US-12627951-B2 - Fifth generation core enhancements to support ad hoc and dynamic group based services for edge deployments

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for creating implicit ad hoc groups of UE based upon specific criteria. One method may include forming, by a session management function, at least one ad-hoc group of user equipment based upon detecting user equipment matching at least one grouping criteria; and reporting, by the session management function, the forming of the at least one ad-hoc group to a network exposure function or an application function based upon at least one notification condition.

Inventors

• Renil SURENDRAN
• Jisha GEORGE
• Malathi PONNIAH
• Shubhranshu Singh
• Bruno Landais

Assignees

• NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20230424

Claims (19)

1. 1 . A method comprising: forming, by a session management function, at least one ad-hoc group of user equipment based upon detecting user equipment matching at least one grouping criteria, wherein the forming further comprises: detecting, by the session management function, at least one protocol data unit session of the user equipment starting or stopping to use one or more specific applications; and reporting, by the session management function, the forming of the at least one ad-hoc group to a network exposure function or an application function based upon at least one notification condition.
2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming comprises one of creating, modifying, or deleting the ad-hoc group.
3. 3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the ad-hoc group is associated with an ad-hoc group identifier, and at least one of a plurality of user equipment or user equipment protocol data unit sessions matching at least one of the same set of grouping criteria.
4. 4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one grouping criteria comprises at least one of the following: each user equipment or user equipment protocol data unit session using the same protocol data unit session anchor-user plane function; each user equipment or user equipment protocol data unit session using the same application; each user equipment or user equipment protocol data unit session using at least one of the same network slice selection assistance information and the same data name network; or each user equipment is located in a same area.
5. 5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the at least one grouping criteria further comprises at least one of the following: each user equipment or user equipment protocol data unit session using a specific protocol data unit session anchor-user plane function; each user equipment or user equipment protocol data unit session using a specific application; each user equipment or user equipment protocol data unit session using at least one of a specific network slice selection assistance information and a specific data name network; or each user equipment is located in a specific area.
6. 6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: transmitting, by the session management function, instructions to a user plane function to monitor and report each protocol data unit session starting or stopping to user one or more specific applications.
7. 7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the transmitting further comprises: configuring, by the session management function, a packet forwarding control protocol session for the protocol data unit sessions comprising: at least one packet detection rule comprising at least one of an application identifier and a packet flow description; and at least one reporting rule instructing the user plane function to report when the protocol data unit session starts or stops using the at least one application identified by the at least one application identifier or packet flow description.
8. 8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the transmitting further comprises: receiving, by the session management function, a notification from a user plane function notifying that one or more protocol data unit sessions starts or stops using the at least one application identified by the at least one application identifier or packet flow description; and grouping, by the session management function, the at least one user equipment or user equipment packet data unit sessions using the one or more same applications.
9. 9 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the transmitting further comprises: instructing, by the session management function, a user plane function to monitor at least one protocol data unit session of at least one user equipment matching at least one of a single network slice selection assistance information and a data name network; and starting or stopping to use one or more applications identified according to application identifier or packet flow description.
10. 10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: transmitting, by the session management function, instructions to an edge application server discovery function to monitor and report when a user equipment sends a domain name server query request targeting at least one specific fully qualified domain name or when edge application server discovery function detects in the domain name server response at least one edge application server internet protocol address that matches the grouping criteria, for at least one protocol data unit session of at least one user equipment that matches the grouping criteria.
11. 11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the transmitting further comprises: receiving, by the session management function, a notification from an edge application server discovery function notifying that at least one user equipment sends a domain name server query request targeting at least one specific fully qualified domain name or notifying from an edge application server discovery function when it detects in the domain name server response at least one edge application server internet protocol address; and grouping, by the session management function, the at least one user equipment or user equipment packet data unit sessions using the one or more same applications.
12. 12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one grouping criteria is received by the session management function from other entities or is locally configured.
13. 13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising: assigning, by the session management function, at least one ad-hoc group identifier associated with the set of user equipment matching the at least one grouping criteria.
14. 14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising: storing, in a data repository, the at least one ad-hoc group identifier with the at least one grouping criteria and the at least one of the set of user equipment or user equipment packet data unit sessions matching the grouping criteria.
15. 15 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: coordinating, at the data repository, the at least one ad-hoc group identifier associated with the ad-hoc group to ensure that a single group identifier is associated with the ad-hoc group in multiple session management functions of the network.
16. 16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one notification condition corresponds to at least one of the following: reporting a notification when a group is created matching at least one of the grouping criteria; reporting a notification when a group matching at least one of the grouping criteria is modified; or reporting a notification when a group matching all the grouping criteria is deleted.
17. 17 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: transmitting, to a network exposure function or an application function, an event informing of the assignment of a set of users matching grouping criteria to a group.
18. 18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the event comprises at least one of the following: at least one ad-hoc group identifier, at least one group type, or at least one member list.
19. 19 . A method comprising: forming, by a session management function, at least one ad-hoc group of user equipment based upon detecting user equipment matching at least one grouping criteria; reporting, by the session management function, the forming of the at least one ad-hoc group to a network exposure function or an application function based upon at least one notification condition; and coordinating, at a data repository, at least one ad-hoc group identifier associated with the at least one ad-hoc group to ensure that a single group identifier is associated with the at least one ad-hoc group in multiple session management functions of a network.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD Some example embodiments may generally relate to mobile or wireless telecommunication systems, such as 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE), 5th generation (5G) radio access technology (RAT), new radio (NR) access technology, 6th generation (6G), and/or other communications systems. For example, certain example embodiments may relate to systems and/or methods for creating implicit ad hoc groups of user equipment (UE) based upon specific criteria. BACKGROUND Examples of mobile or wireless telecommunication systems may include radio frequency (RF) 5G RAT, the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), LTE Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), LTE-A Pro, NR access technology, and/or MulteFire Alliance. 5G wireless systems refer to the next generation (NG) of radio systems and network architecture. A 5G system is typically built on a 5G NR, but a 5G (or NG) network may also be built on E-UTRA radio. It is expected that NR can support service categories such as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low-latency-communication (URLLC), and massive machine-type communication (mMTC). NR is expected to deliver extreme broadband, ultra-robust, low-latency connectivity, and massive networking to support the Internet of Things (IoT). The next generation radio access network (NG-RAN) represents the radio access network (RAN) for 5G, which may provide radio access for NR, LTE, and LTE-A. It is noted that the nodes in 5G providing radio access functionality to a user equipment (e.g., similar to the Node B in UTRAN or the Evolved Node B (eNB) in LTE) may be referred to as next-generation Node B (gNB) when built on NR radio, and may be referred to as next-generation eNB (NG-eNB) when built on E-UTRA radio. SUMMARY In accordance with some example embodiments, a method may include forming, by a session management function, at least one ad-hoc group of user equipment based upon detecting user equipment matching at least one grouping criteria. The method may further include reporting, by the session management function, the forming of the at least one ad-hoc group to a network exposure function or an application function based upon at least one notification condition. In accordance with certain example embodiments, an apparatus may include means for forming at least one ad-hoc group of user equipment based upon detecting user equipment matching at least one grouping criteria. The apparatus may further include means for reporting the forming of the at least one ad-hoc group to a network exposure function or an application function based upon at least one notification condition. In accordance with various example embodiments, a non-transitory computer readable medium may include program instructions that, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform at least a method. The method may include forming at least one ad-hoc group of user equipment based upon detecting user equipment matching at least one grouping criteria. The method may further include reporting the forming of the at least one ad-hoc group to a network exposure function or an application function based upon at least one notification condition. In accordance with some example embodiments, a computer program product may perform a method. The method may include forming at least one ad-hoc group of user equipment based upon detecting user equipment matching at least one grouping criteria. The method may further include reporting the forming of the at least one ad-hoc group to a network exposure function or an application function based upon at least one notification condition. In accordance with certain example embodiments, an apparatus may include at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to form at least one ad-hoc group of user equipment based upon detecting user equipment matching at least one grouping criteria. The at least one memory and instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may further cause the apparatus at least to report the forming of the at least one ad-hoc group to a network exposure function or an application function based upon at least one notification condition. In accordance with various example embodiments, an apparatus may include forming circuitry configured to form at least one ad-hoc group of user equipment based upon detecting user equipment matching at least one grouping criteria. The apparatus may further include reporting circuitry configured to report the forming of the at least one ad-hoc group to a network exposure function or an application function based upon at least one notification condition. In accordance with some example embodiments, a method may include receiving, from a session management function, at least one domain name system response matching at least one of: at least one sp