Method and device for generating and configuring user equipment subscriber information in mobile communication system

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a 5G or 6G communication system for supporting higher data transmission rates. The present disclosure provides a device and a method performed by a unified data management (UDM) entity in a wireless communication system, the method comprising the steps of: receiving, from a network exposure function (NEF) entity, a request message for requesting an application function (AF) specific user equipment (UE) identifier (ID); generating the AF specific UE ID on the basis of a policy associated with an AF; and transmitting, to the NEF entity, a response message including the generated AF specific UE ID.

Description

Method and apparatus for generating and setting user terminal subscriber information in a mobile communication system

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for generating and configuring user terminal subscriber information in a mobile communication system. More specifically, the present disclosure deals with a technology related to opening network functions for obtaining information necessary for providing user services from a mobile communication system at a server located outside the mobile communication network.

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

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

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

[0005] In addition, standardization is underway in the field of wireless interface architecture / protocols for technologies such as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) to support new services through linkage and convergence with other industries, Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) which provides nodes to expand 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. Standardization is also underway in the field of system architecture / services 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.

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

[0007] Furthermore, the advancement of these 5G mobile communication systems encompasses multi-antenna transmission technologies such as new waveforms to guarantee coverage in the terahertz band of 6G mobile communication technology, Full Dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antennas, and large-scale antennas; metamaterial-based lenses and antennas to improve terahertz band signal coverage; high-dimensional spatial multiplexing technology using OAM (Orbital Angular Momentum); and Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS) technology; as well as Full Duplex technology for enhancing frequency efficiency and system networks in 6G mobile communication technology; 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 the realization of services of complexity exceeding the limits of terminal computing capabilities by utilizing ultra-high-performance communication and computing resources. It could serve as a foundation for the development of next-generation distributed computing technologies.

[0008] The purpose of the present disclosure is to propose a method and apparatus for generating information within a mobile communication network and providing it to an external system when information regarding a specific terminal subscriber requested by an external server is not stored within the mobile communication network system.

[0009] To solve the above problems, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method is provided that is performed by a unified data management (UDM) entity of a wireless communication system, comprising: receiving a request message for requesting an application function (AF) specific UE (identifier) ​​ID from a network exposure function (NEF) entity; generating the AF specific UE ID based on a policy associated with the AF; and transmitting a response message containing the generated AF specific UE ID to the NEF entity.

[0010] To solve the above problems, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a method performed by a network exposure function (NEF) entity of a wireless communication system comprises: transmitting a request message to a unified data management (UDM) entity to request an application function (AF) specific user equipment (UE) ID (identifier); receiving a response message from the UDM entity that includes the AF specific UE ID corresponding to the external UE ID of a terminal for the AF; and transmitting the AF specific UE ID to the AF, wherein the AF specific UE ID is generated based on a policy associated with the AF.

[0011] To solve the above problems, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a unified data management (UDM) entity of a wireless communication system is provided, comprising: at least one transceiver; at least one processor connected to communicate with the at least one transceiver; and a memory storing instructions connected to communicate with the at least one processor and executable individually or in any combination of the at least one processor, such that the UDM entity performs the steps of: receiving a request message for requesting an application function (AF) specific UE (identifier) ​​from a network exposure function (NEF) entity; generating the AF specific UE ID based on a policy associated with the AF; and transmitting a response message containing the generated AF specific UE ID to the NEF entity.

[0012] In order to solve the above problems, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a network exposure function (NEF) entity of a wireless communication system comprises: at least one transceiver; at least one processor connected to communicate with the at least one transceiver; and a memory storing an instruction that is connected to communicate with the at least one processor and is executable individually or in any combination of the at least one processor, so as to perform the steps of: transmitting a request message to request an application function (AF) specific UE (identifier) ​​ID from a unified data management (UDM) entity; receiving a response message from the UDM entity that includes the AF specific UE ID corresponding to the external UE ID of a terminal for the AF; and transmitting the AF specific UE ID to the AF, wherein the AF specific UE ID is provided as an NEF entity generated based on a policy associated with the AF.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when a new external server requests subscriber information from a mobile communication network function in accordance with the deployment of a new service and server, the network function may generate subscriber information that can be provided to the said external service or server, and may provide the generated subscriber information to the said external service or server.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, since there is no need for an operator to manually set subscriber information within a mobile communication network according to the deployment of new services and servers, the burden of pre-setting can be reduced.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing a mobile communication network system structure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the process of dynamically generating an AF-specific UE ID when the AF calls an NEF-based UE ID API according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the process of dynamically generating an AF-specific UE ID when the AF calls an NEF-based UE ID API according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a network entity according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] In describing the embodiments in this specification, technical details that are well known in the technical field 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.

[0020] 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 dimensions. Identical or corresponding components in each drawing have been assigned the same reference numbers.

[0021] 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. The embodiments provided are merely to ensure that the disclosure of the present 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.

[0022] At this time, it will be understood that each block of the process flow diagrams and combinations of the flow diagrams can be executed by computer program instructions. Since these computer program instructions can be loaded into the processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing equipment, the instructions executed through the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing equipment create means to perform the functions described in the flow diagram block(s). Since these computer program instructions can also be stored in computer-available or computer-readable memory that can be directed toward the computer or other programmable data processing equipment to implement the function in a specific way, the instructions stored in computer-available or computer-readable memory can also produce a manufactured item containing the means of instruction to perform the function described in the flow diagram block(s). Since computer program instructions can be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing equipment, instructions that perform a series of operation steps on the computer or other programmable data processing equipment to create a process executed by the computer can also provide steps for executing the functions described in the flowchart block(s).

[0023] 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 instance, two blocks described in succession may actually be executed substantially simultaneously, or the blocks may be executed in reverse order according to their corresponding functions.

[0024] In this embodiment, the term "part" refers to a software or hardware component, such as an FPGA or ASIC, and the "part" performs certain roles. However, the meaning of "part" is not limited to software or hardware. The "part" may be configured to reside in an addressable storage medium or configured to operate one or more processors. Thus, as an 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." Furthermore, the components and "parts" may be implemented to operate one or more CPUs within a device or secure multimedia card.

[0025] The AF-specific UE ID can be used as a GPSI in the form of an external ID to protect user privacy when an external AF provides services to a UE via the NEF's Northbound API. Section 4.15.10 of 3GPP TS 23.502 discloses the procedure for finding the AF-specific UE ID, but the procedure for handling cases where the UDM cannot find the AF-specific UE ID in the subscriber records is not clearly defined. According to one embodiment, if the UDM indicates that the requested UE identifier is not available in the subscription data, the NEF may send a response message to the AF containing a [404 Not Found] error status code. Meanwhile, detailed procedures for how the AF-specific UE ID is generated and stored in the subscriber records of the UDM or UDR are not defined, and some implementations may interpret this as pre-provisioning it into the subscriber records. However, considering the reality of hundreds of millions of subscriber records, the various AFs dynamically onboarded to the CAPIF / NEF platform, and the dynamic nature of AF-specific UE IDs that can be removed at any time based on user requests, this pre-loading method is difficult to view as a realistic solution.

[0026] The present disclosure proposes a method for providing terminal subscriber information (e.g., identifiers) required for interoperability with a mobile communication network to an external server. Specifically, the present disclosure proposes various methods for providing such information when a network function (NF) of a communication system receives a request for subscriber information, such as a terminal identifier, from an external server using IP addresses or application information. For example, the present disclosure proposes a method for determining whether the mobile communication network function can generate information regarding the terminal identifier and provide it to the external server when the external server requests a terminal identifier from the mobile communication network function, and a method for the mobile communication network function to generate the terminal identifier, if the terminal identifier information is not stored in the mobile communication network function.

[0027] The operating principles of embodiments according to the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Furthermore, the terms described below are defined in consideration of their functions in the embodiments according to the present disclosure. Since these may vary depending on the intentions or practices of the user or operator, their definitions should be determined in accordance with the content throughout this specification.

[0028] Terms used in this disclosure to refer to network entities, objects of an Edge Computing system, messages, identification information, etc., are illustrative for the sake of convenience of explanation. Accordingly, the embodiments according to this disclosure are not limited to the terms described below, and other terms referring to objects having equivalent technical meanings may be used.

[0029] For convenience, the present disclosure uses terms and names defined in 5G system specifications, but is not limited to the said terms and names and can be applied in the same way to systems conforming to other specifications.

[0030] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing a mobile communication network system structure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] A 5G system structure (100) supporting an edge computing system may include various network functions (NF). Referring to FIG. 1, a 5G system structure (100) supporting an edge computing system may include an access and mobility management function (AMF, 103), a session management function (SMF, 104), a policy control function (PCF, 107), an application function (AF, 108), unified data management (UDM, 106), a data network (DN, 110), a user plane function (UPF, 105), an edge application server discovery function (EASDF, 109), a (radio) access network ((R)AN, 102), and a user equipment (UE, 101).

[0032] Each NF illustrated in Fig. 1 can support the following functions.

[0033] - The AMF (103) provides functions for managing connectivity and mobility at the UE level, and each UE (101) can basically be connected to one AMF (103).

[0034] - DN (110) refers to a network outside the 5GS where, for example, operator services, internet access, or third-party services exist. DN (110) can transmit downlink protocol data units (PDUs) to UPF (105) or receive PDUs transmitted from UE (101) from UPF (105).

[0035] - The PCF (107) can receive information about packet flow from the application server and provide functions to determine policies such as mobility management and session management. For example, the PCF (107) can support functions such as supporting a unified policy framework to control network behavior, providing policy rules so that control plane function(s) (e.g., AMF (103), SMF (104), etc.) can enforce policy rules, and a front-end implementation to access relevant subscription information for policy decisions within the unified data repository (UDR).

[0036] - The SMF (104) can provide session management functions. If the UE (101) has multiple sessions, each session can be managed by a different SMF (104).

[0037] - UDM (106) can store user subscription data, policy data, etc.

[0038] - UPF (105) can transmit downlink PDUs received from DN (110) to UE (101) via (R)AN (102). UPF (105) can transmit uplink PDUs received from UE (101) to DN (110) via (R)AN (102).

[0039] - EASDF (109) can provide a search function for edge application servers (EAS). For example, EASDF (109) can identify an appropriate EAS instance based on a request from UE (101) or AF (108), taking into account the terminal's location, network status, policy, application requirements, etc., and provide that information.

[0040] - AF (108) can provide the function of transmitting application-related requirements to the network. For example, AF (108) can receive service requests from UE (101) or third-party applications and transmit requirements such as quality of service (QoS), policies, and sessions to PCF (107) or EASDF (109), etc., for providing the service.

[0041] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the process of dynamically generating an AF-specific UE ID when the AF calls an NEF-based UE ID API according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] Referring to FIG. 2, AF can obtain an AF-specific UE ID based on the following processes.

[0043] 1. AF can transmit a terminal identifier request message to NEF. The terminal identifier request message may include at least one of a UE IP address, information, port information, AF ID, application ID, application port ID, and AF provider information (e.g., at least one of an AF provider identifier, a DNN that can correspond to the AF ID, and S-NSSAI information).

[0044] 2. NEF may perform authorization or permission for AF's request.

[0045] 3~4. If authorization is successfully completed in Step 2, the NEF may perform an action to obtain a SUPI (subscription permanent identifier) ​​based on the UE IP address. For example, based on the UE IP address and port information, the NEF may obtain UPF information that manages the session of the terminal from the NRF (network repository function).

[0046] 5~6. NEF can use the UPF information obtained in the above steps to request the UE private IP address corresponding to the terminal's IP address from the UPF and obtain the UE private IP address.

[0047] 7~8. The NEF can obtain a SUPI using the UE private IP address obtained through the steps above. For example, the NEF can obtain (or retrieve) a SUPI by providing the UE IP address to the Binding Support Function. Alternatively, the NEF can determine (or identify) a SUPI based on the correspondence between the UE IP address and the SUPI stored within the NEF.

[0048] 9. The NEF may request terminal identifier information that can be provided to the AF, while providing the UDM with the SUPI obtained through the previous steps and the AF ID, application ID, application port information, AF provider identifier, and related information received from the AF. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the request for terminal identifier information may include information indicating that it is a request for an AF specific UE ID or an external UE ID.

[0049] 10. Based on the information received from the NEF in the previous step, the UDM can check the subscriber information stored in the UDM or UDR to determine whether an AF-specific UE ID that can be provided to the NEF is stored or set. For example, it can determine whether an AF-specific UE ID corresponding to SUPI is stored in the UDM or UDR, which corresponds to at least one of an AF ID, application ID, application port information, AF provider identifier and information (e.g., AF provider ID or DNN, S-NSSAI information corresponding to the AF ID). According to one embodiment, if an AF-specific UE ID corresponding to at least one of an AF ID, application ID, application port information, AF provider identifier and information (e.g., AF provider ID or DNN, S-NSSAI information corresponding to the AF ID) is not stored in the UDM or UDR, the UDM can send a message to the NEF as a response message containing information such as "UE Identifier is not available in the subscription data" and a 404 Not Found error status code.

[0050] The UDM may also provide an AF-specific UE ID based on user consent information set for the terminal (or the SUPI) or internal settings of the UDM; however, if the AF-specific UE ID is not set within the UDM or UDR, the UDM may decide to transmit the UE Identifier is not available in the subscription data and a 404 Not Found error status code. In other words, the UDM can determine whether to provide an AF-specific UE ID by checking user consent information or internal policy settings for the terminal (or the SUPI).

[0051] According to one embodiment, if the UDM checks the user consent information set for the terminal (or the SUPI) or, based on internal settings related to user consent within the UDM, cannot provide an AF-specific UE ID and the AF-specific UE ID is not set within the UDM or UDR, it may send a 404 Not Found error status code or a rejection cause code to the NEF to indicate that providing the AF-specific UE ID itself is completely impossible or rejected. In other words, if the UDM determines that providing the AF-specific UE ID itself is impossible or rejected based on user consent information or internal policy settings set for the terminal (SUPI), it may send a message including a 404 Not Found error code or a rejection cause code to the NEF to clearly notify that the provision of the AF-specific UE ID has been rejected.

[0052] 11. The NEF can determine whether to perform an action to generate an AF-specific UE ID by checking the information in the message received from the UDM. For example, if the NEF receives a message indicating that the AF-specific UE ID is not set in the UDM or UDR, even though the AF-specific UE ID could be provided according to the user consent information or internal settings in the UDM in the previous step (UE Identifier is not available in the subscription data and 404 Not Found error status code), the NEF may decide to perform an action to generate an AF-specific UE ID (e.g., a service-specific authorization procedure).

[0053] 12. The NEF may request authorization for service-specific parameter provisioning for an AF-specific UE ID by providing the UDM with at least one of the following: an indicator or purpose information indicating the generation of an AF-specific UE ID, an AF ID, application port information, an application ID, and an AF provider ID, along with a SUPI. In other words, to request the generation of an AF-specific UE ID, the NEF may provide the UDM with at least one of the following: an indicator or purpose information indicating the generation of an AF-specific UE ID, an AF ID, application port information, an application ID, and an AF provider ID, along with a SUPI. Based on the above information, the NEF may request the UDM for authorization for service-specific parameter provisioning for an AF-specific UE ID. The UDM may send a response message to the NEF indicating that the authorization has been successfully performed in response to the NEF's request.

[0054] 13. When the NEF receives from the UDM that authorization for the AF-specific UE ID generation operation has been successfully performed, it may perform the AF-specific UE ID generation operation for the AF requested in Step 1. For the generation of the AF-specific UE ID, the NEF may consider at least two pieces of information among the terminal identifier, AF ID, application port ID, AF provider ID, and application ID. Here, the AF-specific UE ID may be generated to be different for each terminal and different for each AF. By ensuring that the AF-specific UE ID is generated to be different for each terminal and different for each AF, it must be guaranteed that identifier conflicts between terminals and services do not occur.

[0055] 14. The NEF can store the AF-specific UE ID generated in the previous step in a UDM or UDR. For example, the NEF can store the generated AF-specific UE ID in the UDR as "Application Data". Here, the Data Subset can be set to "Service-specific information".

[0056] 15. NEF may provide the AF-specific UE ID generated through the operation described above to the AF. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, NEF may transmit the generated AF-specific UE ID to the AF immediately after storing it in the UDM or UDR.

[0057] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the NEF may store the generated AF-specific UE ID in a UDM or UDR and not immediately transmit the value to the AF. For example, the NEF may store the generated AF-specific UE ID in a UDM or UDR, request the AF-specific UE ID from the UDM or UDR to obtain the AF-specific UE ID stored in step 14 from the UDM or UDR, and then transmit the AF-specific UE ID obtained from the UDM or UDR to the AF as a response message to the AF request. In other words, the NEF may store the AF-specific UE ID in a UDM or UDR and, instead of transmitting it immediately, look up the value from the UDM or UDR in response to a request from the AF, and then provide the retrieved AF-specific UE ID as a response message to the AF request.

[0058] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the process of dynamically generating an AF-specific UE ID when AF calls an NEF-based UE ID API according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 3, AF can obtain an AF-specific UE ID based on the following processes.

[0059] 1. AF can transmit a terminal identifier request message to NEF. The terminal identifier request message may include at least one of a UE IP address, information, port information, AF ID, application ID, application port ID, and AF provider information (e.g., at least one of an AF provider identifier, a DNN that can correspond to the AF ID, and S-NSSAI information).

[0060] 2. NEF can perform authorization for AF's request.

[0061] 3~4. If authorization is successfully completed in Step 2, the NEF may perform an action to obtain a SUPI (subscription permanent identifier) ​​based on the UE IP address. For example, based on the UE IP address and port information, the NEF may obtain UPF information that manages the session of the terminal from the NRF (network repository function).

[0062] 5~6. NEF can use the UPF information obtained in the above steps to request the UE private IP address corresponding to the terminal's IP address from the UPF and obtain the UE private IP address.

[0063] 7~8. The NEF can obtain a SUPI using the UE private IP address obtained through the steps above. For example, the NEF can obtain (or retrieve) a SUPI by providing the UE IP address to the Binding Support Function. Alternatively, the NEF can determine (or identify) a SUPI based on the correspondence between the UE IP address and the SUPI stored within the NEF.

[0064] 9. The NEF may request terminal identifier information that can be provided to the AF, while providing the UDM with the SUPI obtained through the previous steps and the AF ID, application ID, application port information, AF provider identifier, and related information received from the AF. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the request for terminal identifier information may include information indicating that it is a request for an AF specific UE ID or an external UE ID.

[0065] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, depending on the operator's configuration or implementation method, when the UDM receives a request for an AF specific UE ID from the NEF in step 9, it can confirm that the AF specific UE ID is not stored in the UDM.

[0066] The UDM can provide an AF-specific UE ID for the terminal and AF identified by the corresponding SUPI by considering the AF ID, SUPI, application ID, application port information, AF provider information (or information that can be represented as MTC provider information), etc. received from the corresponding NEF. The UDM can determine whether the AF-specific UE ID is not yet configured or stored in the UDM or UDR, even though it can provide an AF-specific UE ID for the terminal and AF identified by the corresponding SUPI. For example, even if user consent information that allows providing an AF-specific UE ID to the terminal is provided (or configured) within the UDM, and even if the AF-specific UE ID can be provided to the AF according to an agreement between the carrier and the AF provider or the carrier's internal policy, the UDM can support a function to determine whether it is not pre-configured or stored within the UDM or UDR. In other words, even if user consent information for the terminal is set in the UDM and an AF-specific UE ID can be provided to the AF in accordance with an agreement between the carrier and the AF provider or the carrier's internal policy, whether the AF-specific UE ID is actually stored in the UDM or UDR can be determined separately. The determination function of the above UDM can be used to identify cases where the AF-specific UE ID can be provided according to policy but has not yet been created or stored.

[0067] The UDM can identify a specific terminal (SUPI) and AF through the AF ID, SUPI, application ID, application port information, AF provider information (or information that can be represented as MTC provider information), etc., received from the NEF. The UDM can provide an AF-specific UE ID for the identified terminal and AF, but if the AF-specific UE ID has not yet been set or stored in the UDM or UDR, the UDM can generate the AF-specific UE ID itself. For example, the UDM can generate an AF-specific UE ID having a GPSI form or a UE External ID form that corresponds to the AF ID, SUPI, application ID, application port information, and AF provider information. The UDM can store the generated AF-specific UE ID in the UDM and UDR as subscriber information or application data information corresponding to at least one of the AF ID, SUPI, application ID, application port information, and AF provider information.

[0068] 10. The UDM can send the generated AF-specific UE ID to the NEF as a response message to step 9.

[0069] 11. The NEF can send the AF-specific UE ID received from the UDM to the AF as a response message to Step 1.

[0070] To support the various embodiments described above, if the UDM receives subscriber information (e.g., AF specific UE ID, which is a terminal identifier) ​​from the NEF but the corresponding subscriber information (AF specific UE ID) is not set or stored within the UDM or UDR, the UDM can determine on its own which of the following cases applies:

[0071] - If providing subscriber information (AF-specific UE ID) requested by a specific AF via NEF is permitted in accordance with user consent information, internal carrier policies, or agreements between the carrier and the AF provider, but the said subscriber information is not configured or stored in the UDM or UDR

[0072] - If providing subscriber information (AF-specific UE ID) requested by a specific AF via NEF is not permitted due to user consent information, internal carrier policies, or agreements between the carrier and the AF provider, and the relevant subscriber information is not configured or stored in the UDM or UDR

[0073] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a network entity according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0074] The network entity (400) according to FIG. 4 may be one of the network entities shown in FIG. 1. For example, the network entity (400) may be one of AMF, SMF, UPF, UDM, PCF, AF, or EASDF.

[0075] Referring to FIG. 4, the network entity (400) may include a transceiver (410), a control unit (420), and a storage unit (430). In the present disclosure, the control unit may be defined as a circuit or an application-specific integrated circuit or at least one processor.

[0076] The transmitting and receiving unit (410) can transmit and receive signals with other network entities. The transmitting and receiving unit (410) can receive system information from, for example, a base station or other network entities, and can receive synchronization signals or reference signals.

[0077] The control unit (420) can control the overall operation of the network entity according to the embodiment proposed in the present disclosure. For example, the control unit (420) can control the signal flow between each block to perform operations according to the flowchart described above. Specifically, the control unit (420) can control the operation proposed in the present disclosure to generate an AF-specific UE ID according to the embodiment of the present disclosure and provide it to the AF.

[0078] The storage unit (430) can store at least one of the information transmitted and received through the transmission and reception unit (410) and the information generated through the control unit (420). For example, the storage unit (430) can store a generated AF specific UE ID.

[0079] Methods according to the embodiments described in the claims or specification of the present disclosure may be implemented in the form of hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0080] When implemented in software, a computer-readable storage medium may be provided for storing one or more programs (software modules). One or more programs stored in the computer-readable storage medium are configured for execution by one or more processors within an electronic device. One or more programs include instructions that cause the electronic device to execute methods according to the embodiments described in the claims or specification of this disclosure.

[0081] Such programs (software modules, software) may be stored in random access memory, non-volatile memory including flash memory, ROM (Read Only Memory), Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM), magnetic disc storage devices, Compact Disc-ROM (CD-ROM), Digital Versatile Discs (DVDs), or other forms of optical storage devices, magnetic cassettes. Alternatively, they may be stored in memory composed of some or all of these. Additionally, each constituent memory may include multiple units.

[0082] Additionally, the above program may be stored on an attachable storage device that can be accessed via a communication network such as the Internet, Intranet, Local Area Network (LAN), Wide LAN (WLAN), or Storage Area Network (SAN), or a combination thereof. Such a storage device may be connected to a device performing an embodiment of the present disclosure through an external port. Additionally, a separate storage device on a communication network may be connected to a device performing an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0083] In the specific embodiments of the present disclosure described above, the components included in the disclosure are expressed in a singular or plural form according to the specific embodiments presented. However, the singular or plural expression is selected to suit the situation presented for convenience of explanation, and the present disclosure is not limited to singular or plural components; even if a component is expressed in the plural form, it may be composed of a singular form, and even if a component is expressed in the singular form, it may be composed of a plural form.

[0084] Meanwhile, although specific embodiments have been described in the detailed description of the present disclosure, it is understood that various modifications are possible within the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be defined by the claims set forth below as well as equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A method performed by a unified data management (UDM) entity of a wireless communication system, A step of receiving a request message to request an AF (application function) specific UE (user equipment) ID (identifier) ​​from an NEF (network exposure function) entity; A step of generating the AF-specific UE ID based on a policy associated with the AF; and A step of transmitting a response message containing the generated AF-specific UE ID to the NEF entity; A method including 2. In Paragraph 1, A method characterized by further including the step of storing the generated AF-specific UE ID in a unified data repository (UDR).

3. In Paragraph 1, A method characterized by further including a step of checking whether the AF specific UE ID is set in the UDR.

4. In Paragraph 1, If the above AF is allowed to receive the above AF specific UE ID, the above AF specific UE ID is generated, and A method characterized in that the above AF specific UE ID corresponds to at least one of the external UE ID, AF ID, SUPI (subscription permanent identifier), application ID, application port information, and AF provider information of the terminal for the above AF.

5. A method performed by a network exposure function (NEF) entity of a wireless communication system, A step of sending a request message to a UDM (unified data management) entity to request an AF (application function) specific UE (user equipment) ID (identifier); A step of receiving a response message from the UDM entity including the AF-specific UE ID corresponding to the external UE ID of the terminal for the AF; and The method includes the step of transmitting the AF-specific UE ID to the AF, The above AF specific UE ID is generated based on a policy associated with the above AF.

6. In Paragraph 5, A method characterized in that the above AF specific UE ID is stored in a UDR (unified data repository).

7. In Paragraph 5, A method characterized by generating the AF specific UE ID when the AF specific UE ID is not set in the UDR.

8. In Paragraph 5, If the above AF is allowed to receive the above AF specific UE ID, the above AF specific UE ID is generated, and A method characterized in that the above AF specific UE ID corresponds to at least one of the external UE ID, AF ID, SUPI (subscription permanent identifier), application ID, application port information, and AF provider information of the terminal for the above AF.

9. In the unified data management (UDM) entity of 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 The UDM entity is connected to communicate with at least one processor and is executable individually or in any combination of the at least one processor. A step of receiving a request message to request an AF (application function) specific UE (user equipment) ID (identifier) ​​from an NEF (network exposure function) entity, A step of generating the AF-specific UE ID based on a policy associated with the AF, and A step of transmitting a response message containing the generated AF-specific UE ID to the NEF entity, Memory that stores instructions to execute; A UDM entity including 10. In Paragraph 9, The above command is that the above UDM entity A UDM entity characterized by further performing the step of storing the generated AF-specific UE ID in a unified data repository (UDR).

11. In Paragraph 9, The above command is that the above UDM entity A UDM entity characterized by further performing a step of checking whether the above AF specific UE ID is set in the UDR.

12. In Paragraph 9, If the above AF is allowed to receive the above AF specific UE ID, the above AF specific UE ID is generated, and A method characterized in that the above AF specific UE ID corresponds to at least one of the external UE ID, AF ID, SUPI (subscription permanent identifier), application ID, application port information, and AF provider information of the terminal for the above AF.

13. In the NEF (network exposure function) entity of 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 The NEF entity is connected to communicate with at least one processor and is executable individually or in any combination of the at least one processor. A step of sending a request message to request an AF (application function) specific UE (user equipment) ID (identifier) ​​as a UDM (unified data management) entity, The step of receiving a response message including the AF specific UE ID from the UDM entity, and Step of transmitting the AF-specific UE ID to the AF Includes memory that stores instructions to execute, The above AF specific UE ID is an NEF entity generated based on a policy associated with the above AF.

14. In Paragraph 13, An NEF entity characterized in that the above AF specific UE ID is stored in a UDR (unified data repository).

15. In Paragraph 13, If the above AF specific UE ID is not set in the UDR, the above AF specific UE ID is generated, and If the above AF is allowed to receive the above AF specific UE ID, the above AF specific UE ID is generated, and A method characterized in that the above AF specific UE ID corresponds to at least one of the external UE ID, AF ID, SUPI (subscription permanent identifier), application ID, application port information, and AF provider information of the terminal for the above AF.

Images