Wireless communication system and service provision method

Abstract

A wireless communication system according to the present invention provides a service in which a network resource is used to process part of processing to be executed by a user terminal, said wireless communication system comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires user information corresponding to the user terminal managed by a core network, in response to a request for use of the service from the user terminal; a determination unit that determines, on the basis of the user information, an execution environment that is to be constructed on the user terminal and in the core network; and an execution environment control unit that constructs, on the user terminal and in the core network, the execution environment which has been determined by the determination unit.

Description

Wireless communication system and service provision method

[0001] The present invention relates to a wireless communication system and a service provision method.

[0002] In mobile networks after 6G (6th Generation), INC (In-Network Computing) is being considered, in which some of the information processing conventionally carried out by user terminals is taken over by devices in the network infrastructure to reduce the load on user terminals.

[0003] In INC, integrated management (orchestration) of the hardware resources of user terminals and the network infrastructure (hereinafter referred to as NW infrastructure) is essential. As a method for integrated management of multiple execution environments, a form of operating Kubernetes (registered trademark) (hereinafter referred to as k8s) in a multi-cluster manner is known.

[0004] "Overview", kubernetes.<https: / / kubernetes.io / docs / concepts / overview / what-is-kubernetes / >3GPP TS 23.501 V19.0.0(2024-06)<https: / / portal.3gpp.org / desktopmodules / Specifications / SpecificationDetails.aspx?specificationId=3144>

[0005] In integrated management on a mobile network, for example, a mechanism is required to allocate an appropriate amount of hardware resources to an appropriate location according to the user's current location and / or billing information, etc., and to provide an execution environment across user terminals and the NW infrastructure.

[0006] However, the current k8s has a problem that there is no mechanism to achieve the above requirements. This is the same, for example, when using a VM (Virtual Machine) or a bare metal environment.

[0007] Embodiments of the present invention have been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and enable the provision of an appropriate execution environment across the user terminal and mobile network in accordance with user information including the user's current location and / or billing information.

[0008] To solve the above problems, a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention is a wireless communication system that provides a service that processes a part of the processing performed on a user terminal using network resources, and comprises: an acquisition unit that acquires user information corresponding to the user terminal managed by the core network in response to a request from the user terminal to use the service; a determination unit that determines an execution environment to be constructed on the user terminal and the core network based on the user information; and an execution environment control unit that constructs the execution environment determined by the determination unit on the user terminal and the core network.

[0009] According to embodiments of the present invention, it becomes possible to provide an appropriate execution environment across the user terminal and mobile network in accordance with user information including the user's current location and / or billing information.

[0010] This figure shows an example of the system configuration of a wireless communication system according to Example 1. This is a sequence diagram showing an example of the execution environment construction process according to Example 1. This is a sequence diagram showing an example of the workload placement process according to Example 1. This figure shows an example of the system configuration of a wireless communication system according to Example 2. This is a sequence diagram showing an example of the execution environment construction process according to Example 2. This is a sequence diagram showing an example of the workload placement process according to Example 2. This figure shows an example of the computer hardware configuration. This is a figure for explaining the problem.

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention (this embodiment) will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below are merely examples, and the embodiments to which the present invention is applied are not limited to the embodiments described below.

[0012] <Background and Challenges> In mobile networks from 6G (6th Generation) onward, In-Network Computing (INC), which processes some of the information processing previously handled by the user terminal using network resources, is being considered. With INC, processing that was previously handled by the user terminal, such as 3D rendering for viewing VR (Virtual Reality) video, or AI (Artificial Intelligence) analysis of in-vehicle camera images in autonomous driving systems, can be processed using network resources, thereby reducing the processing load on the user terminal.

[0013] In INC, integrated management (orchestration) of hardware resources for user terminals and network infrastructure (hereinafter referred to as NW infrastructure) is essential. For orchestration on mobile networks, a mechanism is needed to allocate an appropriate amount of hardware resources to the appropriate locations based on the current location of the user terminal and / or billing information, and to provide an execution environment that spans both the user terminal and the NW infrastructure.

[0014] One known method for integrated management of multiple execution environments is to operate Kubernetes (hereinafter referred to as k8s) in a multi-cluster configuration (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1).

[0015] Figure 8 shows an example of the configuration of the wireless communication system 1 when some of the processing performed on the user equipment (UE) 10 is handled using the resources of the core network 20.

[0016] User terminal 10 is a communication terminal that connects to a mobile network (for example, a smartphone, tablet, network camera, or smart device).

[0017] The core network 20 is the section behind the base station from the perspective of the user terminal 10, and is the backbone communication network responsible for connecting to the internet within the mobile network owned by the telecommunications carrier. The core network 20, for example, manages connections to the mobile network and communications based on the user's contract information.

[0018] Workload 30 (workloads 30a, 30b, 30c) is a division of the user's application (service) into functional units, similar to microservices. Examples of workloads include containers, pods, WebAssemblies, or exe files.

[0019] Execution environments 11 and 21 are environments for running workloads 30, with one execution environment corresponding to one type of application. Multiple workloads 30 may run in a single execution environment. Depending on the form of workload 30, execution environments 11 and 21 are expected to be, for example, VMs (Virtual Machines), container runtimes, Kubernetes (k8s), or bare metal.

[0020] Master Nodes 12 and 22 exist in one instance in each execution environment and collect metrics (e.g., CPU usage, memory usage, or power consumption) from execution environments 11 and 21, and perform workload health monitoring. Worker Nodes 13 and 23 exist in one or more instances in each execution environment 11 and 21 and execute workload 30 based on instructions from Master Nodes 12 and 22.

[0021] However, the wireless communication system 1 shown in Figure 8 has the problem that it lacks a mechanism to provide an execution environment that spans the user terminal 10 and the core network 20 according to the current location of the user terminal 10 and / or billing information, etc.

[0022] Therefore, in order to solve the above problems, the wireless communication system 100 according to this embodiment has, as an example, a system configuration as shown in Figure 1.

[0023] [Example 1] <System Configuration> Figure 1 shows an example of the system configuration of the wireless communication system according to Example 1. The wireless communication system 100 according to Example 1 includes, in addition to the wireless communication system 1 described in Figure 8, a service management unit 110 and an execution environment control unit 120.

[0024] Furthermore, the user terminal (UE) 10 according to Embodiment 1 has a terminal management unit 101, and the core network 20 has an NEF (Network Exposure Function) 102.

[0025] (Service Management Unit) The service management unit 110 is implemented, for example, by a program executed on a computer 104 outside the core network 20. The computer 104 may be a physical machine or a virtual machine on the cloud.

[0026] The service management unit 110 manages services (INCs) that use network resources to process a portion of the processing performed on the user terminal 10. The service management unit 110 includes, for example, an acquisition unit 111 and a determination unit 112.

[0027] The acquisition unit 111 executes an acquisition process to acquire user information corresponding to the user terminal 10, which is managed by the core network 20, in response to a service request from the user terminal 10. User information includes, for example, the user's billing plan for INC services, the location information (location information) of the user terminal 10, and the user's policy information.

[0028] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 111 acquires user information corresponding to the user terminal 10 and metrics for the execution environments 11 and 21 in response to an application start request from the user terminal 10. The metrics include, for example, hardware usage (CPU, memory, and / or storage usage, etc.), network quality (throughput, latency, packet error rate, etc.), and battery level of the user terminal 10.

[0029] When the acquisition unit 111 receives a service usage request from the user terminal 10, the decision unit 112 executes a decision process to determine the execution environments 11 and 21 to be built on the user terminal 10 and the core network 20, based on the user information acquired by the acquisition unit 111. Specifically, the decision unit 112 determines the location of the cluster to be created on the user terminal 10 and the core network 20, as well as the resources (CPU, memory, storage, etc.).

[0030] As a method for determining the execution environments 11 and 21 to be built on the user terminal 10 and the core network 20, the following methods are envisioned: (1) Allocate more resources to the execution environment 21 of the core network 20 according to the billing plan contracted by the user. (2) Build the execution environment 21 of the core network 20 near the current location of the user terminal 10 to reduce communication delay. (3) Determine the resources of the execution environment 11 to be created on the user terminal 10 according to the type and amount of hardware installed on the user terminal 10. For example, if the user terminal 10 has 5 units of GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), the determination unit 112 will allocate 3 units of GPU to the execution environment 11. Alternatively, if the user terminal 10 does not have a CPU but has 10 units of CPU, it will allocate 7 units of CPU to the execution environment 11.

[0031] Furthermore, when the acquisition unit 111 receives an application start request from the user terminal 10, the determination unit 112 determines the execution environment in which the application will run based on the user information and metrics information acquired by the acquisition unit 111. Specifically, the determination unit 112 determines the execution environments 11 and 21 in which the workload 30 in which the application will run will be deployed.

[0032] For example, the following methods can be considered for determining the execution environment in which an application will run: (1) If the user terminal 10 is using a lot of hardware resources, more workloads will be placed in the execution environment 21 of the core network 20 than in the execution environment of the user terminal 10. (2) If the battery level of the user terminal 10 is low, more application workloads will be placed in the execution environment 21 of the core network 20 than in the execution environment 11 of the user terminal 10. (3) If the throughput of the user terminal 10 is low, more workloads will be placed in the execution environment 11 of the user terminal 10 than in the execution environment 21 of the core network 20.

[0033] (Execution Environment Control Unit) The execution environment control unit 120 is implemented, for example, by a program executed on a computer 105 outside the core network 20. The computer 105 may be a physical machine or a virtual machine on the cloud.

[0034] The execution environment control unit 120 executes execution environment control processing to construct the execution environments 11 and 21 determined by the decision unit 112 of the service management unit 110 on the user terminal 10 and the core network 20. Specifically, the execution environment control unit 120 constructs a cluster consisting of Master Node 12 and Worker Node 13 on the user terminal 10, and constructs a cluster consisting of Master Node 22 and Worker Node 23 on the core network 20.

[0035] (Terminal Management Unit) The terminal management unit 101 is implemented, for example, by a program that runs on the computer installed in the user terminal 10. The terminal management unit 101 notifies the service management unit 110, for example, of the start of using the INC service and the launch of an application on the INC service, in response to a user request.

[0036] (NEF) The NEF 102 is implemented, for example, by executing a predetermined program on a computer provided in the core network 20, and is an interface that releases functions within the core network 20 and allows external access to or manipulation of user information. For example, the acquisition unit 111 of the service management unit 110 can use the NEF 102 to acquire information managed by network functions (NF) 130 such as the billing management function 131, the location management function 132, and the policy management function 133.

[0037] The billing management function 131 manages, for example, subscriber data, billing information, and session information. The billing management function 131 supports, for example, UDM (Unified Data Management) of the 5G (5th Generation) core network.

[0038] The location management function 132 manages, for example, the location information (location information) and movement (handover, etc.) of the user terminal 10. The location management function 132 is compatible with, for example, the AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function) of the 5G core network.

[0039] The policy management function 133 manages, for example, the service requirements (policies) provided to users. The policy management function 133 supports, for example, the PCF (Policy Control Function) of the 5G core network.

[0040] <Processing Flow> Next, we will explain the processing flow of the service provision method according to Example 1.

[0041] (Execution Environment Setup Process) Figure 2 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the execution environment setup process according to Embodiment 1. This process shows an example of the process that the wireless communication system 100 executes when a user using the user terminal 10 starts using the INC service. Note that at the start of the process shown in Figure 2, the registration process of the user terminal 10 to the mobile network is assumed to have already been completed.

[0042] In step S201, the terminal management unit 101 of the user terminal 10 transmits a usage request for the INC service to the service management unit 110. This usage request for the INC service includes hardware information of the user terminal 10 (for example, information such as CPU, memory, storage, etc.) and an identification number for identifying the user.

[0043] In step S202, the acquisition unit 111 of the service management unit 110 transmits an acquisition request for user information to the NEF 102 of the core network 20 according to the usage request for the INC service (service usage request) from the user terminal 10. Here, the user information to be acquired includes, for example, the following information. ・ Information on the charging plan for the user's INC service managed by the charging management function 131. ・ The user's location information (presence information) managed by the location management function 132. ・ The user's policy information managed by the policy management function 133.

[0044] In step S203, the network functions 130 such as the charging management function 131, the location management function 132, and the policy management function 133 return the requested user information to the acquisition unit 111 that is the request source via the NEF 102.

[0045] In step S204, the determination unit 112 of the service management unit 110 determines the execution environments 11 and 21 to be constructed in the user terminal 10 and the core network 20 based on the user information acquired by the acquisition unit 111. For example, the determination unit 112 determines the location of the cluster and resources (such as CPU, memory, and storage) to be constructed in the user terminal 10 and the core network 20. Also, in step S205, the determination unit 112 instructs the execution environment control unit 120 of the determined execution environment.

[0046] In step S206, the execution environment control unit 120 constructs the execution environment 11 instructed by the determination unit 112 in the user terminal 10. This execution environment includes, for example, the Master Node 12 and the Worker Node 13.

[0047] In step S207, the execution environment control unit 120 constructs the execution environment 21 instructed by the determination unit 112 in the core network 20. This execution environment includes, for example, a Master Node 22 and a Worker Node 23. Note that the process of step S207 may be executed before the process of step S206 or may be executed in parallel with the process of step S206.

[0048] By the process of FIG. 2, the wireless communication system 100 can construct, for example, the execution environment 11 of the user terminal 10 and the execution environment 21 of the core network 20 as shown in FIG. 1.

[0049] (Workload Placement Process) FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the workload placement process according to the first embodiment. This process shows an example of the process when the workload 30 constituting the application is deployed in the execution environments 11 and 21 triggered by the user selecting an application to be used from the application list in the user terminal 10.

[0050] In step S301, the terminal management unit 101 of the user terminal 10 transmits a start request for an application to the service management unit 110. This application start request includes, for example, the hardware resources required for using the application, container image information, and the like.

[0051] In step S302, the acquisition unit 111 of the service management unit 110 transmits a user information acquisition request to the NEF 102 of the core network 20 in response to the application start request from the user terminal 10. Here, the user information to be acquired includes, for example, the following information. - Information on the charging plan for the user's INC service managed by the charging management function 131. - The user's location information (presence information) managed by the location management function 132. - The user's policy information managed by the policy management function 133.

[0052] In step S303, the network functions 130, including the billing management function 131, the location management function 132, and the policy management function 133, return the requested user information to the requesting acquisition unit 111 via the NEF 102.

[0053] Next, the acquisition unit 111 of the service management unit 110 collects metrics from each execution environment 11, 21 in order to determine the appropriate placement of the workload. These metrics include, for example, the usage of hardware resources (CPU, memory, storage, etc.), network quality (throughput, latency, packet error rate, etc.), and the battery level of the user terminal 10.

[0054] For example, in step S304, the acquisition unit 111 of the service management unit 110 sends a request to acquire metrics to the user terminal 10. In response, in step S305, the terminal management unit 101 of the user terminal 10 sends the requested metrics back to the acquisition unit 111 that made the request. Also, in step S306, the acquisition unit 111 sends a request to acquire metrics to the core network 20. In response, in step S307, the execution environment 21 of the core network 20 sends the requested metrics back to the acquisition unit 111 that made the request.

[0055] In step S308, the decision unit 112 of the service management unit 110 determines the execution environment (execution environment 11 and / or execution environment 21) on which to deploy the workload running the application, based on the user information and metrics acquired by the acquisition unit 111. In step S309, the decision unit 112 instructs the execution environment control unit 120 to use the determined execution environment.

[0056] In step S310, the execution environment control unit 120 instructs the execution environment 11 of the user terminal 10 to create a workload, in accordance with instructions from the determination unit 112. This instruction includes, for example, information such as the hardware resources and container image required to create the workload.

[0057] In step S311, the execution environment control unit 120 instructs the execution environment 21 of the core network 20 to create a workload, in accordance with instructions from the determination unit 112. This instruction includes, for example, information such as the hardware resources and container image required to create the workload. Note that the processing in step S311 may be performed before the processing in step S310, or it may be performed in parallel with the processing in step S310.

[0058] In step S312, the user terminal 10 and the workloads created on the core network 20 (for example, workloads 30a, 30b, and 30c in Figure 1) execute the applications.

[0059] Preferably, the wireless communication system 100 continues to perform the metrics acquisition process in steps S304 to S307 even after the processing shown in Figure 3. Furthermore, if there are changes in the metrics, the wireless communication system 100 may dynamically change the execution environment where the workload is deployed by processing similar to that in steps S308 to S311.

[0060] Furthermore, in some cases (for example, when the location of the user terminal 10 changes significantly), the wireless communication system 1 may perform the same processing as in step S202 and later in Figure 2 to move the execution environment 21 of the core network 20 to the vicinity of the current location of the user terminal 10.

[0061] Through the processing shown in Figures 2 and 3, the wireless communication system 100 can provide an appropriate execution environment across the user terminal 10 and the mobile network, according to the user's current location and / or user information including billing information.

[0062] [Example 2] The service management unit 110 and the execution environment control unit 120 described in Example 1 may be included in the core network 20, for example, as shown in Figure 4.

[0063] <System Configuration> Figure 4 shows an example of the system configuration of the wireless communication system according to Embodiment 2. In the example in Figure 4, the core network 20 has the service management unit 110 and the execution environment control unit 120 described in Figure 1.

[0064] In Embodiment 2, as in Embodiment 1, the service management unit 110 includes an acquisition unit 111 and a determination unit 112. In Embodiment 2, the acquisition unit 111 is capable of acquiring information from network functions 130 such as the billing management function 131, location management function 132, and policy management function 133 without going through the NEF 102.

[0065] <Processing Flow> Next, we will explain the processing flow of the service provision method according to Example 2.

[0066] (Execution Environment Construction Process) Figure 2 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the execution environment construction process according to Embodiment 1. This process shows another example of the process that the wireless communication system 100 executes when a user using the user terminal 10 starts using the INC service. Note that at the start of the process shown in Figure 5, the registration process of the user terminal 10 to the mobile network is assumed to have already been completed. Furthermore, since the basic processing content is the same as the execution environment construction process according to Embodiment 1 described in Figure 2, a detailed explanation of the processing content similar to that of Embodiment 1 is omitted here.

[0067] In step S501, the user terminal 10 sends a request to use the INC service to the service management unit 110 included in the core network 20. This request to use the INC service includes hardware information of the user terminal 10 (e.g., information on CPU, memory, storage, etc.) and an identification number that identifies the user.

[0068] In step S502, the acquisition unit 111 of the service management unit 110 included in the core network 20 acquires user information from the network function 130 in response to a request to use INC services (service usage request) from the user terminal 10. Here, the user information to be acquired may be the same as in Embodiment 1.

[0069] In step S503, the determination unit 112 of the service management unit 110 included in the core network 20 determines the user terminal 10 and the execution environments 11 and 21 to be built on the core network 20 based on the user information acquired by the acquisition unit 111. For example, the determination unit 112 determines the location of the cluster to be built on the user terminal 10 and the core network 20, as well as the resources (CPU, memory, storage, etc.).

[0070] In step S504, the execution environment control unit 120 included in the core network 20 constructs the execution environment 11 determined by the determination unit 112 on the user terminal 10.

[0071] In step S505, the execution environment control unit 120 included in the core network 20 constructs the execution environment 21 determined by the determination unit 112 in the core network 20. Note that the processing in step S505 may be executed before the processing in step S504, or it may be executed in parallel with the processing in step S504.

[0072] Through the process shown in Figure 5, the wireless communication system 100 can construct, for example, an execution environment 11 for the user terminal 10 and an execution environment 21 for the core network 20, as shown in Figure 1.

[0073] (Workload Deployment Process) Figure 6 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the workload deployment process according to Embodiment 2. This process shows another example of the process when a user selects an application to use from the application list on the user terminal 10, and the workload 30 constituting that application is deployed to the execution environments 11 and 21. Note that the basic processing content is the same as the workload deployment process according to Embodiment 1 described in Figure 3, so a detailed explanation of the processing content similar to Embodiment 1 is omitted here.

[0074] In step S601, the user terminal 10 sends an application start request to the service management unit 110 included in the core network 20. This application start request includes, for example, the hardware resources and container image information necessary for using the application.

[0075] In step S602, the acquisition unit 111 of the service management unit 110 included in the core network 20 acquires user information from the network function 130 in response to an application start request from the user terminal 10. Here, the user information to be acquired may be the same as in Embodiment 1.

[0076] Next, the acquisition unit 111 collects metrics from each execution environment 11, 21 in order to determine the appropriate placement of the workload. These metrics include, for example, the usage of hardware resources (CPU, memory, storage, etc.), network quality (throughput, latency, packet error rate, etc.), and the battery level of the user terminal 10.

[0077] For example, in step S603, the acquisition unit 111 of the service management unit 110 included in the core network 20 sends a request to the user terminal 10 to acquire metrics. In response, in step S604, the terminal management unit 101 of the user terminal 10 sends the requested metrics back to the acquisition unit 111 that made the request. Also, in step S605, the acquisition unit 111 acquires metrics from the execution environment 21 of the core network 20.

[0078] In step S606, the decision unit 112 of the service management unit 110 included in the core network 20 determines the execution environment in which the workload for running the application will be deployed, based on the user information and metrics acquired by the acquisition unit 111. The decision unit 112 also instructs the execution environment control unit 120 to use the determined execution environment.

[0079] In step S607, the execution environment control unit 120 instructs the execution environment 11 of the user terminal 10 to create a workload, in accordance with instructions from the determination unit 112. This instruction includes, for example, information such as the hardware resources and container image required to create the workload.

[0080] In step S608, the execution environment control unit 120 included in the core network 20 instructs the execution environment 21 of the core network 20 to create a workload, in accordance with instructions from the determination unit 112. This instruction includes, for example, information such as the hardware resources and container image required to create the workload. Note that the processing in step S608 may be performed before the processing in step S607, or it may be performed in parallel with the processing in step S607.

[0081] In step S609, the user terminal 10 and the workloads created on the core network 20 (for example, workloads 30a, 30b, and 30c in Figure 4) execute the applications.

[0082] Preferably, the wireless communication system 100 continues to perform the metrics acquisition process in steps S603 to S605 even after the processing shown in Figure 6. Furthermore, if there are changes in the metrics, the wireless communication system 100 may dynamically change the execution environment where the workload is deployed by processing similar to that in steps S606 to S608.

[0083] Furthermore, in some cases (for example, when the location of the user terminal 10 changes significantly), the wireless communication system 1 may perform the same processing as in step S502 and later in Figure 5 to move the execution environment 21 of the core network 20 to the vicinity of the current location of the user terminal 10.

[0084] Through the processing shown in Figures 5 and 6, the wireless communication system 100 can provide an appropriate execution environment across the user terminal 10 and the mobile network, according to the user's current location and / or user information including billing information.

[0085] In the above explanation, the service management unit 110 and the execution environment control unit 120 were described as being located within the core network 20. However, this is not limited to this configuration, and either the service management unit 110 or the execution environment control unit 120 may be located outside the core network 20.

[0086] <Example Hardware Configuration> (Computer Hardware Configuration) The user terminal 10, core network 20, computers 104, 105, etc., have, for example, the hardware configuration of computer 700 as shown in Figure 7. The core network 20 may be composed of multiple computers 700. Furthermore, computers 104, 105, and the computers that make up the core network 20 are not limited to physical machines, but may be virtual machines on the cloud, etc.

[0087] Figure 7 shows an example of the hardware configuration of a computer according to this embodiment. In the example in Figure 7, the computer 700 includes a processor 701, memory 702, storage device 703, communication device 704, input device 705, output device 706, and bus B, etc.

[0088] The processor 701 is a computing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that realizes various functions by executing a predetermined program. The memory 702 is a storage medium that can be read by the computer 700, and includes, for example, RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory). The storage device 703 is a storage medium that can be read by the computer, and includes, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), various optical discs, and magneto-optical discs.

[0089] The communication device 704 includes one or more communication devices for communicating with other devices via a wireless or wired network. The input device 705 is an input device that accepts input from the outside (e.g., a keyboard, mouse, microphone, switch, button, sensor, etc.). The output device 706 is an output device that outputs to the outside (e.g., a display, speaker, LED lamp, etc.).

[0090] Bus B is connected to all of the above components in common and transmits, for example, address signals, data signals, and various control signals. The processor 701 is not limited to a CPU, but may be, for example, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), or an FPGA. Furthermore, the processor 701 may be a combination of a CPU and a GPU.

[0091] (Supplement) In this embodiment, the user terminal 10 and the core network 20 are not limited to being implemented by dedicated devices, but may also be implemented by a general-purpose computer. In that case, the program for implementing this function may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded on this recording medium may be loaded into a computer system and executed. The term "computer system" as used herein includes hardware such as an OS (Operating System) and peripheral devices.

[0092] Furthermore, "computer-readable recording media" includes various storage devices such as flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, ROMs, CD-ROMs, and storage devices 703 built into computer systems. In addition, "computer-readable recording media" may also include those that dynamically hold programs for a short period of time, such as communication lines used when transmitting programs via networks such as the Internet or communication lines such as telephone lines, and those that hold programs for a certain period of time, such as volatile memory inside computer systems that act as servers or clients in such cases.

[0093] Furthermore, the above program may be for the purpose of realizing some of the functions described above, or it may be able to realize the above functions in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system, or it may be implemented using hardware such as a PLD or FPGA.

[0094] <Effects of the Embodiment> According to this embodiment, it becomes possible to provide an appropriate execution environment across the user terminal 10 and the mobile network (core network 20) ​​according to the user's current location and / or user information including billing information. As a result, for example, improvements in operator revenue and / or user satisfaction can be expected.

[0095] Furthermore, this embodiment can be applied to INC on a mobile network without changing the existing execution environment (e.g., VM, k8g, container runtime, or bare metal).

[0096] <Summary of Embodiments> This specification discloses at least the following wireless communication systems and service provision methods: (Section 1) A wireless communication system that provides a service that processes a part of the processing performed on a user terminal using network resources, comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires user information corresponding to the user terminal managed by a core network in response to a request from the user terminal to use the service; a determination unit that determines an execution environment to be constructed on the user terminal and the core network based on the user information; and an execution environment control unit that constructs the execution environment determined by the determination unit on the user terminal and the core network. (Section 2) The wireless communication system according to Section 1, wherein the user information includes information on the current location of the user terminal, and the determination unit constructs the execution environment of the core network near the current location of the user terminal. (Section 3) The wireless communication system according to Section 1 or 2, wherein the user information includes information on the user terminal's billing plan, and the determination unit allocates more resources to the execution environment of the core network according to the billing plan. (Clause 4) The wireless communication system according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 3, wherein the acquisition unit acquires user information and metrics of the execution environment in response to an application start request from the user terminal, and the determination unit determines the execution environment in which the application will be executed based on the user information and the metrics. (Clause 5) The wireless communication system according to paragraph 4, wherein the metrics include information indicating the amount of hardware resources used by the user terminal and / or the remaining battery level of the user terminal, and the determination unit places more workloads in the core network execution environment than in the user terminal's execution environment if the amount of hardware resources used by the user terminal is high or the remaining battery level of the user terminal is low.(Clause 6) The wireless communication system according to Clause 4, wherein the metrics include information indicating the throughput of the user terminal, and the decision unit, when the throughput of the user terminal is low, places a larger workload in the execution environment of the user terminal than in the execution environment of the core network. (Clause 7) The wireless communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the core network has the acquisition unit, the decision unit, and the execution environment control unit. (Clause 8) A wireless communication system that provides a service that processes a part of the processing to be performed on a user terminal using network resources, wherein one or more computers perform: a process to acquire user information of the user terminal managed by the core network in response to a request from the user terminal to use the service; a decision process to determine the execution environment to be constructed on the user terminal and the core network based on the user information; and a process to construct the execution environment determined in the decision process on the user terminal and the core network.

[0097] Although this embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this specific embodiment, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention as described in the claims.

[0098] 10 User terminal 11, 21 Execution environment 20 Core network 30, 30a, 30b, 30c Workload 100 Wireless communication system 101 Terminal management unit 102 NEF 104, 105, 700 Computer 110 Service management unit 111 Acquisition unit 112 Determination unit 120 Execution environment control unit 130 Network function 131 Billing management function 132 Location management function 133 Policy management function

Claims

1. A wireless communication system that provides a service that processes a portion of the processing performed on a user terminal using network resources, comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires user information corresponding to the user terminal managed by the core network in response to a request from the user terminal to use the service; a determination unit that determines an execution environment to be constructed on the user terminal and the core network based on the user information; and an execution environment control unit that constructs the execution environment determined by the determination unit on the user terminal and the core network.

2. The wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein the user information includes information on the current location of the user terminal, and the determination unit constructs the execution environment of the core network near the current location of the user terminal.

3. The wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein the user information includes information on the user terminal's billing plan, and the determination unit allocates more resources to the execution environment of the core network according to the billing plan.

4. The wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein the acquisition unit acquires user information and metrics of the execution environment in response to an application start request from the user terminal, and the determination unit determines the execution environment in which the application will be executed based on the user information and the metrics.

5. The wireless communication system according to claim 4, wherein the metrics include information indicating the amount of hardware resources used by the user terminal and / or the remaining battery level of the user terminal, and the determination unit places more workload in the core network execution environment than in the user terminal execution environment when the amount of hardware resources used by the user terminal is high or the remaining battery level of the user terminal is low.

6. The wireless communication system according to claim 4, wherein the metrics include information indicating the throughput of the user terminal, and the determination unit, when the throughput of the user terminal is low, places a larger workload in the execution environment of the user terminal than in the execution environment of the core network.

7. The wireless communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the core network comprises the acquisition unit, the determination unit, and the execution environment control unit.

8. A wireless communication system that provides a service that processes a portion of the processing performed on a user terminal using network resources, wherein one or more computers perform the following in response to a request from the user terminal to use the service: a process to acquire user information of the user terminal managed by the core network; a decision process to determine an execution environment to be constructed on the user terminal and the core network based on the user information; and a process to construct the execution environment determined in the decision process on the user terminal and the core network.

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