing a memory device storing the corresponding program code in any component within the base station or terminal device. That is, the control unit of the base station or terminal device can execute the operations described above by reading the program code stored in the memory device using a processor or CPU (Central Processing Unit) and executing it.

[0169] Various components of entities, base stations, or terminal devices and modules described in this disclosure may be operated using hardware circuits, such as, for example, complementary metal oxide semiconductor-based logic circuits, firmware, software, and / or a combination of hardware and firmware and / or software embedded in a machine-readable medium. For example, various electrical structures and methods may be implemented using electrical circuits such as transistors, logic gates, and application-specific semiconductors.

[0170] Methods according to the claims or embodiments described in the specification of the present disclosure may be implemented in the form of hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0171] When implemented in software, a computer-readable storage medium may be provided for storing one or more programs (software modules). One or more programs stored in the computer-readable storage medium are configured for execution by one or more processors within an electronic device. One or more programs include instructions that cause the electronic device to execute methods according to the embodiments described in the claims or specification of this disclosure.

[0172] Such programs (software modules, software) may be stored in random access memory, non-volatile memory including flash memory, ROM (read-only memory), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disc storage devices, compact disc-ROMs (CD-ROMs), digital versatile discs (DVDs), or other forms of optical storage devices, magnetic cassettes. Alternatively, they may be stored in memory composed of some or all of these. Additionally, each constituent memory may include multiple units.

[0173] Additionally, the program may be stored on an attachable storage device accessible via a communication network such as the internet, intranet, LAN (local area network), WLAN (wide LAN), or SAN (storage area network), or a combination thereof. Such a storage device may be connected to the device performing the embodiment of the present disclosure through an external port. Additionally, a separate storage device on the communication network may be connected to the device performing the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0174] In the specific embodiments of the present disclosure described above, the components included in the disclosure are expressed in a singular or plural form according to the specific embodiments presented. However, the singular or plural expression is selected to suit the situation presented for convenience of explanation, and the present disclosure is not limited to singular or plural components; even if a component is expressed in the plural form, it may be composed of a singular form, and even if a component is expressed in the singular form, it may be composed of a plural form.

[0175] Meanwhile, although specific embodiments have been described in the detailed description of the present disclosure, it is understood that various modifications are possible within the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be defined by the claims set forth below as well as equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A method for supporting a multimodal service performed by a session management function (SMF) in a wireless communication system, The operation of receiving a first message containing a PCC (policy and charging control) rule from a PCF (policy control function); The operation of transmitting a second message containing first N2 SM (session management) information to a RAN (radio access network) through an AMF (access and mobility management function); The operation of receiving a third message containing second N2 SM information from the RAN via the AMF; An operation to determine QoS (quality of service) flow handling by considering multimodal characteristics; and It includes the operation of transmitting a fourth message containing third N2 SM information to the RAN through the AMF, and A method characterized in that the above PCC rule includes at least one of a first MMS ID (multimodal service identifier), an MMS handling policy, or MMS handling information.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the first N2 SM information comprises at least one of a multimodal service support indicator, the first MMS ID (multimodal service identifier), the MMS handling policy, the MMS handling information, or an N1 (link between the user equipment and the AMF) container.

3. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the second N2 SM information includes at least one of the MMS handling policy or the MMS handling information.

4. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the third N2 SM information includes a second MMS ID (multimodal service identifier), QFI (QoS flow identifier), or ARP (allocation and retention priority) information within a QoS profile.

5. A method for supporting a multimodal service performed by a RAN (radio access network) in a wireless communication system, The operation of receiving a first message containing first N2 SM (session management) information from an SMF (session management function) through an AMF (access and mobility management function); The operation of transmitting a second message containing second N2 SM information to the SMF through the AMF; The operation of receiving a third message containing third N2 SM information from the SMF through the AMF; and Considering multimodal characteristics, it includes operations for processing QoS (quality of service) flows, A method characterized in that the above-mentioned first N2 SM information includes at least one of a multimodal service support indicator, an MMS (multimodal service) handling policy, or MMS handling information.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the second message comprises the MMS handling policy or the MMS handling information.

7. A method according to claim 5, characterized in that the third N2 SM information includes at least one of a second MMS ID (multimodal service identifier), a QoS flow identifier (QoS flow identifier), or an ARP (allocation and retention priority) priority information within a QoS profile.

8. A method according to claim 5, characterized in that the multimodal service support indicator is an indicator for MMS support for a QoS flow corresponding to an uplink or downlink direction.

9. In an SMF (session management function) entity for supporting a multimodal service in a wireless communication system, Transmitter / receiver; and It includes at least one processor that controls the above-mentioned transmitting and receiving unit, and The above-mentioned at least one processor is, Receive a first message containing a PCC (policy and charging control) rule from a PCF (policy control function), and A second message containing first N2 SM (session management) information is transmitted to a RAN (radio access network) through an AMF (access and mobility management function), and A third message including second N2 SM information is received from the RAN via the AMF, and Considering multimodal characteristics, determine QoS (quality of service) flow processing, and It is configured to transmit a fourth message containing third N2 SM information to the RAN through the AMF, and An SMF entity characterized in that the above PCC rule includes at least one of a first MMS ID (multimodal service identifier), an MMS handling policy, or MMS handling information.

10. An SMF entity according to claim 9, characterized in that the first N2 SM information comprises at least one of a multimodal service support identifier, the first MMS ID (multimodal service identifier), the MMS handling policy, the MMS handling information, or an N1 (link between the user equipment and the AMF) container.

11. An SMF entity according to claim 9, characterized in that the second N2 SM information includes the MMS handling policy or the MMS handling information.

12. An SMF entity according to claim 9, characterized in that the third N2 SM information includes a second MMS ID (multimodal service identifier), a QoS flow identifier (QoS flow identifier), or ARP (allocation and retention priority) priority information within a QoS profile.

13. In a radio access network (RAN) device for supporting a multimodal service in a wireless communication system, Transmitter / receiver; and It includes at least one processor that controls the above-mentioned transmitting and receiving unit, and The above-mentioned at least one processor is, A first message containing first N2 SM (session management) information is received from an SMF (session management function) through an AMF (access and mobility management function), and A second message containing second N2 SM information is transmitted to the SMF through the AMF, and A third message containing third N2 SM information is received from the SMF through the AMF, and It is configured to process QoS (quality of service) flows considering multimodal characteristics, and A device characterized in that the above-mentioned first N2 SM information includes at least one of a multimodal service support indicator, a multimodal service (MMS) handling policy, or MMS handling information.

14. A device according to claim 13, wherein the second message comprises the MMS handling policy or the MMS handling information.

15. A device according to claim 13, characterized in that the third N2 SM information includes at least one of a second MMS ID (multimodal service identifier), a QoS flow identifier (QoS flow identifier), and ARP information within a QoS profile.

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