WO2019137987A1 - Réseaux de données dynamiques - Google Patents

Réseaux de données dynamiques Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2019137987A1
WO2019137987A1 PCT/EP2019/050524 EP2019050524W WO2019137987A1 WO 2019137987 A1 WO2019137987 A1 WO 2019137987A1 EP 2019050524 W EP2019050524 W EP 2019050524W WO 2019137987 A1 WO2019137987 A1 WO 2019137987A1
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WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
network
data
access
information
request
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PCT/EP2019/050524
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English (en)
Inventor
Andreas Schmidt
Martin Hans
Maik Bienas
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Ipcom Gmbh & Co. Kg
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Publication of WO2019137987A1 publication Critical patent/WO2019137987A1/fr

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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W8/00—Network data management
    • H04W8/005—Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W4/00—Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
    • H04W4/50—Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Definitions

  • the present invention relates in one aspect to the offering of a data network by a mobile communication device or user equipment, UE.
  • the 3GPP network (of all generations) is not optimized for UE-to-UE communication using network infrastructure.
  • the network architecture focusses on services provided to a UE by either the mobile network itself, such as voice calls and SMS, or by service providers outside the mobile network, such as web-sites, OTT applications or streaming providers.
  • a UE contacting another UE in the same network for packet switched, i.e. IP-based communication is usually connected via a server (e.g. SMS service center, VoIP server or OTT server). Therefore, in order for a UE to exchange data, a PDU session (or similar logical connection) is setup to a data network (DN).
  • DN data network
  • the new core network for 5G will serve radio access networks (RANs) of different radio access technologies (RATs, e.g. LTE and 5G new radio (NR)) as well as wireline access technology.
  • RANs radio access networks
  • RATs radio access technologies
  • NR 5G new radio
  • the wireline access that typically belongs to the network operator is treated as a trusted access network (AN), e.g. much more like a RAN than like a N3GPP access (private WLAN).
  • AN trusted access network
  • AN trusted access network
  • AN e.g. much more like a RAN than like a N3GPP access (private WLAN).
  • CPE customer premises equipment
  • the DSL-router at home is the device that is registered with an AMF of the core network.
  • Fig. 13 depicts both alternatives in a possible 5G network architecture. We can thus understand the mobile network to replace the current wireline telephony and internet system offering at least the services we are used to today.
  • the new architecture for the 5G core network includes an entity that has stored information about network functions (NFs) available within the core network.
  • the information may include network address and name of the NF, capability of the NF and services offered.
  • the entity is called Network Repository Function (NRF).
  • NEF Network Repository Function
  • Network functions that need to invoke another NF can request from the NRF the network address and name of a specific NF that is offering a requested type of function or a specific service. It has been discussed in 3GPP by which entity registration of an NF in the NRF may happen. Alternatives included a dynamic registration by other authorized NFs, a self- registration by NFs at the beginning of their lifetime, e.g. after power-up or instantiation of a virtual entity, or a“manual” non-standardized registration by the operation and maintenance system (O&M) of the network operator. It was concluded that the latter would suffice for the time being.
  • O&M operation and maintenance system
  • AMF The function responsible for registration and mobility management of a UE in the new 5G core network denoted AMF offers a notification service to other authorized NFs which subscribe to events which are related to a specific UE. Examples are UE reachability and UE location.
  • SMF Session Management Function
  • UPFs user plane functions
  • DN data network
  • Mobile Edge Computing is a general network concept that aims at bringing the content providing entity, e.g. a media server, topologically nearer to the access network to reduce the burden on the backbone (core) networks and increase the quality of the service delivered.
  • data networks may be placed near to the radio access network (RAN).
  • RAN radio access network
  • An example may be a media server co-located with a base station.
  • Another example is a data base or media server placed so that it is reachable by multiple base stations efficiently.
  • LADNs local area data networks
  • UEs devices
  • the service area is defined as a set of tracking areas and UEs registering in a group of tracking areas (so called registration area) receive from their AMF information about available LADNs in their registration area.
  • the UEs can then request setup of a PDU session to a LADN and use the PDU connection as long as they are in the LADN service area.
  • the LADN concept is typically used to offer MEC services, i.e.
  • 3GPP document S2-170582 describes some aspects of edge computing in connection with a 5G network. While the 5G core network (CN) architecture is not completely fixed in standardization, various functions and interconnections between functions can be expected to be present in the architecture.
  • Fig. 1 of WO 2018/146068 shows a CN architecture for 5G as currently discussed in 3GPP. It is very similar to the core network architecture of the 4G system called Enhanced Packet System (EPS) or Enhanced Packet Core (EPC).
  • EPS Enhanced Packet System
  • EPC Enhanced Packet Core
  • the access networks ((R)AN) provide mainly cellular radio access to mobile device, e.g. via GSM, UMTS or LTE. Additional access networks may provide access via short range radio access, e.g. WLAN, or fixed or satellite access to mobile or fixed devices.
  • the access networks usually provide the complete functionality to setup, control and maintain radio connections to devices.
  • the core network provides mechanisms that are not access specific, e.g. authentication, authorization and accounting (AAA) of devices and/or subscribers, mobility between access networks and routing between the access networks and external data networks.
  • AAA authentication, authorization and accounting
  • a UE in general accesses the 3GPP CN through an access network that may be a radio access network (RAN).
  • RAN radio access network
  • the radio access network is defined by 3GPP, e.g. the newly defined 5G radio access network, the access network provides a connection to an
  • the connection is named NG2.
  • the AMF may, as all elements depicted in Fig. 1 of WO 2018/146068, be present multiple times in a single CN.
  • An AMF is usually selected for a UE at registration of a UE in the network and only one AMF is responsible for a single UE at a time.
  • the AMF as all elements of the CN, can communicate to other CN elements through respective interfaces.
  • the AMF for example connects to a user data management (UDM) to receive information about the subscriber and subscribed services and to the Authentication Server Function (AUSF) to authenticate a UE at registration and to get security credentials used for communication with the UE.
  • UDM user data management
  • AUSF Authentication Server Function
  • Fig. 4 of WO 2018/146068 depicts a registration procedure as currently defined by 3GPP.
  • a UE already registered in the network uses the registration procedure to e.g. periodically renew its registration or inform about a change of the tracking area the UE is in.
  • 3GPP defines various access networks to access the 3GPP core network, e.g. GSM, UMTS, HSPA, LTE, LTE-A and in near future a 5G access network. These networks are developed to work specifically under control of the 3GPP core network.
  • the respective base stations support the security mechanisms of the core network and they are setup and maintained by the operator of the core network or a trusted third party. As a result, the 3GPP access network can be trusted by the core network.
  • the 3GPP core network is setup to support access networks that may not be setup and maintained by any trusted operator, they may also reside outside the operator’s domain.
  • These access technologies are collectively named Non-3GPP access (N3GPP) and they may be so called untrusted N3GPP access if there is no trust relationship between the core network and the access network.
  • FIG. 3 of invention WO 2018/146068 An example network architecture including (R)AN and N3GPP access technologies is depicted in Fig. 3 of invention WO 2018/146068.
  • the figure shows the network elements of Fig. 1 of WO 2018/146068 that provide access to a CN via 3GPP access technologies ((R)AN) without roaming.
  • Fig. 3 of WO 2018/146068 shows the UE connected to the CN via a Non-3GPP access shown example wise as a wireless local area network (WLAN).
  • the WLAN is an untrusted node example wise providing access to the internet, therefore the WLAN itself provides to the UE a connection to a Non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF).
  • N3IWF Non-3GPP interworking function
  • This new CN element is specified to allow access to the CN from untrusted N3GPP nodes. It may accumulate multiple untrusted Non-3GPP access networks .
  • the N3IWF is a device that may be maintained by
  • 3GPP document S2-179608 describes a service request procedure update for LADN mobility events.
  • US 2013/0174277 A1 describes a method for controlling access to resources via a communication network where an access control platform includes various modules such as a resource module, a user module, a social networking module, an access module, a security module and a user interface module.
  • the access control platform is connected to a profiles database which includes access information associated with the resources.
  • WO 2017/121882 A1 describes methods for registering wireless devices connected to a mobile device.
  • Such wireless devices might include smart glasses and smart watches which together with the mobile device form a so-called 'body/personal area network'.
  • the prior-art offers an information repository of existing NFs (NRF) that can be accessed by other NFs to request name, address and capabilities of a NF and it offers a concept of DNs whose accessibility is restricted to a limited service area (LADN).
  • the information in the NRF is relatively fixed (O&M) while little more dynamics have been publically discussed.
  • the service area is also fixed for a LADN while mobile UEs learn dynamically which LADNs are available in their registration area.
  • the current network is not optimized for services provided by UEs.
  • the currently specified UE-to-UE communication can be understood to be broken down to each of the UEs connecting via the core network to a common service provider outside the core network.
  • the service provider who takes care of connecting the UEs may reside inside
  • a new approach for a mobile network may be to offer data networks (DNs) operated by subscribers of the mobile network from mobile devices, i.e. UEs.
  • DNs data networks
  • UEs mobile devices
  • the approach may be beneficial in the new 5G network as the network becomes much more heterogeneous and there are access technologies supported by the core network that offer sufficient bandwidth and efficiency that make subscriber based service offerings possible.
  • subscribers may offer digital services from home being connected via wireline connection to their operator network and to the internet.
  • These offerings usually rely on fixed internet addresses or they use internet based address resolution techniques like DynDNS to ensure reachability to users of the service.
  • Announcements or publication of the service rely on internet search machines or proprietary mechanisms.
  • a new revenue stream may open if they can offer subscriber based services from subscriber devices and ensure their network is optimized for the transport of respective data streams. This may also be to the benefit of the subscriber who can offer their services via the network operator to a specific group of users, e.g. locally restricted or otherwise optimized to a user group.
  • a hurdle to allow subscriber based data networks from mobile devices is the unreliability of subscriber based service in general or in other words the fact that a subscriber based data network is offered by a user owned equipment not under control of the operator and not operated according to the quality standards that usually apply to network entities.
  • a subscriber can at any time switch off his devices or end a service offering.
  • a wireline or mobile radio based access to the core network may suffer overload or connection or radio link failure which causes the subscriber devices to not be reachable or not being able to offer the requested service.
  • a logical yet not easily enabled enhancement is to allow locally restricted DNs being offered by mobile, i.e. moving, subscriber devices with a moving, i.e. dynamically changing, service area. This is addressed in a second aspect of the invention.
  • the present invention provides a method of providing within a mobile communications network a data network hosted by a first user equipment, UE, device for access by one or more second UE devices, wherein the data network is registered in a core network of the mobile communications network.
  • a UE device hosts a data network when the data network is made available to other UE devices over a radio interface, particularly a cellular radio interface to the first UE device.
  • the invention provides a method for registering a user equipment, UE, device in a communication network, the method comprising receiving a request for registration of the UE device, requesting subscriber information from a subscriber data management function of the communication network, the subscriber information comprising information about one or more data networks which the UE device is allowed to access, sending a request for data network information to a network repository function of the communication network, the request comprising information about one or more data networks which the UE device is allowed to access, receiving data network information from the network repository function about one or more of the data networks the UE device is allowed to access and which are currently reachable, and accepting the request for registration and providing information about allowed and reachable data networks to the UE device for subsequent communication setup of the UE device with one or more of the data networks the UE device is allowed to access that are currently reachable.
  • the invention also provides a user equipment, UE, device in a communication network, the UE device being adapted to request registration in the communication network, request registration of a data network hosted by the UE device in the communication network, request establishment of one or more user plane paths between the UE device and a function of the communication network for providing access to the data network hosted by the UE device to one or more further UE devices, and subsequent to the requests being accepted by the communication network, provide by the UE device at least one packet data based service to said one or more further UE devices for accessing the communication network.
  • UE user equipment
  • the present invention enables a mobile communication core network to efficiently provide access to DNs hosted by subscriber owned mobile devices (UEs) that may or may not be reachable (we call this dynamic DNs).
  • UEs subscriber owned mobile devices
  • the reachability may depend on availability of an appropriate access to the core network or on other circumstances not related to the access.
  • the invention comprises the following aspects to create a network that provides dynamic DNs:
  • a registration of a dynamic DN in a function of the core network that stores the registration information of the registered dynamic DNs and provides them to other network functions.
  • the registration information is subsequently used to manage connections between the DN and UEs actually connected or potentially connecting to the DN.
  • the registration is done by network functions (NFs) autonomously e.g. after the dynamic DN has started to offer its services, no O&M or manual registration is necessary (nor possible as the dynamic change may occur frequently).
  • NFs network functions
  • a function that monitors reachability of the DN may be in the form of subscribing to“change of reachability” events of the subscriber device hosting the DN.
  • the function may be controlled by or included in an NRF or a similar function.
  • An AMF may request information on availability of dynamic DNs from the NRF based on subscriber information received from a subscriber data base (UDM). That is, the subscription of a UE may indicate dynamic DNs the UE is allowed to connect to and based on that information the AMF may request to be updated about availability of the dynamic DNs.
  • the AMF or SMF responsible for UEs accessing a dynamic DN may subscribe to change events relating to reachability of dynamic DNs at the NRF.
  • the NRF may subscribe to reachability events relating to UEs hosting a DN (DN-UEs) at the AMF that is responsible for the respective DN- UE.
  • the monitoring function may alternatively be implemented in a de-centralized way, e.g. in an AMF for each UE actually or potentially connected to a dynamic DN without an intermediate NRF or similar function.
  • the AMF of a UE actually or potentially connected to a DN may receive the address of the AMF responsible for a DN hosting UE (in the following DN-UE) from the NRF and subscribe to change of reachability events for the DN-UE.
  • the NRF or other central entity may provide the address of the current AMF of a DN-UE while updates on reachability are directly exchange between the AMF of the DN-UE and AMFs of UEs connected to this DN-UE. For all UEs registered at the same AMF as the DN-UE, this would prevent the overhead of sending reachability update notifications through the core network.
  • Drawback of this solution is the necessity to have knowledge of the current DN-UE’s AMF in the DN accessing UE’s AMF and to update that in case of AMF relocation. If access to a dynamic DN is restricted in location to a service area, this may be the area served by an AMF so that the whole control of UEs using and offering a dynamic DN resides in one entity. Other examples of defining such service areas will be given below.
  • a buffering entity For data that arrives in the core network for delivery to the DN, a buffering entity is allocated to buffer data in cases the DN-UE is unreachable and provide the data to the DN once it is reachable.
  • This buffering entity may be a user plane function (UPF) in the core network as foreseen by the current core network architecture for downlink delivery to UEs already.
  • UPF user plane function
  • Subscriber information in the UDM may indicate authorization for a subscriber to connect to a dynamic DN. This information may trigger an AMF at UE’s registration to check for (or subscribe to) reachability of the respective DN-UEs and provide a list of available dynamic DNs to the UE as is known in relation to usual DNs and local area DNs (LADNs)). Subscriber information in the UDM may indicate authorization for a subscriber to offer a hosted dynamic DN including the DN name (DNN) and its capabilities and/or services.
  • DNN DN name
  • the information is taken into account when a request from the DN-UE is received to attach the DN to the core network to decide which functions to allocate for the DN-UE (which slice in 5G network terms), whether the respective connections (PDU Sessions) are setup and whether the respective DN is registered in a central function.
  • This aspect is not known in prior-art as the concept of dynamic DNs is new.
  • a subscriber may register multiple DN-UEs to provide multiple accesses to the same dynamic DN.
  • the network may register all accesses and derive reachability information from all accesses, e.g. whether at least one access provides sufficient service.
  • this invention provides mechanisms and aspects of a network to allow a DN to be hosted by a mobile UE, i.e. a dynamic DN may appear at different times at different locations resulting from UE mobility (mobile dynamic DN):
  • the mobile dynamic DN may be provided only locally and the serving area of the resulting LADN may change dynamically resulting in the group of UEs actually or potentially served by the LADN changing dynamically.
  • the use case of a mobile LADN may be to serve a group of UEs collectively moving with the LADN, e.g. UEs on or near a vehicle, the vehicle offering services via a mobile dynamic DN or similar.
  • Another use case may be local provisioning of event information from a mobile DN-UE, i.e. streaming from cameras via a mobile DN-UE that may move together with the event, a demo, concert on a boat or a public safety server providing service to personnel, e.g. policemen or fire brigade.
  • local data base access may be useful in some use cases.
  • the new possibility to offer subscriber based LADNs may also open new
  • Means are provided to update the LADN service area depending on the access point of the DN-UE, i.e. depending on the point where the DN-UE accesses the network which may be the base station or a tracking area of the UE.
  • This invention enhances today’s LADN concept by dynamically updating the LADN service area.
  • An updated service area of a LADN results in an update of available LADNs for the UEs connected and UEs potentially connecting to the LADN.
  • the service area may depend on the network topology at the point of access of the UE hosting the LADN, i.e. only cells very tightly connected to the point of access are within the service area to ensure minimum burden on the network infrastructure. Allowance for connection to the mobile LADN may not only depend on subscription information but also or instead on current mobility information. That is, a UE may only be allowed to connect to a mobile LADN when its mobility pattern equals or is similar to the one of the mobile LADN. In a use case of a collectively moving group this will ensure only UEs in the moving group connect to the LADN.
  • Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a mobile communication network
  • Fig. 2 is a message sequence chart showing a registration of a data network
  • Fig. 3 is a message sequence chart in the event of a loss of connection
  • Fig. 4 is a message sequence chart of a UE connecting to a data network
  • Fig. 5 is a continuation of the message sequence chart of Fig. 4.
  • Fig. 6 is a schematic representation of an alternative network architecture
  • Figs. 7 and 8 correspond to the message sequence charts of Figs. 4 and 5 implemented in the network architecture of Fig. 6;
  • Fig. 9 is a schematic representation of a cellular network in which a DN-UE moves between cells;
  • Fig. 10 is a further message sequence chart showing a registration procedure
  • Fig. 1 1 is a message sequence chart after registration of a data network
  • Fig. 12 is a message sequence chart in the event of a movement of a DN-UE
  • Fig. 13 is a prior art arrangement of a 5G network architecture
  • Fig. 14 is a schematic representation of a derivation of a LADN service area.
  • Fig. 1 shows a general mobile network in which the embodiments are implemented.
  • the figure shows two user equipment devices (UEs), one hosting a data network (DN-UE) via the mobile network and one accessing the DN of the DN-UE.
  • the data network itself may comprise further devices connected to the DN-UE or the DN-UE may offer services itself, or both. From mobile network point of view, the DN is offered by the DN-UE and the actual architecture of the DN is hidden and irrelevant.
  • the UEs of Fig. 1 , the DN-UE and the UE accessing the DN each may be a smart phone, a wireline device, a cellular module embedded in a car, a computer or similar device that is connected via the mobile network.
  • Each device connects to the core network via an access network (AN) which may be a radio access network (RAN), a wireline radio network or an undefined non-3GPP access network.
  • AN access network
  • RAN radio access network
  • the interface between UE and AN depends on the type of AN, therefore the interface does not have a name in the figure whereas other relevant interfaces are named according to the 3GPP architecture.
  • the two access networks shown in Fig. 1 may be identical, i.e. they may both be the same LTE base station, or they may be separated. In the separated case, the two access networks may have a direct connection (Xn) implemented or not.
  • LADNs local data networks
  • SA service area
  • Each access network (R)AN) is connected to the core network via N2 to an access and mobility function (AMF).
  • AMF access and mobility function
  • both (R)ANs are connected via the same AMF.
  • DN-UE’s and UE’s may be connected via different AMFs (cf. Fig. 6) and the AMFs are logically interconnected, at least to exchange the reachability information according to this invention.
  • the logical connection between a UE and an AMF via the access network and N2 is denoted N1.
  • the core network shown comprises of a session management function (SMF) for setup and maintenance of PDU sessions, a user data management (UDM) storing subscriber data and a network repository function (NRF) that has information about available network functions and their properties and capabilities stored.
  • SMF session management function
  • UDM user data management
  • NRF network repository function
  • each of the UEs of Fig. 1 may be connected to zero, one or more data networks (DNs) depending on what services the user of the UE is currently using.
  • Fig. 1 is simplified to only show the one data connection relevant to this invention.
  • Each of the access network entities is thus connected via N3 to the same user plane function (UPF) that is managed by the SMF via N4.
  • the DN-UE hosts a data network that it offers to the UE via the UPF.
  • Fig. 2 shows a message sequence chart of a registration of the DN offered by the DN-UE in the core network according to this invention. The chart is simplified in that it may not show all steps and messages that are necessary to ease readability.
  • Fig. 2 comprises the main information exchange necessary to understand the current invention.
  • solid arrows usually depict a single mandatory message between two entities and dashed arrows depict optional or conditional messages.
  • Double sided arrows depict procedures usually comprising at least two or more messages being exchanged between two entities. Double sided arrows are used to simplify information exchange that is typically known from the prior-art.
  • a DN-UE when first entering a mobile network will register itself by selecting an appropriate AN entity, e.g. a base station or a cell, and requesting registration with an AMF.
  • the AMF if it does not know the UE from former connections, will contact the UDM to authenticate the UE and receive subscriber information.
  • the known subscriber information is enhanced according to this invention by information about whether the UE is authorized (or allowed) to offer a DN within the mobile network and potentially under which circumstances and conditions this is allowed.
  • the information may also comprise the name (DNN) or names of DNs that the UE is allowed to offer.
  • DNN name of DNs that the UE is allowed to offer.
  • the information coming from the UDM is shown in Fig. 2 with dashed lines because alternatively the information can be provided by the UDM at a later point in the procedure.
  • the DN-UE will request a registration of its data network in the core network.
  • the registration is necessary in order for the respective core network entities to be aware that the DN is now available and can be accessed by other UEs.
  • the request to register the DN-UE and the request to register the DN in the core network are separated in this embodiment as the DN-UE may also use other services of the mobile network.
  • the invention is not limited to this exemplary embodiment and a combined registration of DN-UE and DN is also possible.
  • the DN offered by the DN-UE is identified by a DN name (DNN), e.g.“DN49171765432.operator.com” or “shopname.privatedn.operator.com” or simply“shopname”.
  • DNN DN name
  • a DN registration in this embodiment is carried in a PDU session establishment request sent to the AMF.
  • This message may not be the only solution to request DN registration but it seems appropriate as a user data connection (called PDU session in the 5G core network) is required with any DN hosting.
  • the AMF now has to select an SMF and may therefore request respective information from the NRF.
  • the request may comprise according to this invention the information that the PDU session is for DN offering and the NRF may provide one or more addresses of SMF that are suitable for managing PDU sessions for that service. Now the AMF selects one SMF potentially taking into account further criteria.
  • a PDU session create message is sent to the selected SMF comprising the PDU session establishment request from the UE and the DN registration request.
  • the SMF may receive in that message also information about DNs authorized for the subscriber from the AMF. If not, the SMF may request and receive the information from the UDM.
  • the SMF selects a UPF that is capable of offering a DN hosted by the DN-UE within the core network. An appropriate session is established between the UPF and the SMF and information related to the session is provided by the SMF to the AMF for forwarding to the access network and finally to the DN-UE.
  • the DN-UE may setup the DN.
  • This setup may comprise opening a router function for routing data to entities behind the DN-UE or starting services provided by the DN-UE itself.
  • Starting services may comprise start execution of an application (app) running on the device or informing an already executed app that the DN is now registered.
  • the app may have triggered the DN-UE to request the registration of the data network before the example procedure started.
  • the access network or the DN-UE will acknowledge the session setup to the SMF which will then according to this invention register the DN at the NRF.
  • This registration may be done at any central entity of the core network that is appropriate for the service, the NRF is just an example of this embodiment.
  • the registration comprises provision of information stored in the NRF like the DN name (DNN) and the DN address routable within the core network. This may not be the same address as the one given to the DN-UE to hide network topology from UEs; the UPF may perform network address translation for that purpose.
  • the NRF in the described embodiment relies on the SMF to inform about changes related to the availability of the DN.
  • the SMF may be explicitly or implicitly subscribed to respective events at the AMF; the latter case is shown in Fig. 2.
  • the NRF could be subscribed to information regarding changes of the DN-UE reachability, so called reachability events.
  • the NRF could request subscription or it is implicitly subscribed.
  • the entity, to which the NRF would be subscribed to receive the information can be any entity that has the information available, i.e. the AMF or the SMF which in turn requests subscription to reachability events at the AMF.
  • the DN-UE has registered itself and the hosted DN in the core network.
  • Data for the DN-UE can now be routed from the UPF via the AN to the DN-UE and vice-versa, seen from DN-UE point of view; and data can be routed from the UPF to the DN and vice versa from other UE’s point of view (which are not presented in Fig. 2).
  • Fig. 3 has the procedure of Fig. 2 as a pre-requisite and depicts two procedures that are invoked when the connection between the DN-UE and the core network is lost (temporarily) and re-gained.
  • AMF notifies the SMF of the respective event and the SMF determines whether the DN registration in the NRF is kept alive, which may be done if the loss of connection is expected to be temporary, or the DN is deregistered and the respective PDU session is released (the latter is not shown in the figure).
  • the SMF updates the NRF, i.e. it informs the NRF that the DN is currently not reachable so that the NRF can refrain from advertising the DN to be available.
  • the DN registration is kept alive.
  • the PDU session in the UPF is also kept alive but it is modified, e.g. to inform the UPF that a connection to the AN was or is to be released.
  • the AMF again notifies the SMF and the registration in the NRF is updated. Also, the user plane path is re-installed, e.g. by re-establishing a connection between UPF and AN or by re-establishing a released PDU session.
  • the NRF would be subscribed to reachability events. A loss of connection would thus result in the NRF being informed. The determination whether the DN would be kept alive but the advertisement and (part of the) user plane would need deactivation would then be done by the NRF. And similarly in the case of regaining the connection.
  • the NRF would be subscribed to reachability events. A loss of connection would thus result in the NRF being informed. The determination whether the DN would be kept alive but the advertisement and (part of the) user plane would need deactivation would then be done by the NRF. And similarly in the case of regaining the connection.
  • Fig. 3 is the simplified basic principle of the current invention: A central entity, in the example the NRF, is updated about reachability of the DN-UE hosting a DN to ensure up- to-date DN advertising.
  • Fig. 4 is a message sequence chart of a procedure according to one aspect of the invention in the network of Fig. 1.
  • the procedure of Fig. 2 is again a pre-requisite for the procedure of Fig. 4.
  • Fig. 4 has added the UE side of communication, i.e. a UE connecting to the DN offered by the DN-UE which was registered before.
  • the UE is expected to enter the network at a different AMF than the DN-UE but the SMF and UPF that are selected during the procedure are identical to the ones that offer the DN.
  • An alternative example is given below.
  • the AMF may request subscriber information from the UDM and receive information about DNs the UE is authorized to access, in this example this information includes the DNN of the DN offered by the DN-UE.
  • the UE may request PDU session establishment to the DN offered by the DN-UE identified with the DNN, e.g.
  • a query for an appropriate SMF at the NRF is answered in this example with the address of the same SMF that manages the DN.
  • the SMF is selected by the AMF and a PDU session create message is sent to the SMF comprising the UE’s PDU session establishment request. If not already received, the SMF may request and receive subscriber data relating to allowed DNs and subscribed services from the UDM.
  • the SMF now selects a UPF which in this example is the same UPF that is offering the DN hosted at the DN-UE.
  • Fig. 4 shows the UPF as two entities terminating the PDU sessions from the DN-UE and the UE, respectively, similar to a so called back-to-back server (B2B-UPF).
  • B2B-UPF back-to-back server
  • Another alternative would be to have end- to-end PDU sessions between UE and the DN-UE routed through the UPF with the DN-UE hosting a TUPF kind of functionality.
  • the UPF routes data arriving from the UE at the UPF to the DN-UE and vice-versa.
  • the SMF establishes a session with the UPF and provides to the AMF a response comprising a PDU Session Accept message for the UE and information for the AN to establish appropriate bearers at the AN which is not shown in Fig. 4.
  • Fig. 5 continues the procedure of Fig. 4 with the steps performed by the network when the connection to the DN-UE is lost.
  • a buffering takes place as usual for established PDU sessions whose radio resources are not available.
  • the AMF determines that the connection is lost and notifies the SMF managing the DN.
  • the SMF has to determine whether the PDU sessions connecting the DN are kept and buffering of data is applied or the DN is de-registered and the PDU sessions are released.
  • the SMF that is according to this example managing both sides of the UPF can enforce either decision (denoted 1 and 2 in Fig. 5) depending on its decision and release all PDU sessions related to the DN or modify the PDU sessions to apply buffering.
  • Fig. 6 shows an amended network architecture compared to Fig. 1 in which the UE connects via its AN to a different AMF, SMF and UPF than the DN-UE.
  • the UPFs are shown to be connected via N9 to route data from the UE to the DN and vice versa.
  • the N9 interface connects UPFs with each other; we can say the UPF connected to the DN-UE side AN is the terminating UPF (TUPF) for the DN.
  • TUPF terminating UPF
  • Figs. 7 and 8 depict similar procedures as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 with the difference of different SMF and UPF selected according to the amended network architecture of Fig. 6.
  • Fig. 7 the UE registration and PDU session establishment is shown.
  • the selected SMF establishes an N4 control session to both the UPF that is connected to the AN of the UE via N3 (not shown in Fig. 7) and to the UPF that is connected to the AN of the DN-UE and it establishes an N9 connection between the two UPFs.
  • the SMF subscribes to DN reachability events at the NRF. User data from UE to DN and vice versa can be exchange via both UPFs.
  • the SMF of the DN-UE and the NRF are updated and the NRF notifies the SMF of the UE about the DN being unreachable.
  • the SMF has the choice of keeping the PDU connection and the radio resources to the UE alive and buffer uplink data (alternative 1 in Fig. 8) or continue data transportation and rely on the UPF of the DN to buffer data (alternative 2).
  • Alternative 3 is a release of the PDU session of the DN-UE by the respective SMF, a deregistration of the DN at the NRF and a resulting notification at the UE’s SMF which results in release of the respective PDU session on the UE side.
  • a second aspect of this invention is a network supporting that the DN-UE is moving within the network and the DN is offered only in a limited service area, e.g. the area in which the access point (base station) that provides network access to the DN-UE has a direct Xn interface with the access point that provides network access to the UE.
  • a limited service area e.g. the area in which the access point (base station) that provides network access to the DN-UE has a direct Xn interface with the access point that provides network access to the UE.
  • This is only one example of implementing a location based service area of a DN. Other examples may be restriction of the service area to the cells offered by a single base station or to all tracking areas served by a single AMF.
  • the current 5G standard defines fixed service areas of a local area DN (LADN) as a set of tracking areas, but other deployments of mobile service areas are not excluded for this invention.
  • LADN local area DN
  • Fig. 9 shows cells A1 to A9 of a mobile network.
  • Cells A1 , A2 and A4 are spanned by base station BS1
  • cells A3, A5 and A6 are spanned by base station B2
  • cells A7 and A8 are spanned by base station BS3
  • cell A9 is spanned by base station BS4.
  • the cells spanned by BS1 and BS2 are part of tracking area TA1
  • the cells spanned by BS3 and BS4 are part of tracking area TA2.
  • the border between TA1 and TA2 is shown as a bold dashed line in Fig.
  • a DN-UE moves example wise from cell A3 to cell A5 and further to A8 as shown by an arrow while a UE may be fixed to cell A1.
  • the following message sequence charts and procedures are shown in embodiments with a single SMF responsible for managing relevant PDU sessions for the DN-UE and the UE as well as a single UPF for providing the data routing function for the PDU sessions. This is similar to the deployments shown in Figs. 2 to 4 while nothing in this invention should prevent the same or similar embodiments to be implemented in an architecture of Fig. 6 corresponding to the procedures of Figs. 7 and 8.
  • Fig. 10 shows the registration of the DN-UE and the DN in the core network.
  • the procedure is similar to Fig. 2 with an additional entity shown denoted policy control function (PCF).
  • PCF policy control function
  • the purpose of the PCF in the current 5G network architecture is to make current decisions on QoS, routing and other parameters based on current network load and properties.
  • the PCF may also be invoked in PDU session establishment which has not been shown in previous figures for readability.
  • the SMF subscribes implicitly or explicitly (as shown in the figure) to location change events of the DN-UE in the AMF.
  • the SMF may request a resulting service area from the PCF providing the current location of the DN-UE.
  • the PCF will, based on the received current location of the DN-UE and policies, rules and the topology and current state of the network, derive a service area (SA) and provide it to the SMF.
  • SA service area
  • the SA is derived by the SMF, the AMF or the NRF itself based on the current DN-UE location, rules and the network state.
  • the principle mechanism of deriving the LADN SA is depicted in an exemplary manner in Fig. 14.
  • the derivation of a service area (SA) has the subscriber identity and potentially a mobile equipment identity identifying the UE-communication hardware or its type as an input.
  • Local policies for specific types of devices, for groups or subscribers or for the specific subscriber may be stored in the communication network and will be used to determine a maximum possible SA.
  • This may be a number of cells, a number of tracking areas (TAs), a specific group of cells or of TAs, a region or a sub-network of the PLMN or of the access network.
  • it may be a specific access technology, e.g. only wireless, only wireline, only N3GPP access or only 5G-RAT.
  • the SA is ensured by determining an SA from the maximum SA using the UE’s location and topology information about the network, e.g. which entities are interconnected with what interfaces or which entities are virtual and currently executed on the same or well interconnected machines.
  • a fair distribution of the currently available resources is ensured by taking network load on different interfaces and load on involved network functions and entities into account. This is just an example of how a SA of a LADN may be derived from input parameters. The different derivation steps may be executed in a different order, all in one steps or some may be omitted. In any case, the result is a service area for the data network as depicted in Fig. 14.
  • Fig. 11 describes the procedure following the setup and registration of a mobile local area DN as in Fig. 10.
  • the UE registers itself at its AMF which may receive during registration information about authorized DNs. This information may indicate that some of the DNs the UE is allowed to access are a LADN or a mobile LADN, so that the AMF cannot be sure the received DNs are currently accessible by the UE. Therefore, according to this invention the AMF requests at the NRF information about the current availability of the LADNs at the current location.
  • the AMF may provide the authorized LADNs as a candidate list and in addition may provide the area that the UE is or will be registered in, the registration area.
  • the NRF derives based on the registration information received from the SMF of the DN-UE those LADNs that the UE is authorized for and that are currently available and replies with a list of accessible DNs and their respective SA.
  • the AMF may at that point subscribe at the NRF to events resulting from authorized LADNs becoming accessible by the UE. If at a later point in time authorized LADNs become accessible, the AMF is informed and it may inform the UE appropriately so that the user gets up-to-date information about available data networks or services provided by other subscribers.
  • This information is given back to the UE in the registration accept message to allow the UE to select LADNs that are currently accessible for access or for presentation to the user. Subsequently, the UE may request a PDU session establishment to a mobile LADN which is not much different from the PDU session establishment procedures described before.
  • the selected SMF in this embodiment the same that serves the DN-UE subscribes to service area change events at the NRF and to location change events of the UE at its AMF.
  • the DN-UE may move according to Fig. 9 through cells A3, A5 to A8.
  • the SA of the DN hosted by the DN-UE may be bound to its tracking area, i.e. only UEs in the same tracking area are allowed to access.
  • the tracking area does not change and the UE can continue to access the DN.
  • base stations BS1 and BS2 have a direct communication interface Xn and the UPF serving the respective PDU sessions is placed near these base stations, e.g. it is co-located with one of the base stations. This is just one example to explain plausibility of the current invention while not restricting applicability of the idea to different network topologies.
  • the DN-UE moves to cell A8 which is part of tracking area TA2, the UE is not allowed to access the DN anymore.
  • Fig. 12 shows an exemplary procedure following those of Figs.
  • Fig. 12 depicts the former procedure, i.e. the UE registers in the new tracking area with an AMF that may or may not be different from the AMF the UE was registered at, therefore denoted with an asterisk in the figure.
  • the AMF notifies the SMF of the changed location and the SMF requests from the PCF determination of the resulting potentially new service area, providing the DN name and the current location.
  • the PCF derives based on the current location and policies, rules and the current network state a new service area of the DN and provides this to the SMF.
  • the SMF now updates the DN registration at the NRF and the NRF informs all affected SMFs about the change of service area.
  • the SMF of the DN-UE is the same that serves the UE, so the notification could be omitted, but for ease of implementation of the SMF, the notification is beneficial and show in Fig. 12 with a dashed line.
  • the NRF may also inform AMFs or other NFs about changes in the service area so that UEs which do currently not access the LADN are informed about the new service area and potential accessibility of the LADN.
  • the SMF may then determine that the UE resides out of the service area and release the respective resources at the UPF and via the AMF also at the RAN (not shown) and the UE.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Databases & Information Systems (AREA)
  • Mobile Radio Communication Systems (AREA)

Abstract

La présente invention concerne un procédé de fourniture dans un réseau de communication mobile d'un réseau de données hébergé par un premier équipement utilisateur, UE, dispositif d'accès par un ou plusieurs seconds dispositifs UE, le réseau de données étant enregistré dans un réseau central du réseau de communication mobile et un dispositif UE correspondant.
PCT/EP2019/050524 2018-01-10 2019-01-10 Réseaux de données dynamiques WO2019137987A1 (fr)

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Citations (5)

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WO2016164808A1 (fr) * 2015-04-08 2016-10-13 InterDigitial Patent Holdings, Inc. Réalisation de relais mobiles pour communications de dispositif à dispositif (d2d)
WO2017121882A1 (fr) 2016-01-15 2017-07-20 Koninklijke Kpn N.V. Système et procédés d'enregistrement de dispositifs sans fil et de transmission d'informations
WO2018146068A1 (fr) 2017-02-07 2018-08-16 Ipcom Gmbh & Co. Kg Fonction d'interfonctionnement utilisant un réseau non digne de confiance

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EP2405638A1 (fr) * 2010-07-08 2012-01-11 Deutsche Telekom AG Procédé, système et appareil de télécommunication audiovisuelle
US20130174277A1 (en) 2011-12-30 2013-07-04 Nokia Corporation Method and apparatus for controlling access to resources
WO2016164808A1 (fr) * 2015-04-08 2016-10-13 InterDigitial Patent Holdings, Inc. Réalisation de relais mobiles pour communications de dispositif à dispositif (d2d)
WO2017121882A1 (fr) 2016-01-15 2017-07-20 Koninklijke Kpn N.V. Système et procédés d'enregistrement de dispositifs sans fil et de transmission d'informations
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