JP6451366B2 - Apparatus and method for proximity service communication - Google Patents

Description

  This application relates to Proximity-based services (ProSe), and in particular to ProSe communications without network assistance.

  3GPP Release 12 defines Proximity-based services (ProSe) (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1). ProSe includes ProSe discovery and ProSe direct communication. ProSe discovery allows detection of in proximity of wireless terminals. ProSe discovery includes direct discovery (ProSe Direct Discovery) and network level discovery (EPC-level ProSe Discovery).

  ProSe Direct Discovery is a radio communication technology (for example, Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) technology) in which a radio terminal (ProSe-enabled UE) capable of executing ProSe has other ProSe-enabled UEs. It is done by the procedure to discover using only the ability. On the other hand, in EPC-level ProSe Discovery, the core network (Evolved Packet Core (EPC)) determines the proximity of two ProSe-enabled UEs and informs these UEs of this. ProSe Discovery Discovery may be performed by more than two ProSe-enabled UEs.

  ProSe direct communication allows the establishment of a communication path between two or more ProSe-enabled UEs present in the direct communication range after the ProSe discovery procedure. In other words, ProSe direct communication allows ProSe-enabled UEs to communicate directly with other ProSe-enabled UEs without going through the Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) including the base station (eNodeB). Allows to communicate. ProSe direct communication may be performed using the same wireless communication technology (E-UTRA technology) as when accessing the base station (eNodeB), or wireless radio access network (WLAN) wireless technology (ie, IEEE 802.11 radio technology).

  In 3GPP Release 12, a ProSe function communicates with a ProSe-enabled UE via a public land mobile communication network (PLMN) to support ProSe discovery and ProSe direct communication. For network-assisted prose (ProSe), the ProSe function is a logical function used for operations related to the PLMN necessary for ProSe. The functionality provided by the ProSe function is, for example, (a) communication with third-party applications (ProSe Application Server), (b) UE authentication for ProSe discovery and ProSe direct communication, (c) ProSe Including transmission of setting information (for example, EPC-ProSe-User ID) for discovery and ProSe direct communication to the UE, and (d) provision of network level discovery (ie, EPC-level ProSe discovery). The ProSe function may be implemented in one or more network nodes or entities. In this specification, one or more network nodes or entities that execute the ProSe function are referred to as “ProSe function entities” or “ProSe function servers”.

  As described above, in ProSe of 3GPP Release 12, PLMN (e.g., ProSe function and eNodeB) supports ProSe discovery and ProSe direct communication by ProSe-enabled UEs. However, ProSe-enabled UEs can communicate with ProSe Direct Discovery or ProSe direct communication without PLMN support, mainly for public safety purposes, when PLMN cannot be connected to the PLMN, such as out-of-coverage. It is also being considered to make both of them available. Non-Patent Document 2 proposes that a pre-configuration including radio parameters necessary for ProSe without the assistance of PLMN is stored in a Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC). ProSe-enabled UEs can perform ProSe Direct Discovery and / or ProSe direct communication without the assistance of PLMN, according to the preset settings stored in the UICC.

  In addition, ProSe of 3GPP Release 12 is one specific example of proximity service (Proximity-based services (ProSe)) provided based on proximity of geographical positions of a plurality of wireless terminals. Similar to 3GPP Release 12 ProSe, proximity services in a public land mobile communication network (PLMN) include a discovery phase and a direct communication phase supported by functions or nodes (eg, ProSe function) located in the network. In the discovery phase, proximity of geographical locations of a plurality of wireless terminals is determined or detected. In the direct communication phase, direct communication is performed by a plurality of wireless terminals. Direct communication is communication performed between a plurality of adjacent wireless terminals without going through a public land mobile communication network (PLMN). Direct communication is sometimes called device-to-device (D2D) communication or peer-to-peer communication. The term “ProSe” as used herein is not limited to 3GPP Release 12 ProSe, but means proximity service communication including at least one of discovery and direct communication. Each of the terms “proximity service communication” and “ProSe communication” used in this specification means at least one of discovery and direct communication.

  As used herein, the term public land mobile communication network (PLMN) is a wide-area wireless infrastructure network and refers to a multiple access mobile communication system. A multiple access mobile communication system shares wireless resources including at least one of time, frequency, and transmission power among multiple mobile terminals, so that multiple mobile terminals can perform wireless communication substantially simultaneously. It is possible to do. Typical multiple access schemes are Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), or a combination thereof. The public land mobile communication network includes a radio access network and a core network. Public land mobile communication networks include, for example, 3GPP Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), 3GPP Evolved Packet System (EPS), 3GPP2 CDMA2000 system, Global System for Mobile communications (GSM (registered trademark)) / General packet radio service (GPRS) System, WiMAX system, or mobile WiMAX system. EPS includes Long Term Evolution (LTE) system and LTE-Advanced system.

  UICC is a smart card used in cellular communication systems such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) system, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), and Long Term Evolution (LTE) system. The UICC has a processor and a memory, and executes a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) application or a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) application for network authentication. The UICC stores authentication information (credentials) necessary for accessing the PLMN in its memory, executes the SIM application or the USIM application, and controls the authentication of the UE. The authentication information includes, for example, International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI). The authentication information is sometimes called identification information or SIM profile. In addition, the UICC can store and execute various applications as well as SIM and USIM applications. Note that the UICC is strictly different from UIM, SIM, and USIM. However, these terms are often used together. Therefore, although UICC terminology is mainly used in this specification, the term UICC in this specification may mean UIM, SIM, USIM, or the like.

3GPP TS 23.303 V12.3.0 (2014-12), “3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Services and System Aspects; Proximity-based services (ProSe); Stage 2 (Release 12)”, December 2014 3GPP R2-145379, Qualcomm Incorporated, “Offline Discussion report: Parameters for pre-configuration”, November 2014

  As an example, assuming that the communication infrastructure cannot be used due to a large-scale disaster (fire, earthquake, tsunami), etc., multiple UE groups may need to perform ProSe communication without PLMN support in the same region . The plurality of UE groups include, for example, a UE group used by a fire brigade, a UE group used by an emergency team, a UE group used by a local government employee, a UE group used by a volunteer, and a UE group used by a general citizen. The plurality of UE groups are preferably able to perform ProSe communication independently without PLMN support. However, it may be inefficient to assign individual radio resources in detail to these multiple UE groups in advance. For example, if the number of UE groups that are close to each other in the same area is small, each UE group should be able to use many unused radio resources. On the other hand, if there are a large number of UE groups that are close together in the same region, it may be preferable to divide the radio resources in detail to avoid interference with each other.

  As already described, the pre-configuration (e.g., radio parameters) for ProSe communication without the assistance of PLMN is stored in the UICC, for example. However, dynamic updating of this preset is not considered. Therefore, it may not be possible to flexibly adapt to the conditions under which ProSe communication is performed without the support of PLMN. For example, radio resources that can be used for ProSe communication without the support of PLMN are considered to depend on the location (country, region) and / or time at which the radio communication is performed. On the other hand, the radio resource (or throughput or communication distance) required for ProSe communication without the support of PLMN by the UE or UE group is the purpose, usage, communication partner (UE group type), communication application type ( eg, text, audio, or video) and action plans. Therefore, one of the objects to be achieved by the embodiments disclosed in the present specification is to provide an apparatus, a method, and a program that contribute to flexibly adapting to conditions under which ProSe communication is performed without the assistance of PLMN. Is to provide.

  In a first aspect, a wireless terminal includes at least one wireless transceiver and at least one processor. The at least one wireless transceiver includes a wireless transceiver for communicating with a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN). The at least one processor is configured to perform at least one of discovery and direct communication supported by the PLMN within the coverage of the PLMN using the at least one radio transceiver. The at least one processor further transmits attribute information regarding a condition under which at least one of discovery and direct communication without the support of the PLMN is performed to the remote management server, and performs discovery and direct communication without the support of the PLMN. It is configured to receive a setting relating to at least one from the remote management server. Furthermore, the at least one processor is configured to perform at least one of discovery and direct communication without assistance of the PLMN according to the setting using the at least one wireless transceiver.

  In a second aspect, the remote management server includes a memory and at least one processor coupled to the memory. The at least one processor is configured to receive attribute information regarding a condition under which at least one of discovery and direct communication without support of Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) is performed from a wireless terminal, and without support of the PLMN A setting related to at least one of discovery and direct communication is transmitted to the wireless terminal.

  In the third aspect, the method performed by the wireless terminal transmits (a) attribute information regarding a condition for performing at least one of discovery and direct communication without support of the Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) to the remote management server. And (b) receiving a setting relating to at least one of discovery and direct communication without assistance from the PLMN from the remote management server.

  In the fourth aspect, the method performed by the remote management server receives (a) attribute information regarding a condition under which at least one of discovery and direct communication without support of Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) is performed from a wireless terminal. And (b) transmitting a setting relating to at least one of discovery and direct communication without assistance of the PLMN to the wireless terminal.

  In the fifth aspect, the program includes a group of instructions (software code) for causing the computer to perform the method according to the third or fourth aspect described above when read by the computer.

  According to the above-described aspect, it is possible to provide an apparatus, a method, and a program that contribute to flexibly adapting to conditions under which ProSe communication is performed without the support of PLMN.

It is a figure which shows the structural example of the network which concerns on some embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the network which concerns on some embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the network which concerns on some embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the execution procedure of the ProSe communication which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the outline | summary of the procedure which updates the setting for ProSe communication based on 1st Embodiment without the support of PLMN. It is a flowchart which shows the update procedure of the setting for ProSe communication performed without assistance of PLMN performed by UE which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of UE which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the remote management server which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the update procedure of the setting for ProSe communication without assistance of PLMN performed by UE which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the update procedure of the setting for ProSe communication performed by UE which concerns on 3rd Embodiment without the support of PLMN. It is a figure which shows the outline | summary of the procedure which updates the setting for ProSe communication based on 4th Embodiment without the assistance of PLMN.

  Hereinafter, specific embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or corresponding elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted as necessary for clarification of the description.

  A plurality of embodiments shown below will be described mainly with an Evolved Packet System (EPS). However, these embodiments are not limited to EPS and may be applied to other mobile communication networks or systems, such as 3GPP UMTS, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 systems, GSM / GPRS systems, WiMAX systems, and the like.

<First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 shows a configuration example of the PLMN 100 according to the present embodiment. Both UE1A and UE1B are ProSe-capable wireless terminals (ProSe-enabled UEs), and establish a ProSe communication path 103 between them and perform ProSe direct communication (ProSe communication, direct communication between terminals, D2D communication). it can. ProSe direct communication between UE1A and UE1B may be performed using the same wireless communication technology (E-UTRA technology) as when accessing a base station (eNodeB), or WLAN wireless technology (IEEE 802.11 radio). technology).

  The eNodeB 21 is an entity arranged in the radio access network (ie, E-UTRAN) 2, manages the cell 22, and can communicate with the UE 1A and the UE 1B (101 and 102) using the E-UTRA technology. . In addition, in the example of FIG. 1, although the several UE1A and UE1B have shown the situation located in the same cell 22 for simplification of description, such UE arrangement | positioning is only an example.

  The core network (ie, EPC) 3 includes multiple user plane entities (eg, Serving Gateway (S-GW) and Packet Data Network Gateway (P-GW)), and multiple control plane entities (eg, Mobility Management). Entity (MME) and Home Subscriber Server (HSS) 33). A plurality of user plane entities relay user data of UE1A and UE1B between E-UTRAN2 and an external network (Packet Data Network (PDN)). The plurality of control plane entities perform various controls including UE 1A and UE 1B mobility management, session management (bearer management), subscriber information management, and charging management.

  In order to use the ProSe service (eg, EPC-level ProSe Discovery and / or ProSe Direct Communication or both), UE1A and UE1B attach to EPC3 via E-UTRAN2 and communicate with ProSe function entity 4 A Data Network (PDN) connection is established, and ProSe control signaling is transmitted to and received from the ProSe function entity 4 via E-UTRAN 2 and EPC 3. UE1A and UE1B may use, for example, EPC-level ProSe Discovery provided by the ProSe function entity 4 and allow activation (activation) in UE1A and UE1B of ProSe Direct Discovery or ProSe Direct Communication A message indicating this may be received from the ProSe function entity 4, or setting information regarding ProSe Direct Discovery or ProSe Direct Communication in the cell 22 may be received from the ProSe function entity 4.

  FIG. 2 shows the reference points used in ProSe. A reference point is sometimes called an interface. FIG. 2 shows a non-roaming architecture in which UE1A and UE1B utilize the same PLMN 100 subscription.

  The PC1 reference point is a reference point between the ProSe application and the ProSe application server 5 in UE1 (UE1A and UE1B). The PC1 reference point is used to define requirements for application level signaling.

  The PC2 reference point is a reference point between the ProSe application server 5 and the ProSe function entity 4. The PC2 reference point is used to define the interaction between the ProSe application server 5 and the ProSe functionality provided by 3GPP EPS via the ProSe function entity 4.

  The PC3 reference point is a reference point between UE1 (UE1A and UE1B) and the ProSe function entity 4. The PC3 reference point is used to define the interaction between UE1 and ProSe function entity 4 (eg, UE registration, application registration, and ProSe Direct Discovery and EPC-level ProSe Discovery requests authorization) . The PC3 reference point depends on the user plane of EPC3, and ProSe control signaling between UE1 and ProSe function entity 4 is transferred on the user plane.

  The PC4a reference point is a reference point between the HSS 33 and the ProSe function entity 4. The reference point is used, for example, by the ProSe function entity 4 to obtain subscriber information regarding the ProSe service.

  The PC4b reference point is a reference point between the Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) Location Platform (SLP) 34 and the ProSe function entity 4. The reference point is used, for example, by the ProSe function entity 4 to obtain the position information of UE1 (UE1A and UE1B). In addition, SLP assists the GPS positioning by UE1, receives a positioning result from UE1, and acquires the positional information which can estimate the position of UE1 from UE1 by this intermittently.

  The PC5 reference point is a reference point between UE1 (ProSe-enabled UEs) and is used for a control plane and a user plane of ProSe Direct Discovery, ProSe Direct Communication, and ProSe UE-to-Network Relay.

  The UE 1 according to the present embodiment further supports ProSe communication (discovery or direct communication or both) without the support of the PLMN in a situation where it is not possible to connect to the PLMN (e.g., out of coverage). As shown in FIG. 3, when neither PLMN available to UE1A and UE1B can be detected (eg, when out of coverage), UE1A and UE1B follow the settings for ProSe communication without PLMN support ProSe direct discovery and / or ProSe direct communication are performed (303).

  Settings for ProSe communication without PLMN support are radio parameters and radio access technology (Radio Access Technology (RAT)) used in ProSe communication (discovery and / or direct communication) without PLMN support. , And UE group identifier. Radio parameters include, for example, frequency band identifier, center frequency (E-UTRA Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number (EARFCN)), maximum transmission power (P-MAX-ProSe), Time Division Duplex (TDD) uplink-downlink configuration, At least one of resource blocks (number of Physical Resource Blocks (PRBs), start PRB offset, end PRB offset) is designated. In addition to these, the wireless parameters may include various wireless parameters as shown in Non-Patent Document 2, for example. The radio access technology (RAT) specifies a RAT type to be used for ProSe communication without the support of PLMN, for example, LTE, WLAN, or TErrestrial Trunked Radio Direct Mode Operation (TETRA DMO). The UE group identifier is an identifier of a UE group including a plurality of UEs participating in ProSe communication without the support of PLMN.

  The settings for ProSe communication without the assistance of PLMN are stored in a built-in memory mounted in UE1 or a removable memory (e.g., UICC) with which UE1 can communicate via an interface. The built-in memory or removable memory is volatile memory, nonvolatile memory, or a combination thereof. The volatile memory is, for example, Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), Dynamic RAM (DRAM), or a combination thereof. The non-volatile memory is a mask Read Only Memory (MROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, hard disk drive, or any combination thereof.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example (process 400) of the execution procedure of ProSe communication by UE1. When UE1 is connectable to PLMN 100 (e.g., in coverage) (YES in block 401), UE1 communicates with PLMN 100 and performs discovery and direct communication supported by PLMN 100 (block 402). When UE1 cannot connect to PLMN 100 (eg, out of coverage) (NO in block 401), UE1 performs discovery and direct communication without PLMN support according to the settings for ProSe communication without PLMN support (Block 403).

  Note that the inability to connect to the PLMN 100 (NO in block 401) means that the reception quality (eg, Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) or Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ) of a radio signal transmitted from any eNodeB 21 in the PLMN 100). )) May be determined by being below a predetermined threshold. In other words, the UE 1 may determine that it cannot connect to the PLMN 100 because the radio signal of the PLMN 100 cannot be normally received. Alternatively, UE 1 may receive a radio signal from eNodeB 21, but may determine that connection to PLMN 100 is not possible when connection to PLMN 100 (eg, attachment to EPC 3) is rejected. . Instead, the UE 1 may determine that the connection to the PLMN 100 is impossible when the connection to the PLMN 100 is permitted but the communication with the ProSe function entity 4 cannot be performed normally. Instead, the UE 1 connects to the PLMN 100 when forcibly disconnecting from the PLMN 100 according to a user instruction or a PLMN 100 (eg, ProSe function entity 4 or Operation Administration and Maintenance (OAM) server) instruction. You may determine that it is impossible.

  Subsequently, the procedure for updating the settings for ProSe communication without the support of the PLMN will be described below with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. As shown in FIG. 5, UE1 communicates with remote administration server 501 via network 502, and updates settings for ProSe communication without the support of PLMN in accordance with instructions from remote management server 501. . Specifically, the UE 1 transmits to the remote management server 501 attribute information (503) related to conditions under which ProSe communication (discovery and / or direct communication) is performed without the support of the PLMN. The remote management server 501 determines the setting (504) related to ProSe communication without the support of the PLMN based on the attribute information (503) received from the UE1, and transmits this to the UE1. UE1 receives the setting (504) regarding ProSe communication without the support of PLMN from remote management server 501. The UE1 uses the information newly received from the remote management server 501 when performing ProSe communication without the support of the PLMN. UE1 may update old information with the information newly received from the remote management server 501 when the setting (504) regarding ProSe communication without the support of PLMN is already held.

  The network 502 may be a network that passes through the PLMN 100. That is, UE1 may communicate with the remote management server 501 via the PLMN 100. Alternatively, the network 502 may be a network via another network (e.g., WLAN, TETRA system, or P25 system). That is, UE1 may communicate with the remote management server 501 via another network, not via the PLMN 100. Further, the remote management server 501 may be a server common to the ProSe function entity 4. Further, the function of the remote management server 701 may be a part of the ProSe function entity 4.

  Attribute information regarding conditions under which ProSe communication is performed without PLMN support includes (a) the purpose of ProSe communication without PLMN support, (b) the location or time at which ProSe communication is performed without PLMN support, ( c) At least one of Quality of Service (QoS) requirements necessary for ProSe communication without PLMN support, and (d) Application program (software) or data type using ProSe communication without PLMN support Is specified. The QoS requirement relates to, for example, at least one of a communication band, a transmission data amount, a throughput, and a transmission delay. The application program using ProSe communication without the assistance of PLMN may be, for example, instant messaging (text chat), voice chat, video chat, or online game.

  The attribute information related to the condition for performing ProSe communication without the support of PLMN may be specified by the user of UE1, or may be specified by an application program that uses ProSe communication installed in UE1.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the update operation (process 600) performed by UE1. In block 601, UE1 transmits to the remote management server 501 attribute information related to conditions under which ProSe communication is performed without the assistance of PLMN. In block 602, UE1 receives the setting regarding ProSe communication without the support of PLMN from the remote management server 501. The UE 1 uses the information received from the remote management server 501 in block 602 when performing ProSe communication without the support of the PLMN. UE1 may update the old information with the information newly received from the remote management server 501 in block 602, if the setting (504) regarding ProSe communication without the support of the PLMN has already been held.

  Subsequently, configuration examples of the UE 1 and the remote management server 501 according to the present embodiment will be described below. FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the UE 1 according to the present embodiment. A radio frequency (RF) transceiver 701 performs analog RF signal processing to communicate with the eNodeB 21 in the PLMN 100. The RF transceiver 701 may also be used for ProSe direct discovery and direct communication between UE1. The RF transceiver 701 may include a first transceiver used for communication with the eNodeB 21 in the PLMN 100, and a second transceiver used for ProSe direct discovery and direct communication between the UE1. Analog RF signal processing performed by the RF transceiver 701 includes frequency up-conversion, frequency down-conversion, and amplification. RF transceiver 701 is coupled to antenna 702 and baseband processor 703. That is, the RF transceiver 701 receives modulation symbol data (or OFDM symbol data) from the baseband processor 703, generates a transmission RF signal, and supplies the transmission RF signal to the antenna 702. Further, the RF transceiver 701 generates a baseband received signal based on the received RF signal received by the antenna 702, and supplies this to the baseband processor 703.

  The baseband processor 703 performs digital baseband signal processing (data plane processing) and control plane processing for wireless communication. Digital baseband signal processing includes (a) data compression / decompression, (b) data segmentation / concatenation, (c) transmission format (transmission frame) generation / decomposition, and (d) transmission path encoding / decoding. , (E) modulation (symbol mapping) / demodulation, (f) spreading / despreading, and (g) generation of OFDM symbol data (baseband OFDM signal) by Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT). On the other hand, control plane processing includes layer 1 (eg, transmission power control), layer 2 (eg, radio resource management, and hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) processing), and layer 3 (eg, attach, mobility, and call management). Communication management).

  The baseband processor 703 includes a modem processor (eg, Digital Signal Processor (DSP)) that performs digital baseband signal processing and a protocol stack processor (eg, Central Processing Unit (CPU)) that performs control plane processing, or a micro processing unit. (MPU)). In this case, a protocol stack processor that performs control plane processing may be shared with an application processor 704 described later.

  The application processor 704 is also called a CPU, MPU, microprocessor, or processor core. The application processor 704 may include a plurality of processors (a plurality of processor cores). The application processor 704 executes a system software program (Operating System (OS)) read from the memory 706 and various application programs (for example, a call application, a web browser, a mailer, a camera operation application, and a music playback application). Thus, various functions of UE1 are realized.

  In some implementations, the baseband processor 703 and the application processor 704 may be integrated on one chip, as indicated by the dashed line (705) in FIG. In other words, the baseband processor 703 and the application processor 704 may be implemented as a single System on Chip (SoC) device 705. The SoC device is sometimes called a system large scale integration (LSI) or chipset.

  Memory 706 is volatile memory, non-volatile memory, or a combination thereof. The memory 706 may include a plurality of physically independent memory devices. For example, the memory 706 may include an external memory device accessible from the baseband processor 703, the application processor 704, and the SoC 705. Memory 706 may include an embedded memory device integrated within baseband processor 703, application processor 704, or SoC 705. Further, the memory 706 may include a memory in the UICC.

  The memory 706 stores a ProSe protocol module 707, an update module 708, and a setting 709 for ProSe communication without the assistance of PLMN. The setting 709 shown in FIG. 7 corresponds to the setting 504 shown in FIG. As described above, the memory 706 may include a plurality of physically independent memory devices, and the software and data may be stored in the same memory device or in different memory devices. .

  The ProSe protocol module 707 includes a software module executed by the baseband processor 703 or the application processor 704. Thereby, the baseband processor 703 or the application processor 704 communicates with the ProSe function entity 4, the MME 31, and the eNodeB 21, and ProSe communication (eg, EPC-level ProSe Discovery, ProSe Direct Discovery) supported by the PLMN 100 within the coverage of the PLMN 100. , ProSe Direct Communication) and registration procedures necessary for ProSe communication. Furthermore, the baseband processor 703 or the application processor 704 performs ProSe Direct Discovery and / or ProSe Direct Communication in accordance with the setting 709 for ProSe communication without the support of the PLMN in a situation where the PLMN 100 cannot be connected (eg, out of coverage). Do.

  Note that UE1 may have another RF transceiver (e.g., WLAN transceiver, TETRA transceiver, or Near-Field Communication (NFC) transceiver) in addition to RF transceiver 701 (e.g., LTE transceiver) to assist PLMN. ProSe communication (eg, within coverage) and / or ProSe communication (eg, outside coverage) without the support of PLMN may be performed using the other RF transceiver.

  The update module 708 includes software modules that are executed on any of the processors. When the update module 708 is executed in any of the processors, the processor communicates with the remote management server 501 and operates to update the setting 709 for ProSe communication without the support of the PLMN.

  In some implementations, the update module 708 may be executed by the baseband processor 703 or the application processor 704.

  In some implementations, the update module 708 may be executed by a different processor than the baseband processor 703 and application processor 704 that perform ProSe communications. For example, the update module 708 may be executed by a processor installed in the UICC. Also, particularly when the baseband processor 703 and the application processor 704 are implemented as a one-chip SoC device 705, the update module 708 may be executed by a processor integrated on a chip different from the SoC device 705. .

  A configuration in which a processor different from the processor that performs ProSe communication (that is, the baseband processor 703 and the application processor 704) executes the update module 708 has the following advantages. As already explained, in some implementations, settings 709 for ProSe communication without PLMN support are stored in the UICC. However, the Application Programming Interface (API) for UICC access provided by the application processor 704 (or baseband processor 703 or SoC 705) may be subject to some restrictions. That is, the application processor 704 (or the baseband processor 703 or the SoC 705) allows the third-party application program (update module 708) to access the UICC to update the data in the UICC, that is, the setting 709. It may not be acceptable. The configuration in which the processor mounted on the UICC (or a processor integrated on a chip different from the SoC device 705) executes the update module 708 enables the setting 709 to be updated without going through the SoC device 705. . Further, this configuration enables ProSe communication performed by the SoC device 705 without the support of the PLMN to be controlled from the outside of the SoC device 705 using the setting 709 updated by the processor outside the SoC device 705. .

  FIG. 8 shows a configuration example of the remote management server 501 according to the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 8, the remote management server 501 includes a network interface 801, a processor 802, and a memory 803. The network interface 801 is used for communicating with the UE 1 via the network 502. The network interface 801 may include, for example, a network interface card (NIC) compliant with IEEE 802.3 series.

  The processor 802 reads out and executes software (computer program) from the memory 803, thereby performing the processing of the remote management server 501 described in the present embodiment. The processor 802 may be a microprocessor, MPU, or CPU, for example. The processor 802 may include a plurality of processors.

  The memory 803 is configured by a combination of a volatile memory and a nonvolatile memory. The volatile memory is, for example, SRAM or DRAM or a combination thereof. The non-volatile memory is, for example, an MROM, PROM, flash memory, hard disk drive, or a combination thereof. In addition, the memory 803 may include a storage disposed away from the processor 802. In this case, the processor 802 may access the memory 803 via an I / O interface (not shown).

  In the example of FIG. 8, the memory 803 is used for storing software modules including the update module 804. The update module 804 includes a command group and data for executing the processing of the remote management server 501 described in the present embodiment. The processor 802 can perform the processing of the remote management server 501 described in the present embodiment by reading the software module group including the update module 804 from the memory 803 and executing the software module group.

  As can be understood from the above description, in the present embodiment, the UE 1 is configured to transmit attribute information (503) related to the condition for performing ProSe communication without the support of the PLMN to the remote management server 501, and the PLMN The configuration (504, 709) related to ProSe communication without support is configured to be received from the remote management server 501. For example, radio resources that can be used for ProSe communication without the support of PLMN are considered to depend on the location (country, region) and / or time at which the radio communication is performed. On the other hand, the radio resource (or throughput or communication distance) required for ProSe communication without the support of PLMN by the UE or UE group is the purpose, usage, communication partner (UE group type), communication application type ( eg, text, audio, or video) and action plans. UE1 which concerns on this embodiment can perform the attribute information (503) which shows these conditions to the remote management server 501, and the remote management server 501 is without the assistance of PLMN determined based on the attribute information (503). The setting (504, 709) regarding ProSe communication can be transmitted to UE1. Therefore, the UE 1 and the remote management server 501 according to the present embodiment can flexibly adapt to the conditions under which ProSe communication is performed without the support of the PLMN.

<Second Embodiment>
In the present embodiment, a modified example of the procedure for updating the settings for ProSe communication without the support of the PLMN will be described. Configuration examples of the network according to this embodiment are the same as those shown in FIGS. The outline of the update procedure according to this embodiment is the same as that shown in FIG. Configuration examples of the UE 1 and the remote management server 501 according to the present embodiment are the same as those in FIGS.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the update operation (process 900) performed by UE1. In block 901, the UE1 determines whether or not the connection with the PLMN 100 may be disabled. In response to determining that there is a possibility that connection with the PLMN 100 may be disabled (YES in block 901), the UE 1 remotely manages attribute information (503) regarding conditions for ProSe communication without PLMN support. Transmit to server 501 (block 902). And UE1 receives the setting (504, 709) regarding ProSe communication without the support of PLMN from the remote management server 501.

  In some implementations, UE1 may autonomously and dynamically predict a situation in which connection with PLMN 100 is likely to be impossible. Specifically, the UE 1 determines that the connection with the PLMN 100 may be disabled when the received power (eg, RSRP) of the serving cell is lower than a predetermined threshold value and any neighboring cell cannot be detected. May be. Instead, the UE 1 may determine that the connection with the PLMN 100 may be disabled when the number of retransmissions of the uplink data or downlink data in the PLMN 100 exceeds a predetermined threshold. .

  In some implementations, information on at least one of a location and / or time that cannot be connected to the PLMN 100 (eg, at least one of a location and / or time outside the coverage) is obtained, and based on this information, the PLMN It may be possible to determine at least one of the time and place where ProSe communication is required without assistance. For example, when ProSe communication is used for work at a disaster site, UE1 holds map information indicating a location outside the coverage of PLMN 100, and based on this, ProSe communication is required without the support of PLMN. You may decide where to go. Or UE1 receives the information which shows that a network goes down from control node (eg, MME31) in eNodeB21 or EPC3, and judges the place where ProSe communication without the support of PLMN is required based on this May be.

  According to the present embodiment, the UE 1 determines that there is a possibility that the connection with the PLMN 100 may be disabled. Therefore, when there is a possibility that the UE 1 cannot be connected to the PLMN 100, the UE 1 can acquire the settings (504, 709) related to ProSe communication without the support of the PLMN in advance.

<Third Embodiment>
In the present embodiment, a modified example of the procedure for updating the settings for ProSe communication without the support of the PLMN will be described. Configuration examples of the network according to this embodiment are the same as those shown in FIGS. The outline of the update procedure according to this embodiment is the same as that shown in FIG. Configuration examples of the UE 1 and the remote management server 501 according to the present embodiment are the same as those in FIGS.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example (processing 1000) of the update operation performed by UE1. In block 1001, UE1 estimates at least one of a place and time that may become inaccessible to PLMN 100, and attribute information regarding conditions under which ProSe communication is performed without assistance from PLMN 100 based on the estimation result (503) is generated. The processing in blocks 1002 and 1003 in FIG. 10 is the same as the processing in blocks 601 and 602 in FIG.

  The estimation of the place and time where connection with the PLMN 100 may become impossible may be performed in the same manner as in the second embodiment. That is, in some implementations, UE1 may autonomously and dynamically predict a situation in which connection with PLMN 100 is likely to be impossible. Instead, UE1 obtains information on at least one of a location and time that cannot be connected to PLMN 100 (eg, at least one of a location and time that is out of coverage), and based on this information, UE 1 cannot connect to PLMN 100. In addition, at least one of the place and time where ProSe communication is required without the support of PLMN may be determined.

  According to the present embodiment, the UE 1 estimates at least one of a place and time that cannot be connected to the PLMN 100. Therefore, UE1 can estimate at least one of the location and time where ProSe communication is required without the support of PLMN, and the remote management server 501 can acquire the settings (504, 709) according to this.

<Fourth Embodiment>
In the present embodiment, a modified example of the procedure for updating the settings for ProSe communication without the support of the PLMN will be described. Configuration examples of the network according to this embodiment are the same as those shown in FIGS. Configuration examples of the UE 1 and the remote management server 501 according to the present embodiment are the same as those in FIGS.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an outline of the update procedure according to the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, the UE 1 communicates with the remote management server 501 via another network different from the PLMN 100 (TETRA network 1102 in FIG. 11). That is, UE1 transmits attribute information (1103) related to a condition that requires ProSe communication without the support of PLMN to the remote management server 501 via the other network (TETRA network 1102). A setting (1104) for ProSe communication without communication is received from the remote management server 501.

  According to this embodiment, even when connection to the PLMN 100 is not possible, settings for ProSe communication without the support of the PLMN can be received via another network (e.g., TETRA network). Therefore, even when communication with the PLMN 100 cannot be performed due to a failure of the PLMN 100 or out of coverage, ProSe communication (at least one of discovery and direct communication) without the support of the PLMN can be performed according to an appropriate setting.

<Other embodiments>
The plurality of embodiments described above may be implemented independently or may be implemented in combination as appropriate.

  Each of the processors included in the UE 1 and the remote management server 501 according to the above-described embodiment executes one or a plurality of programs including a group of instructions for causing a computer to execute the algorithm described with reference to the drawings. These programs can be stored using various types of non-transitory computer readable media and supplied to a computer. Non-transitory computer readable media include various types of tangible storage media. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include magnetic recording media (eg flexible disks, magnetic tapes, hard disk drives), magneto-optical recording media (eg magneto-optical discs), compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM), CD-ROMs. R, CD-R / W, and semiconductor memory (for example, mask ROM, programmable ROM (PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM), flash ROM, random access memory (RAM)) are included. Also, these programs may be supplied to the computer by various types of temporary computer readable media. Examples of transitory computer readable media include electrical signals, optical signals, and electromagnetic waves. The temporary computer-readable medium can supply the program to the computer via a wired communication path such as an electric wire and an optical fiber, or a wireless communication path.

  In the above-described embodiment, the description has been made mainly using specific examples related to EPS. However, these embodiments are applicable to other mobile communication systems such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), 3GPP2 CDMA2000 system (1xRTT, High Rate Packet Data (HRPD)), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) / General packet The present invention may be applied to a radio service (GPRS) system, a mobile WiMAX system, and the like.

  Furthermore, the above-described embodiment is merely an example relating to application of the technical idea obtained by the present inventors. That is, the technical idea is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various changes can be made.

1, 1A, 1B User Equipment (UE)
2 Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN)
3 Evolved Packet Core (EPC)
4 Proximity-based Services (ProSe) function entity 21 evolved NodeB (eNodeB)
100 Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN)
103, 303 ProSe direct communication path 501 Remote management server 502 Network 503 Attribute information 504 regarding the conditions for which ProSe communication is required without the support of PLMN 504 Setting for ProSe communication without the support of PLMN 701 Radio Frequency (RF) Transceiver 703 Baseband processor 704 Application processor 705 System on Chip (SoC) device 706 Memory 707 ProSe protocol module 708 Update module 709 Settings for ProSe communication without PLMN support 801 Network interface 802 Processor 803 Memory 804 Update module

Claims (13)

A wireless terminal,
At least one wireless transceiver including a wireless transceiver for communicating with the Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN);
At least one processor;
With
The at least one processor comprises:
Configured to perform at least one of discovery and direct communication assisted by the PLMN within the coverage of the PLMN using the at least one radio transceiver;
In response to determining that there is a possibility of being unable to connect to the PLMN, the attribute information regarding the condition under which at least one of discovery and direct communication without the support of the PLMN is performed is transmitted to the remote management server, Configured to receive a setting relating to at least one of discovery and direct communication without assistance from the PLMN from the remote management server;
It is configured to perform at least one of discovery and direct communication without assistance of the PLMN according to the setting using the at least one wireless transceiver.
Wireless terminal. The attribute information includes (a) at least one purpose of discovery and direct communication without assistance of the PLMN, (b) a place or time at which at least one of discovery and direct communication without assistance of the PLMN is performed, ( c) Quality of Service (QoS) requirements necessary for at least one of discovery and direct communication without the support of the PLMN, and (d) Application program that uses at least one of discovery and direct communication without the support of the PLMN. Or specify at least one of the data types,
The wireless terminal according to claim 1. The setting specifies at least one of a radio parameter, a radio access technology, and a radio terminal group identifier used in at least one of discovery and direct communication without assistance of the PLMN.
The wireless terminal according to claim 1 or 2. The at least one processor is configured to communicate with the remote management server via another network different from the PLMN;
Wireless terminal according to any one of claims 1-3. The PLMN includes a Third Generation Partnership Project Evolved Packet System (3GPP EPS) network,
The other network includes a network conforming to the TErrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA) standard,
The wireless terminal according to claim 4 . At least one of discovery and direct communication without the support of the PLMN includes at least one of discovery and direct communication.
The radio | wireless terminal of any one of Claims 1-5 . A method performed by a wireless terminal,
In response to determining that there is a possibility that connection with the Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) may be disabled, attribute information regarding conditions under which discovery and / or direct communication without the support of the PLM N is performed remotely. Sending to the management server ,
Receiving a setting relating to at least one of discovery and direct communication without assistance from the PLMN from the remote management server; and
Performing at least one of discovery and direct communication without the assistance of the PLMN according to the setting,
A method comprising: The attribute information includes (a) at least one purpose of discovery and direct communication without assistance of the PLMN, (b) a place or time at which at least one of discovery and direct communication without assistance of the PLMN is performed, ( c) Quality of Service (QoS) requirements necessary for at least one of discovery and direct communication without the support of the PLMN, and (d) Application program that uses at least one of discovery and direct communication without the support of the PLMN. Or specify at least one of the data types,
The method of claim 7 . The setting specifies at least one of a radio parameter, a radio access technology, and a radio terminal group identifier used in at least one of discovery and direct communication without assistance of the PLMN.
The method according to claim 7 or 8 . A program for causing a computer to perform a method performed in a wireless terminal,
The method
In response to determining that there is a possibility that connection with the Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) may be disabled, attribute information regarding conditions under which discovery and / or direct communication without the support of the PLM N is performed remotely. Sending to the management server ,
Receiving a setting relating to at least one of discovery and direct communication without assistance from the PLMN from the remote management server; and
Performing at least one of discovery and direct communication without the assistance of the PLMN according to the setting,
including,
program.   A wireless terminal,
  At least one wireless transceiver including a wireless transceiver for communicating with the Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN);
  At least one processor;
With
  The at least one processor comprises:
  Configured to perform at least one of discovery and direct communication assisted by the PLMN within the coverage of the PLMN using the at least one radio transceiver;
  Estimating at least one of the location and time where connection with the PLMN may be impossible, and attribute information regarding conditions under which at least one of discovery and direct communication without assistance of the PLMN is performed based on the estimation result Configured to generate,
  The attribute information is transmitted to the remote management server, and configured to receive from the remote management server settings related to at least one of discovery and direct communication without the assistance of the PLMN,
  It is configured to perform at least one of discovery and direct communication without assistance of the PLMN according to the setting using the at least one wireless transceiver.
Wireless terminal.   A method performed by a wireless terminal,
  Estimate at least one of the places and times that may become unreachable with the Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN),
  Generating attribute information related to conditions under which at least one of discovery and direct communication without assistance of the PLMN is performed, based on the estimation result;
  Sending the attribute information to a remote management server;
  Receiving a setting relating to at least one of discovery and direct communication without assistance from the PLMN from the remote management server; and
  Performing at least one of discovery and direct communication without the assistance of the PLMN according to the setting,
A method comprising:   A program for causing a computer to perform a method performed in a wireless terminal,
  The method
  Estimate at least one of the places and times that may become unreachable with the Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN),
  Generating attribute information related to conditions under which at least one of discovery and direct communication without assistance of the PLMN is performed, based on the estimation result;
  Sending the attribute information to a remote management server;
  Receiving a setting relating to at least one of discovery and direct communication without assistance from the PLMN from the remote management server; and
  Performing at least one of discovery and direct communication without the assistance of the PLMN according to the setting,
including,
program.

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