Search

CN-122003891-A - Techniques for event exposure subscription in dual core networks

CN122003891ACN 122003891 ACN122003891 ACN 122003891ACN-122003891-A

Abstract

Embodiments include a method for exposing a function configured to operate in a communication network comprising a first core network and a second core network. The methods include sending a first Event Exposure (EE) subscription request for a notification associated with a User Equipment (UE) from a first core network to a first data management function of the first core network. The first EE subscription request includes an indication of a corresponding EE subscription for UE-related notifications from the second core network. The methods include receiving a first EE subscription response from a first data management function, the response including a first indication of whether an EE subscription for a notification associated with the UE was successfully created in a first core network and a second indication of whether the subscription for the UE exists in a second core network. The methods include selectively sending a second EE subscription request to a second data management function for UE-related notifications from a second core network based on a second indication. Other embodiments include complementary methods for the first data management function.

Inventors

  • M. C. bartolomerodrigo
  • RUIZ BALMASEDA CRISTINA

Assignees

  • 瑞典爱立信有限公司

Dates

Publication Date
20260508
Application Date
20240327
Priority Date
20230808

Claims (20)

  1. 1. A method for exposing a function configured to operate in a communication network comprising a first core network and a second core network, the method comprising: -sending (1520) a first event exposure, EE, subscription request for a user equipment, UE, related notification from the first core network to a first data management function of the first core network, wherein the first EE subscription request comprises an indication of a corresponding EE subscription for the UE related notification from the second core network; Receiving (1530) a first EE subscription response from the first data management function, the first EE subscription response comprising: a first indication of whether an EE subscription for a notification related to the UE was successfully created in the first core network, and A second indication of whether a subscription for the UE exists in the second core network, and Based on the second indication, a second EE subscription request for notification related to the UE from the second core network is selectively sent (1540) to the second data management function.
  2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein when the first indication indicates that an EE subscription for notifications related to the UE was not successfully created in the first core network, the first EE subscription response further includes another second indication of whether a subscription for the UE exists in the first core network.
  3. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein when the further second indication indicates that a subscription of the UE is not present in the first core network, one of: the second indication and the further second indication are a single indication that no subscription for the UE exists in the first core network or the second core network, or The second indication and the further second indication are separate indications.
  4. 4. A method according to any of claims 2 to 3, further comprising receiving an EE subscription request from an application function, AF, or an application server, AS, associated with the communication network for notifications related to the UE from the communication network, wherein sending the first EE subscription request is in response to receiving the EE subscription request from the AF or the AS.
  5. 5. The method of claim 4, further comprising sending an EE subscription response to the AF or the AS indicating that there is no subscription for the UE in the communication network when the second indication indicates that the subscription for the UE does not exist in the second core network and the other second indication indicates that the UE does not exist in the first core network.
  6. 6. The method of any of claims 1-5, wherein selectively sending the second EE subscription request to the second data management function comprises: When the second indication indicates that a subscription for the UE exists in the second core network, sending the second EE subscription request to the second data management function, and When the second indication indicates that there is no subscription for the UE in the second core network, refraining from sending the second EE subscription request to the second data management function.
  7. 7. The method of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: the first core network is a 5G core network 5GC; the second core network is a 4G evolved packet core network EPC; The exposure function is a network exposure function NEF or a service capability exposure function SCEF; The first data management function is a unified data management UDM function, and The second data management function is a home subscriber server HSS.
  8. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the second indication is one of a 4G_5G_USER_DOES_NOT_EXIST, 4G_USER_EXIST, or 4G_USER_DOES_NOT_EXIST application error code.
  9. 9. The method of any of claims 7 to 8, wherein the first indication that an EE subscription for notifications related to the UE was NOT successfully created in the first core network is a ue_not_found application error code.
  10. 10. A method for a first data management function configured to operate in a first core network of a communication network, the communication network further comprising a second core network, the method comprising: Receiving (1610) from an exposure function of the communication network a first event exposure EE subscription request for a user equipment, UE, related notification from the first core network, wherein the first EE subscription request comprises an indication of a corresponding EE subscription for the UE related notification from the second core network; Determining (1620) whether a subscription to the UE is present in the first core network and whether a subscription to the UE is present in the second core network; When it is determined that a subscription for the UE exists in the first core network, attempting (1630) to create an EE subscription for notifications related to the UE from the first core network in accordance with the first EE subscription request, and -Sending (1640) a first EE subscription response to the exposure function, the first EE subscription response comprising: a first indication of whether an EE subscription for a notification related to the UE was successfully created in the first core network, and A second indication of whether a subscription for the UE exists in the second core network.
  11. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein when the first indication indicates that an EE subscription for notifications related to the UE was not successfully created in the first core network, the first EE subscription response further includes another second indication of whether a subscription for the UE exists in the first core network.
  12. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein when the further second indication indicates that a subscription for the UE is not present in the first core network, one of: the second indication and the further second indication are a single indication that no subscription for the UE exists in the first core network or the second core network, or The second indication and the further second indication are separate indications.
  13. 13. The method of any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein: the first core network is a 5G core network 5GC; the second core network is a 4G evolved packet core network EPC; The exposure function is a network exposure function NEF or a service capability exposure function SCEF; The first data management function is a unified data management UDM function, and The second data management function is a home subscriber server HSS.
  14. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second indication is one of a 4G_5G_USER_DOES_NOT_EXIST, 4G_USER_EXIST, or 4G_USER_DOES_NOT_EXIST application error code.
  15. 15. The method of any of claims 13 to 14, wherein the first indication that an EE subscription for notifications related to the UE was NOT successfully created in the first core network is a ue_not_found application error code.
  16. 16. An exposure function configured to operate in a communication network comprising a first core network and a second core network, the exposure function comprising: a communication interface circuit configured to communicate with a first data management function, the first data management function being associated with the first core network, and Processing circuitry operably coupled to the radio transceiver circuitry, whereby the processing circuitry and the radio receiver circuitry are configured to perform operations corresponding to the method of any one of claims 1 to 9.
  17. 17. An exposure function configured to operate in a communication network comprising a first core network and a second core network, the exposure function further configured to perform operations corresponding to the method of any of claims 1 to 9.
  18. 18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by processing circuitry configured to perform an exposure function operating in a communication network comprising a first core network and a second core network, configure the exposure function to perform operations corresponding to the method of any one of claims 1 to 9.
  19. 19. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions which, when executed by processing circuitry configured to perform an exposure function operative in a communication network comprising a first core network and a second core network, configure the exposure function to perform operations corresponding to the method of any one of claims 1 to 9.
  20. 20. A first data management function configured to operate in a first core network of a communication network, the communication network further comprising a second core network, the first data management function comprising: a communication interface circuit configured to communicate with an exposure function of the communication network and a second data management function of the second core network, and Processing circuitry operably coupled to the communication interface circuitry, whereby the processing circuitry and the communication interface circuitry are configured to perform operations corresponding to the method of any one of claims 10 to 15.

Description

Techniques for event exposure subscription in dual core networks Technical Field The present disclosure relates generally to communication networks including two different core networks, and more particularly to techniques for managing subscriptions of Network Functions (NFs) to event notifications associated with User Equipment (UEs) that may have subscriptions in either or both of the two core networks. Background Long Term Evolution (LTE) is a generic term referring to the fourth generation radio access technology developed in 3GPP, originally standardized in release 8 (Rel-8) and release 9 (Rel-9), also known as evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN). LTE is directed to various licensed bands and is accompanied by improvements in non-radio aspects commonly referred to as System Architecture Evolution (SAE), including Evolved Packet Core (EPC) networks. Fig. 1 shows an exemplary architecture of an LTE network. The network shown in fig. 1 includes an evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN, 100) including one or more evolved node bs (enbs, e.g., 105, 110, 115) and one or more user equipments (UEs, e.g., 120). The eNB is responsible for radio related functions in the LTE network including radio bearer control, radio admission control, radio mobility control, scheduling, dynamic allocation of resources to UEs in the uplink and downlink, and security of communications with the UEs. Each eNB may serve a geographic coverage area including one or more cells (e.g., 106, 111, and 115). Enbs communicate with each other over an X2 interface and with an Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network (130) over an S1 interface, in particular with a Mobility Management Entity (MME) and a Serving Gateway (SGW), as shown by MME/S-GW (134, 138) in fig. 1. The MME/S-GW handles both overall control of the UE and data flow between the UE and the rest of the EPC. More specifically, the MME handles signaling (e.g., control plane) protocols between the UE and the EPC, which are referred to as Non Access Stratum (NAS) protocols. In contrast, the S-GW processes all Internet Protocol (IP) data packets (e.g., user plane) between the UE and EPC, and acts as a local mobility anchor for data bearers as the UE moves between enbs. The EPC also includes a home subscriber server (HSS, 131) that manages user and subscriber related information. The HSS may also provide support functions in mobility management, call and session setup, user authentication and access authorization. The HSS function may be associated with a conventional Home Location Register (HLR) and authentication center (AuC) function or functions of operation. The HSS may communicate with the MME via a corresponding S6a interface. In some embodiments, the HSS may communicate with a user data store (EPS-UDR, e.g., 135) via the Ud interface. EPS-UDR can store user credentials after they are encrypted by AuC algorithm. EPS-UDR is also known as 4G-UDR. In addition, the EPC may include a service capability exposure function (SCEF, 139) introduced in Rel-13 to safely expose services and capabilities provided by the 3GPP network interface. For example, the SCEF may expose services and capabilities provided by the HSS to application servers (ases) inside or outside the LTE network. AS a more specific example, an AS-hosted Machine Type Communication (MTC) application may communicate directly with an SCEF, or may communicate with an SCEF through an intermediate Service Capability Server (SCS) that communicates with MTC UEs in an LTE network. In this way, the SCEF provides access to network capabilities through a homogeneous network Application Programming Interface (API), thereby abstracting services from the underlying 3GPP network interfaces and protocols. Currently, the third generation partnership project (3 GPP) is standardizing fifth generation (5G) cellular systems. The development of NR has the greatest flexibility and can support various different use cases. These include MTC, enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC), side-link device-to-device (D2D), and several other use cases. One variation of 5G networks is that the traditional peer-to-peer interfaces and protocols found in early generations of networks (e.g., EPC) were modified and/or replaced by service-based architecture (SBA) in which a Network Function (NF) provides one or more services to one or more service consumers. This may be achieved, for example, by a hypertext transfer protocol/representational state transfer (HTTP/REST) Application Programming Interface (API). In general, various services are self-contained functions that can be altered and modified in an isolated manner without affecting other services. In addition, services consist of various "service operations" which are finer-grained divisions of overall service functionality. The 5G SBA model is based on principles of modularity, reusability, and self-inclusion, enabling network deployment to take advantage of the latest virtualization and software t