Method and device for searching for network service for 6g sba structure

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the present invention, disclosed is an operation method of an advanced service proxy (ASP) in a wireless communication system. The operation method of an ASP comprises the steps of: receiving a first service request message from a consumer network function (NF); selecting a producer NF on the basis of the first service request message when the first service request message includes an instance ID and an address of the producer NF, and a correlation ID between the consumer NF and the producer NF; when the first service request message does not include at least one among the instance ID and the address of the producer NF or the correlation ID between the consumer NF and the producer NF but includes information about an NF service requested, selecting one producer NF from among a plurality of producer NFs matching the information about the NF service; and transmitting, to the selected producer NF, a second service request message including at least a portion of the information included in the first service request message.

Description

Network service discovery method and device for 6G SBA structure

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for searching for an NF or NF service to provide an SBI interface-based network service to a terminal in a wireless communication system.

[0002] Current 5G mobile communication technology defines wide frequency bands to enable fast transmission speeds and new services, and can be implemented not only in sub-6GHz bands such as 3.5 gigahertz (3.5GHz) but also in ultra-high frequency bands known as millimeter wave (mmWave), such as 28GHz and 39GHz, such as 'Above 6GHz'. Currently, discussions on 6G mobile communication are in full swing at various telecommunications standards organizations. For 6G mobile communication technology, which is referred to as a system beyond 5G, implementation in the terahertz (THX) band (e.g., the 3 terahertz band at 95GHz) 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] 6G mobile communication technology considers the expansion of services proposed in existing 5G mobile communication technology and the addition of new technologies. It aims to support Massive Communication through expanded services for Massive Machine-Type Communications (mMTC), including Immersive Communication, which is an extension of the existing Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB); Hyper Reliable & Low-Latency Communication (HRLLC), which is an extension of Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communications (URLLC); and Massive Communication. Additionally, it considers new services that were not discussed in 5G mobile communication. Ubiquitous Connectivity, which provides communication services anywhere in the world using satellite-based Non-terrestrial Networks (NTN); AI and Communication, which provides AI functions as services to consumers as well as improving network performance and resource efficiency using AI; and Integrated Sensing and Communication, which provides wireless sensing services such as distance measurement and object detection using wireless, are being discussed as new services in 6G mobile communication that were not provided in 5G mobile communication.In order to provide the above services, not only are efforts being made to further perfect the technologies applied in 5G mobile communication (beamforming and Massive MIMO to mitigate path loss and increase transmission distance of radio waves in the ultra-high frequency band, support for various numerologies for efficient utilization of ultra-high frequency resources (such as operation of multiple subcarrier spacings) and dynamic operation of slot formats, initial access technology to support multi-beam transmission and broadband, definition and operation of Band-Width Part (BWP), new channel coding methods such as Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) codes for large-capacity data transmission and Polar Code for reliable transmission of control information, L2 pre-processing, and Network Slicing to provide a dedicated network specialized for specific services), but new technologies are also being continuously discussed. As an example of such technology, an Evolved-SBA (E-SBA) network structure is also being discussed, which extends the Service-based Architecture (SBA) applied in the existing 5G Core Network (5G CN) to change the N2 interface, where the Point-to-Point (P2P) interface was applied in the existing 5G CN, into a Service-based Interface (SBI).

[0004] In 5G mobile communication, various use cases for supporting new services (Vertical Service) through linkage and convergence with other industries, and various technologies to support them, were discussed. Standardization in the field of wireless interface architecture / protocols is also underway for technologies such as Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) which provides nodes for expanding network service areas by integrating wireless backhaul links and access links, Mobility Enhancement including Conditional Handover and Dual Active Protocol Stack (DAPS) Handover, and 2-step Random Access (2-step RACH for NR) which simplifies random access procedures. Additionally, standardization in the field of system architecture / services has been carried out for 5G baseline architectures (e.g., Service based Architecture, Service based Interface) for the integration of 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.

[0005] The 6G mobile communication system aims to improve and expand the performance of the existing 5G mobile communication system. Once this 6G mobile communication system is commercialized, connected devices, which are increasing explosively, will be connected to the communication network. Consequently, it is expected that there will be a need to enhance the functionality and performance of the 6G mobile communication system and to integrate the operation of connected devices. Based on this, new services such as 6G performance improvement and complexity reduction utilizing Extended Reality (XR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML) to efficiently support Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Mixed Reality (MR), as well as support for AI services, metaverse services, and drone communication, will become a reality.

[0006] To transmit higher-capacity data faster than 5G, 6G mobile communication employs multi-antenna transmission technologies such as new waveforms to guarantee coverage in the terahertz band, 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; AI-based communication technologies that realize system optimization by utilizing satellites and AI from the design stage and internalizing end-to-end AI support functions; and next-generation distributed communication that realizes services of complexity exceeding the limits of terminal computing capabilities by utilizing ultra-high-performance communication and computing resources. It is expected that various technologies will be applied across various layers, such as computing technology.

[0007] The present disclosure is intended to provide an enhanced interface for transmitting control data between a base station and a core network.

[0008] The technical problems to be solved in this disclosure are not limited to those mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art to which this disclosure belongs from the description below.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method of an advanced service proxy (ASP) operating in a wireless communication system is disclosed. The method of operating the ASP may include: receiving a first service request message from a consumer network function (NF); selecting a producer NF based on the first service request message if the first service request message includes an instance ID, an address, and a correlation ID between the consumer NF and the producer NF; selecting one producer NF among a plurality of producer NFs that match information regarding the NF service if the first service request message does not include at least one of the instance ID, an address, or the correlation ID between the consumer NF and the producer NF, but includes information regarding the requested NF service; and transmitting a second service request message to the selected producer NF, the second service request message including at least some of the information included in the first service request message.

[0010] The step of selecting one producer NF among a plurality of producer NFs that match the information regarding the above NF service may be characterized by the selection being made based on the workload load status of the plurality of producer NFs or the overall resource status on the network.

[0011] The step of selecting a producer NF based on the first service request message may further include, if the NF service cannot be provided through the producer NF corresponding to the instance ID of the producer NF included in the first service request message, identifying information related to the NF service requested by the consumer NF based on the consumer NF ID, producer NF instance ID, and correlation ID included in the first service request message, and selecting a new producer NF other than the producer NF corresponding to the instance ID of the producer NF based on the identified information related to the NF service.

[0012] The above ASP method may further include the step of sending a request to create an instance of a new producer NF to OAM (operation, administration and maintenance) if there is no producer NF that can be selected based on the first service request message.

[0013] The above ASP method may further include the step of identifying a producer NF instance for which NF service provision is impossible; and the step of sending a deletion request for the identified producer NF instance to the OAM.

[0014] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method of a consumer network function (NF) operating in a wireless communication system is disclosed. The method of operating the consumer NF may include: identifying whether information of a producer NF providing an NF service to be requested exists; if information of a producer NF for the NF service exists, transmitting a first service request message to an advanced service proxy (ASP), the instance ID, address, and correlation ID between the consumer NF and the producer NF of the producer NF; if information of a producer NF for the NF service does not exist, transmitting a first service request message including information about the NF service; and receiving a response message for the NF service requested through the first service request message from a producer NF selected by the ASP.

[0015] The above method of the consumer NF may further include the step of identifying a producer NF instance for which NF service provision is impossible; and the step of sending a deletion request for the identified producer NF instance to the OAM.

[0016] One embodiment of the present disclosure provides an apparatus and a method for effectively providing services in a wireless communication system. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the functions required for a consumer network function (NF) to select a producer NF are implemented through an advanced service proxy (ASP), thereby enabling the NFs to be configured to include only their own unique functions.

[0017] The effects obtainable from the present disclosure are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned effects will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains from the description below.

[0018] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a current 5G wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 2 illustrates a procedure for requesting NF services and providing services in response to requests among NFs using SBI.

[0020] Figure 3 illustrates the advanced service proxy (ASP) structure proposed in this document.

[0021] FIGS. 4 and FIGS. 5 illustrate an embodiment of implementing an Advanced Service Proxy.

[0022] Figure 6 illustrates the procedure for registering the profile of an NF instance when a new NF instance is created.

[0023] Figure 7 illustrates the operation of removing an existing NF instance.

[0024] Figure 8 illustrates the process of transmitting an NF service request message from a Consumer NF to a Producer NF.

[0025] Figure 9 illustrates the Delegated discovery procedure.

[0026] Figure 10 illustrates a situation in which a problem occurs in NF or an excessive load occurs and is resolved.

[0027] FIG. 11 illustrates a procedure for handling cases where NF service cannot be provided due to NF failure, overload, update, etc.

[0028] Figure 12 illustrates a flowchart explaining the operation of a Consumer NF.

[0029] Figure 13 illustrates a flowchart explaining the operation of Producer NF.

[0030] Figure 14 illustrates a flow chart explaining the operation of a Service Proxy.

[0031] FIG. 15 is a block diagram of a terminal or user equipment according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] FIG. 16 is a block diagram of a base station according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] FIG. 17 is a block diagram of a network entity performing network functions according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0035] In describing the embodiments, technical details that are well known in the art to which this disclosure belongs and are not directly related to this disclosure are omitted. This is intended to convey the essence of this disclosure more clearly without obscuring it by omitting unnecessary explanations.

[0036] For the same reason, some components in the attached drawings have been exaggerated, omitted, or schematically depicted. Additionally, the size of each component does not entirely reflect its actual size. Identical or corresponding components in each drawing have been assigned the same or different reference numbers.

[0037] The advantages and features of 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 ensure that the disclosure is 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 refer to the same components. Furthermore, in describing the present disclosure, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related function or configuration might unnecessarily obscure the essence of the present disclosure, such detailed description is omitted. Additionally, the terms described below are defined considering their functions in the present disclosure, and these may vary depending on the intentions or conventions of the user or operator. Therefore, their definitions should be based on the content throughout the specification.

[0038] In the present disclosure, it will be understood that each block of the process flow diagrams and combinations of the flow diagrams may be performed based on computer program instructions. Since these computer program instructions may be optionally loaded into at least one processor of a general-purpose computer, a computer for special purposes, or other programmable data processing equipment, the instructions performed through any one or any combination of at least one processor of the computer or other programmable data processing equipment create means for performing the functions described in the flow diagram block(s). Since these computer program instructions may 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 functions in a specific manner, the instructions stored in computer-available or computer-readable memory may also produce a manufactured item containing means of instruction for performing the functions 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).

[0039] 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 (or functions) described in succession may actually be executed substantially simultaneously, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in reverse order according to the corresponding function.

[0040] 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” performs certain roles. However, the term including “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 on 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 (central processing units) within the device or secure multimedia card. Also, in the embodiments, the 'parts' may include one or more processors.

[0041] As stated above, it should be noted that the blocks of each flowchart and combinations of flowcharts described in this disclosure may be executed by one or more computer programs including instructions. The entirety of one or more computer programs may be stored in a single memory device, or one or more computer programs may be divided into different parts and stored across multiple memory devices.

[0042] Additionally, any / any function or operation described in this disclosure may be processed by a single processor or a combination of processors. The single processor or combination of processors is a circuitry that performs processing and may include an application processor (AP, e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)), a communication processor (CP, e.g., a modem), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a neural network processing unit (NPU) (e.g., an artificial intelligence (AI) chip), a Wi-Fi chip, a Bluetooth® chip, a global positioning system (GPS) chip, a near-field communication (NFC) chip, a connectivity chip, a sensor controller, a touch controller, a fingerprint sensor controller, a display driver integrated circuit (IC), an audio codec (CODEC) chip, a universal serial bus (USB) controller, a camera controller, an image processing IC, a microprocessor unit (MPU), a system-on-chip (SoC), an IC, or similar circuitry.

[0043] Additionally, it should be noted that various embodiments in the claims and description of the present disclosure may be implemented in the form of hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0044] Such software may be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores one or more computer programs (software modules), and said one or more computer programs include computer-executable instructions that operate an electronic device to perform a method according to the present disclosure when executed alone or collectively by one or more processors of an electronic device.

[0045] The software may be stored in a transient or non-transient storage device, for example, in the form of read-only memory (ROM) (whether or not it is erasable or rewritable), or random access memory (RAM), memory chips, devices, or integrated circuits (ICs). Additionally, the software may be stored in the form of an optically or magnetically readable medium, for example, a compact disc (CD), a digital multifunction disc (DVD), a magnetic disc, or a magnetic tape. It should be understood that the storage device and the storage medium are examples of non-transient machine-readable storage media suitable for storing programs for implementing various embodiments of the present disclosure. Accordingly, various embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a program comprising code for implementing a device or method according to any one of the claims of this specification, and a non-transient machine-readable storage medium storing such program.

[0046] In the following disclosure, determining the priority between A and B may be referred to in various ways, such as selecting the one with the higher priority according to a predetermined priority rule and performing the corresponding action, or omitting or dropping the action for the one with the lower priority.

[0047] Hereinafter, 'A or B' as described in the present disclosure may be understood as 'A and / or B', which may be understood as including 'A', or 'B', or 'A and B'.

[0048] Additionally, 'at least one of A, B, and C' described in the present disclosure may be understood to include 'A', or 'B', or 'C', or 'any combination of A, B, and C'.

[0049] Additionally, 'at least one of A, B, or C' described in the present disclosure may be understood to include 'A', or 'B', or 'C', or 'any combination of A, B, and C'.

[0050] Additionally, 'A / B' as described in the present disclosure may be understood as 'A and / or B', which may be understood as including 'A', or 'B', or 'A and B'.

[0051] Additionally, 'A, B' described in the present disclosure may be understood as 'A and / or B', which may be understood as including 'A', or 'B', or 'A and B'.

[0052] Additionally, 'A and B' described in the present disclosure may be understood as 'A and / or B', which may be understood as including 'A', or 'B', or 'A and B'.

[0053] Furthermore, the phrase "when conditions A and B are satisfied" as described in the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to cases where both conditions A and B are satisfied, but may be understood to include cases where either condition A or condition B is satisfied individually, cases where both conditions A and B are satisfied, or cases where one or more additional conditions are satisfied together.

[0054] Furthermore, throughout this specification, ordinal terms (and similar modifiers) such as 'first', 'second', 'third', etc. are used solely for the purpose of distinguishing various instances, occurrences, configurations, messages, stages, or aspects of elements, operations, or information, as described below. Unless clearly required otherwise by the context, the use of such ordinal terms does not require that the elements, operations, or information distinguished by such terms be structurally different, numerically distinct, or essentially different. For example, 'first signal' and 'second signal' may represent instances of the same signal transmitted at different times, signals containing the same core information even with some variations, or signals having different content or characteristics depending on the specific context. Similarly, 'first value' and 'second value' may represent the same magnitude measured or applied in different situations, or may represent different magnitudes. Such interpretation must be determined based on the specific technical context, function, and relationship described in the relevant parts of the specification and claims.

[0055] Furthermore, although terms such as "first," "second," etc., as used in this disclosure are used for various elements such as information, objects, actions, and sequences, they are not intended to limit such elements to a specific order. These terms may be understood merely as distinguishing one element from another. For example, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and likewise, a second element may be referred to as a first element.

[0056] Additionally, the terms 'first' and 'second' described in this disclosure may be understood to refer to identical or different elements. For example, if an element is information, the first information and the second information may both be information, and depending on the case, they may be the same information or different information.

[0057] Furthermore, the expressions 'if' and 'in case that' described in this disclosure or claims may be interpreted, depending on the context, as meaning 'when or upon,' 'in response to,' 'based on,' or 'according to,' and these expressions may be used interchangeably. In addition, other expressions having substantially the same meaning may be used as substitutes, provided that they do not impair the technical features of this disclosure.

[0058] Additionally, the term "not perform" as used in this disclosure or claims may be understood, depending on the context, to mean to omit or skip the corresponding step. Such a term may be replaced with other terms having the same or substantially similar meaning.

[0059] Additionally, the phrase "transmitting a message containing A and B" as described in this specification may be interpreted to include not only (i) cases where A and B are transmitted as a single message, but also (ii) cases where A and B are transmitted individually through multiple messages (e.g., transmitting a first message containing A and a second message containing B). This interpretation may also apply to cases where messages containing two or more items, such as A, B, and C, are transmitted together or individually.

[0060] In addition, 'transmitting a message containing A and transmitting a message containing B' can also be interpreted as transmitting a single message containing A and B.

[0061] In the specific embodiments of the present disclosure described below, terms or components included in the disclosure will be expressed in the singular or plural form according to the specific embodiments presented. However, the singular or plural expression is selected to suit the circumstances 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 in the singular form, and even if a component is expressed in the singular form, it may be composed in the plural form.

[0062] The drawings or flowcharts described below illustrate exemplary methods that may be implemented in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure, and various modifications may be made to the methods illustrated in the flowcharts of the present disclosure. For example, although illustrated as a series of steps, the various steps of each drawing or flowchart may overlap, occur in parallel, occur in a different order, or occur multiple times. In other examples, any step may be omitted or replaced with another step.

[0063] The methods and devices proposed in the embodiments of the present disclosure below are not limited to each embodiment and may be utilized as a combination of all or part of the embodiments proposed in the disclosure. Accordingly, the embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied with some modifications within the scope that does not deviate significantly from the scope of the present disclosure, at the judgment of a person skilled in the art.

[0064] In this case, any wording mentioned in different embodiments may be used interchangeably, combined, or substituted if the concepts correspond. For example, regarding the same or corresponding concepts, even if the expression 'A' is used in one embodiment and the expression 'B' is used in another embodiment, they may be understood by interchangeably, substituted, or combined.

[0065] Terms used in the following description to identify connection nodes, terms referring to network entities, terms referring to messages, terms referring to interfaces between network entities, terms referring to various identification information, etc., are examples provided for the convenience of explanation. Accordingly, the present disclosure is not limited to the terms described below, and other terms referring to objects having equivalent technical meanings may be used. Furthermore, where appropriate, such terms may be replaced with terms defined in the 3GPP (3rd generation partnership project) Technical Specifications (TS).

[0066] Hereinafter, the base station, as the entity performing resource allocation for terminals, may be at least one of gNode B, eNode B, Node B, BS (base station), wireless access unit, base station controller, or a node on a network. Additionally, the base station of the present disclosure may include a structure split into a central unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). In such a structure, the CU is responsible for the upper layer of the control and user plane, and the DU is responsible for wireless resource processing of the lower layer. The embodiments of the present disclosure can be equally applied to a 5G base station structure in which functions are separated into the CU and DU as described above.

[0067] The terminal may include a UE (user equipment), MS (mobile station), cellular phone, smartphone, computer, or a multimedia system capable of performing communication functions.

[0068] In the present disclosure, a downlink (DL) refers to a wireless transmission path of a signal transmitted by a base station to a terminal, and an uplink (UL) refers to a wireless transmission path of a signal transmitted by a terminal to a base station.

[0069] In addition, while a 5th generation mobile communication system (5G, new radio, NR) and a 6th generation mobile communication system (6G) may be described below as examples, embodiments of the present disclosure may also be applied to other communication systems having similar technical backgrounds or channel types. For example, new advanced mobile communication systems developed after 5G and 6G may be included therein. Furthermore, the present disclosure may be applied to other communication systems (e.g., Wi-Fi systems) with some modifications made in the judgment of a person with skilled technical knowledge, without significantly departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0070] In the following description, the terms "physical channel" and "signal" may be used interchangeably with "data" or "control signal." For example, PDSCH (physical downlink shared channel) is a term referring to a physical channel through which data is transmitted, but PDSCH may also be used to refer to data. That is, in this disclosure, the expression "transmits a physical channel" may be interpreted as equivalent to the expression "transmits data or a signal through a physical channel."

[0071] In describing the present disclosure below, the term "upper layer signaling" may be a signaling corresponding to at least one or a combination of at least one of MIB (master information block), SIB (system information block), SIB M (M=1, 2, ⪋), RRC (radio resource control), MAC (medium access control), CE (control element), NAS (non-access stratum) signaling, or application layer messages. The RRC signaling may also be referred to as L3 signaling (layer 3 signaling).

[0072] Additionally, L1 signaling may be a signaling method corresponding to at least one or a combination of at least one of the following: a physical layer channel or signaling of a PDCCH (physical downlink control channel), a DCI (downlink control information), a UE-specific DCI, a group common DCI, a common DCI, a scheduling DCI (e.g., a DCI used for the purpose of scheduling downlink or uplink data), a non-scheduling DCI (e.g., a DCI not used for the purpose of scheduling downlink or uplink data), a PUCCH (physical uplink control channel), or an UCI (uplink control information). The above L1 signaling may also be referred to as physical layer signaling.

[0073] Hereinafter, the expression in the present disclosure or claims that information can be configured from a base station may mean that, depending on the context, a terminal receives said information from a base station through physical layer signaling or upper layer signaling, and such expression may be replaced with other terms having the same or substantially similar meaning.

[0074] The operating principle of the present disclosure will be explained in detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0075] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. More specifically, FIG. 1 illustrates an example of the configuration of a 5G system. Referring to FIG. 1, a 5G network may include at least one of the network entities (NE) or network functions (NF) described below. Since the structure of a 6G wireless communication system has not yet been defined, the description of 6G technology in the present disclosure may be based on the structure of a 5G wireless communication system. Because the NE or NF described in the present disclosure is described based on the structure of a 5G wireless system, different terms or names may be used in future 6G wireless communication systems. Accordingly, the terms and names used in the present disclosure are not limited to 5G wireless communication systems but may be equally applicable to other standards (e.g., 6G wireless communication systems).

[0076] According to one embodiment, the (R)AN ((Radio) Access Network) (102) is an entity that performs wireless resource allocation for terminals and may include at least one of eNode B, Node B, BS (Base Station), NG-RAN (Next Generation Radio Access Network), 5G-AN (5G Access Network), 5G NR (5G New Radio), a wireless access unit, a base station controller, or a node on the network.

[0077] According to one embodiment, the terminal (101) may include a User Equipment (UE), Next Generation UE (NG UE), Mobile Station (MS), cellular phone, smartphone, computer, Internet of Things (IoT) device, or a multimedia system capable of performing communication functions.

[0078] In addition, although embodiments of the present disclosure are described below using a 5G system as an example, embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to other communication systems having a similar technical background. Furthermore, 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.

[0079] As wireless communication systems evolve from 4G systems to 5G systems, a new core network (CN), called the Next Generation Core (NG Core) or 5G Core Network (5GC), has been defined. The new core network can virtualize all existing network entities (NE) to create network functions (NF). According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a network function may refer to a network entity, a network component, or a network resource.

[0080] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, 5GC may include one or more NFs illustrated in FIG. 1. Of course, it is not limited to the example of FIG. 1, and 5GC may include a greater number of NFs than the NFs illustrated in FIG. 1 or a smaller number of NFs.

[0081] According to one embodiment, the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) (103) may be a network function that manages the access and mobility of a terminal (UE). For example, the AMF (103) may perform network functions such as registration, connection, reachability, mobility management, access verification, authentication, and the generation of mobility events.

[0082] According to one embodiment, the Session Management Function (SMF) (105) may be a network function that manages Packet Data Network (PDN) connections provided to a User Terminal (UE). The PDN connection may be referred to as a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) Session. For example, the SMF (105) may perform network functions such as session management functions through the establishment, modification, and release of sessions and the maintenance of tunnels between the User Plane Function (UPF) (104) and the RAN required for this, selection and control of User Planes (UP), control of traffic processing in the UPF, and control of billing data collection.

[0083] According to one embodiment, the PCF (Policy Control Function) (106) may be a network function that applies a mobile carrier's service policy, billing policy, and policy for a PDU Session to a terminal.

[0084] According to one embodiment, the Unified Data Management (UDM) (109) may be a network function that stores information about a subscriber. For example, the UDM (109) may perform functions such as generating authentication information for 3GPP security, processing user identifiers (User IDs), managing a list of network functions that support the UE, and managing subscription information.

[0085] According to one embodiment, the Network Exposure Function (111) may be a function that provides information about a terminal to a server outside the 5G network. Additionally, the NEF (111) may provide information necessary for service to the 5G network and store it in the Unified Data Repository (UDR).

[0086] According to one embodiment, the User Plane Function (UPF) (104) may be a function that performs the role of a gateway to transmit user data (e.g., PDU) to the Data Network (DN) (110). More specifically, the UPF (104) may perform the role of processing data so that data transmitted by a terminal can be transmitted to an external network or data received from an external network can be transmitted to the terminal. As an example, the UPF (104) may perform network functions such as acting as an anchor between Radio Access Technologies (RATs), packet routing and forwarding, packet inspection, application of user plane policies, generation of traffic usage reports, and buffering.

[0087] According to one embodiment, the Network Repository Function (NRF) (115) can perform the function of storing profiles of NFs and discovering NFs.

[0088] According to one embodiment, the AUSF (Authentication Server Function) (108) can perform terminal authentication in a 3GPP access network and a non-3GPP access network.

[0089] According to one embodiment, the Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF) (114) can perform the function of selecting a Network Slice Instance provided to the terminal.

[0090] According to one embodiment, the Network Data Analytics Function (NWDAF) (113) can collect data from multiple NF(s) for the purpose of efficient operation of the 5GC network. According to one embodiment, the collected data can be analyzed using a Machine Learning (ML) model, and the results of the analysis can be provided back to the NFs to help each NF provide efficient network services.

[0091] According to one embodiment, an Application Function (AF) (107) can communicate with a network provider so that an external server (Application Server) can use network services provided by the network provider. The AF (107) can be classified into an internal AF and an external AF depending on the deploying entity. An internal AF deployed by a network operator can communicate directly with NFs within the network provider. An external AF deployed by a third-party service provider may need to pass through an NEF (111) to communicate with internal NFs within the network provider.

[0092] According to one embodiment, the DN (Data Network) (110) may be a data network through which a terminal transmits and receives data in order to use the network operator's service or a third party service.

[0093] According to one embodiment, the Network Slice Admission Control Function (NSACF) (116) can limit the number of PDU sessions of registered terminals in each slice and thereby perform the function of managing resources.

[0094] According to one embodiment, the Network Slice-Specific Authentication and Authorization Function (NSSAAF) (112) can create a slice authentication context for a terminal and perform slice-specific authentication and authorization procedures.

[0095] According to one embodiment, the Edge Application Server Discovery Function (EASDF) (117) can create a domain name system (DNS) context for a PDU session and can perform the function of storing UE IP (internet protocol) addresses, DNS message processing rules, etc. in the context.

[0096] According to one embodiment, the SCP (Service Communication Proxy) (118) can perform indirect communication functions such as searching for services and responding to calls.

[0097] According to one embodiment, the terminal (101) may include an IoT device. The IoT device may include a device that does not use battery power or operates with very little power, and such an IoT device may be referred to as an ambient IoT device (or ambient IoT).

[0098] In 3GPP systems, a conceptual link connecting NFs within a 5G system is defined as a Reference Point. The following is an example of a Reference Point included in the 5G system architecture depicted in Figure 1.

[0099] - N1: Reference point between UE and AMF

[0100] - N2: Reference point between (R)AN and AMF

[0101] - N3: Reference point between (R)AN and UPF

[0102] - N4: Reference point between SMF and UPF

[0103] - N6: Reference point between UPF and DN

[0104] - N9: Reference point between 2 core UPFs

[0105] In addition, in 3GPP systems, the 5G system architecture may include service-based interfaces such as the following examples.

[0106] - Nnssf: Service-based interface by NSSF

[0107] - Nnssaaf: Service-based interface based on NSSAAF (Network Slice-Specific Authentication and Authorization Function)

[0108] - Nnef: Service-based interface by NEF

[0109] - Nausf: Service-based interface by AUSF

[0110] - Nnrf: Service-based interface by NRF

[0111] - Namf: Service-based interface by AMF

[0112] - Npcf: Service-based interface by PCF

[0113] - Nsmf: Service-based interface by SMF

[0114] - Nupf: Service-based interface by UPF

[0115] - Nudm: Service-based interface by UDM

[0116] - Naf: Service-based interface by AF

[0117] - Nasaf: Service-based interface by AUSF

[0118] - Neasdf: Service-based interface by EASDF (Edge Application Server Discovery Function)

[0119] - Nnwdaf: Service-based interface by NWDAF

[0120] In this disclosure, an Evolved Service-Based Architecture (E-SBA) structure is proposed as a 6G network structure for a 6GS (6G System). The E-SBA structure is a network structure improved to be suitable for a 6G network structure based on the SBA structure, which is a 5G network structure. In particular, in the case of the conventional SBA network structure, the N2 interface connecting the NG-RAN (NG Radio Access Network) and the 5GC (5G Core Network) is a Point-to-Point (P2P) based interface. The fact that the N2 interface is a P2P based interface increased the complexity of the 5G network structure and additionally caused various problems associated with the use of the P2P based interface.

[0121] The present disclosure proposes a new Service-Based Interface (SBI) framework for 6G networks. More specifically, to use the SBI interface, NFs store their profiles in an NRF, and subsequently, when NFs need to search for other NFs or NF services, they perform a search through the NRF and select the NF to request the service from. Conventionally, supporting such an SBI framework required complex implementations for all NFs, which resulted in increased overhead. The present invention proposes a solution to these problems.

[0122] Figure 2 illustrates a procedure for requesting NF services and providing services in response to requests among NFs using SBI.

[0123] In a 5G system, an NF requesting an NF service can be defined as a Consumer NF, and an NF providing an NF service can be defined as a Producer NF. Currently, four types of service request and provision methods are defined in 5G systems.

[0124] Referring to Figure 2, Model A and Model B use the Direct Communication format, and Model C and Model D use the Indirect Communication format.

[0125] Model A is a method used when the Consumer NF (201) knows in advance which Producer NF (202) will request the NF service. For example, if the Consumer NF has previously used the NF service by using a specific Producer NF (202), the Consumer NF (201) can cache information about the Producer NF (202) for a certain period of time, so operation according to Model A may be possible. In another case, operation according to Model A is also possible when the network operator pre-configures information about the Producer NF (202) in the Consumer NF (201).

[0126] In Model A, since the Consumer NF (201) knows the Producer NF (202) to whom the NF service needs to be requested, the Consumer NF (201) does not need to perform a discovery procedure for the Producer NF (202). The Consumer NF (201) can request the NF service provided by the Producer NF (202) using a Service Request message. Upon receiving the NF service request, the Producer NF (202) can provide the requested service to the Consumer NF (201) using a Service Response message. Subsequently, the Consumer NF (201) can additionally request NF services from the Producer NF (202).

[0127] The method in which service requests and service provision between Consumer NF (201) and Producer NF (202) are carried out through direct communication between the two NFs can be referred to as the Direct Communication method.

[0128] Model B is a method that can be used when the Consumer NF (201) does not know the Producer NF (202) that provides the desired NF service. The Consumer NF (201) can send a Discovery request message to the NRF (203) to search for the Producer NF (202) that provides the desired NF service. The Discovery request message sent to the NRF may include information about the NF service that the Consumer NF (201) wants. The NRF (203) receives the Discovery message sent by the Consumer NF (201) and, based on this, can send the NF profile(s) of the Producer NFs (202) that can provide the service requested by the Consumer NF (201) to the Consumer NF (201). The NF profile can be registered with the NRF (203) as information containing the NF services that each NF can provide when each NF (instance) is created. NRF (203) can use this NF profile information to search for NFs that can provide specific NF services.

[0129] A Consumer NF (201) that has received NF profile(s) from an NRF (203) can select one Producer NF (202) from among several Producer NFs (202) that can provide NF services. This selection can be a significant burden on the Consumer NF (201) because it must be made by considering various factors such as load balance among several Producer NFs (202) and efficiency of network resources.

[0130] In Model B, when a Consumer NF (201) selects a suitable Producer NF (202) through the NRF, the Consumer NF (201) can directly request NF services from the selected Producer NF (202) and receive the NF services, just as in Model A.

[0131] In the case of Model C, as in Model B, since the Consumer NF (201) does not know the Producer NF (202) that provides the desired NF service, the Consumer NF (201) can use the NRF (203) to search for and select the Producer NF (202).

[0132] The difference between Model B and Model C is whether the Direct Communication method or the Indirect Communication method is used when requesting NF services from the Producer NF (202). Unlike Model B, the Indirect Communication method is used in Model C. That is, in Model C, the Consumer NF (201) does not send a message directly to the Producer NF (202) to request NF services, but can send the NF service request message to the SCP (Service Communication Proxy) (204). The SCP (204), upon receiving the NF service request message from the Consumer NF (201), can forward this message to the corresponding Producer NF (202). The Producer NF (202), upon receiving the service request message, sends a message for providing NF services back to the SCP (204), and the SCP (204) can forward this message to the Consumer NF (201). In this way, in the Indirect Communication method, SCP (204) transmits NF service request and service provision messages between Consumer NF (201) and Producer NF (202).

[0133] Finally, unlike Model C, in Model D, even if the Consumer NF (201) does not know the Producer NF (202) that provides the NF service, the search and selection procedure for the Producer NF (202) is not performed using the NRF (203).

[0134] In Model D, if the Consumer NF (201) does not know the Producer NF (202) that provides the desired NF service, it may send an NF service request message containing information about the desired NF service to the SCP (204). Upon receiving this, the SCP (204) may use the NRF (203) to search for Producer NFs (202) that can provide the desired NF service for the Consumer NF (201). If information about the Producer NF (202) that can provide the desired NF service for the Consumer NF (201) is cached in the SCP (204), the SCP (204) may not perform the Discovery request procedure to the NRF (203).

[0135] An SCP that receives profiles of Producer NFs (202) capable of providing the service desired by the Consumer NF (201) from the NRF (203) can select one suitable Producer NF (202), just as the existing Consumer NF (201) selects one Producer NF (202) from among several Producer NFs (202) capable of providing NF services. This selection by the SCP (204) can be performed by considering various factors such as load balance among several Producer NFs (202), the overall resource status on the network, and the efficiency of network resources, just as the Consumer NF (201) performed the selection.

[0136] After SCP (204) selects a suitable Producer NF (202), SCP (204) can send an NF service request message received from Consumer NF (201) to the corresponding Producer NF (202), and can receive a service provision message sent by Producer NF (202) as in Model C and send it to Consumer NF (201).

[0137] The advantage of Model D is that the implementation of the function to select a suitable Producer NF (202) from among several Producer NFs (202) capable of providing NF services needs to be done only in SCP (204). As described above, selecting a suitable Producer NF (202) from among several Producer NFs (202) can be a very burdensome task for NFs because it requires considering various factors such as load balance among Producer NFs (202), the overall resource status on the network, and the efficiency of network resources. If SCP (204) is not present, all NFs would have to perform complex functions for selecting the Producer NF (202) as described above, which could hinder each NF from focusing only on its original unique function. However, if an NF called SCP (204) performs this function (the function of selecting an appropriate Producer NF) professionally, then all NFs do not need to perform the task of using NRF (203) to search for a Producer NF (202) and selecting an appropriate Producer NF (202) from among the searched Producer NFs (202). This allows each NF to focus only on its own unique function, and if such a model D is adopted and utilized in all situations, there is no need to implement the corresponding function in the NFs, so the implementation of the NFs can be simplified.

[0138] Figure 3 illustrates the advanced service proxy (ASP) structure proposed in this document.

[0139] In 5GS, the Model D method using SCP was an option rather than a method that all NFs were required to use. This makes it impossible to remove the functions of NF discovery and NF selection from all NFs. In environments where SCP is available, SCP can be used, but in environments where SCP is not available, NFs must ultimately perform NF discovery and NF selection, so this function cannot be completely removed from NFs.

[0140] In this document, a method is proposed to embed the functions of NRF and SCP as built-in into the SBI interface. In FIG. 3, the Consumer NF (301) can transmit a service request message over the SBI interface. At this time, the Consumer NF (301) does not need to know the Producer NF (303). The transmitted service request message can be sent to the most appropriate Producer NF (303) among the Producer NFs (303) capable of providing the service (considering load balance, network overhead, etc.). The Advanced Service Proxy (302) function proposed in this document may include various functions such as a function to stabilize service request messages for security purposes, a function to consider the importance (priority) of each message, a function to prevent performance degradation of the entire network and ensure that service request messages are delivered stably without errors, a function to distribute tasks evenly among multiple Producer NFs (303), and a function to check whether a Consumer NF (301) making a service request has the authority to use the NF service provided by the Producer NF (303). These functions may each be expressed as follows: Security Management, Priority Management, Overload Management, Failure Management, Load Balancing, and Authorization Management.

[0141] According to one embodiment, an NRF function that stores the NF instance profiles of all NF instances (Network Repository) can be embedded in the SBI interface to prevent control signaling between the existing SCP and NRF.

[0142] In this description, an embodiment is disclosed in which NFs fundamentally eliminate the operation of performing a Producer NF search and selection procedure using NRF, and accordingly, all NFs can eliminate this function and focus on the NF services that each NF must provide.

[0143] FIGS. 4 and FIGS. 5 illustrate an embodiment of implementing an Advanced Service Proxy.

[0144] FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment implemented with a Proxy Controller (404) and a Proxy Agent. The Sidecar Proxy can be implemented based on a Service Proxy widely used in commercial cloud platforms, such as Istio Envoy, for example, and the functions proposed in this disclosure can be incorporated therein. According to this method, a Sidecar proxy located in the communication path of each NF, i.e., for example, the AMF (401) and SMF (402) in FIG. 4, can intercept all transmitted and received packets and perform network management functions such as security and load balancing by controlling and modifying the packets based on policies received from the central Proxy Controller (404).

[0145] The NF in FIG. 4 may be a Cloud-native Network Function (CNF), such as an AMF (401) or SMF (402) of a 5G core network. Each NF may have a structure that includes a CNF application (CNF App) that performs core business logic and a Sidecar proxy that acts as a proxy for network communication of the CNF App. The Sidecar proxy is implemented in the protocol stack of each NF and can perform the role of intercepting all data packets transmitted from or received by the CNF App. The Sidecar proxy can be implemented based on a commercial service proxy such as the Istio Envoy Agent and can reduce the burden on the CNF App by performing functions such as HTTP / 2 protocol processing, HPACK header compression, and JSON serialization / deserialization.

[0146] The Proxy Controller (404) can perform the role of a control plane that centrally manages multiple distributed Sidecar proxies. To this end, the Proxy Controller (404) may include the following management modules.

[0147] - Security Management: Establishes and deploys mutual authentication between services (mTLS), encryption policies, etc.

[0148] - Failure Management: Manages policies such as retry and circuit breaker in the event of a specific service failure.

[0149] - Load Management: Controls traffic distribution and load balancing rules.

[0150] - Authorization Management: Manages policies to allow or deny access to specific services.

[0151] - Overload Management: Performs overload control policies, such as request rate limiting, when traffic spikes.

[0152] - Priority Management: Set priority processing rules based on traffic importance.

[0153] - Sidecar Management: Manages the lifecycle and configuration of sidecar proxies.

[0154] FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment implemented with a Proxy Controller (506) and a Proxy Agent. The Sidecar Proxy is a commercially used Service Proxy on a Cloud platform, and the functions proposed in this description can be implemented therein.

[0155] Proxy (505) can be implemented within network equipment such as a switch or router. It can be positioned on a communication path between multiple network functions, such as AMF (501), SMF (502), PCF (503), and NEF (504), and can act as a gateway to relay and control all traffic passing between them.

[0156] The Proxy Controller (506) can perform the role of a central control unit. That is, the Proxy Controller (506) can establish policies such as security, failure, load, authorization, overload, and priority management, and instruct the proxy (505) implemented within the network equipment to transmit and execute them.

[0157] Looking at an example of the operation of such a centralized proxy structure, when AMF (501) sends a message to SMF (502), the traffic may pass through a switch / router, and a proxy within the switch / router may intercept the traffic, apply necessary control actions according to a policy received from the Proxy Controller (506), and then forward the packet to the final destination, SMF (502).

[0158] Figure 6 illustrates the procedure for registering the profile of an NF instance when a new NF instance is created.

[0159] The Advanced Service Proxy (ASP) (603) may include all functions described in FIG. 3 (Security Management, Prioritization Management, Overload Management, Failure Management, Load Balancing, NF Authorization Management, etc.) and may additionally include a DB that stores NF Profiles.

[0160] When a Consumer NF (601) sends a message requesting a desired NF service, the ASP (603) searches through NF profiles. If it cannot find a suitable Producer NF (602) for the request, if the Producer NF (602) is currently overloaded and cannot provide any further NF services, or if a failure occurs in the Producer NF (602) and it can no longer operate, the ASP (603) may request a new NF instance from the OAM (Operation, Administration and Maintenance) (604). The newly created NF instance can register its profile with the NRF. Additionally, the service request message sent by the Consumer NF can be sent to the newly created NF.

[0161] Figure 7 illustrates the operation of removing an existing NF instance.

[0162] Regarding the Producer NF (702), there may be NF instances among the created NF instances that are not used or are malfunctioning. In this case, ASP (703) can send a deletion request message for these NF instances to OAM (704), and when the deletion request is processed by OAM (704), ASP (703) can delete the profile of the corresponding NF instance that was previously registered.

[0163] Figure 8 illustrates the process of transmitting an NF service request message from a Consumer NF to a Producer NF.

[0164] In FIG. 8, when a desired NF service occurs for a Consumer NF (801), even if the Consumer NF (801) does not know the Producer NF (802) providing the service, if the Consumer NF (801) sends an NF service request message using the SBI interface, the NF service request message can be sent to the appropriate Producer NF (802). At this time, the ASP (803) can deliver the NF service request message to the appropriate Producer NF (802) by taking into account the load of each NF and the overload of the entire network.

[0165] Figure 9 illustrates the Delegated discovery procedure.

[0166] Figure 8 illustrates the process of an NF service request message transmitted by a Consumer NF being sent to an appropriate Producer NF. Figure 9 explains the signaling procedure for this.

[0167] In step S901a, when the Consumer NF (901) attempts to request an NF service (e.g., Nanf_Policy_Create), if the Producer NF (902) providing the NF service is known, the NF service request message may be transmitted by including the NF instance ID of the NF, the FQDN or IP address of the NF instance, and a correlation ID that distinguishes the Consumer NF and the Producer NF pair in the NF service request message. This NF service request message may include the NF instance ID of the Consumer NF (910), the FQDN or IP address of the NF instance.

[0168] In step S901b, when a Consumer NF (910) attempts to request an NF service (e.g., Nanf_Policy_Create), if the Producer NF (920) providing the NF service is unknown, the Consumer NF (910) may include information about the NF service it is requesting in the NF service request message. The information about the NF service included in the NF service request message may include the following: one or more target NF service name(s), NF type of target NF, NF type of consumer NF.

[0169] In addition, depending on the requested NF service, the NF service request message may include more diverse information. For example, if the UE ID information is required for the requested NF service, SUPI or GPSI values ​​may be added, and if the NF service is related to a specific DN, DNN information may be added, and if it is related to a specific NS, S-NSSAI values ​​may be added. In this way, additional information may be included in the NF service request message depending on the NF service requested by the Consumer NF (910).

[0170] This NF service request message may include the NF instance ID of the Consumer NF (910), the FQDN or IP address of the NF instance.

[0171] If, as in step S901a, the Consumer NF (910) requests an NF service by specifying the Producer NF (920), the Service Proxy embedded in the SBI framework can deliver that message to the corresponding Producer NF (920).

[0172] If, as in step S901b, the Consumer NF (910) cannot identify a specific Producer NF (920), ASP (930) can process the message as in the following steps.

[0173] In step S902, ASP (930) can check whether Consumer NF (910) has the authority to search for and request NF services. If the Consumer NF (910) does not have such authority, ASP (930) can reject the request and generate an error message to notify Consumer NF (910).

[0174] If the Consumer NF (910) can use the service requested in step S903, the ASP (930) can search for a Producer NF (920) that can provide the corresponding NF service by using the information regarding the NF service included in the NF service request message. This search can be performed by referring to the profile information of each NF instance stored in the DB of the ASP (930). If there are multiple Producer NFs (920) that can provide the NF service requested by the Consumer NF (910), the ASP (930) can select the most appropriate Producer NF instance by considering the current workload of each Producer NF (920) and the status of the entire network resources.

[0175] In step S904, ASP (930) maps the Consumer NF (910) that requested the NF service to the Producer NF (920) that will provide the requested service, and assigns a correlation ID that can distinguish this mapping relationship. In addition, information about the NF service that the Consumer NF (910) included in the NF service request message can be stored together in this mapping information.

[0176] In step S905, ASP (930) can modify the NF service request message transmitted by the Consumer NF (910). According to one embodiment, ASP (930) can delete information regarding the NF service (search information) that was included in the NF service request message and add the following information: the NF instance ID of the Producer NF (920) selected by ASP (930), the FQDN or IP address of the corresponding NF instance, and a correlation ID distinguishing the pair of Consumer NF (910) and Producer NF (920).

[0177] In step S906, ASP (930) can send the modified NF service request message to the selected Producer NF (920).

[0178] In step S907, the Producer NF (920) may send a Response message to the Consumer NF (910) that provides the NF service requested by the Consumer NF (910). This message may include the NF instance ID of the Producer NF (920), the FQDN or IP address of the corresponding NF instance, and a correlation ID that distinguishes the pair of Consumer NF (910) and Producer NF (920). Subsequently, when the Consumer NF (910) requests additional NF services, it may send an NF service request message containing this information.

[0179] Figure 10 illustrates a situation in which a problem occurs in NF or an excessive load occurs and is resolved.

[0180] In FIG. 10, one Producer NF instance is currently unable to provide NF services due to reasons such as failure, overload, or updates. At this time, ASP (1003) may receive a request for additional NF services from a Consumer NF (1001) that previously requested NF services from the Producer NF (1002). Since the Consumer NF (1001) previously used the Producer NF (1002), it knows the NF ID and FQDN / IP address that can identify the Producer NF (1002), and can send an NF service request message to the Producer NF (1002) using this information until the NF ID and FQDN / IP address become invalid after a certain period of time.

[0181] The ASP (1003) that receives the NF service request can determine that the Producer NF (1002) is currently unable to provide the NF service, search for / select another Producer NF (1002) that can provide the same NF service, and send a request message to the newly selected Producer NF.

[0182] FIG. 11 illustrates a procedure for handling cases where NF service cannot be provided due to NF failure, overload, update, etc.

[0183] When the Consumer NF (1110) attempts to make an NF service request (e.g., Nanf_Policy_Create) at step S1101, if the Producer NF (1120) providing the NF service is known, the NF instance ID of the NF, the FQDN or IP address of the NF instance, and a correlation ID distinguishing the Consumer NF (1110) and the Producer NF (112) pair may be included in the NF service request message. This service request message may include the NF instance ID of the Consumer NF (1110), the FQDN or IP address of the NF instance.

[0184] In step S1102, ASP (1130) can determine that the destination NF of the service request message, i.e., Producer NF (1120), is currently unable to provide the NF service due to failure, overload, or updates to the NF function.

[0185] In step S1103, ASP (1130) can search for information related to the NF service that the Consumer NF (1110) intended to request, which ASP (1130) had stored, using the Consumer NF ID, Producer NF ID, and correlation ID included in the NF service request message, and search for / select a new suitable Producer NF (1120) based on the searched information.

[0186] In step S1104, ASP (1130) can assign a new correlation ID for the Consumer NF (1110) and the new Producer NF (1120) and update the existing mapping information.

[0187] In step S1105, ASP (1130) can modify the NF service request message sent by the Consumer NF (1110). ASP (1130) can delete existing Producer NF related information (i.e., NF instance ID, FQDN or IP address of the NF instance, and correlation ID distinguishing the Consumer NF (1110) and Producer NF (1120) pair) from the NF service request message and add information for a new Producer NF (1120).

[0188] In step S1106, SCP (1130) can send the modified NF service request message to the newly selected Producer NF (1120).

[0189] In step S1107, the new Producer NF (1120) may send a Response message to the Consumer NF (1110) that provides the NF service requested by the Consumer NF (1110). This message may include the NF instance ID of the Producer NF (1120), the FQDN or IP address of the corresponding NF instance, and a correlation ID that distinguishes the pair of Consumer NF (1110) and Producer NF (1120). Therefore, when the Consumer NF (1110) subsequently requests additional NF services, it may send an NF service request message containing this information.

[0190] Figure 12 illustrates a flowchart explaining the operation of a Consumer NF.

[0191] Referring to FIG. 12, in step S1201, the Consumer NF can prepare to transmit the NF service request message.

[0192] In step S1202, the Consumer NF determines whether it possesses information about a target NF (Producer NF) that provides the desired NF service, and if it does not possess such information, it may include information for NF discovery in the NF service request message as in step S1203. The information for NF discovery may include one or more NF service names, the NF type of the target NF, the NF type of the Consumer NF, etc.

[0193] If, in step S1202, the Consumer NF determines that it possesses information about a target NF that provides the desired NF service, the Consumer NF may include the target NF ID, the target NF's FQDN or IP address, and the correlation ID between the Consumer NF and the target NF in the NF service request message as in step S1204.

[0194] In step S1205, the Consumer NF can send a prepared NF service request message to the ASP, and in step S1206, it can receive a response message for the NF service request from the target NF.

[0195] In step S1207, based on the received response message, if the target NF ID, the target NF's FQDN address, or the IP address within the response message is new or updated, the Consumer NF can receive subsequent NF services using the new NF ID, FQDN address, or IP address and correlation ID as in step S1209.

[0196] In step S1207, if the target NF ID or FQDN / IP address is not new, the Consumer NF can continue to use the existing target NF ID, FQDN / IP address, and correlation ID to receive NF services through the target NF.

[0197] According to one embodiment, in step S1201, the Consumer NF can determine whether the timer for NF search has expired during the process of performing NF search, and if the timer has expired, the Consumer NF can send an NF service request message for NF search back to the ASP in step S1211. Alternatively, if the timer has not expired and NF search is performed normally, the Consumer NF can receive the desired NF service from the corresponding target NF by utilizing the target ID, FQDN / IP address, and correlation ID obtained through NF search as in step S1212.

[0198] Figure 13 illustrates a flowchart explaining the operation of Producer NF.

[0199] Referring to FIG. 13, in step S1301, Producer NF may receive an NF service request message from ASP, and in step S1302, Producer NF may send a response message to ASP including an NF ID, an FQDN / IP address, and a correlation ID in response to the received request message.

[0200] Figure 14 illustrates a flow chart explaining the operation of ASP.

[0201] The ASP may prepare to send an NF service request message at step S1401. This may be done when it receives information about the desired NF service from the Consumer NF, or alternatively, when it receives information about the target NF service from the Consumer NF but cannot receive the desired service from the target NF.

[0202] In step S1402, the ASP may determine whether it possesses information about the target NF, and if it does not possess information about the target NF, it performs authorization for the consumer NF (step S1404), and if it possesses information about the target NF, it decides to perform routing for the message based on the target NF information included in the NF service request message as in step S1403, and in step S1410, it may send the NF service request message to the corresponding target NF.

[0203] In step S1404, the ASP performs authorization for the Consumer NF, and if the authentication result is failure, it may drop the NF service request message or send an error message to the Consumer NF as in step S1405. If the authentication result is failure, the ASP may search for an appropriate NF instance as in step S1406.

[0204] In step S1406, ASP may consider the workload, network conditions, etc. of multiple NF instances to discover and select an appropriate NF instance for the Consumer NF's NF service request.

[0205] If a suitable NF is found / selected in step S1407, ASP can change the target NF information in the NF service request message to the information of the found / selected NF, as in step S1409. If a suitable NF is not found in step S1407, ASP can create a new NF instance and update the database, which may be done by making a request to OAM to create a new NF instance.

[0206] After the ASP sends an NF service request message to the target NF in step S1410, the ASP can receive an additional NF service provision request message from the Consumer NF and send a subsequent message (S1411).

[0207] In step S1412, ASP can determine whether the target NF that previously provided the service is valid during the subsequent message transmission process of step S1411, and if it is not valid, it can search for the target NF again through step S1406.

[0208] FIG. 15 is a block diagram of a terminal or user equipment (1500) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0209] The terminal (1500) is an electronic device capable of wireless communication and may include user equipment (UE), a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet, an Internet of Things (IoT) device having various form factors, and can perform wireless communication with a base station through a wireless channel.

[0210] Referring to FIG. 15, the terminal (1500) may include at least one transceiver (1501) (hereinafter, transceiver), at least one processor (1502) (hereinafter, processor), and at least one memory (1503) (hereinafter, memory). According to at least one or a combination thereof of methods corresponding to embodiments of the present disclosure, the transceiver (1501), processor (1502), and memory (1503) of the terminal (1500) may be operated. However, the components of the terminal (1500) are not limited to the examples of components shown in FIG. 15. In other embodiments, the terminal (1500) may include additional components in addition to the aforementioned components, or some components may be omitted. Also, in some embodiments, any combination of the transceiver (1501), processor (1502), or memory (1503) may be integrated into a single component.

[0211] The transceiver (1501) may be a basic communication circuit or communication circuitry that enables the terminal (1500) to perform wireless communication with a node or entity of a network. For example, the transceiver (1501) may enable the terminal (1500) to transmit and receive signals to and from a base station via cellular wireless communication, or to transmit and receive signals to and from another terminal via cellular wireless communication. For example, the transceiver (1501) may be 3G (3rd generation), 4G (4th generation), LTE (long-term evolution), 5G (5th generation), NR (new radio), 6G (6th It can support at least one of various cellular wireless communication technologies including generation, etc., and the various cellular wireless communication technologies supported by the transceiver (1501) may include all subsequent evolved generations of wireless communication.

[0212] According to one embodiment, the terminal (1500) may include a plurality of transceivers, and for example, when supporting EN-DC (E-UTRA (evolved-universal terrestrial radio access) - NR dual connectivity), it may include a first transceiver supporting 4G LTE wireless communication and a second transceiver supporting 5G NR wireless communication. According to another embodiment, when the terminal (1500) supports NR-DC (NR Dual Connectivity), the terminal (1500) may include a plurality of transceivers supporting 5G NR wireless communication. According to another embodiment, if the terminal (1500) supports short-range wireless communication, the terminal (1500) may separately include a transceiver that supports at least one of a group of wireless communication protocol standards such as those defined by Bluetooth®, wireless LAN or WLAN (wireless local area network) network (including, but not limited to, 802.11ah, 802.11ad, 802.11ay, 802.11ax, 802.11az, 802.11ba and 802.11be).

[0213] According to one embodiment, the transceiver (1501) may include various circuit structures used to transmit and receive signals to and from a base station via a wireless channel. The signals may include control information and data. For example, the transceiver (1501) may be configured to include a radio frequency (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. The transceiver (1501) may output the signal received via the wireless channel to a processor (1502) and transmit the signal output from the processor (1502) via the wireless channel.

[0214] A processor (1502) may control the overall operation of a terminal (1500) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The processor (1502) may be implemented as one or more IC (integrated circuit (or circuitry)) chips and may perform various data processing operations. The processor (1502) may include at least one electrical circuit and may execute instructions (or programs, code, data, etc.) stored in memory (1503) individually, collectively, or in any combination. Additionally, the processor (1502) may include a single-core processor or a multi-core processor, and in a specific implementation, may be composed of a processor assembly including a plurality of processing circuits.

[0215] The processor (1502) is electrically, operatively, or communicatively coupled to the transceiver (1501) so as to control the transceiver (1501).

[0216] The processor (1502) may include at least one processor (or, processing circuitry), and at least one processor may perform the following operations individually, collectively, or in any combination. For example, the processor (1502) may include a communication processor (CP) that controls communication operations and an application processor (AP) that controls the execution of an upper layer (e.g., an application layer). In a specific embodiment, at least one part of the processor (1502) may be included in one chip, and another part of the processor (1502) may be included in a separate chip. Alternatively, at least one processor may be included in other components, e.g., a transceiver (1501) or a memory (1503).

[0217] The processor (1502) may perform, cause, or control the operation of a terminal to perform at least one or a combination of the methods according to the embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, the processor (1502) may control the operation of a terminal to process a downlink signal received from a base station or to generate an uplink signal and transmit it to a base station. To this end, the processor (1502) may control other components of the terminal (1500) to perform various operations by executing computer programs, code, or instructions stored in memory (1503).

[0218] Memory (1503) is a hardware storage device capable of storing information temporarily or permanently and may include one or more storage media. For example, memory (1503) may include a memory assembly comprising one or more storage media. For example, the one or more storage media may include a hard drive, flash memory, permanent memory such as ROM (read-only memory), semipermanent memory such as RAM (random access memory), cache memory, or any combination thereof.

[0219] The memory (1503) can be electrically, operatively, or communically coupled with the processor (1502) and can be accessed by the processor (1502).

[0220] A computer program, code, or instruction that can be executed by a processor (1502) may be stored in the memory (1503). According to one embodiment, the computer program, code, or instruction that can be executed by the processor (1502) may be stored in a single memory device or may be separated and distributed across two or more memory devices. The processor (1502) may perform various functions according to the embodiments of the present disclosure by executing the instruction stored in the memory (1503).

[0221] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the operation of the terminal (1500) may be caused to be performed based on at least one processor (or processing circuit) configured to perform the features of the present disclosure individually, collectively, or in any combination based on the execution of instructions (or computer program or code) stored in memory (1503), based on processing circuitry not configured to execute instructions, and / or based on components of a processing circuitry not configured to execute instructions.

[0222] FIG. 16 is a block diagram of a base station (1600) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0223] The base station (1600) can perform wireless communication with at least one terminal within the area of ​​the base station (1600) through a wireless channel.

[0224] Referring to FIG. 16, a base station (1600) may include at least one transceiver (1601) (hereinafter, transceiver), at least one processor (1602) (hereinafter, processor), and at least one memory (1603) (hereinafter, memory). According to at least one or a combination thereof of methods corresponding to embodiments of the present disclosure, the transceiver (1601), processor (1602), and memory (1603) of the base station (1600) may be operated. However, the components of the base station (1600) are not limited to the examples of components shown in FIG. 16. In other embodiments, the base station (1600) may include additional components in addition to the aforementioned components, or some components may be omitted. Also, in some embodiments, any combination of the transceiver (1601), processor (1602), or memory (1603) may be integrated into a single component.

[0225] The transceiver (1601) may be a communication circuit or communication circuitry that enables the base station (1600) to perform wireless communication with a node or entity of the network. For example, the transceiver (1601) may enable the base station (1600) to transmit and receive signals to and from a terminal (1500) via cellular wireless communication or to transmit and receive signals to and from another network entity via wireless communication. For example, the transceiver (1601) may be 3G (3rd generation), 4G (4th generation) LTE (long-term evolution), 5G (5th generation) NR (new radio), 6G (6th generation) Various cellular wireless communication technologies, including (generation), etc., can be supported, and the various cellular wireless communication technologies supported by the transceiver (1601) may include all subsequent evolved generations of wireless communication. According to one embodiment, the transceiver (1601) may include various circuit structures used to transmit and receive signals to and from a terminal via a wireless channel. The signals may include control information and data. For example, the transceiver (1601) may be configured to include an RF (radio frequency) 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. The transceiver (1601) may output the signal received via the wireless channel to a processor (1602) and transmit the signal output from the processor (1602) via the wireless channel.

[0226] Meanwhile, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a base station (1600) may communicate with an entity or node of a network via wired or wireless communication. For example, the base station (1600) may communicate via wired or wireless communication with an entity or node of an adjacent base station or core network via a backhaul network. Although not shown in the drawings, when the base station (1600) performs wired communication, the base station (1600) may include a separate network interface for wired communication in addition to the transceiver (1601). The network interface may be referred to as network interface circuitry, communication interface circuitry, etc.

[0227] The processor (1602) can control the overall operation of the base station (1600) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The processor (1602) may be implemented as one or more IC (integrated circuit or circuitry) chips and may perform various data processing operations. The processor (1602) may include at least one electrical circuit and may execute instructions (or programs, code, data, etc.) stored in memory (1603) individually, collectively, or in any combination. Additionally, the processor (1602) may include a single-core processor or a multi-core processor, and in a specific implementation, may be composed of a processor assembly including a plurality of processing circuits.

[0228] The processor (1602) is electrically, operatively, or communicatively coupled to the transceiver (1601) so as to control the transceiver (1601).

[0229] The processor (1602) may include at least one processor (or processor circuitry), and at least one processor may perform the following operations individually, collectively, or in any combination. In a particular embodiment, at least one part of the processor (1602) may be included in one chip, and another part of the processor (1602) may be included in a separate chip. Alternatively, at least one processor may be included in other components, such as a transceiver (1601) or memory (1603).

[0230] The processor (1602) may perform, cause, or control the operation of a base station to perform at least one or a combination of the methods according to the embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, the processor (1602) may control the operation of a base station to generate a downlink signal and transmit it to a terminal, or to process an uplink signal received from a terminal. Alternatively, the base station may transmit and receive signals with an adjacent base station, transmit a signal received from a terminal to an upper node of the network, or receive a signal from an upper node of the network and transmit it to a terminal. To this end, the processor (1602) may control other components of the base station (1600) to perform various operations by executing computer programs, codes, and instructions stored in memory (1603).

[0231] Memory (1603) is a hardware storage device capable of storing information temporarily or permanently and may include one or more storage media. For example, memory (1603) may include a memory assembly comprising one or more storage media. For example, the one or more storage media may include a hard drive, flash memory, permanent memory such as ROM (read-only memory), semi-permanent memory such as RAM (random access memory), cache memory, or any combination thereof.

[0232] The memory (1603) can be electrically, operatively, or communically coupled with the processor (1602) and can be accessed by the processor (1602).

[0233] A computer program, code, or instruction that can be executed by a processor (1602) may be stored in the memory (1603). According to one embodiment, the computer program, code, or instruction that can be executed by the processor (1602) may be stored in a single memory device or may be separated and distributed among two or more memory devices. The processor (1602) may perform various functions according to the embodiments of the present disclosure by executing the instruction stored in the memory (1603).

[0234] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the operation of a base station (1600) may be caused to be performed based on at least one processor (or processing circuit) configured to perform the features of the present disclosure individually, collectively, or in any combination based on the execution of instructions (or computer programs or code) stored in memory (1603), based on processing circuitry not configured to execute instructions, and / or based on components of a processing circuitry not configured to execute instructions.

[0235] A terminal or a base station can perform various communication procedures related to the control plane or user plane by interacting with network entities based on communication through a wireless channel. For example, a terminal can communicate with network entities such as an access and mobility management function (AMF) or a session management function (SMF) through a base station. Alternatively, the base station can perform at least one communication procedure by directly transmitting and receiving signals or relaying them with network entities. The structure of the above-mentioned network entities will be explained in more detail through the drawings below.

[0236] FIG. 17 is a block diagram of a network entity (1700) that performs network functions according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0237] A network entity (1700) may include one or more network functions (NF) that constitute a core network (e.g., 5G (5th generation) core, 5GC) in a communication system, or entities (devices, devices, nodes, or servers, etc.) that perform part of a network function. In this case, multiple NFs may be implemented within a single network entity, or a single NF may be distributed and implemented across multiple network entities. Additionally, when an NF is implemented within a network entity, the NF may be implemented in the form of software, and in such cases, a program for running the NF may be loaded into the memory of the network entity (1700).

[0238] A single NF can be implemented as one or more instances and can operate by being distributed across the same network entity or multiple network entities. Here, the instance is a software unit that logically executes a specific network function and may be separate from physical hardware resources. Additionally, one or more NFs may be implemented as a single network slice to operate in order to satisfy the specifications required by a specific service.

[0239] The above NF may include any one of an access and mobility management function (AMF), a session management function (SMF), a local session management function (L-SMF), a user plane function (UPF), a local user plane function (L-UPF), a policy control function (PCF), unified data management (UDM), a unified data repository (UDR), a network exposure function (NEF), a network repository function (NRF), an application function (AF), a network slice selection function (NSSF), a network data analytics function (NWDAF), a network slice admission control function (NSACF), an authentication server function (AUSF), or a data network (DN).

[0240] Referring to FIG. 17, a network entity (1700) may include at least one network interface (1701), at least one processor (1702) (hereinafter referred to as processor), and at least one memory (1703) (hereinafter referred to as memory). As described above, the NF may be implemented in the form of a physical device such as the network entity (1700), or may be implemented and executed in the form of a virtualized instance. When the NF is implemented in the form of an instance, it may not necessarily include physical components as illustrated in FIG. 17. In such cases, the instance may be composed of one or more logical functional units and may be logically represented.

[0241] According to at least one or a combination thereof of the methods corresponding to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the network interface (1701), processor (1702), and memory (1703) of the network entity (1700) may be operated. However, the components of the network entity (1700) are not limited to the examples of components shown in FIG. 17. In other embodiments, the network entity (1700) may include additional components in addition to the aforementioned components, or some components may be omitted. Also, in one embodiment, the network interface (1701), processor (1702), or memory (1703) may be implemented as a single component.

[0242] The network interface (1701) is a collective term for the transmitting and receiving parts of a network entity and may be a communication circuit for transmitting and receiving signals with a terminal (user equipment, UE), a base station, or other network entities. In this case, the communication circuit may include both a communication circuit for wireless communication and a communication circuit for wired communication. For example, the network interface (1701) may include circuits, logic, hardware, etc. configured to exchange control plane messages or user plane messages with a terminal, a base station, or other core network entities via wireless or wired communication. The network interface (1701) may operate using various protocols (e.g., NAS (Non-Access Stratum) protocol). Depending on the convenience of explanation and technical implementation, the network interface (1701) may be referred to as a communication circuitry, a network interface circuitry, or a communication interface circuitry.

[0243] A processor (1702) may control the overall operation of a network entity (1700) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, the processor (1702) may be implemented as one or more IC (integrated circuit or circuitry) chips and may perform various data processing operations. The processor (1702) may include at least one electrical circuit and may execute instructions (or programs, code, data, etc.) stored in memory (1703) individually, collectively, or in any combination. Additionally, the processor (1702) may include a single-core processor or a multi-core processor, and in a specific implementation, may be composed of a processor assembly including a plurality of processing circuits. Additionally, it should be noted that the processor (1702) may not necessarily be composed of physical hardware when the network function (1700) is implemented in an instance form according to another embodiment.

[0244] According to one embodiment, the processor (1702) is electrically, operatively, or communicatively coupled to the network interface (1701) so as to control the network interface (1701).

[0245] The processor (1702) may include at least one processor (or processor circuitry), and at least one processor may perform the following operations individually, collectively, or in any combination. In a particular embodiment, at least one part of the processor (1702) may be included in one chip, and another part of the processor (1702) may be included in a separate chip. Alternatively, at least one processor may be included in other components, such as a network interface (1701) or memory (1703).

[0246] A processor (1702) may perform or control operations of a network entity (1700) to perform at least one or a combination thereof of methods according to embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, the processor (1702) may control operations of the network entity (1700) to exchange control plane messages or user plane messages with terminals, base stations, or other core network entities via wireless or wired communication using various protocols (e.g., NAS protocols). To this end, the processor (1702) may control other components of the network entity (1700) to perform various operations by executing computer programs, code, or instructions stored in memory (1703).

[0247] Memory (1703) is a hardware storage device capable of storing information temporarily or permanently and may include one or more storage media. For example, memory (1703) may include a memory assembly comprising one or more storage media. For example, the one or more storage media may include a hard drive, flash memory, permanent memory such as ROM (read-only memory), semipermanent memory such as RAM (random access memory), cache memory, or any combination thereof.

[0248] According to one embodiment, the memory (1703) may be electrically, operatively, or communicatively coupled to the processor (1702) and may be accessed by the processor (1702).

[0249] A computer program, code, or instruction that can be executed by a processor (1702) may be stored in the memory (1703). According to one embodiment, the computer program, code, or instruction that can be executed by the processor (1702) may be stored in a single memory or separated and distributed across two or more memories. The processor (1702) may perform various functions according to the embodiments of the present disclosure by executing the instruction stored in the memory (1703).

[0250] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the operation of a network entity (1700) may be caused to be performed based on at least one processor (or processing circuit) configured to perform the features of the present disclosure individually, collectively, or in any combination based on the execution of instructions (or computer program or code) stored in memory (1703), based on processing circuitry not configured to execute instructions, and / or based on components of a processing circuitry not configured to execute instructions.

[0251] 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. In a method of an ASP (advanced service proxy) operating in a wireless communication system, A step of receiving a first service request message from a consumer network function (NF); If the first service request message includes an instance ID, an address, and a correlation ID between the consumer NF and the producer NF, a step of selecting a producer NF based on the first service request message; If the first service request message does not include at least one of the instance ID, address, or correlation ID between the consumer NF and the producer NF, but includes information about the requested NF service, the step of selecting one producer NF among a plurality of producer NFs that match the information about the NF service; and A method comprising the step of transmitting a second service request message to a selected producer NF, the second service request message including at least some of the information included in the first service request message.

2. In Paragraph 1, The step of selecting one producer NF among a plurality of producer NFs that match the information regarding the above NF service is: A method characterized by making a selection based on the work load status of multiple producer NFs or the overall resource status on the network.

3. In Paragraph 1, The step of selecting a producer NF based on the first service request message above is: If the NF service cannot be received through the Producer NF corresponding to the instance ID of the Producer NF included in the first service request message above, A method further comprising the step of identifying NF service-related information requested by the consumer NF based on the consumer NF ID, producer NF instance ID, and correlation ID included in the first service request message, and selecting a new producer NF that is not the producer NF corresponding to the instance ID of the producer NF based on the identified NF service-related information.

4. In Paragraph 3, A method in which the producer NF corresponding to the instance ID of the producer NF included in the first service request message is unable to provide the NF service due to at least one cause among failure, overload, or update of the NF function.

5. In Paragraph 1, A method further comprising the step of sending a request to create an instance of a new producer NF to OAM (operation, administration and maintenance) if there is no selectable producer NF based on the first service request message above.

6. In Paragraph 1, A step of identifying producer NF instances for which NF service provision is impossible; and A method further comprising the step of sending a deletion request for an identified producer NF instance to the OAM.

7. In a method of a consumer network function (NF) operating in a wireless communication system, A step of identifying whether information of a producer NF providing the requested NF service exists; If producer NF information for the above NF service exists, a step of transmitting a first service request message to an ASP (advanced service proxy) including the instance ID, address, and correlation ID between the consumer NF and the producer NF of the producer NF; If producer NF information for the above NF service does not exist, the step of transmitting a first service request message containing information for the above NF service; and A method comprising the step of receiving a response message for an NF service requested through the first service request message from a producer NF selected by the above ASP.

8. In Paragraph 7, A method further comprising the step of performing an update of information regarding a producer NF for a subsequent NF service request based on the response message when the producer NF instance ID included in the first service request message and the producer NF instance ID included in the response message are different.

9. In an ASP (advanced service proxy) operating in a wireless communication system, At least one transceiver; At least one processor connected to the above at least one transceiver so as to be able to communicate; and Connected to communicate with at least one processor and executable individually or in any combination of the at least one processor, the ASP receives a first service request message from a consumer network function (NF), and If the first service request message includes the instance ID, address, and correlation ID between the consumer NF and the producer NF of the producer NF, the producer NF is selected based on the first service request message. If the above first service request message does not include at least one of the instance ID, address, or correlation ID between the consumer NF and the producer NF of the producer NF, but includes information regarding the requested NF service, one producer NF among a plurality of producer NFs matching the information regarding the NF service is selected, and An ASP comprising a memory that stores a command to transmit a second service request message, which includes at least some of the information included in the first service request message, to a selected producer NF.

10. In Paragraph 9, The above command, the above ASP, In the process of selecting one producer NF from among multiple producer NFs that match the information regarding the above NF service, ASP. characterized by performing a selection based on the workload status of multiple producer NFs or the overall resource status on the network.

11. In Paragraph 9, The above command, the above ASP, In the process of selecting a producer NF based on the above-mentioned first service request message, If the NF service cannot be received through the Producer NF corresponding to the instance ID of the Producer NF included in the first service request message above, An ASP characterized by identifying NF service-related information requested by the consumer NF based on the consumer NF ID, producer NF instance ID, and correlation ID included in the first service request message, and selecting a new producer NF other than the producer NF corresponding to the instance ID of the producer NF based on the identified NF service-related information.

12. In Paragraph 11, ASP. that the producer NF corresponding to the instance ID of the producer NF included in the first service request message above is unable to provide the NF service due to at least one of failure, overload, or update of the NF function.

13. In Paragraph 9, The above command, the above ASP, ASP. characterized by sending a request to OAM (operation, administration and maintenance) to create an instance of a new producer NF if there is no selectable producer NF based on the first service request message.

14. In Paragraph 9, The above command, the above ASP, Identify producer NF instances that are unable to provide NF services, and ASP, characterized by sending a delete request for an identified producer NF instance to the OAM.

15. In a consumer network function (NF) operating in a wireless communication system, At least one transceiver; At least one processor connected to the above at least one transceiver so as to be able to communicate; and Identifying whether there exists information of a producer NF that is connected to communicate with at least one processor and is executable individually or in any combination of the at least one processor, and provides an NF service to be requested by the consumer NF. If producer NF information for the above NF service exists, a first service request message including the instance ID, address, and correlation ID between the consumer NF and the producer NF is transmitted to the ASP (advanced service proxy). If producer NF information for the above NF service does not exist, a first service request message containing information for the above NF service is transmitted, and A consumer NF comprising a memory storing a command to receive a response message for an NF service requested through the first service request message from a producer NF selected by the above ASP.

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